Lily's Summer Reading List: Sinking Into a Good Mystery

Growing up, my summer vacation always meant stocking up on some books and reading for hours on end. Why not? My only job was to watch the sibs and take care of the house. TV was populated with daytime talk shows and soap operas, cartoons weren’t until the afternoon. And while I enjoyed playing the piano, practicing for hours on end was not an option. So, what better way to spend it than reading fiction? How big of book geek was I?

I GOT IN TROUBLE FOR READING TOO MUCH.

And I’m not making that up. But anyway, because I was such a voracious reader (I can still clear a standard fiction book in 1-day, 2-days if the book is a little thicker), the summer was the perfect time for me to discover a fiction series. A good series is like the proverbial Lay’s potato chip: You can’t have just one! I especially enjoyed a good mystery series. A twisty, muddy “whodunit” just seemed to fit the bill perfectly for my summer reading.

Even though it’s the beginning of July, there’s still a ton of summer left for a leisurely read…or two…or fifteen. If you’re looking to sink your teeth into a juicy mystery – here are few favorites:

Sue Grafton’s “Alphabet Series” – After divorcing her husband in the early 80’s, Sue Grafton had the thoughts that all women scorned have. How the heck do I do him in? "So, I used to lie in bed at night just thinking of ways to do him in. And I came up with some doozies….So I thought, why don't I put this plot between the covers of a book and get paid for it? And that launched this whole new career." Thus was born the savvy and persistent detective, Kinsey Millhone. Residing in fictional Santa Teresa, CA, Millhone takes a very dogged approach to solving mysteries working every lead and reviewing every angle. I would venture to say that Kinsey is a lot like her creator, a woman who is growing and learning about herself with each passing installment. Sometimes she’s in mortal danger, sometimes she’s wrong, and sometimes she thinks she falls in love. But whatever she’s doing – be assured that Kinsey will always figure it out in the end.

Interesting character tidbit: Despite the fact that the latest book S is for Silence came out in 2005, Millhone’s beloved Santa Teresa and plotlines still reside in the mid to late 80’s that the series started in.
Lily’s picks of the series: G is for Gumshoe and K is for Killer

Ed McBain’s “87th Precinct” – Before “Law and Order” and “CSI” spawned out a squillion different spin-offs, there was Ed McBain’s (a.k.a Evan Hunter) gritty police procedurals about the detectives that inhabited the 87th Precinct. This granddaddy of all mystery series spans a whopping 57 books starting in 1956 with Cop Hater. McBain was one of the last of the pulp fiction type writers. The books were very formulaic: A short title, a gruesome crime, and a lot of detective work in between. But what really made this series are the characters. When I started reading the 87th Precinct books, I was immediately hooked by “the guys.” Faithful readers kept coming back to find out what was going on the lives of these men and women. I probably developed a crush on each of the fictional detectives. No, seriously. When I realized that Steve Carella would never leave his wife, the deaf and beautiful Teddy Carella – I decided that I wanted to be Mrs. Detective Cotton Hawes. But I’m a book worm, so I’m allowed these delusions. ANYWAY…McBain’s sense of atmosphere and attention to his craft make this series an alternative to the kajillion hours of reruns during the summer.

Gone but not forgotten: McBain’s death in 2005 of larynx cancer brought the sad end to my favorite series of all time. But his fans were given one last hurrah later in the year with the release of the last 87th Precinct novel, Fiddlers.
Lily’s picks of the series: Oh man…I have to choose? I can’t…really. But I’ll go ahead and list He Who Hesitates, Vespers, and The Frumious Bandersnatch because the titles kick ass!

Lawrence Sander’s “Archibald McNally” – When I first met my friend and MGF contributor, Fudgesicle Junkie, I couldn’t help but think that he reminded me of someone I knew. It wasn’t until I was reading a blog piece on Lawrence Sanders did I realize that FJ was my Archy McNally! Well, kind of. Archie lives and plays amongst the well to do in Palm Beach. He works for his father’s law firm in his very own department called “Discreet Inquiries.” When the rich get in trouble and want to keep it quiet, they go to Archy McNally. So, why does FJ remind me of Archy? It isn’t because FJ still lives at home, carries a flask in his pocket, or likes to smoke English Ovals in a silk robe (though I could TOTALLY see him doing the last one). No, it’s the witty, intelligent, and flirty way Archy makes his way through the series of books. This bonvivant makes for an entertaining narrator! It is however important to note that I only recommend the books in this series that Sander’s wrote before his death in 1998. Vincent Lardo was chosen by the Sanders estate to keep the series going. And that’s where I stopped reading. Archy is such a classic character that I wanted to remember him the way Sander’s had originally written him.

Skeletons in the McNally Closet: Archibald McNally was expelled from Yale for streaking across the stage during a graduation ceremony (I can also see FJ doing this if given enough alcohol).
Lily’s picks of the series: McNally’s Risk and McNally’s Gamble

Alexander McCall Smith’s “No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency” – There are so many things that makes Smith’s series, which centers on the delightful Precious Ramotswe, different from the others listed here. Okay, we could go for the obvious in that the action in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books take place in the country of Botswana. But I’d rather go for the fact that Mma Ramotswe’s mysteries are all so…every day. And because of this – it makes her the most real detective in the whole bunch! Using her astute observation skills and acumen for how her society works, Precious Ramotswe charmingly goes through her stories solving mysteries for the regular person. Whether in search of a missing family member, figuring out who is out to rig a local beauty pageant, or get to the bottom of a local medical scam, Mma Ramotswe gets it done with a good heart and a kind temperament.

A little world culture for you: “Mma” is the Botswana term of endearment for women of certain age or wisdom. No – I haven’t figured out how to say it.
Lily’s picks of the series: Mortality for Beautiful Girls, The Kalahari Typing School for Men, and In the Company of Cheerful Ladies