[Deleted by the author on Aug 19, 2008 4:24 PM PDT]

You might want to try Sarah Caudwell. I enjoyed "The Shortest Way to Hades" and "Thus Was Adonis Slain".

Have you tried the Inspector Morse mysteries by Colin Dexter?

Off subject, but you brought up Coben, and Crais - Have you read the Spenser books which were a major influence on both. If not, start with Parker's early books.

Thanks, C. White! Not to sound like a snob, but I just don't like TV. Hence, I
read a lot :) I have read all of the Inspector Morse and also all of the Spenser books.
I should qualify my televison comment. MOST TV is pretty blah and has been
these many years. But, I very much liked the BBC versions of Morse, and the American adaptation of Spenser. great stuff. But thank you. great suggestions!

Sarah Caudwell is a name I have not heard. Thanks! Will give those 2 a shot!

If you enjoy Peter Lovesey, you will probably like Janwillem van de Wetering, published in the USA by SOHO. Patricia Wentworth's British mysteries are well constructed. Her 1928 mystery, GREY MASK kept me guessing to the very end. Another mystery writer who is high on our list is Donna Leon, whose Police Commissario Guido Brunetti mysteries are set in Venice, Italy.

How interesting. Thanks so much! I put Death At La Fenice on hold at the
library 2 minutes ago. It's available in large print, which is wondeful for me.
Thank you!

Agatha Raisin is metronome . No depth to the character . There are 4 post WWI mysteries by Jaquiline Winspear that I liked . Lydia LaPlante has her " Prime Suspect Series " and oters . > . . .Very gritty !

I've read all the Hamish MacBeth novels, as well as the Agatha Raisin books. I'd say the Hamish books are understated, with loads of Scottish village charm, and that Hamish's ability to get to the bottom of every mystery without getting in trouble with his bosses is slightly reminiscent of Holmes and Lestrade (not that Lestrade was ever Holmes' boss). On the other hand, Holmes liked to show off and Hamish never does.
The Agatha Raisin books are rather different, partly because the main character is more pitiable than likable. Not too many mysteries out there with an overweight, middle-aged, sexually active, former advertising genius female as the detective. I say pitiable because her love life is rather unsuccessful but she is admirable in her tenacity in solving the problems.
Have fun with the reading!
p.s. If you're looking for an exhaustive sutdy of British mysteries, you might want to go back to the oldies such as Margery Allingham, Dorothy Sayers and, of course, Agatha Christie. Try "The 39 Steps" for wartime suspense, too.

Still Life- Louise Penny
The Coroner's Lunch- Colin Cotterill
Silent in the Grave- Deanna Raybourn
These three are all the starting books of series.

No Time for Goodbye (Harlan Coben like, stand alone)

thanks!

did you mean this book in your post??

"No Time for Goodbye" by 'Linwood Barclay'

Although they are quite old, I have always enjoyed Dorothy L. Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey series. Several are set in English colleges. The humor is there but since it isn't American humor, many miss it.

I have to confess that this is my first time engaging in this on-line discussion and I had just stepped in because of the references to the M.C. Beaton books. It seems that I should have started at the beginning, namely with what William Patterson is actually seeking in the milieu of British mysteries. There are so many books out there (a few of which have been named by another poster) that it makes some sense to go by authors. OK, Mr. Patterson, what is your goal?

>>>Book lover -Philadelphia says: "OK, Mr. Patterson, what is your goal?"<<

my goal is simply to get names and recommendations of authors I don't already
know. Example, Reginald Hill, I know. The 'Fat Man' aka Andy Dalziel I know.
Peter Pascoe, I know. John Rebus, I know. though Rankin is not the same kind
of wise arse that Reg Hill is, he is in his own way witty, and dry. One poster
pointed out that Robert Crais and Harlan Coben were influenced by Parker. A rare
example of 3 American authors that I like and whose work I have already read
right up to their respective newest 'titles'. And I am American. I prefer British,
Welsh, Scottish or even Irish humor to that of our own. I am looking for
'characters' who are as alive and real as John Rebus, Andy Dalziel, Morse,
Wexford, ( Ruth Rendalls creation, I believe) and Peter Diamond. ok, Stuart
McBride and his protagonists DS Logan McRae and DI Inspector Steel. that kind of stuff. not slapstick, but dark humor. Ironic stuff. Does that make sense?

Liked the Hamish books much better than the Agatha ones.
Robert Barnard is a fun author with lots of darkish mysteries.
Also worth a try,
R. D. Wingfield - Jack Frost books
Bartholomew Gill - MCGarr books - (Ireland)

ah...missed this first post from you. actually, everyone has been quite
helpful. a couple of the suggestions that were made, I had already heard of.
I should have taken more time to include 'everyone' whose novels and or series's
I have been thru. sorry about that.

>>>>>you might want to go back to the oldies such as Margery Allingham, Dorothy Sayers and, of course, Agatha Christie. Try "The 39 Steps" for wartime suspense too<<<

sounds good, thanks!

thanks much for the ideas. I am putting them all in a simple word processing thingie
so I can start checking my list against the local library. then, the ones they don't
have, I'll come back and look on amazon. thanks again! cheers!

Bill

good ideas! my library has some lynda laplante, but only DVD's of the Prime
Suspect stuff, which were actually pretty good. she has a lot of other novels
apparently. will check them out. thanks to all of you, in case I missed anyone.
lots of great ideas.

>>>The humor is there but since it isn't American humor, many miss it<<<

in spite of being American myself, I find that our sense of humor as a culture is
better represented in the more 'American' mediums. standup, TV, movies, etc..

just an opinion. perhaps even a half baked one! I like Brit humor. it's more dry, subtle, etc... thanks for the suggestions!

Bill

>>>Book lover -Philadelphia says:"OK, Mr. Patterson, what is your goal?"<<<

huh...I was hoping to hear from you again :)
I started reading the Hamesh Macbeth series from the beginning and that's
working out so far! not as many colorful metaphors as Dalziel/Pascoe but I like
Hamesh :)

this is from my first post...>>>> I am trying to read a HamishMacBeth novel, and it
is quite good. It doesn't seem as 'wry' as I expected<<<

I was wrong :)

just wanted to say "thanks" to everyone for all the great ideas. cheers!!

I must concur with M. Innocenti's Caudwell recommendation. Though the author died after publishing just four books, those four are delightful comdedies of manners.

HAVE YOU TRIED THE "INSPECTOR BARNABY" MYSTERIES BY CAROLINE GRAHAM ? IF YOU KNOW THE MIDSOMER MURDERS SERIES FROM THE BBC, THAT SERIES IS BASED ON THESE BOOKS, BUT I FIND THE CHARACTERS ARE DIFFERENT, AND BETTER, IN THE BOOKS. THIS IS THE FIRST SERIES I'VE EVER READ ACTUALLY, WHERE THE DETECTIVE'S CO-HORT, HIS "SGT. LEWIS', IF YOU WILL, IS AN UNMITIGATED LOUSE! BUT FUN. THE HUMOUR HERE IS DRY, NOT LAUGH-OUT-LOUD, BUT ALWAYS THERE.

Being an old codger, of course I have read all Dorothy Sayer's books long ago and enjoyed them a lot. I also liked the stories done for TV - but only with Ian Carmichael, not Petherbridge. I think Ian plays Lord Peter close to the impression you get of him from the stories - spirited and intelligent - while Petherbridge plays him like he's doing P. D. James downer detective Adam Dalgliesh!
Ian took some bad press from some reviewers for his breezy style and use of some slang like "ain't" but it has been pointed out that that sort of thing was actually popular in Lord Peter's time. And I seem to remember that Dorothy married a man described as "dashing". An Ian type for sure!