Here are 75 books that Justice Hall fans have personally recommended if you like
Justice Hall.
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Iāve obviously read a lot of Holmes retellings. Part of the impetus behind my new novella was trying to figure out whyI was so attracted to them. Part of it, I realized, is the neurodivergence aspect: fundamental to the Holmes story is the idea of someone who thinks differentlyāand who finds a way to interact with the world that uses that as an asset. The other component I love is the Holmes-Watson dynamic. Whether it's romantic or not, the development of a relationship of affection between two people who think very differently is an emotional counterpoint to plot-driven mysteries. Those elementsāalong with stellar writing, gripping mysteries, and characters I love spending time with.
The Irene Adler books mirror the Holmes-Watson relationshipābrilliant detective, adoring documenterācentering Holmesās famously successful adversary.
This story builds a much more interesting narrative into the original Adler story, changing the way we understand the stakes and the outcome, and then continues, lifting Irene Adler into a fascinating character in her own right.
Winner of the American Mystery Award for Best Novel of Romantic Suspense, and the Romantic Times Award for Best Historical Mystery
Miss Irene Adler, the beautiful American opera singer who once outwitted Sherlock Holmes, is also a superb detective, as Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker can attest. Even Holmes himself must admit--albeit grudgingly--that she acquits herself competently.
But in matters of the heart she encounters difficulty. The Crown Prince of Bohemia--tall, blonde, and handsome--proves to be a cad. Will dashing barrister Godfrey Norton be able to convince Irene that not all handsome men are cut from the same broadcloth?
It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.
The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to runā¦
So why have I chosen noir? Iām glad you asked. Ever since I picked up my first Raymond Chandler bookāThe Lady in the LakeāI have been a fan of the genre, so much so that I write in it almost exclusively.I watch all the old movies on Noir Alley every Saturday nightāor whenever I can find one on TV. And while I tend to gravitate to the works of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammet, and Erle Stanley Gardner, I'm always on the hunt for new authors. I also very much enjoy when someone takes the genre in a new direction, which is why I created this list.
I love books that mash up genres and Dan Will has done just that with this first offering in his Arcane Casebook series. His hero, Alexander Lockerby, is a man after my own heartāa noir detective through and through. Only this fedora-wearing gumshoe has a little extra zing up his sleeveāmagic. Heās a runewright, and while I have to admit I didnāt know what that was when I began the book, it became perfectly clear by the end. I wonāt ruin it for you, but suffice it to say, itās aces with the noir genreāa man gifted with certain talents, but not ones enough to gain him the easy life. This story starts out simple, but takes little time to grab you by the collar and slap you across the kisser. And the good news? There are eight more to keep it company.Ā
At 31-years old, Alex has limited powers, but a knack for unraveling a mystery. The first clue leads him to a thief, but it doesnāt stop there. When people started dying, it becomes clear that it wasnāt an ordinary spell. Could it have something to do with the book?
A legendary and ancient tome could be the key.
But can he find it?
When an unfortunate incident gets him in hot water with both the police and New Yorkāsā¦
Maybe itās something about my training as a newspaper journalist, but I have a real affinity for the untold story and the wrongly accused. I wrote many stories as a cops and courts reporter, and profiled both saints and sinners. I learned that itās easy for the outsider to be made into the villain. (Cue: āWhen Youāre Strangeā by The Doors.) Iām particularly interested in historical fiction where we can reconsider people whoāve been turned into monsters. When I learned that the Macbeth play that I loved was far from the truth, I was launched into a decades-long writing project.
Among the many detective shows, Iāve loved āMurdoch Mysteriesā for its cheeky take on Canadian history and policing. Youāll find that this story collection for Young Adult readers takes a similar approach.
The fictional detective is shown in his youth, already solving mysteries and interacting with both famous fictional villains and historical figures. I read many of these storiesānearly all published in Black Cat Weeklyāin manuscript, returning the favor as Sirois is a writing friend, a longtime beta reader, and even designed a cover for one of my novels.
Sherlock Holmes is one of the most famous characters in literature, but Conan Doyle told us essentially nothing about him as a child and teenager. Drawing on canon (and adding some new things), I have in these stories speculated about his formative years and what events might have led him to devote his life to becoming a consulting detective. Being a fantasist by nature, Iāve indulged myself by bringing in characters and āhistoryā from works by other authors. I canāt tell you how much fun it was to write these stories.
A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.
Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother hadā¦
In 1998, I met H.P. Lovecraft's corpse-reanimating doctor, Herbert West. I found him intriguing, but HPL's story didn't tell me enough about what lay behind his bizarre interests. Why did his friend help and support him? To answer those questions, I wrote four genre-blending novels, of whichThe Friendship of Mortals is the first. Through West's librarian friend, Charles Milburn, I explore their friendship, the choices they make, and how they deal with the consequences of those choices. The setting is a college town in early 20th century New England, but with a supernatural twist.
At first, I thought this was a historical mystery similar to the Sherlock Holmes stories. Nineteenth-century city, maybe in Russia? But what about the weird Bone Forest and the house on stilts? The detective, Konrad Savast, carries out his investigations in distinctly unorthodox ways. Then there are his spirit-serpent helpers, Eetapi and Ootapi. Sherlock never had anything like them! And in addition to the four mysteries to be solved in this book, there's the question of Konrad's relationship with apothecary Irinanda Falenia. Will it ever develop into something more than friendship?
There's a realm. Wreathed in ice and snow, drowning in the dark, Assevan needs a different kind of hero.
There's a god. Merciless and cold, and quick to anger, the Lord of the Dead insists upon one thing only: vengeance for a murdered soul.
And there's a man. A ruthless killer, Konrad is detective, judge and executioner in one. Dauntless, relentless, monstrous, he stands alone against the dark.
Meet the Malykant. Justice will be served.
Four cases. Four killers. Four executions. Dark fantasy and murder mystery collide in this first collection of theā¦
I got hooked on mystery novels as a kid reading the Encyclopedia Brown stories. Something about the combination of a great story and a puzzle to solve is irresistible to me. As a historian, Iām interested in communities, and especially how people understood themselves as being part of the new kinds of economic, political, and cultural communities that emerged in the first half of the twentieth century. When I learned about Dorothy L. Sayersā lifelong writing group, the wryly named āMutual Admiration Societyā, I was thrilled at the chance to combine my professional interests with my personal passion for detective fiction.
This set of interlocked novellas opens with a comatose detective ā a legend in his time ā apparently conducting an interrogation through means of electrical signals sent from his brain to a computer. I was skeptical.
Iām a fan of the rules that Sayers and the Detection Club developed: no magic, no ājiggery-pokeryā, no mystery poisons or miracle drugs, only the fair play of putting the evidence before the reader and letting them practice deduction. My skepticism was totally misplaced.
Chan Ho-Keiās brilliant work tells the history of twentieth-century Hong Kong through the careers of two policemen. Each novella pays homage to the classic genres of crime fiction, and they build up to twists and revelations that are both shocking and completely faithful to fair play as Sayers knew it.
Six interlocking stories.
One spellbinding novel.
The year is 2013, and Hong Kong's greatest detective is dying. For fifty years, Inspector Kwan quietly solved cases while the world changed around him. Now his partner Detective Lok has come to his deathbed for help with one final case.
Where there is murder, there is humanity. This bold and intricate crime novel spans five decades of love, honour, race, class, jealousy and revenge in one of the most intriguing nations in the world.
This is the story of a man who let justice shine in the space between black and white. Thisā¦
I was always a bookworm, even reading the encyclopedia as a child. I was equally drawn to the sciences and literature and ended up getting a PhD in Chemistry. I visited Asia often for my chemistry work and gradually became interested in the philosophy and religion of Asian cultures. Today, I'm more likely to brag about what Iāve written or read about Chinese culture than I am to mention my technical patents.
This book proved what I already knew: that the world of books is real, and thereās an organization keeping the characters and props in good shape. Small details fascinated me. Like, there is only one piano in all of literature, and a team moves it around to whatever piano scene is currently being read.
I never would have known had I not read this book. I identified best with the mad scientist uncle, but thatās me.
The fifth book in the phenomenally successful Thursday Next series, from Number One bestselling author Jasper Fforde.
'Ingenious - I'll watch Jasper Fforde nervously' Terry Pratchett on The Eyre Affair
Fourteen years after she pegged out at 1988 SuperHoop, Thursday Next is grappling with a recalcitrant new apprentice, the death of Sherlock Holmes and the inexplicable departure of comedy from the once-hilarious Thomas Hardy novels.
Her idle sixteen-year-old would rather sleep all day than save the world from imminent destruction, the government has a dangerously high stupidity surplues, and the Stiltonista Cheese Mafia are causing trouble for Thursday in herā¦
The Duke's Christmas Redemption
by
Arietta Richmond,
A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.
Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man sheā¦
As a screenwriter Iāve always enjoyed noir stories, whether books or movies. Stories where the characters are not your squeaky-clean āgood guys.ā I like to see āordinaryā people; people who are flawed (like all of us), or maybe with a shady past, who are swayed or manipulated by dire circumstances into doing something they would not ordinarily do. I enjoy stories with unique, interesting characters that are not your run-of-the-mill private eyes, and whose moral compass might be a bit off. I particularly like stories where characters are forced to become investigators because of a situation they are thrust into, whether by accident or by their own dubious actions.
Set in the seventies, a sexy female celebrity journalist sets out to find the reason for the break-up of a singing/comedy duo alĆ” Lewis and Martin and uncovers a gruesome murder. Full of sex, drugs, and behind-the-scenes entertainment business debauchery, this story is told in a masterful way that is funny, frightful, suspenseful, and disturbing. A truly unique noir tale where no one comes away clean. Just how I like it. And written by my good friend and former employer, Rupert Holmes. The same guy that gave us āEscape, The Pina Colada Songā and the Broadway hit The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
OāConnor, a vivacious, free-spirited young journalist known for her penetrating celebrity interviews, is bent on unearthing secrets long ago buried by the handsome showbiz team of singer Vince Collins and comic Lanny Morris. These two highly desirable men, once inseparable (and insatiable, where women were concerned), were driven apart by a bizarre and unexplained death in which one of them may have played the part of murderer. As the tart-tongued, eye-catching OāConnor ventures deeper into this unsolved mystery, she finds herself compromisingly coiled around both men, knowing more about them than they realize and lessā¦
I write North Noir, detective fiction set in the Northeastern USA and Canada. I like mystery/detective stories told with descriptive flair, with clever twists and unforgettable protagonists. Why would you want to read my recommendations? Iāve read hundreds of mystery/detective novels, in all subgenres, from cozy to noir. Iāve been a book review editor, for all types of books. I donāt go for bent cops or over-the-top bloodbaths. If you like character-driven mystery/detective novels, try these five.
A Siege of Bitterns features an unusual protagonist: a reluctant detective. DI Domenic Jejeune is a Canadian transplanted to the UK, to premier birding country. Jejeune likes bird watching as much, if not more, than solving murders. He occasionally comes across as a tortured eccentric. One wonders how he can solve crimes. But he does. His odd individualism is reminiscent of famous fictional detectives like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot. A Siege of BitternsĀ features a tangled birdās nest of false starts and red herrings. Burrows doesnāt shy away from descriptive prose and yet the novel doesnāt lose momentum. It stays focused on the prize: the whodunit.
Inspector Domenic Jejeune's success has made him a poster boy for the U.K. police service. The problem is Jejeune doesn't really want to be a detective at all; he much prefers watching birds. Recently reassigned to the small Norfolk town of Saltmarsh, located in the heart of Britain's premier birding country, Jejeune's two worlds collide when he investigates the grisly murder of a prominent ecological activist. His ambitious police superintendent foresees a blaze of welcome publicity, but she begins to have her doubts when Jejeune's most promising theory involves a feud over birdwatching lists. A second murder only complicates matters.ā¦
Iām the author of the Peter Pike private eye series. Detective, PI, and mystery fiction have come a long way since Poeās Dupin and Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. The genre allows you to explore almost any theme you want. What is Dostoyevskyās Crime and Punishment if not crime/detective fiction? My passion is history and the evolution of societies, and writing in this genre lets me explore the huge, sophisticated ancient Indian civilizations that were here before the white invasion. The ugly history of the Mormons, not taught in school. Lincolnās murky sexuality. The Russian Revolution, Lenin and Stalin, the downfall of the Romanovs. Nazis and war dogs. The U.S.-Soviet space race. The -- well, you get the idea.
I know, this is a short story and hence cheating, but how can you make lists of detective stories without including the granddaddy of them all? Poeās short story preceded Sir Arthur Conan Doyleās Sherlock Holmes by four decades and has all the main ingredients. You have an ice-cold supremely rational detective, C. Auguste Dupin. You have a loyal sidekick. You have a bumbling cop. You have two extremely gory murders. You have a locked room. You have conflicting witnesses. You have a bizarre conclusion. You know what? Donāt read my No. 1. Read the Master first.
Edited and with an Introduction by Matthew Pearl Includes āThe Murders in the Rue Morgue,ā āThe Mystery of Marie RogĆŖt,ā and āThe Purloined Letterā Ā Between 1841 and 1844, Edgar Allan Poe invented the genre of detective fiction with three mesmerizing stories of a young French eccentric named C. Auguste Dupin. Introducing to literature the concept of applying reason to solving crime, these tales brought Poe fame and fortune. Years later, Dorothy Sayers would describe āThe Murders in the Rue Morgueā as āalmost a complete manual of detective theory and practice.ā Indeed, Poeās short mysteries inspired the creation of countless literaryā¦
This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the worldās most famous heart surgeon.
In these and other intimate conversations, the bookā¦
Iāve always been drawn to stories where women defy expectations and carve out power in a world that seeks to silence them. As a writer of historical mysteries, I love exploring unconventional heroinesāwomen who take risks, uncover secrets, and refuse to conform. The best mysteries blend atmosphere, intelligence, and a touch of rebellion, and I seek out books that do just that. Whether itās a detective disguising her true identity or a woman outwitting societyās constraints, these stories inspire me. My book was born from this passion, and I hope readers who love fiercely independent heroines and richly layered mysteries will enjoy this list as much as I do.
Charlotte Holmes is everything I adore in a protagonistāunapologetically brilliant, unconventional, and always one step ahead. I couldnāt put this book down because it reimagined Sherlock Holmes in a way that felt fresh and exciting while keeping all the intellect and intrigue I crave in a mystery.
I loved watching Charlotte dismantle societyās expectations while outwitting everyone around her. If you love fiercely independent women and clever mysteries, this series is addictive.
USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas turns the story of the renowned Sherlock Holmes upside down in the first novel in this Victorian mystery series.... Ā With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society. But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London. Ā When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clearā¦
