By now you know I’m a fan of mysteries. It started in my youth with Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and of course Nancy Drew.

I like all kinds of mysteries, from cozy teacup mysteries to dark stories about serial murderers. I don’t know what the draw is. I don’t generally even try to figure out who the murderer is. I just enjoy the story.

There are some mysteries that almost everyone has heard of – often because they have been made into movies or television programs, but some just because the author is well-known and well-respected. James Patterson, Stephen King, and Robert B. Parker come to mind. While I’m not a huge fan of either Patterson or King, Parker is (was) one of my favorite authors. His Spencer series ranks among the best in the business. I particularly enjoy the dialogue in all of his stories.

But by virtue of being an avid mystery fan, I have come across some mystery series with which the average reader may not be familiar. Here are five that come to mind, and in no particular order:

The Bell Elkins series by Julia Keller

Bell Elkins is an attorney who grew up in a small community in West Virginia, left to go to college and law school, practiced law in Washington D.C., and returned to West Virginia following her divorce. She has a teenage child who causes her angst. She serves as the town’s prosecutor, and deals with the issues facing many small rural towns – primarily drugs. But she also faces the occasional murder – twice in fact since the series has only two books thus far. I like the characters very much. They are not all-perfect, nor do they solve the murders by simply following clue number one which leads to clue number two, and so forth. She works a lot with the sheriff, who deals with his own personal issues. They stumble along, but thus far have solved both cases. The author’s description of the town and the area is really what draws me most.

The Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny

My daughter-in-law who grew up and still lives in Vermont told me about this author and this series. She likes it in particular because the mysteries take place in a small town in Quebec, just north of where they live. I’ve only read two in the series of 10 books, so I’m not sure exactly how the characters develop. But I love Inspector Gamache and would read these books for no other reason than to get to know him better. He is ever so smart in the same way that Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot are smart – he doesn’t miss anything, though it appears he has. He is also extraordinarily kind and beloved by those working with him. So far there is an underlying mystery going on that I can’t figure out. Something sinister is happening with one of his staff that will be revealed at some future point I presume. The stories are good mysteries, sort of a nice combination of a cozy and a more hardcore story.

The Clare Fergusson/Russ van Alstyne series by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Clare Fergusson is an Episcopalian priest. She is married to Sheriff Russ van Alstyne, though they aren’t married at the beginning of the series. Clare struggles with her life as a priest, particularly as a woman priest. Her relationship with Sheriff van Alstyne bring her into contact with a lot of murder and mayhem, and she and the good sheriff get into deep water in each book. I like the development of the characters as the series has progress. Much has transpired, believe me. The books take place in upper New York State, and it is always bitter cold. The weather often plays a strong role in the story line.

The Cork O’Connor series by William Kent Krueger

There are 13 books in the series, and to date I have only read three, but I am hooked and have gotten my husband hooked. O’Connor is the former sheriff in a small town in northern Minnesota (what’s with me and these cold-weather locales?). His wife is a defense attorney, and their marriage (at least up to the point at which I’ve read) continues to be a struggle. He is half native American, and the books play a lot into that part of his life, making them lovely and interesting. I love Krueger’s writing very much and am delighted that I have so many more to read.

The Royal Spyness Series by Rhys Bowen

Lady Georgiana is 35^th in line to the British throne in this series that takes place in the 1930s. She is on her own, having been asked to leave the home of her brother who is a lord in Scotland, and, though she is royalty, she has absolutely no money. She is constantly trying to find ways to make a living, and has run into some comical situations in doing so. She gets involved in solving mysteries at the behest of Queen Mary, who asks her to discreetly take care of all sorts of matters.  The stories are light-hearted and so much fun.

Enjoy meeting some of my favorite characters, and tell me about some of yours!