I know it's a long shot but I've been trying to find them using Amazon and Google.
A female detective solves crime on the UK's south coast. She's separated/divorced and has a complicated relationship with her young adult daughter who no longer lives at home. One story was set mainly in Brighton.
I think the books were probably written late last century.
AJ
Why kidding, it fits the OP's request.
Agatha Christie died in 1976 (RIP) so she could just about be squeezed into 'late last century'. I'm not very familiar with her novels (except through TV dramatisations) but I don't remember Agatha Christie writing a series about a woman detective with a young adult daughter though.
Still, thanks for trying :-)
AJ
If you check on goodreads there is a list (female detective series) with 150 books listed
I know - that was one of the places I looked when I tried to find it myself. I couldn't find a match.
The women detective series listed seem to be either by top-notch authors or written very recently. I would describe the author I'm looking for as very good but not quite top-notch.
Thank you for your suggestion.
AJ
Not what your looking for but :
The Enola Holmes Mysteries is a young adult fiction series of detective novels by American author Nancy Springer, starring Enola Holmes as the 14-year-old sister of an already famous Sherlock Holmes, twenty years her senior. There are nine books in the series, and one short story all written from 2006–2023.
I know people have been slamming AI for writing stories, but they can be useful for answering questions. I put the OP question to Gemini (free from Google) which gave the following response:
Unfortunately, I don't have enough information to identify the specific book or series you're looking for. There are many female detective series set on the UK's south coast, and without more details, it's difficult to narrow it down. However, here are some potential avenues to explore:
1. Author-focused search:
* Clare Dunkel: Dunkel wrote under the pseudonym Mo Hayder, and her protagonist, DI Jack Caffery, is a male detective. However, her standalone novel, "The Raven's Ground," features a female protagonist and is set in Brighton. While it doesn't perfectly match your criteria, it might be worth checking out.
2. Series with similar themes:
* "The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries" by Gladys Mitchell: While the protagonist is an elderly woman, Mrs. Beatrice Lestrange Bradley, the series is set in various locations in England, including the south coast. The books were written in the mid-20th century, so they might not be exactly what you're looking for, but they could be a good option if you're open to a different time period.
3. Online resources:
* Goodreads: You can use Goodreads to search for books by genre, location, and other criteria. You can also join groups dedicated to crime fiction and ask for recommendations.
* Fantastic Fiction: This website has a comprehensive database of crime fiction authors and series. You can search by location, character traits, and other factors.
4. Local libraries and bookstores:
* Librarians and booksellers are often very knowledgeable about crime fiction and may be able to help you identify the book or series you're looking for.
If you can recall any additional details about the book or series, such as the author's name, the title of one of the books, or any specific plot points, it would help narrow down the search.
In the meantime, I hope the suggestions above are helpful. Happy reading!
Part of this sounds like the the TV series Annika except that it was set in Scotland, although I don't know where the original novel was set.
You have the female detective and the somewhat difficult teenage daughter.
ETA, I checked and apparently it was originally a BBC radio series set in Oslo.
Part of this sounds like the the TV series Annika except that it was set in Scotland, although I don't know where the original novel was set.
I caught a rerun of the first series of Annika on free-to-air network TV in the UK last autumn. It was one of only two programs to make me laugh out loud last year, so it floated my boat. Although it's not the one, I didn't realise the similarities to the work of the author I'm trying to remember until you pointed them out.
Thank you,
AJ
ETA, I checked and apparently it was originally a BBC radio series set in Oslo.
In that series, and I'd assume the original book, the character is a marine investigator (i.e. only dealing with water-related deaths), who IS Norwegian, but couldn't get a similar job there. So much of the inner conflict between mother and daughter concerns her being taken from her home, her father AND her friends to be brought to Scotland, which she absolutely abhors . It's actually a wonderful series, as they do something I've never seen done well, where the character will often break the proverbial third-wall, by speaking directly to the audience mid-scene, yet it works, precisely because of that.
She's so upfront about it, and of course, no one hears these side discussions about the beauty and wonder of Norway—especially concerning the nature and construction of bridges, of all things—it's a positive delight.
Many have tried, mostly trying to poke fun at themselves and their genre (the latest Marvel superhero movies) yet there, the technique typically falls flat, since it's more about ridiculing those stupid enough to watch the film they're in. In the Annika series (PBS and filmed in Denmark, the new film production site for nearly ALL of Europe), it works because she's so damn serious about her little asides.
I haven't read the series the PBS adaption is based upon (they don't credit the radio series), mostly because I'm afraid it won't be nearly as good.
However, getting back to the original question, I recall the series you're referring to (or at least a similar series on SOL, not as published books by a mainstream publisher), yet it's been so long ago, I can't recall many details about it, other than those you listed. Thus, I'm guessing, it was another of the many which were removed by the author, never to be seen again, and without more searchable info, the WayBack Machine isn't much help. :(
I put the OP question to Gemini (free from Google)
By a strange coincidence, Google popped up an advert inviting me to try Gemini. I clicked on the link but got a blank. I guess my antediluvian browser is too old. Thankfully Lazeez is more tolerant.
AJ
Wikipedia has a list of female detective/mystery writers
that covers your time period. There are about 180 listed.
You could glance through that list and see if any of the names ring a bell.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_female_detective/mystery_writers
Gary
I found that page too, but I didn't recognise any of the names.
I even visited a couple of charity bookshops to see whether any of the donated books rang a bell but it was another blank unfortunately.
I might be conflating two stories here, but there may have been the body of a woman found under Brighton pier.
AJ
I even visited a couple of charity bookshops to see whether any of the donated books rang a bell but it was another blank unfortunately.
I even checked my library account history, since I'm pretty certain I borrowed a couple of the author's novels at some point, but the history 'only' goes back to 2009.
And while I was there, I forgot to try Gemini :-(
AJ
It wouldn't be the Merry Gentry series by Laurell K Hamilton, by any chance?
If not, you might want to check it out anyway.
It wouldn't be the Merry Gentry series by Laurell K Hamilton, by any chance?
No, but thanks for thinking of it for me.
AJ