Mary Kay Andrews's Southern Series

Mary Kay Andrews has actually been writing mysteries for a long time. She began writing under her real name -- Kathy Hogan Trocheck -- back in 1992. She used the pseudonym Mary Kay Andrews when publishing this series set in Savannah, Georgia. Eloise "Weezie" Foley is an antique dealer who gets roped into solving mysteries with her best friend, southern belle BeBe Loudermilk in this (thus far) short series. Andrews creates rich characters against the backdrop of this city in the deep south, which is famous for eccentric characters and murder.

• Savannah Blues (2002)
• Savannah Breeze (2006)
  
• Blue Christmas (2006)

V. C. Andrews' Dollanganger Series

This is a popular, if very twisted, young adult series. Andrews' wrote about a set of four siblings who are forced by their mother to live in an old attic during their childhood. Although this is written in a style suitable for young adults, the themes of incest, repression, isolation, and abuse make the series more adult- than child-friendly. I read the entire series some years ago, and while it seems odd to enjoy such a dark set of books, they were entertaining in a way I don't even quite understand myself.

• Flowers in the Attic (1979)
• Petals on the Wind (1980)
• If There Be Thorns (1981)
• Seeds of Yesterday (1984)
• Garden of Shadows (1986)

Linda Barnes' Carlotta Carlyle Series

Linda Barnes makes Boston come alive in her detective series about private investigator Carlotta Carlyle. Carlotta often has to resort to cab-driving to support herself. She is 6'1" and an ex-cop to boot. Carlotta is to Boston what V.I. Warshawsky is to Chicago -- an "in" for readers into the depths of the city, with all its flaws.

• A Trouble Of Fools (1987)
• The Snake Tattoo (1989)
• Coyote (1990)
• Steel Guitar (1991)
• Snapshot (1993)
• Hardware (1995)
• Cold Case (1997)
• Flashpoint (1999)
• The Big Dig (2002)
• Deep Pockets (2004)*
• Heart Of The World (2006)*
• Lie Down With The Devil (2008)*

*Not yet read

L. Frank Baum's Oz Series

The great book and subsequent sequels and prequels which inspired the movie in 1939. I loved the movie, loved the books, and also some of the other film interpretations. Baum tells the story of the inhabitants of the great land of Oz in these books, most notably Dorothy Gale and her rag-tag group of friends.

• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
• The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904)
• Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz (1905, comic strip depicting 27 stories)
• Ozma of Oz (1907)
• Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908)
• The Road to Oz (1909)
• The Emerald City of Oz (1910)
• The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1913)
• Little Wizard Stories of Oz (1913, collection of 6 short stories)
• Tik-Tok of Oz (1914)
• The Scarecrow of Oz (1915)
• Rinkitink in Oz (1916)
• The Lost Princess of Oz (1917)
• The Tin Woodman of Oz (1918)
• The Magic of Oz (1919, posthumously published)
• Glinda of Oz (1920, posthumously published)

Chelsea Cain's Heart Series

Chelsea Cain's female serial killer is decidely unlady-like and yet very feminine, all at the same time. Gretchen Lowell is the Hannibal to police detective Archie Sheridan's career. Known as The Beauty Killer, Lowell has been in jail for some time when this series opens. But she still has Archie Sheridan tied around her little finger. Chasing her and solving the murders she committed has become more than a full-time job for Sheridan. In these three novels, Cain shows just how true this is. Cain incorporates much of the setting of Portland, Oregon, into her novels.

• Heartsick (2007)
• Sweetheart (2008)
• Evil At Heart (2009)

Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch Series

I have written several posts on Michael Connelly, and several specifically about his protagonist, police detective Harry Bosch. Even a few about Mickey Haller, Connelly's sometimes weasel-like, but ultimately loveable lawyer. Connelly has written a set of novels that I consider one of the best mystery series ever written. What I especially like is that he intertwines everything he writes into Harry Bosch's world. Even when Harry is absent (like in Void Moon), the characters always pop back up in a later Bosch novel. Connelly got his start as a crime journalist, and his true crime stories flow into his novels seamlessly. For a taste of gritty detective work, tortured souls, and the darker side of Los Angeles, dive into Connelly's excellent series.

• The Black Echo (1992):Harry Bosch
• The Black Ice (1993): Harry Bosch
• The Concrete Blonde (1994):Harry Bosch
• The Last Coyote (1995):Harry Bosch
• The Poet (1996): Jack McEvoy & Rachel Walling
• Trunk Music (1997):Harry Bosch
• Blood Work (1998): Terry McCaleb
• Angels Flight (1999):Harry Bosch
• Void Moon (2000): Cassie Black
• A Darkness More Than Night (2001): Harry Bosch, with Terry McCaleb & Jack McEvoy
• City Of Bones (2002): Harry Bosch
• Chasing the Dime (2002): Henry Pierce
• Lost Light (2003): Harry Bosch
• The Narrows (2004): Harry Bosch, with Rachel Walling & Terry McCaleb
• The Closers (2005): Harry Bosch
• The Lincoln Lawyer (2005): Mickey Haller
• Echo Park (2006): Harry Bosch, with Rachel Walling
• The Overlook (2007): Harry Bosch, with Rachel Walling
• The Brass Verdict (2008): Harry Bosch, with Mickey Haller & Jack McEvoy
• The Scarecrow (2009): Jack McEvoy & Rachel Walling
• 9 Dragons (2009): Harry Bosch

Diane Mott Davidson's Goldy the Caterer Series

Diane Mott Davidson does justice both to Colorado and to the catering world in her mystery series starring Goldy Schulz. Goldy is a caterer in the town of Aspen Meadows, Colorado, and she also solves mysteries in her spare time. Often, the mysteries fall in her lap during catering jobs. Another great aspect of the novels is the inclusion of recipes mentioned. This series makes me happy because it combines two things I love -- mysteries & foodie writing!

• Catering to Nobody (1992)
• Dying for Chocolate (1993)
• The Cereal Murders (1994)
• The Last Suppers (1995)
• Killer Pancake (1996)
• The Main Corpse (1997)
• The Grilling Season (1998)
• Prime Cut (2000)
• Tough Cookie (2001)
• Sticks and Scones (2001)
• Chopping Spree (2003)*
• Double Shot (2005)*
• Dark Tort (2006)*
• Sweet Revenge (2007)*
• Fatally Flaky (2009)*

*Not yet read