private detective mysteries

10 Favorite Private Detective Novels

People often ask me for book recommendations; especially PI mysteries, as they can be difficult to find.

A recent look at the Amazon Top 25 in the Private Investigator category had me dumping most of them because there wasn’t a shamus in sight.

When the category is Private Investigator I don’t know why Amazon allows FBI agents, amateur sleuths, DCIs, vampire hunters, and who knows what else to take over the category. ‘Tain’t right. ‘Tain’t fair.

So without further ado, I give you 10 bona fide Private Detective novels for your reading pleasure.

1. 1. This Doesn’t Happen in the Movies by Renee Pawlish. This the first book in the Reed Ferguson series, and it is a goody. A bit hardboiled, a bit noir, and a bit cozy.
  2. The Italian Affair by John Tallon Jones. The Penny Detective is fast becoming one of my favorite PI series. Moggs and Shoddy are super characters. You will love these guys. And this book is especially fun.
  3. Deadly Passion by Joe Congel. Tony Razzolito, aka The Razzman, is a great character. This is a fab series. I keep praying Joe will write faster.
  4. Turn on the Heat by Erle Stanley Gardner (as AA Fair) is one of the novels in the Bertha Cool and Donald Lam series. Not as well known as Perry Mason, the series, though, is quite good. Although, I think Gardner missed a bet by not giving Bertha a bigger role. She is a stupendous character.
  5. China Trade by SJ Rozan. I love Rozan’s Lydia Chin. A very refreshing character. Bill Smith, on the other hand, I’m not so taken with. Lydia and Bill aren’t partners. But they help each other out. Friends without benefits, one might say. Although Bill would love for their relationship to get to the benefits stage. The odd numbered books are in Lydia’s POV; the even, in Bill’s. Super series.
  6. The Golden Spiders by Rex Stout. I love the Nero Wolfe mysteries. Put me on a desert island with the Tom Barnaby Midsomer Murders and the Nero Wolfe mysteries and plenty of tea and I’m in heaven. Nero Wolfe is the yardstick by which I judge a mystery’s quality.
  7. The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler. I just finished reading the Marlowe mysteries. They are fab. Especially the later ones. This novel is probably my fav. I’ll be re-reading these in the near future. No one can beat Chandler for uniquely engaging descriptions. Do read the Marlowe books. They are amongst the best books you’ll ever read.
  8. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. Poirot is, IMO, rather one dimensional. He’s peculiar, and noticeable, but not in a way that makes him a fan favorite like, say, Sherlock Holmes. Christie’s strong suit, IMO, is her complex storylines. Not her characters.
  9. The Case is Closed by Patricia Wentworth. The Miss Silver mysteries are good reading. Wentworth is on par with Christie, and deserves to be more widely known.
  10. The Shoulders of Giants by Jim Cliff. Excellent mystery. My great sadness is that Mr. Cliff didn’t write more than 2.

The above are 10 gumshoe novels I very much enjoyed and I think you will too.

I’m even going to throw in an eleventh:

But Jesus Never Wept

Tina and Harry quickly find themselves immersed in a bloody murder, an online sex empire, church politics, art forgeries, and the Yakuza.

And when the bullets start flying, will they survive long enough to pin the murder on the culprit?

Head on over to Amazon and find out!

That’s all for now.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries on Amazon!

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Christmas with the Wrights

Even hard-nosed detective Justinia Wright can get into the Christmas spirit.

Three cases. Three chances to spread some Christmas cheer.

There’s Cordell Oscar Hellman, the conservative political pundit, who’s recreational morphine use has come to the attention of a vicious blackmailer.

Mrs. Solberg’s dope of a husband is being hoodwinked by the office minx and Mrs. S doesn’t like it.

Then there’s Emil Papenfuss, who’s homeless and a millionaire. Only he doesn’t know he’s a millionaire.

Three cases. Three chances to do a good deed. And with the inducement of three big fat fees and Harry’s help, Tina delivers the goods. But not without difficulty.

Christmas with the Wrights. Not like any Christmas you’ve ever experienced. Get in on the action and fun today!

You can get a copy on Amazon for only 99¢.

I love writing the Justinia Wright mysteries. For me, Tina and Harry’s world is a place I want to be. And I’ve written and published more stories about them than I have any of my other characters.

The 2 novelettes and 1 short story that make up Christmas with the Wrights were originally written for my mailing list. My Christmas present to my fans and followers. After several years of sitting in the desk drawer, I decided to make them available to a wider audience.

A couple years back, internationally bestselling authors Caleb and Linda Pirtle named me one of the top 25 mystery writers you should be reading. That was quite an honor, and quite a testimony for the Wrights.

The Pirtle’s are featuring Christmas with the Wrights as their Book of the Moment. Read about it on their blog.

Spending Christmas with the Wrights just might be the best Christmas you ever had. Like being a kid again.

Get it on Amazon!

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

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Indie April Suggestions – Part 8

Indie April will be over in a few days. Nevertheless, I’ve 4 more authors I want to introduce you to before the month is out.

Today, you’ll meet Jack Tyler and Joe Congel. So let’s get to it!

Jack Tyler

I’ve known Jack Tyler for just about as long as I’ve been an independent author-publisher. We met on a now defunct steampunk forum.

Jack taught himself how to write stories. He learned the ins and outs, and honed his craft to an art. He not only knows how to write, he knows how to write well. He’s mastered the art of storytelling.

To date, he’s published the 3 book Beyond the Rails series, which is steampunk high adventure; and the epic fantasy novel The Stone Seekers, which breaks refreshing new ground in that genre.

He has lots more stuff in the wings, and I hope he let’s those books take center stage. Because Jack is far and away one of the better indie writers I’ve read.

He has the ability to create a world and people it with characters who draw you in, and make you a part of their world. His stories have an air of the classic about them. Which puts them head and shoulders above much of the contemporary drivel being put up on Amazon today.

So if high adventure and lots of action is what you’re looking for, head on over to Amazon and pick up Jack’s books. You won’t be sorry.

Joe Congel

Joe Congel has created a fabulous private detective in Tony Razzolito, aka the Razzman.

And at the same time, he’s managed to bring the essence of the hardboiled detective into a contemporary setting. Which is very refreshing.

I love private eye mysteries. And Congel does them right. He follows the formula and pacing of the masters, while eschewing the modern penchant for constant mind-numbing action.

Not that there isn’t any action in the Razzman series — because there’s plenty of it. But it’s action done right, action that heightens the mystery, threatens the sleuth’s ability to gather the clues.

Congel, like his mystery writer forebears, gives us a mystery that focuses on solving the crime. It is the classic literary puzzle. The action is the spice that makes the experience all the more delightful.

Joe Congel does mystery right. If you love the tales of Marlowe, Spade, and Mike Hammer, then head on over to Amazon and pick up the Razzman books. You won’t be sorry.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

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To Right A Wrong — Is Live!

The latest Justinia Wright mystery, To Right A Wrong, is live!

Get it on Amazon!

And here’s a snippet to whet your appetite.

Gavin, maintaining his innocence, said the only conclusion was that someone had shot his uncle.

The jury agreed. They also agreed with the prosecutor that the someone was Gavin Gamble.

I set the papers on my desk. It all seemed to be there: motive, means, and opportunity. I picked up the copy of the anonymous letter Molly Gamble received. The penmanship was elegant, but the hand that had written the note was not a steady one. The message was simple:

Your husband is innocent. One of the witnesses is lying.

The message was signed, A Friend.

A friend. Ha! If the person was truly a friend, why didn’t he or she say something at the trial? Why wait until now? Indeed, why now? Why send Molly Gamble this note at this particular point in time?

It seemed to me we had more people, a lot more people we needed to talk to before Tina could decide if the note sender was a liar or not.

And how did the note sender know Gavin Gamble was innocent in the first place? Now that was a question I’d like an answer to.

Tina walked into the office and sat at her desk.

“So did Chopin confess? He did it, with the revolver, in the study.”

My sister poured herself a glass of Sercial madeira, the cheap fifty dollar a bottle stuff. “What are you talking about?”

“Apparently he didn’t confess, because you’re still a crabby puss.”

“I am not.” She took a sip of wine. “Did you read the transcripts?”

“I did.”

“Thoughts?”

“In spite of his claim to innocence, the evidence is pretty damning.”

“As I recall from the news coverage, the case was more or less open and shut.”

“So how are you going to spring our jail bird out of the slammer?”

“I don’t know. Who else had a motive for killing James Bowen?”

“Beats me. Gavin Gamble admitted he felt hurt and betrayed because his uncle decided to give him the boot. It could be he also felt angry and decided to get even. That was the prosecution’s line of reasoning, and the jury bought it.”

“Yes, they did. The question is whether or not they bought a snow job. The question we must answer is simple: who else had motive to kill James Bowen, because if Mr Gamble is innocent then someone else not only had motive but acted on it — and then framed Mr Gamble.”

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Six Years

The Cover for Justinia Wright #8

Six years ago this month, November 2014, I self-published 4 books: The Morning Star, Festival of Death, The Moscow Affair, and Do One Thing for Me.

I set sail on the sea of the independent author-publisher, and I have not looked back.

Being an indie is tough — because I, the author, am also the publisher and have to do all the business and marketing end of things, as well as write the stories.

Nevertheless, I would rather sell my soul than become a slave to a publishing house — large or small. I love the freedom of being my own man. And IMO, freedom is what it’s all about.

During these past six years, I’ve seen indie authors come and go. I’ve seen indie authors start with nothing and become bestsellers. And those folks give me hope: if they can do it, so can I.

Over the past 6 years, I’ve published 3 series totaling 22 books; and 7 miscellaneous novels, novellas, and short stories. I’ve had 2 short stories and an article appear in anthologies, and a short story published in an zine.

In addition to the above, I publish a weekly blog and occasionally write exclusive stories for my mailing lists.

For me, writing and publishing is a full-time job, and it’s the best job I’ve had in my nearly 7 decades on this planet. I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life from this point forward.

And if all goes well, I’ll get to celebrate year 6 with the publication of To Right a Wrong; the eighth book in the Justinia Wright Private Investigator series.

And I can’t think of a better way to celebrate, because Tina and Harry are my favorite children. I love writing the wise-cracking humor, the sibling rivalry, the thrilling chase scenes and shootouts, the commentary on life in the Minneapple, and the hunger-producing meal descriptions.

So raise a glass of your favorite libation with me in celebration of living life your way and living your dream.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

(And you can find all of my books on Amazon!)

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