3D Detective series: book, audio, video

Some of your favorite detective series are now three dimensional – books in print for reading, books on CD for listening, and DVD for a total storytelling experience, often featuring well-known movie stars.  They’re all available on the main floor of the library. Don’t miss a single one!

Inspector Lynley Mysteries by Elizabeth George are set in contemporary England - the New Scotland Yard.  Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, also the 8th Earl of Asherton, teams up with Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers to form an unlikely, but effective partnership of detectives who solve some very complex crimes. Although the stories revolve around the crime-fighting duo of the aristocratic Lynley and working-class Havers, there’s a large cast of characters who are connected to each other in the most interesting ways.  Elizabeth George thoroughly explores their relationships and motivations in each book.  The newest in the series is titled, Just One Evil Act. The DVD series, originally part of Masterpiece Mysteries from PBS, narrows down the storyline to the two main characters and the crimes themselves in order to fit the story into a 90 minute time frame. PWPL has all six seasons.

Craig Johnson is the author of ten novels featuring Walt Longmire, a Wyoming sheriff who solves crime in a big way.  Johnson combines the mystery genre with the elements of a western and updates the stories to fit contemporary themes and current newspaper headlines.  Longmire leads a team of deputies with distinct personalities and, at the same time, explores his own relationship with his grown daughter, an attorney who asks a lot of questions and keeps him on his toes. The stories also include Longmire’s childhood friend and unofficial assistant, Henry Standing Bear, who is his link to the Cheyenne community and customs. The newest title, Any Other Name, was published in May 2014.  The TV series, available in the DVD section, features two full seasons of Robert Taylor as Walt Longmire and Lou Diamond Phillips as Henry Standing Bear.

Swedish crime writer, Henning Mankell, has written Kurt Wallander  mysteries for the past twenty years.   He often stumbles onto very ominous criminals such as those associated with government corruption and international organized crime, creating some seriously suspenseful story lines  The author guides readers through some of the best crime stories ever written, while portraying the main character as a troubled man with amazing detective skills.  In fact, book # 10 in the Wallander series was titled, A Troubled Man.  The newest title, An Event in Autumn, was just released last month. These novels were made into three seasons of British TV, starring Kenneth Branagh as Wallander; also available in the DVD section.

The novels are set in Sweden and northern Europe, following the life and career of Inspector Wallander who often has difficulties with family relationships and obedience to his superiors in the police force.

The Jesse Stone mystery series was created by Robert B. Parker who wrote nine books before his death in 2010.  Lucky for us, the series was continued by Michael Brandman under the new titles,  Killing the Blues,  Fool Me Twice, and  Damned if You Do.  The latest in the series,  Blind Spot, once again features the Massachusetts police chief, Jesse Stone and is written by a third author, Reed Farrell Coleman.  The Jesse Stone character, a depressed alcoholic with authority issues and a bloodhound’s nose for solving crimes, has several supporting characters in his books that take on storylines of their own.  The original eight books have been adapted to film, featuring Tom Selleck in the lead role as Jesse Stone.

Lynette Suckow, Reference Desk