This morning I received a letter asking me for some advice. The writer wanted to know which authors she could try who fall in the Agatha Christie “category” (my word, not hers.) I thought that I would write a blog addressing this inquiry, since I have been asked this very same question by several people.
I know that this is presumptuous, but I am guessing that most of us got to be hard-core cozy mystery buffs after we read our first Agatha Christie novel. And, most of us have probably made our way through so many of the Christie novels that we can’t remember which is which. Once we have had our Christie fill, there are other authors we can turn to (thank goodness!) The following is a list of authors who I would consider trying out if I were just starting on the cozy mystery route. This is not to say that they are Agatha imitators… by any means! They are just the ones who I would recommend if I really had a love of all things Christie…
My Author Picks:
Ngaio Marsh: Inspector Roderick Alleyn Mystery Series
Ellis Peters: Brother Cadfael Mystery Series
Ruth Rendell: Inspector Wexford Mystery Series
(I have added a lot of authors to this list because they have been recommended by Cozy Mystery site readers as belonging on this Authors Similar to Agatha Christie list. I have not read several of these recommended authors. At first I didn’t know whether to add them to my list or not, since I couldn’t vouch for them. Eventually I added the authors, and hope they truly belong on this list!)
Other People’s Picks for Authors similar to Agatha Christie:
Cathy Ace: Cait Morgan Mystery Series
Catherine Aird: Inspector Sloan Mystery Series
Margery Allingham: Albert Campion Mystery Series
M. C. Beaton: Hamish Macbeth Mystery Series AND Agatha Raisin Mystery Series
Elizabeth Daly: Henry Gamadge Mystery Series
John Dickson Carr (aka Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson, & Roger Fairbairn): Gideon Fell Mystery Series AND Henri Bencolin Mystery Series
Mary Higgins Clark: Stand Alone mysteries
Deborah Crombie: Kincaid & James Mystery Series
Carola Dunn: Daisy Dalrymple Mystery Series
Marjorie Eccles: Gil Mayo Mystery Series
Kathy Lynn Emerson: Lady Susanna Appleton Mystery Series
E. X. Ferrars: Andrew Basnett Mystery Series, Toby Dyke Mystery Series, & Freer Mystery Series
Anthea Fraser: David Webb & Ken Jackson Mystery Series
Dorothy Gilman: Mrs. Pollifax Mystery Series
Caroline Graham: Midsomer Murder Mystery Series
Ann Granger: Markby and Mitchell Mystery Series
Kerry Greenwood: Phryne Fisher Mystery Series
Martha Grimes: Jury & Plant Mystery Series
Georgette Heyer: Superintendent Hannasyde Mystery Series
Hazel Holt: Mrs. Malory Mystery Series
P. D. James: Inspector Adam Dalgliesh Mystery Series
M.M. Kaye: Death in ***** Mystery Series
Jill McGown: Lloyd & Hill Mystery Series
Gladys Mitchell: Mrs. Bradley Mystery Series
Stuart Palmer: Hildegarde Withers Mystery Series
Louise Penny: Three Pines Mystery Series
Dorothy L. Sayers: Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery Series
Georges Simenon: Inspector Maigret Mystery Series
Dorothy Simpson: Inspector Luke Thanet Mystery Series
Rex Stout: Nero Wolfe Mystery Series
Josephine Tey: Scotland Yard Inspector Mystery Alan Grant
Patricia Wentworth: Miss Maud Silver Mystery Series
Please post your recommendations of authors who are similar to Agatha Christie, and I will add them to the list.
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