7 Authors Who Write Tantalizing Mysteries

Edited by Ezvid Wiki Editorial on 28 January 2020

Curling up with a good mystery is a great way to temporarily escape from the stress of everyday life and focus instead on an intriguing story about compelling characters. The seven authors featured here have penned tantalizing series that range from modern police procedurals to historical mysteries. If you're looking for something new to add to your shelf, consider checking them out. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

Talented Mystery Writers

Author Notable Works
Anna Lee Huber The Anatomist's Wife This Side of Murder
Geraldine Evans Dead Before Morning Up in Flames
Carmen Amato Cliff Diver Hat Dance
Barbara Ross Clammed Up Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody
Jennifer S. Alderson Death on the Danube Down and Out in Kathmandu
Debra H. Goldstein One Taste Too Many Two Bites Too Many
Melissa Bourbon Living the Vida Lola Pleating for Mercy

The History of the Mystery Genre

Some of the world's oldest known stories used the same elements that make modern mysteries so enticing. Homer's famous epic poem The Odyssey is something of a prototype of the genre. The hero's life is in constant danger as he uses his cunning to solve problems and overcome his enemies. But the genre isn't exclusive to Western culture. One of the stories in One Thousand and One Nights (commonly known as Arabian Nights) is considered to be the oldest known murder mystery. This tale, The Three Apples, is full of plot twists and revolves around a mysterious death. Centuries later, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle popularized the genre with his stories about the now-famous Sherlock Holmes. Eventually, of course, mystery made its way from the pages of books to the big screen. Some of the most well-known of these movies were directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who worked on several classics throughout his career, including Psycho, Vertigo, and Rear Window.

Classic Mystery Books

The authors on this list stand on the shoulders of many amazing writers who influenced the genre. Consider diving into mystery's rich history with these classics:

  1. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
  2. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  3. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
  4. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
  5. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

The Real Science Of Forensics

In Depth

For avid readers of crime fiction, there's no shortage of exciting and intriguing stories to choose from. Whether you like cozy suspense, police procedurals, or historical whodunits, there's always a book available to challenge your inner detective. In no particular order, here are seven authors who write thrilling and unique mysteries for you to add to your reading list.

At #1 is Anna Lee Huber, the Daphne award-winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby, Verity Kent, and Gothic Myths series. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in music and minored in psychology. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Historical Novel Society.

This Side of Murder, the first book in the Verity Kent series, takes place in 1919 England, where the main character, a former Secret Service agent, investigates the secrets behind her husband's mysterious death, including the possibility he may have committed treason before his untimely demise. The novel received the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense in the Historical Romantic category.

The novel received the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense in the Historical Romantic category.

Coming in at #2 on the list is Geraldine Evans, a novelist who classifies her work as Mystery Without Gore. A native of London, she began writing in her twenties, eventually becoming traditionally published, first by Hale, then Macmillan Publishers. She later chose to publish her books independently and offers publishing advice to aspiring writers.

Evans writes the Rafferty and Llewellyn British Mystery Series, which features inspector Joe Rafferty and his sidekick, detective sergeant Dafyd Llewellyn. Among the titles are Dead Before Morning, Game of Bones, and Dying For You. The Casey and Catt books focus on police investigators Will Casey and Thom Catt and feature Up In Flames and A Killing Karma. Other works include a standalone romantic suspense novel, The Egg Factory, which follows a journalist investigating her sister's death.

Entering the list at #3 is Carmen Amato, author of the Detective Emilia Cruz police series set in Acapulco. With plots torn from today's headlines, the stories draw on Amato's thirty years as an officer with the Central Intelligence Agency and knowledge of the war on drugs. She is a graduate of LeMoyne College and holds a Masters in International Relations from the University of Virginia. Proceeds from her books help support clean water initiatives and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Proceeds from her books help support clean water initiatives and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Cruz is the first female police detective in Acapulco, confronting Mexico's cartels, corruption, and social inequalities. The series, which has been optioned for television, has drawn comparisons to the Shetland and Vera books by Ann Cleeves. Titles include Russian Mojito, Cliff Diver, and Diablo Nights. Amato has also written two standalone thrillers, Awakening Macbeth and The Hidden Light of Mexico City.

Coming in at #4 is Barbara Ross. Prior to her writing career, she co-founded successful start-ups in educational technology. She has been nominated for multiple Agatha Awards for Best Contemporary Novel and has won the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction. Her debut book, The Death of an Ambitious Woman, featured Acting Police Chief Ruth Murphy.

Ross is author of the Jane Darrowfield and Maine Clambake mysteries. The first title in the latter series, Clammed Up, was nominated for the RT Book Reviews, Reviewer's Choice Award in the Amateur Sleuth category. Other titles include, Fogged Inn, Steamed Open, and Sealed Off. Each mystery also highlights local recipes such as Clam Hash, Baked Camp Beans, and Lobster Deviled Eggs.

The first title in the latter series, Clammed Up, was nominated for the RT Book Reviews, Reviewer's Choice Award in the Amateur Sleuth category.

At #5 is Jennifer S. Alderson, whose books frequently incorporate art history, travel, and culture. She is the author of the award-winning Zelda Richardson series, which focuses on a museum researcher who solves crimes. Titles include Marked for Revenge, Rituals of the Dead, and The Lover's Portrait. Among the accolades for her work are the BookLife Prize for Fiction in the Mystery and Thriller category.

Alderson is also the author of the thrillers, Down and Out in Kathmandu and Holiday Gone Wrong. Her travelogue, Notes of a Naive Traveler, highlights Nepal and Thailand. All three books comprise the Adventures in Backpacking box set. In addition, her Travel Can Be Murder cozy series features the titles Death on the Danube, based in Budapest and Death By Baguette, which takes place in Paris.

Entering the list at #6 is Debra H. Goldstein, author of the Sarah Blair Mysteries, which include the titles One Taste Too Many and Two Bites Too Many. Her debut novel, Maze in Blue, received an Independent Book Publisher Award. She has also penned Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery.

Her debut novel, Maze in Blue, received an Independent Book Publisher Award.

A graduate of the University of Michigan, Goldstein obtained a law degree from Emory and was later appointed a judge. In addition, her short story, The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie's Place, appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and was subsequently named an Anthony and Agatha Award Finalist. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.

Wrapping up the list at #7 is national bestselling author, Melissa Bourbon. Under her pen name, Winnie Archer, she writes the Bread Shop mystery series, which includes Flour in the Attic, Crust No One, and Kneaded to Death. She is also the coauthor of The Tricked-Out Toolbox: Promo and Marketing Tools Every Writer Needs and has been published in Woman's World magazine.

Each of Bourbon's books, including her popular Lola Cruz mysteries and Magical Dressmaking series, feature connections to food and recipes. Among the dishes highlighted in her stories are Chocolate Molten Lava Cake, Spanish Rice, and Tacos Buenos. A California native, she is a former middle school English teacher and has lived in Texas and Colorado.