I am looking for some new mystery series to try and would like some recommendations.  I want to try some mysteries or romantic suspense novels that are relatively clean, meaning they don't have a lot of bad language, gore, or sex (romance is okay, but I want to avoid anything with graphic sex).  I also want to stay away from anything paranormal.  I like historical settings, especially in Europe, but I would like to broaden my horizons and try some contemporary mysteries as well.  Any recommendations are welcome.

Thanks!

Laura

Right off the top of my head, I'd suggest the Biscuit McKee mysteries by Fran Stewart. I love them, and they're clean.

I'll give this some thought and try to help with more.

Brynne  :)

On the classics front, Agatlha Christie & Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series fit the bill.  Some other series that you may want to check out, both historical & set in current time:

• Susan Wittig Albert's Beatrix Potter and Darling Dahlias (set in Great Depression South) series are charming
• Conrad Allen's ocean liners
• Stephanie Barron's  Jane Austen
• Rhys Bowen's Constable Evans or Lady Georgiana
• Emily Brightwell's Mrs. Jeffries books are sweet - set in Victorian England
• Dana Cameron's Emma Fielding
• Laura Child's Tea Shop series - mysteries in the books are rather weak, but I love her description's of the main character running a tea shop
• Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple
• Anthony Eglin's English Garden
• Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next books are lots of fun.  There are fantasy and alternate history elements, but the books are wonderfully unique and well written.
• Lyn Hamilton's archeological series
• Lee Harris's Christine Bennett
• Carolyn Hart's Death on Demand
• Diana Killian's Poetic Death
• Michael Pearce's Mamur Zapt - I love the main character's wry sense of humor
• Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series is very entertaining
• Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency & Sunday Philosophy series are charming

Tess and Brynne, thanks for the suggestions!  I'm going to start ordering the first books in some of these series.

Laura

Have you read Colin Cotterill's? His Dr. Siri Paiboun's are crazy good. The Cororner's Lunch is the first one.

Laura--if you haven't read Victoria Thompson's Gaslight/Sarah Brandt series, you should check them out.  Sarah Brandt is a midwife in turn of the century New York.  She always seems to find herself involved in murder investigations.  There is some romantic tension built in to the series between her and an Irish policeman--Frank Malloy.  A couple more of my favorites are Beverly Connor's Diane Fallon series.  Her Lindsay Chamberlain books are good too.  And I really like Margaret Coel's Wind River Reservation Mysteries.  All of these would fit your requirements of no gore, bad language, or graphic sex.

Bump it up!

I like this thread....great reading suggestions.  I would like to add to the list, the Mary Russell (and Sherlock Holmes) mysteries by Laurie R. King.  I'm not sure but I think the Chief Inspector Armand Ganache series by Louise Penny would also fit the requirements?

I like the Joe Pickett series by C. J. Box--he is a game warden but start with book 1 as the family storyline is continued, you get to know his family and his mother-in-law is a piece of work, I guarantee this series will keep your interest!  A new one is coming out soon and I'm looking forward to it already, want to get on my library list as these books are hard to get when they are new.

Good Luck