Amateur Sleuth Mystery Authors

There are many authors who write amateur sleuth mysteries. Here is a list of both well-known and lesser-known authors, but you reading choices are not limited to just those on this page. Try out an author new to you and discover your new favorite.

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Well-Known Authors for Amateur Sleuth Mysteries

Richard Osman

Richard Osman is an author, producer and television presenter. The Thursday Murder Club is his first novel. He is well known for TV shows including Pointless and Richard Osman’s House of Games.

Read any of his amateur sleuth mysteries featuring the following characters.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim (The Thursday Murder Club Mysteries)

Steve and Amy Wheeler (We Solver Murders Mysteries)

Alan Bradley

Alan Bradley received the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award for The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, his first novel, which went on to win the Agatha Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, the Macavity Award and the Spotted Owl Award. Read any of his amateur sleuth mystery series featuring the following character.

Flavia de Luce (The Flavia de Luce Mystery Series)

Sarah Yarwood-Lovett

After spending sixteen years as an ecologist, crawling through undergrowth and studying nocturnal habits of animals (and people), Dr Sarah Yarwood-Lovett naturally turned her mind to murder. She may have swapped badgers for bears when she emigrated from a quaint village in the South Downs to the wild mountains of the Pacific Northwest, but her books remain firmly rooted in the rolling downland she grew up in. Read any of her amateur sleuth mystery series featuring the following character.

Dr. Nell Ward (Dr. Nell Ward Mysteries)

Robert Thorogood

Robert Thorogood (born 1972 in Colchester, Essex)[1] is an English screenwriter and Sunday Times Bestselling novelist. He created the BBC One murder mystery series Death in Paradise as well as co-created two spin-off shows from it, Since then, he's written The Marlow Murder Club series of murder mystery novels, which he turned into a TV series for PBS.

Read any of his amateur sleuth mysteries featuring the following character.

Judith Potts (The Marlow Murder Club Mysteries)

Elle Cosimano

Elle Cosimano is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Elle’s debut novel for adults, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, kicked off a witty, fast-paced contemporary mystery series, which was a People Magazine Pick and one of New York Public Library's Best Books of 2021. Elle lives with her husband and two sons in Virginia. Read on of her amateur sleuth mysteries featuring the following character.

Finlay Donovan (The Finlay Donovan Mystery Series)

Katrina Kyle

Katrina Kyle writes mystery and suspense stories that feature a little humor and a lot of heart. Her characters are strong, independent women with (mostly self-inflicted) flaws. Similar to their creator, they have a tendency to root for the underdog, have a soft spot for sob stories, and usually possess unhealthy obsessions with sugary foods. Read any of her amateur sleuth mysteries featuring the following character.

Hale Mary Seton (Hale Mary Mystery Series)

Caleb Wygal

Caleb Wygal is renowned for his exceptional storytelling, notably in the Myrtle Beach Mystery Series. Additionally, his captivating mystery, Death on the Causeway, was honored with the prestigious 2023 Gold Medal by Readers’ Favorite for Best Amateur Sleuth Mystery, solidifying his status as a master of the genre. Read any of his amateur sleuth mysteries featuring the following character.

Clark Thomas (Myrtle Beach Mystery Series)

Mary Stone

Mary Stone has transformed her peaceful home, once bustling with her sons, into a creative haven.Her stories, centered around strong, unconventional heroines, weave themes of courage and intrigue.Read any of her amateur sleuth mysteries featuring the following character.

Kylie Hatfield (Kylie Hatfield Amateur Sleuth Mystery Series)

Other Amateur Sleuth Mystery Authors to Explore

Check out the work of some of these other amateur sleuth mystery authors. Some you may know, so give an new-to-you author a chance.

Lynn Cahoon (Bainbridge Isle Series)

Irina Shapiro (Redmond and Haze Series)

Victoria Tait (Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery Series)

Tonya Kappes (Maisie Doss Series)

Best Sellers in Amateur Sleuth Mysteries

Have you read any of these best-sellers in the amateur sleuth mystery genre?

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