Here’s a request like you’ve never had before ... or thought you’d ever get!Can somebody out there please help Mr. Taylor with his reading list?
I’m a long-time PI and other crime reader and I am also a practising member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). One thing I (and I would say all good Mormons) try to avoid in fiction is excessive bad language (e.g., the “f” word, “c” word, blaspheme [the taking of Christ’s name in vain], etc.) and gratuitous and detailed descriptive sex scenes ... and excessive violence.
Now, generally, these are not a problem with older crime fiction (say, up to the 1910’s), but [they] have become increasingly common-place in newer fiction ... but, thankfully, not all. Thinking about it, all the best crime fiction in the past has been (generally) devoid of these things.
My request is, do you specifically know of new and recommended crime writers whose work is (relatively?) “clean”--so to speak? OR do I have to go back and just re-read all my old favourites?
Hope you have some suggestions.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
“Clean” Crime Fiction?
I received the following e-mail note from Malcolm Taylor, a Tasmanian reader of The Rap Sheet. Being irreligious myself and a regular employer of profanity, I don’t think I am properly equipped to respond to his request. However, I’m hoping that one or more other readers of this blog can suggest appropriate book titles in the Comments section below. Mr. Taylor writes:
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26 comments:
Some special niche publishers have tried to offer mysteries and detective fiction that might live up to Mr. Taylor's interests, which I somewhat share but for different reasons; he might take a look at Thomas Nelson publishing(with the new Lis Wiehl crime-suspense novel), and he might also look at Bethany House (which offers a larger fiction line-up that includes some mystery and crime titles). I hope this helps. I'm sure others will know of more specific guidance.
Encyclopedia Brown has done a lot of interesting work in this area.
As for the recommendation for Encyclopedia Brown, it seems as though the contributor is perhaps being a bit cheeky in his or her offering; I'm sure we can get beyond young Master Brown's escapades (and those of similar stripes, Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew). The man from Tasmania is looking for adult fiction that is well-written and tasteful, and he deserves respectful recommendations.
Ted Dekker writes suspense thrillers which have a supernatural and crime angle; he is a Christian and often has Christian themes and is stocked in the Christian Fiction section of large chains like Borders. He tries to keep the gratuitous elements under control. Mel Odom is a longtime Christian writer who writes an NCIS series which again keeps the gratuitiy under control; I suspect, because he is a Christian, his work tends to be published by more boutique presses. And finally, there is Robert Liparulo who has written a couple great suspense/crime thrillers; I have heard he is a Christian and, although violent, I don't find his work excessive compared to others prominent in the genre. And for all three writers, the language is fairly tame. Hope this helps.
I'm not sure the chap's looking for work BY Christians.
After all, Elmore Leonard's a Christian but reccomending him would possibly be unwise.
it's more an issue of content.
We are to assume that cozies don't quite fit the bill for Mr. Taylor? Because there are plenty of those out there that would accomodate his preferences.
Otherwise...
Although Joe Barone has only one book -- The Body in the Record Room -- published thus far, perhaps if Mr. Taylor read it and communicated his enjoyment of it to said publisher...perhaps we could all enjoy more of Joe's work.
This one was so clean, it squeaked. I wasn't impressed and won't read another, but it may do.
http://thebookmarque.blogspot.com/2009/02/by-reason-of-insanity-by-randy-singer.html
Good point, Gordon. Ditto Andrew Klavan!
Malcolm, I would say that many, if not most, of the crime/P.I. centered novels of the 1950s probably would meet your desired parameters. In my experience most of them have very little in the way of foul language and the sex scenes are very mild, mostly sex is discussed only through innuendo. Many have sexy covers or provocative titles, but the content is pretty tame, at least as far as language and sex. Most 1950s pulp novels have plenty of violence and dark themes, but that kind of goes with the genre. Some of the 50s novels reviewed on my blog would meet your goals, such as The Violent Ones by Howard Hunt, Hell's Our Destination by Gil Brewer and some of the Lawrence Block novels. If you can live with some violence the Mickey Spillane/Mike Hammer novels would be good to check out as well.
Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series.
John Grisham, very little swearing and no "F-word" that I can remember...he has even made a point of this in interviews.
Lee Child's work [through Characters] takes an ocasional cynical swipes at modern morality incl, Relgion, but is pretty F + C work free, very little profanity
Ali
Just had a thought; what about Robert B Parker’s Spenser series?
I’m thinking primarily of the seventies stuff (and it’s been awhile since I re-read them, so if anyone wants to back me up/correct me, it would be appreciated.) but they were pretty tame language-wise, whilst still retaining provocative in content.
I really love the first 12 Spenser books --up until his reconciliation with Susan-- they’re like an extended navigation between ‘alpha male’ heroism and feminism and couldn’t have been written at anytime other than the seventies, really. Big, big influence on Dennis Lehane too.
There’s also a significant amount of hitting people.
It's been some years since I've read them, but I recall that John Straley's novels about Alaska PI Cecil Younger were extremely well written and contained little profanity.
Another hard to find but EXTREMELY GOOD series is Terence Faherty's Owen Keane novels, about an ex-seminarian who becomes a kind of ersatz private eye. Again, excellent writing and a "low-filth" level.
Michael Z. Lewin's Albert Samson novels might also fit the bill, assuming our correspondent has not already discovered him. Peter Lovesey's novels, of which there are many, would also work, although with the exception of the early Peter Diamond novels, he does not write PI fiction. He does, however, write just about everything else....
Robert Barnard -- again not a PI writer but a consumate entertainer -- would be another recommendation.
This actually would be a great use of the Google book search. Mr. Taylor could make a proscribed words list and either he or a heathen friend could plug them in to check if a book would be appropriate.
But as in all things bookish, the best choice is probably to ask a librarian. Your local library should at least be able to tell you what books have not generated complaints.
Peter Robinson's fine novels. Anything by P.D.James or Ruth Rendell or Howard Engel. Anne Perry's two historical detection series. John Grisham's legal thrillers. Aaron Elkins. Generally, John Dunning. Anything thus far by Louise Penny.
David Morrell is fairly clean. And Robert Liparulo is terrific: lots of action, suspense, some language, but not the f-word of c-word.
The first six Inspector Ian Rutledge novels by Charles Todd (later ones formulaic, repetitive). Mentally anguished World War I vet / Scotland Yard detective. Virtually no cursing; when characters call on God, they mean it. A bit grittier than the typical "cozy."
And, yes! As a previous reader commented -- Ask a librarian. They love these kinds of queries and go after them like eager terriers.
How about Dorothy Sayers mysteries? Here is a list of her mystery novels:
BUSMANS HONEYMOON, CLOUDS OF WITNESS, A COLLECTION OF ALL THE LORD PETER WIMSEY STORIES, LORD PETER VIEWS THE BODY, MURDER MUST ADVERTISE, STRONG POISON, UNNATURAL DEATH, THE DOCUMENTS IN THE CASE, THE FIVE RED HERRINGS, GAUDY NIGHT, HANGMANS HOLIDAY, HAVE HIS CARCASE, IN THE TEETH OF THE EVIDENCE, THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BELLONA CLUB, WHOSE BODY?
I too love clean mysteries. Here are some others: Christy Barritt, Lorena McCourtney, Cynthia Hickey, D.L. Wood.
Enjoy!
I googled "clean crime novels" and one of the responses was this blog. Thanks to everyone who contributed. You've given me some good leads!
To anyone who finds this while searching for clean mysteries:
I tried a John Straley's and put it down very fast. I found an Amazon review that called it almost pornographic. So don't bother. I guess it was recommended by someone who thinks adult should read "adult oriented" books.
I hope others will add their experiences also.
Clive Cussler. Absolutely love his books. More of a cross between Indiana Jones and James Bond. Not so much a who dunnit but action/adventure. No foul language, no gratuitous sex, no graphic blood and guts. And I haven’t read a book he co-authored that I haven’t enjoyed.
I love P.D. James novels. There might be some language but it is minimal. Intelligent Reads
I had to chuckle when I read the original question. I, too, am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, and was googling this exact same question. It was posted over 10 years ago, but it looks like we are looking for the same genre. Maybe there are more of us out there than we thought that appreciate a good thriller without all of the foul language and gratuitous sex scenes.
I have only read a couple of his books so far, but Harlan Coben seems to be what you may be looking for. Also Mary Higgins Clark, love her "clean" yet interesting mysteries.
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