This mystery series featuring DI Hillary Greene, a detective inspector with the Thomas Valley Police in Oxfordshire, England is an excellent set of British police procedural mysteries. Hillary Greene is an interesting character because she is a very capable detective who finds it hard to get ahead because her philandering husband, also a police officer, was posthumously found guilty of corruption. Despite personal and professional challenges she solves crimes with cool professionalism and by working well with both superiors and subordinates alike. It is nice to see a mature adult working as a detective for a change.

If you like mysteries that make you think and have a minimal amount of violence, you will enjoy this series. Since there are plot arcs that carry through several books, I would highly recommend reading them in order.

The is the seventh book in Grainger’s series featuring Detective Sergeant David Smith, and is one of the better British police procedural series I have read. Smith is an intelligent, funny, and believable character with a personal life that nicely complements his work as a police officer. The characters of those who work with him are well developed, and I would strongly recommend reading the series in order so as to fully appreciate this.

If you are a fan of gore, shootouts, and terrifying car chases, this is not the series for you, but if you appreciate intelligent plots and careful detection, you should definitely give this series a chance.

Reclusive mystery writer Christopher Holmes has had a very successful career with his stories about Miss Butterwith, an elderly spinster sleuth. However, the new editor at his publishing house has no time for geriatric sleuths, and threatens to no longer publish Holmes unless he comes up with a new protagonist.

Holmes goes to a writers’ conference in a remote location in the country to confront his editor, and a fierce storm leaves the group isolated. Another writer and then Holmes’ editor are murdered, and the finger of suspicion is pointed at him, as the group finds themselves cut off from civilization with a murderer in their midst.

This is a funny and clever mystery. Be warned there is some man-on-man romance, so if that is very disturbing to you give this book a pass. But if you are open to same sex romance, you will find that the story is a very enjoyable read. It is also the beginning of a series starring Holmes and his boyfriend.