Five book series that are fun, easy to read, and and just might make you laugh out loud.
Holmes On The Range By Steve Hockensmith
Not only is this series of mysteries light, offbeat, and funny, it is also historical fiction, covering the Worlds Fair, the popularity of Sherlock Holmes, and western life in the 1890's
Two cowboys, one addicted to the Sherlock Holmes stories that ran in the monthly strand magazine. As the men travel across the west in search of work, they stumble on to mysteries, getting in the way of the new Pinkerton Detective Agency as they solve them using Sherlock Holmes methods.
Look to see if you can borrow the audio books from your local library through the Libby app - this is a series that is great for the whole family to listen to together.
The Rosie Project By Graeme Simsion
A 3 book series, these are a romantic comedy. Not my normal genre, but these are a unique, quirky, read that was both funny, and charming.
The art of love is never a science: Meet Don Tillman, a brilliant yet socially inept professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs the Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers.
Rosie Jarman possesses all these qualities. Don easily disqualifies her as a candidate for The Wife Project (even if she is “quite intelligent for a barmaid”). But Don is intrigued by Rosie’s own quest to identify her biological father. When an unlikely relationship develops as they collaborate on The Father Project, Don is forced to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie―and the realization that, despite your best scientific efforts, you don’t find love, it finds you.
Rosie Jarman possesses all these qualities. Don easily disqualifies her as a candidate for The Wife Project (even if she is “quite intelligent for a barmaid”). But Don is intrigued by Rosie’s own quest to identify her biological father. When an unlikely relationship develops as they collaborate on The Father Project, Don is forced to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie―and the realization that, despite your best scientific efforts, you don’t find love, it finds you.
The Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt
My problem with cozy mysteries is that they are often so ridiculous that it becomes annoying. The main characters are often so inept that it can be hard to keep reading. That is not the case with this series.
Andy Carpenter is a lawyer, who is surprised to inherit a great deal of money, but doesn't particularly need the money and doesn't change his lifestyle too much at all, other than to only take cases when he truly wants to. He uses some of his money to fund a dog rescue, and most of his cases revolve around dogs, although it's almost always the owners he defends. (at least once, it's actually the dog - but it manages to not be silly and even comes across as reasonable, as unbelievable as that may seem.) The books are smart and well written, with twists I frequently don't see coming. But they are also light, full of dry humor, and do not require a lot of heavy thought. There's a large number of characters that appear in every book over and over, and they are all well written and well developed characters.
If you read too many of them back to back, some of the themes can become a bit repetitive. But even that hasn't hampered our enjoyment of them.
Agatha Raisin by M.C. Beaton
The Agatha Raisin books are a 30 book series by M.C. Beaton. In 2018, these were the "light reads" I defaulted to between the thrillers and historical fiction that I typically read.
After selling her successful PR firm in London, Agatha moves to village life in the Cotswalds, where she stumbles into murder after murder, before, in book 15, finally opening her own detective agency. Middle aged, acerbic, and constantly making poor decisions, the books are both funny, and charming.
For those who love Stephanie Plum books, these are the older, classier, British version. (They are also a bit more PG - although Agatha does her fair share of bed hopping, the details are left to your imagination)
Miss Fortune Series by Jana DeLeon
With a leak in the CIA and a price on her head, CIA Assassin Fortune Redding needs to lay low. She's sent to the Bayou, where she poses as a former beauty queen and librarian - her most difficult assignment to date.
This series gets better and better as it goes - with lots of comedy. Very quick reads.
Years ago I listed to a podcast - the only podcast I've ever really enjoyed - Book Tour With John Grisham. He went to small independent book stores, with other big name authors and interviewed them about their books and writing process. It was fantastic. In it [and it's been quite a few years, so forgive me if I get this wrong] he mentioned he was "challenged" to write a beach read. I think someone said he couldn't do it. So.. he did. Camino Island was the first, and it was REALLY good. Then Camino Wind, which I also loved. Light, beach reads. The 3rd in the series is Camino Ghosts, and I think it might be a bit heavier of a read, considering the subject matter - but I'm very much looking forward to it.
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The situations Stephanie runs into are hysterical, and her grandmother is an absolute riot. It's hard to think of another series that has made me laugh out loud as frequently as this one.
Evanovich has three other humorous detective series that are also very funny, and all three are lighter on the "graphic romance" scenes -
The Fox & O'Hare series teams a female FBI agent up with a Con man to break up crime rings.
The Lizzie & Diesel Series teams up an unlikely pair as treasure hunters. Funny and light, there's a bit more of the fantasy/magical element in these books, but not completely, just in the peripheral, and still in a humorous way.
The Knight & Moon series pairs up a socially awkward, eccentric, genius with a practical minded junior analyst.
And if you like these series by Evanovich, here are more to try:
https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2014/04/if-you-like-stephanie-plum-novels-try.html
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