ChrisB Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Our oldest is reading and listening to the original Nancy Drew mysteries, and DH finds himself enjoying them as well. He's not sure what it is about the formula of these mysteries that he likes, but he does. So he's wondering if anyone can recommend any mysteries written for adults that have the same feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane in CO Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I am not sure of an adult mystery that is written the same way...however he should delve into the Hardy boy mysteries...they are boys books, but written in the same way as the Nancy Drew mysteries. HTH! Diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Since he doesn't know what it is he likes I'm going to take a stab at the fact that they aren't quite as gory as mysteries these days are. I would recommend Dorothy Sayers, I've only read the Harriet Vane books but I love them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 He might like Agatha Christie's Tommy and Tuppence mysteries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Assuming that he likes mysteries that aren't too heavy/complex, not gory, and have happy endings, I'd recommend the Mrs. Pollifax series. They're really enjoyable! Start with the first one though, and go in order, because you get to know the characters. Each book takes place in a different country too, which is fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 It sounds like he'd like the genre known as cozy mysteries. In addition to everything already recommended he might like The Cat Who series by Lillian Jackson Braun. You'd want to start with the first in the series because like the Mrs. Pollifax series you get to know the characters. The Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple books by Agatha Christie are wonderful and they don't have to be read in order. I particularly recommend Murder on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Mildred Wirt (who wrote the first 15 Nancy Drew mysteries under the Carolyn Keene pseudonym) wrote another series called Penny Parker, and yet another series called Penny Nichols under the name Joan Clark. I enjoyed all of these. They had just a slightly more adult feel to them than Nancy Drew, to me anyway. Good, fun reads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafdog Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Must second the Agatha Christie mysteries. I started reading them as a kid, and love them to this day. Kid-appropriate, and fun! Ngaio Marsh books are good, too. I also love the Nero Wolfe series. Charlotte Macleod wrote delightful mysteries with no bad language and hilarious stories. The Peter Shandy collection is her best stuff. The Charlie Chan mysteries are also great Golden Age mysteries set in Hawaii and San Francisco and are a great read. If your child is interested in Egyptology, the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters is about a family of archaeologists with a precocious son who solve mysteries in 19th Century Egypt. The latest books in that series are a bit tiresome, but the first 10-12 books in the series are charming. You may want to consider a mystery anthology. I have discovered several authors that I enjoy through their short story contributions to mystery collections. "English Country House Murders" (Editor - Thomas Godfrey) is a great one, and the Christmas Murder Mysteries edited by Charlotte Macleod and by Thomas Gahan all are lots of fun, as is the Mysterious Bookshop Christmas Mystery collection. Can you tell I'm a mystery fan???? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency mysteries with Mma Ramotswe are nice. Not really murders, and not a single case tidily solved, but detective work and daily life intertwined. Very interesting stories, and not especially formulaic, but life-affirming. They're set in Botswana, and written by Alexander McCall Smith, who has written other novels, but these are, in my opinion, the best. Here is an interesting, long list of mysteries for middle schoolers. These are not "cozy mysteries," though. http://www.wylietexas.gov/departments/library/docs/Mysteries_without_Murder__Autosaved_.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency mysteries with Mma Ramotswe are nice. Not really murders, and not a single case tidily solved, but detective work and daily life intertwined. Very interesting stories, and not especially formulaic, but life-affirming. They're set in Botswana, and written by Alexander McCall Smith, who has written other novels, but these are, in my opinion, the best. I love these! They are absolutely charming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 My dh liked the Mrs. Pollifax books. He also liked Ngaio Marsh's books and Ellis Peter's Brother Cadfael series. Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 Thanks for the responses thus far! He checked out the first Mrs. Pollifax book from the local library. A quick follow-up to my first post... He also enjoys Monk-style mysteries, as well as Father Brown-style. I'm not sure if they have anything in common with Nancy Drew -- maybe all "cozy mysteries"? -- but if that helps in additional recommendations, great! Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafdog Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 It sounds like "Cozy Mysteries" are his preferred genre. Luckily, most have no inappropriate language or content, so you don't have to worry too much about pre-reading them. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 How about the Maisie Dobbs mysteries by Jacqueline Winspear? http://www.amazon.com/Maisie-Dobbs-Book-Jacqueline-Winspear/dp/0142004332/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364448723&sr=8-1&keywords=maisie+dobbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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