The best series starters in mystery featuring everyday heroes

Joe Talbert’s not your average college student but a hero easy to love for all he’s up against. He’s escaped his mom’s unstable household and her revolving door of abusers, but barely and not really. With his autistic brother Jeremy still in her care, Joe’s in a constant tug-of-war between his family and his future. Joe’s survivor-tough but with a soft side. He needs both when a biography assignment leads him to Carl Iverson, a dying Vietnam vet and convicted felon. How can this war hero be a killer? Chasing the story with Joe is as thrilling as rooting for him. He must solve the mystery, save his family, get the girl, and, of course, get an A on his paper.  

A newly divorced novelist with two young children and writer’s block, Finlay Donovan isn’t killing anything yet. She’s a mess. Adding to the stress of single motherhood, Finlay has a deadline. Her latest murder mystery will secure her the advance she desperately needs to make ends meet and support her kids. Only she hasn’t written it. Kids, a cheating ex, and general chaos have buried her muse. Talking with her agent about (fictional) murder and (book advance) money at Panera leads to a monumental misunderstanding—she’s mistaken for a hit-woman. One uh-oh situation to the next, Finlay’s messed-up life gives a great escape from our own. This funny, light-hearted, twisty mystery has readers hoping Finlay lives up to the title. 

Another writer-hero, Anthony Horowitz writes as himself in this page-turning whodunit. Well-known for his television work on Midsomer Murders, Poirot, and Foyle’s War, Horowitz knows how to craft a mystery. When ex-cop turned private investigator Nathaniel Hawthorne approaches Horowitz about ghostwriting a book about his cases, Horowitz isn’t interested. Annoying and eccentric, Hawthorne isn’t someone Horowitz wants to be around, let alone write about. But when a famous actor’s wealthy mother is murdered six hours after planning her own funeral, Horowitz gets pulled into the investigation anyway. Though very much a Sherlock Holmes and Watson relationship, Hawthorne and Horowitz are more adversarial, making them an entertaining team. You want them to be friends, but then again, you don’t. The word isn’t just murder, but funny, engaging, and endearing, too.  

Owner of Miracle Books, Nora Pennington doesn’t just sell books but prescribes them as a “bibliotherapist,” helping customers through their struggles. Who doesn’t need one of those? Outside of books, though, it’s difficult for Nora to connect—a sentiment that hits close to home, especially for us writers. Characters in stories aren’t real friends. So, when a new customer ends up dead, Nora does something very uncharacteristic—she reaches out to the women in her life to solve the mystery. As the murder case grows more intriguing, so does the partnership of The Secret, Book, & Scone Society. The members bond over books, murder, and their darkest pains, and readers bond with them. This pick makes you want to visit quaint bookstores, drink espresso, and devour more books.

The Thursday Murder Club features another formidable crime-solving foursome—senior citizens, or as the Brits say pensioners, from an upscale retirement village. Dissatisfied with their village’s social groups, they form The Thursday Murder Club to re-examine cold case files. Elizabeth, a master at getting her way, leads the team, including Ibrahim, a fact-centric psychiatrist, Ron, an adversarial celebrity trade union leader, and Joyce, a sweet and flirty retired nurse. When a murderer strikes close to home, they must get involved, even if it means manipulating the police and calling on an impressive network for favors. Laugh-out-loud moments combine perfectly with heartfelt ones in this twisty whodunit. You’ll want to start your own club for murder talk over tea and biscuits after you call your folks, that is.