100 books like The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

By Vaseem Khan,

Here are 100 books that The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra fans have personally recommended if you like The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of A Nye of Pheasants: Birder Murder Mysteries

Vicky Earle Author Of What Happened to Frank?

From my list on books with quirky characters in intriguing places.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have loved stories all my life, not only to read but to write. I have a particular passion for mysteries and will soon be releasing the sixth book in my Meg Sheppard Mystery Series. I read for enjoyment and prefer fast-paced stories with compelling characters. I’ve selected these books because they’re great reads and I hope you find them as entertaining as I did!

Vicky's book list on books with quirky characters in intriguing places

Vicky Earle Why did Vicky love this book?

This book is a ‘birder murder’ mystery authored by Steve Burrows–an avid and well-traveled birdwatcher. 

I enjoyed this gripping mystery featuring interesting and complex characters and was fascinated by the exotic setting of Singapore. 

I was drawn into the two parallel, somewhat overlapping stories that form the plot and didn’t anticipate the outcomes of either. 

It was a satisfying read, and as a bonus, this novel includes intriguing facts about birds that are relevant to the story. 

By Steve Burrows,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Nye of Pheasants as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When a street brawl abroad turns deadly, Danny Maik faces a charge of manslaughter, but when evidence emerges that he may have planned the victim's murder, he is looking at the death penalty. His only hope is reaching out to those he can trust back in the UK.

In Norfolk, Maik's replacement is trying to resurrect his career after a catastrophic error caused injury to a fellow officer. DCI Jejeune should be monitoring his new charge's progress closely, but he is distracted by Danny's plight. Others are watching, though, and they are disturbed by what they're seeing.

With the situation…


Book cover of Operation Angus

Vicky Earle Author Of What Happened to Frank?

From my list on books with quirky characters in intriguing places.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have loved stories all my life, not only to read but to write. I have a particular passion for mysteries and will soon be releasing the sixth book in my Meg Sheppard Mystery Series. I read for enjoyment and prefer fast-paced stories with compelling characters. I’ve selected these books because they’re great reads and I hope you find them as entertaining as I did!

Vicky's book list on books with quirky characters in intriguing places

Vicky Earle Why did Vicky love this book?

I loved the humor and the fast-moving story–much of it told through zany dialogue. 

I especially enjoyed the quirky character of Angus McLintock, who is a lot of fun.

I liked the uniqueness of the setting. While the plot doesn’t unfold in an exotic country (Canada!), some of the attention is on the (fictitious) Champlain Centre, which Angus describes as an ‘arachnoid abomination.’ 

I was hooked from the first page. 

By Terry Fallis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Operation Angus as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From bestselling author Terry Fallis comes the long-awaited follow-up to The Best Laid Plans and The High Roa d—a comic spy story that heralds the return of Angus Mclintock. Angus McClintock, accidental Member of Parliament, has won re-election and is now the Minister of State for International Relations—or, in other words, he's the junior global affairs minister. In this new post, he and his trusty Chief of Staff, Daniel Addison, are in London to meet with their international counterparts to discuss the upcoming G8 Summit in Washington. Unfortunately, Angus is not in charge of Canada's involvement in the summit—that task…


Book cover of A Knife in the Fog

Vicky Earle Author Of What Happened to Frank?

From my list on books with quirky characters in intriguing places.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have loved stories all my life, not only to read but to write. I have a particular passion for mysteries and will soon be releasing the sixth book in my Meg Sheppard Mystery Series. I read for enjoyment and prefer fast-paced stories with compelling characters. I’ve selected these books because they’re great reads and I hope you find them as entertaining as I did!

Vicky's book list on books with quirky characters in intriguing places

Vicky Earle Why did Vicky love this book?

I loved the creativity and intensity of this mystery, which features Margaret Harness and Arthur Conan Doyle. 

I was captivated by the setting of London, UK, in 1888–the time of the Whitechapel murders (Jack the Ripper). Harper brings fascinating characters to life and paints a vivid scene of abject poverty. 

I was enthralled by this piece of historical fiction and loved Harper’s ingenuity in casting Arthur Conan Doyle as a detective, much like his creation, Sherlock Holmes.  

By Bradley Harper,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Knife in the Fog as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Winner of Killer Nashville's 2019 Silver Falchion Award for Mystery and Edgar Finalist for Best First Novel, its audiobook won Audiofile Magazine's Earphone Award for Mystery and Suspense. Recently named as a "Recommended Read" by the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate.
 
This debut novel is the first in a series starring the real-life author and suffragette Margaret Harkness, continued in Queen's Gambit.
 
"Ardent feminism and cerebral detection face down the Ripper in the fog-shrouded streets of London: a feast for lovers of historical crime!"
 
--Laurie R. King, author of The Beekeeper's Apprentice and Island of the Mad
 
"Arthur Conan Doyle chasing…


Book cover of Stray Bullets

Vicky Earle Author Of What Happened to Frank?

From my list on books with quirky characters in intriguing places.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have loved stories all my life, not only to read but to write. I have a particular passion for mysteries and will soon be releasing the sixth book in my Meg Sheppard Mystery Series. I read for enjoyment and prefer fast-paced stories with compelling characters. I’ve selected these books because they’re great reads and I hope you find them as entertaining as I did!

Vicky's book list on books with quirky characters in intriguing places

Vicky Earle Why did Vicky love this book?

I loved this fast-paced mystery with its suspense and captivating characters. 

Rotenberg’s experience as a criminal lawyer in Toronto, Canada, provides a richness and believability that I found compelling. The courtroom drama is full of intrigue and is thrilling to read. 

I enjoyed the twists and surprises as this captivating whodunit unfolded. 

By Robert Rotenberg,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Stray Bullets as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the bestselling author of Old City Hall comes Robert Rotenberg’s third intricate mystery set on the streets and in the courtrooms of Toronto.

In The Guilty Plea and Old City Hall, critically acclaimed author Robert Rotenberg created gripping page-turners that captured audiences in Canada and around the world.

In Stray Bullets, Rotenberg takes the reader to a snowy November evening. Outside a busy downtown doughnut shop, gunshots ring out and a young boy is critically hurt. Soon Detective Ari Greene is on scene. How many shots were fired? How many guns? How many witnesses?

With grieving parents and a…


Book cover of Tripwire

Adam Plantinga Author Of The Ascent

From my list on modern books on tough guys.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a 23-year city cop who spends a fair amount of time around hard cases, from veteran co-workers to repeat felons. I’ve always been fascinated by formidable fictional heroes who succeed despite overwhelming odds. It’s an art to create a protagonist who is memorably and realistically resilient. I strove for this in my debut novel. The authors above delivered and then some. 

Adam's book list on modern books on tough guys

Adam Plantinga Why did Adam love this book?

Child’s Jack Reacher is a classic knight errant, strong, resourceful, and courageous who has headlined dozens of books. But this book stands out because, in the finale, he squares off with a formidable opponent with a hook for a hand.

Reacher struggles to stay conscious during this standoff because he has a woodworking nail stuck in his head, shrapnel from a shotgun blast, that is inexorably shutting down his brain and body. I will remember that passage for quite some time.  

By Lee Child,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tripwire as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Jack Reacher hunts the hunter in the third novel in Lee Child's #1 New York Times bestselling series.

DON'T MISS REACHER ON PRIME VIDEO!

Ex military policeman Jack Reacher is enjoying the lazy anonymity of Key West when a stranger shows up asking for him. He's got a lot of questions. Reacher does too, especially after the guy turns up dead. The answers lead Reacher on a cold trail back to New York, to the tenuous confidence of an alluring woman, and the dangerous corners of his own past.


Book cover of Death and the Conjuror

Jinny Alexander Author Of Claude, Gord, Alice, and Maud

From my list on an unusual take on traditional cozy mystery.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always adored mysteries. My dad has the entire collection of Agatha Christie books, but even before I read those, I worked through his ancient original hardbacks of Enid Blyton's Famous Five books and the less well-known Malcolm Saville Lone Pine series. I love getting totally engrossed in a series, so I really get to BE the main character–I am one of four siblings, and when I wasn’t too busy reading, we were the Famous Five. I was George. I think I still am, to be perfectly honest–she was fiery, passionate, loved her dog, and wanted to serve justice and out the bad guys. What a role model!

Jinny's book list on an unusual take on traditional cozy mystery

Jinny Alexander Why did Jinny love this book?

I love London. I love old mysteries. I love the Art Deco era. I love magic. As a child, my dad was part of the Magic Circle, and my brother and I learned some of the tricks–and when I say ‘my brother and I learned tricks,’ I mean I twirled endless chiffon scarfs from thin air and tried not to get cut in half, and he tried to cut me in half.

Tom Mead’s tale of conjuring, stage trickery, and locked room mystery somehow transports me back to my childhood, even though his 1930s setting is far further back than my 70s childhood! He gives us that Golden Age impossible puzzle–how is a man killed inside a locked room?–and I admit, my guess was quite wrong in this cleverly woven tale of intrigue and deceit, but the magic of smoke, mirrors, trickery, and Art Deco theatre more than made up…

By Tom Mead,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Death and the Conjuror as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Publishers Weekly Top 10 Best Mysteries of 2022 Selection

In this "sharply-drawn period piece" (New York Times), a magician-turned-sleuth in pre-war London solves three impossible crimes

In 1930s London, celebrity psychiatrist Anselm Rees is discovered dead in his locked study, and there seems to be no way that a killer could have escaped unseen. There are no clues, no witnesses, and no evidence of the murder weapon. Stumped by the confounding scene, the Scotland Yard detective on the case calls on retired stage magician-turned-part-time sleuth Joseph Spector. For who better to make sense of the impossible than one who…


Book cover of The Mysterious Mickey Finn

Anne R. Allen Author Of Ghostwriters In The Sky: A Camilla Randall Mystery

From my list on classic mysteries NOT written by Agatha Christie.

Why am I passionate about this?

My whole family shared a love for classic British mysteries, especially light-hearted, witty ones. With the enduring popularity of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, people sometimes forget there were lots of other great writers from the “golden age” of mysteries. I first found most of these books on my parents’ bookshelves when I was a bored teenager growing up in snowy central Maine. Several of the paperbacks were so well-worn the cellophane was peeling off their covers. For me, reading classic mysteries is like listening to Mozart—they are endlessly stirring and fascinating, and in the end, order is restored, and all is right with the world. 

Anne's book list on classic mysteries NOT written by Agatha Christie

Anne R. Allen Why did Anne love this book?

One of the funniest books I’ve ever read. Set in Paris in the 1920s, this mystery has everything I want in an escapist read: a suave detective, his sharpshooting, bad-ass girlfriend, a twisty, unpredictable plot, and fabulous, quirky characters.

Many are based on icons of the era: Josephine Baker, Picasso, Gertrude Stein, Hemingway, and all the usual Midnight in Paris celebrities. I first read this in my teens, and I still reread it for the madcap humor and view of Paris in the 1920s written by someone who was there.

By Elliot Paul,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Mysterious Mickey Finn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"It has the delicious irresponsibility of a Wodehouse plot. . . . It's one of the funniest books we've read in a long time. It contains a great deal of shrewd satire."—The New York Times
Multimillionaire and philanthropist Hugo Weiss is known in every capital of the Western world as a munificent patron of the arts. When Weiss suddenly vanishes while on a visit to Paris, his disappearance sets the stage for this uncommonly witty and urbane mystery. Homer Evans, an intrepid American detective, turns his keen intellect and remarkable intuition toward solving the puzzle of the financier's disappearance. Assisted…


Book cover of The Quiche of Death

M. E. Bakos Author Of Fatal Flip

From my list on quirky character-driven mystery authors.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write cozy mysteries about a house flipper turned sleuth in fictional Crocus Heights, Minnesota. My father was a carpenter, and I was his helper. My childhood was spent on a farm, with the biggest event of the week being a trip to the local library, where I checked out seven books. I would prop my library book in front of my school book and read in class whenever I could. My favorites were mysteries, and later romances, and now cozy mysteries, which combine a bit of both. I am always fascinated by people and their motivations, and that is what I enjoy in all the authors I recommend.

M.'s book list on quirky character-driven mystery authors

M. E. Bakos Why did M. love this book?

I love every one of M. C. Beaton’s books, including her witty, wry humor and observations of an abusive ex-husband and her move to a small village. I love her flaws and that she is an unapologetic smoker and has two cats she loves. I love that she is relatable with a hardscrabble life, coming from an impoverished childhood and finally making it. Albeit with all the insecurities that come from her past. Every book is a treat. 

By M.C. Beaton,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Quiche of Death as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Every new Agatha Raisin escapade is a total joy' ASHLEY JENSEN

'No wonder she's been crowned Queen of Cosy Crime' MAIL ON SUNDAY

'A Beaton novel is like The Archers on speed' DAILY MAIL

The first Agatha Raisin mystery from bestselling author M. C. Beaton

__________________________

Revenge is a dish best served warm...

High-flying public relations supremo Agatha Raisin has decided to take early retirement. She's off to make a new life in a picture-perfect Cotswold village. To make friends, she enters the local quiche-making competition - and to make quite sure of first prize she secretly pays a visit…


Book cover of Red Harvest

David Kruh Author Of Inseparable: An Alcatraz Escape Adventure

From my list on the 1920s with healthy skepticism of American values.

Why am I passionate about this?

I studied history in college and, after a few misspent years in broadcasting, worked in marketing and public relations for several companies. In my free time I wrote articles and books on historical events and people. A dozen years ago, on a trip to San Francisco and Alcatraz, I conceived of an idea for a novel. True to my background, it was based on a real historical event – the 1962 escape of three men in a raft from the prison. It wasn't until my mid-sixties when I felt ready to step out of my non-fiction comfort zone and write my first novel. Can't wait to start the next one.

David's book list on the 1920s with healthy skepticism of American values

David Kruh Why did David love this book?

It would be obscene to read this on a Kindle. This early Dashiell Hammett novel has to be read in paperback, the older a copy you can find, the better.

It has everything a great pulp novel should have; murder, crooked cops, gangs, and a rumpled too-honest-for-his-own-good hero. What I love about this book is how Hammett uses his own experience working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency (who were basically hired thugs) and a real historical event (a labor dispute in Montana that resulted in several deaths) to weave a solid crime novel.

By Dashiell Hammett,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Red Harvest as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Detective-story master Dashiell Hammett gives us yet another unforgettable read in Red Harvest: When the last honest citizen of Poisonville was murdered, the Continental Op stayed on to punish the guilty--even if that meant taking on an entire town. Red Harvest is more than a superb crime novel: it is a classic exploration of corruption and violence in the American grain.


Book cover of The Crime at Black Dudley

Anne R. Allen Author Of Ghostwriters In The Sky: A Camilla Randall Mystery

From my list on classic mysteries NOT written by Agatha Christie.

Why am I passionate about this?

My whole family shared a love for classic British mysteries, especially light-hearted, witty ones. With the enduring popularity of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, people sometimes forget there were lots of other great writers from the “golden age” of mysteries. I first found most of these books on my parents’ bookshelves when I was a bored teenager growing up in snowy central Maine. Several of the paperbacks were so well-worn the cellophane was peeling off their covers. For me, reading classic mysteries is like listening to Mozart—they are endlessly stirring and fascinating, and in the end, order is restored, and all is right with the world. 

Anne's book list on classic mysteries NOT written by Agatha Christie

Anne R. Allen Why did Anne love this book?

This book introduces one of my favorite sleuths, Albert Campion. But what’s fun is that Allingham never tells the story from Campion’s point of view.

We only see him from the outside, as others do. This adds to the fun and intrigue. And there’s lots of that. In a spooky old English country mansion full of strangers, the host is murdered, and the rest of the crew goes on a twisty, scary roller-coaster ride driven by an assortment of secrets and criminal schemes—which we must slowly figure out.

This one had me on the edge of my chair, wondering what outrageous turn the plot would take next.

By Margery Allingham,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Crime at Black Dudley as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Classic Crime from the Golden Age, the first in the Albert Campion Series. Margery Allingham is J.K. Rowling's favourite Golden Age author. George Abbershaw is set for a social weekend at Black Dudley manor, hosted by Wyatt Petrie and his elderly uncle Colonel Combe, who enjoys the company of Bright Young Things. With Meggie Oliphant in attendance, George looks forward to the chance of getting closer to the girl he's set his heart on. But when murder spoils the party, the group soon find out that not only is there a killer in their midst, but the house is under…


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