aka Romans Policiers as I think they are known over here.
It all started with Agatha Christie in early teenage years really. I was hooked on the twists and turns, the surprises, these books were all so well written. And there were plenty at home (though my Dad was also/mostly an Exbrayat fan, but I think I’ve only ever read one from him). A few early favourites were Le Crime de L’Orient-Express, Dix Petits Nègres (which I believe has now been renamed…), Meurtre sur le Nil, Les Quatre. I read quite a few then. And then I read other things and I think for many years I didn’t read much again (but don’t quote me on that, maybe I read books but don’t associate those years with reading books), and then much much much later, I started to read her books again, this time in English, starting from the first and progressing. But then I got into other books, met someone who got me into more modern crime fiction, and so I read from quite a few authors as recommended by her, and these are most of the ones I mentioned below. Because I ery much enjoyed them.
Next up, and I don’t know if she totally qualifies as a crime fiction writer, as her books also cover specific themes, or maybe ‘psychological thrillers’, etc, is Arlene Hunt. Who also happened to be Mrs Arseblog, which is how I first encountered her works obviously. But I thoroughly enjoyed her books, very very well written page-turners in the main, and they often leave a few things/questions pending at the end. I have a special fondness for the first few, starting with Vicious Circle (maybe the best ending?), and the QuicK series. There’s maybe a couple of her books I found personally a little less enjoyable (I found The Chosen a difficult read), but the (to date) latest two picked up again, and While She Sleeps finds her back to her best in my opinion, I really really appreciated that one.
Ian Rankin’s Rebus series is always very enjoyable and has a lot of music references (many of the books are actually named after famous songs).
Jo Nesbo‘s Inspector Harry Hole novels are also modern classics, and incidentally, I also bought an album on the back of one of this novel (though it was an album by Beach House, so I did own works from them before). Some of his other non HH novels are also worth a read, like his reinterpretation of Macbeth.
For all the (over the top in my opinion) controversy about some of her opinions and especially in that third novel under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith, I found J.K. Rowling’s Cormoran Strikes novels a good read.
Lesser known, discovered through other people, but just as enjoyable or more, works by Robert Bryndza and Isabelle Grey get my vote.
And I am currently slowly working my way through the Inspector Banks series from the very recently deceased Peter Robinson. All excellent so far. The characters analysis are very interesting too, and Banks himself is just an excellently rich persona.