I forgot about Martha Grimes -- I should try those. I might go back and pick up some more P.D. James at the used bookstore, too -- I only read a couple of them.

I've been saving Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford series for a total drought, too -- I've read all her stand-alones, and most of her Barbara Vine stuff.

There's also Edith Pargeter/Ellis Peters. She's best known for her Cadfael novels, but I really loved her other work, as well.

Especially The Eighth Champion of Christendom, which is a trilogy telling the story of WWII, written while the war was underway, following a British footsoldier from England to France, North Africa, Singapore, and back to France and Germany. It's brilliant, and really very sympathetic, except for the bit in Malaysia, where she bought into all the worst stereotypes about the Japanese, while being very sympathetic and insightful about the Malays and Chinese.

I started reading the Amelia Peabody books last summer (actually, Mary Russell reminds me a lot of Amelia Peabody), and then my attention kind of trickled away after the first 5 or so. Not sure why. But I really liked them when I started them.

and his friend memfault

Heh, that's actually close to his name! Melrose Plant, my favorite character of hers.

Mmm, Ruth Rendell. I read her books so out of order and at random it's really hard to tell what I've left to read. Can't say I mind too much when I do end up re-reading, though.

I'll very much second Consuela's recommendation of the non-Cadfael Ellis Peters mysteries.

Another series I adore is Kate Wilhelm's Constance and Charlie novels. They may be hard to track down, but are very much worth it. Ngaio Marsh is also wonderful.

Yeah, Amelia Peabody is a possibility. The books you mentioned sound fascinating, Consuela, but when it comes to stuff about the actual war (as opposed to the homefront or other tangentials) I zone right out. My knowledge of WWII is sad, something my father has been trying to rectify since I was born, I think, but that might be why, too -- he starts talking about this fighter pilot or that ship and I immediately doze off.

Mmm, Ruth Rendell.

Her early stuff is great. I tore through those one year. And her early Barbara Vine novels are some of the best psychological suspense/mysteries I've ever read. Anna's Book and A Dark-Adapted Eye were fantastic.

According to Gabriel Garcia Marquez's brother, the author is suffering from dementia and is no longer able to write. link

I just read the first Maisise Dobbs book and really liked it. I've also been reading the Agatha Raisin books, which are very light and fluffy reading. Agatha can be annoying on occasion but usually the mysteries are interesting.

I've just started the Agatha Raisin books. I'm enjoying the first one.

My main problem with later Mary Russell books is Mary's attitude. She's only in her 20s, but she sounds more like a cranky old person than Holmes. I'm sitting there going, "Oh, cool, you get to fly in an early plane! And visit fascinating archaeology sites! And solve mysteries with Holmes and travel to interesting places and and and . . . " and there's Mary grousing about a bad polish job on her shoes.

But I like the between-the-wars time period in which the books are set (that's part of what I like about the Peter Whimsey books, too), and some of the mysteries are interesting.

That's sad about Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and no doubt very hard on his family.

The wars don't come up much in the Amelia Peabodys, except as it touches intelligence work in Egypt. Ramses, being young and adventurous and brilliant, gets pulled into it. Personally, if you stop at He Shall Thunder in the Sky, which resolves the great question of several books, I don't think you'll regret it. I also think Elizabeth Peters got too enthralled with Sethos, because he nearly takes over the later books.