Do you have a favorite funny detective series that is also a great mystery?

[C.]

Coming soon: A Father's day special! Does Dad like a good detective story? Does he have a slightly twisted sense of humor? "Walking Backwards" and "Two Thursdays" will be on sale from Thursday, June 6th until Sunday, June 9th. The print version of both books will be reduced to $5.95 (almost half of the listed cover price) and you can order the E-book for only 99 cents! Your Dad gave you his DNA. Return the favor and give him a good read.

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&f...

[David]

If I may be so bold as to shamelessly self-promote, my Burnside series features a wise cracking detective, who is pretty darned funny -- and the mystery is pretty good, too.

The first book is called POST PATTERN by David Chill. There are now six books in the series.

I hope you enjoy it!

[Ellen]

James wrote: "Wendy wrote: "Lawrence Block's Tanner and Keller series are both pretty amusing, as well as being good mysteries."

I really like the Keller series and the Bernie Rhodenbarr series as well for good..."

I love the Bernie Rhodenbarr series. I refer to him as Bernie the Burglar. Great fun.

[Ellen]

Cheryl wrote: "The Haunted Bookshop series by Alice Kimberly always make me laugh. The ghost of PI Jack Shepard is a deliberate over the top cliche and these are just fun."
I enjoyed the Haunted Bookshop mystery series and miss it. Sorry the author chose to stop writing it.

[Ellen]

Sheryl wrote: "I love Kinky Friedman, Chris Grabenstein, Sue Ann Jaffarian, Laura Levine and David Rosenefelt,Jimmie Ruth Evans and Selma Eichler.

There are so many out there! These guys will make you laugh out ..."

Finally someone else has read Kinky! Enjoyed his series and wish there was more.

[Ellen]

deleted user wrote: "Kinky Friedman!"
Yes, Kinky. How is he these days. Haven't heard very much from or about him. Love his mysteries set in the Village I believe.

[Quentin]

Donald Westlake appears to write the stories quite seriously and with a dry realism that almost connects them to real life. One can imagine the quite accidental things that people do and the silly mess-ups they cause. In his dry way Westlake makes them exceedingly hilarious.
His best character, Dortmunder is good at planning scams and thefts, and his plans are detailed. But something ridiculous always seems to go wrong.
One finds oneself laughing loudly and uproariously at quite ordinary 'accidents of omissions', in other words people simply forgetting what they should do. Little events occur that seem to cause the most unfortunate results.
Donald Westlake is well into the same area as Carl Hiaasen, another amusing author; Elmore Leonard is another, however Westlake's stories are of a lighter nature. He joins with similar writers of ridiculous, 'almost normal' events; 'lightweight criminality'; and you will definitely love his stuff.

[James]

Can't believe I'm just now finding this thread, but my series of mysteries featuring Detective "Goosey" Larsen are police procedurals written with a quirky and humorous approach. If you're a fan of lazy cops behaving badly a la Joseph Wambaugh's "The Choirboys", be sure to check out "Burnout".

[RetroHound]

I like the Gil Yates series by Alistair Boyle. https://www.goodreads.com/series/1248...

[Quentin]

Just bought my first Gil Yates.
Hope it's as good as you say..

[RetroHound]

Quentin wrote: "Just bought my first Gil Yates.
Hope it's as good as you say.."
Uh oh. Now I feel pressure! I'm on the 7th one now.

[Viccy]

You need to like fantasy, but the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronvitch has stellar British snark.

[Quentin]

Viccy wrote: "You need to like fantasy, but the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronvitch has stellar British snark."

I avoid fantasy, and only recently revisited SF that I spent a few seasons on in the late 1970s when I needed to escape... But I'm not sure I will now continue with that, it's mostly pointless.
Also I am becoming heartily sick of the incredible abilities of some men and women one reads about in modern thrillers, what happened to ordinary fit people?
I really don't like unbelievable stuff much. I believe that the 'modern' generation seems to want the unbelievable in their lives because 'it' all seems too much for them, or too humdrum; they're all taken up with the "what if..": "What if I had the power of ten men?", "what if I could fly?" I do realize that Superman was invented before WWII, so it's not that new I guess; but mostly boring.
I almost never watch these remakes of history, where suddenly you have Vikings flying through the air, and where they have incredible weapons, and they are all so religiously evil, or 'evily' religious. Then you have beings from the bowels of Earth; and.. so on; with more crap from people who can't imagine daily life as it's too boring for them...
I like Jack none Reacher (Lee Child), I read all 20. Also stories by authors like Donald Westlake and Lawrence Block and Carl Hiaasen (a Florida journalist - so funny.) You should read Harlan Coben, an incredible writer with the ability to make normal situations become extraordinary.

[Ellen]

The Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt. Great sense of humor that leaves me laughing out loud often as well as a terrific mystery. Let me not forget...dog lover is the main character also the author.

[Quentin]

Bought 'Burnout', Goosey Larsen character.
Such crap, not funny, read about 20 pages (I did try..)
Got a refund.

[Quentin]

Read Carl Hiaassen's books, they're really great. He is or was a journalist in Florida.
One of his books describes a state governor who gave up the job in disgust (unlike Jeb Bush) and decided to live a secluded life, living partly on road kill.
Another is named 'Double Whammy'; really funny.

[David]

The Burnside Mystery Series (shameless self-promotion) .... but the Box Set of Books 1-3 are on sale for 99 cents this week!

If you like the works of Raymond Chandler, Sue Grafton and Robert B. Parker, then these are for you --

http://tinyurl.com/zplr7z9

[Angela]

I really like Laura Levine - with a cat named Prozac and elastic-waisted pants, what's not to like? LOL