Welcome back to The Rec League! First, big thank you to everyone who commented on our Rec League suggestion post. You’re welcome to keep commenting as you think of things or you can always send us an email!
This one was sent in by Reanna:
I really like Laurell K Hamilton’s books and at this point it’s the only thing I’ve read lately that isn’t historical romance. I don’t need it to be paranormal, but I like the mix of sex, investigating, the relationships, etc. Any suggestions? Preferably series. Not even necessarily paranormal. I ain’t mind that, but if I could find something that’s seedy crime/investigative mystery that would be great.
Really I need a break from the 13th-17th century that I usually read, but want sexy, still with a compelling plot!
Amanda: We’ve done a few mystery-themed rec leagues, namely Mysteries with Romance Crossover Appeal and Noir/Murder Mystery Romances, but this one is lightly different.
Elyse, would the Shayla Black/Lexi Blake Scandal Never Sleeps series work?
Elyse: That’s more political.
If you want mystery that’s very violent and has a vigilante heroine, I recommend Seven Crows by Kate Kessler. It’s not any more violent than the Anita Blake series but has a similar but non-paranormal feel.
The heroine is an ex-motorcycle club member and ex con, is out of jail, her niece has been kidnapped and she has exactly zero fucks left to give. There is a romance arc as well. But it’s very raw.
Bec McMaster might work as well. Her Dark Court Rising series has a vaguely similar feel—heroine POV, dark magical elements, mysterious and dangerous hero
The second book comes out this month as well.
Amanda: Devil’s Daughter by Katee Robert?
Elyse: Yes that series or her O’Malley books.
EllenM: Okay so with the caveat that I am still VERY early on in the first book maybe the I-Team series by Pamela Clare fits? ( A | BN | K | AB ) Not paranormal but romantic suspense with investigative reporters.
Which books would you recommend?
Ilona Andrews Hidden Legacy series. It’s modern day paranormal mystery. The heroine is a PI. Each book is a case to solve. (Burn for Me is the first book.)
If you want something with more grit, their Kate Daniels series is urban fantasy. Each book deals with a mystery but there is a story arch over the entire series.
Jessie Mihalik’s books are space adventure mysteries.
Hope you find something you like.
In the Barren Ground by Loreth Anne White might fall in this category, although it’s more mystery than romance. There is a romance, but it’s not front and centre.
I think some of the I-Team books by Pamela Clare would fit here too, although I think they’re more romance than mystery.
Laura Griffin’s Tracer series and recent Texas Murder Files probably fit here too.
The Kate Burkholder series by Linda Castillo can fit here as well. I’ve only read the first two. They’re pretty gruesome and much more mystery than romance.
Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton books might work. They center around an off grid town in remote Canada full of people who are in hiding, and a female homicide detective who moves there. Great series.
Marie Force’s Fatal Series fits this quite well?
I think it’s important to say WHICH LKH books you mean. B/c if you like the most recent ones (which spend a lot of plot time talking about BDSM poly roles) you want a very different thing than the first 5-10, which are more, “female investigator kicking asds and getting some”.
I agree with the Kate Daniels being an excellent match for early LKH. Also, Faith Hunter (although, best read in order) would fill this niche as well.
I love Illona Andrews, but I think the Innkeeper series is a better match. Not a ton of books, though.
How could I forget? Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs is exactly this.
Seanne McGuire’s October Daye series is, too.
This is my preferred niche. 🙂
I have not read the Laurell K Hamilton Series, so I don’t really know exactly how much sex is in them, but here are a few of my favorites that definitely include sex.
Non-Paranormal:
Elly Griffith’s Ruth Galloway series
Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher series
Paranormal:
Molly Harper’s Half Moon Hollow/Jenna Jameson series
Also seconding the Ilona Andrews.
How about Linda Howard? Not the earliest (too much alpha-hole romance) nor the latest (more suspense than mystery), but the middle ones like Dream Man or Mr. Perfect. Both have investigation & hot sexy times. Nb: the heroes are police detectives.
When I saw the ‘Sexy Mystery’ tag line, my brain immediately came up with Wen Spencer’s Ukiah Oregon 4 books series… and it kept screaming it at me even though it’s not smexy at all… In fact, the romance pretty much stays in the background. But, the books are full of meaningful relationships and found family. Also, the mystery investigated is a good one, and it keeps on giving because layers are added in each book.
um … do you include J.D. Robb’s In Death series? Also, I’m finishing a re-read of K.J. Charles’ Sins of the City trilogy – Victorian, the romances are mostly M/M (love with a good amount of sex). She also wrote some others that have mysteries included with the love (and sex).
JD Robb/Nora Roberts in Death series, if Roarke isn’t sexy I don’t know who is
The Lilywhite Boys and the Will Darling Adventures by KJ Charles qualify, and are so, so good.
Happily diving into the linked rec leagues – Mysteries with Romance Crossover Appeal has great stuff!
I think part of the appeal is that while the romance is developing, they’re doing something else. And K.J. Charles delivers – you get two plots! romance and mystery! I first liked her Magpie Lord series – three books and two associated novellas – which has mystery, romance AND magic! then moved on to more.
@arijo omg the ukiah oregan books are such awesome crazysauce, I love them! Sad that there weren’t more.
I liked those as well, although the last two had less appeal for me, but got me to be a fan of Wen Spencer. I like her Elfhome books as well, which have romance (and some sex) and sort-of mysteries.
Seconding the Hidden Legacy series, which I just discovered last weekend and am gobbling up like it’s my job. Also the Tracers series by Laura Griffin. I’ve only read the first one but it was really good and I keep meaning to go back to it. And I feel like the first three books of the Kara Gillian series by Diana Rowland would fit this description. After book 3 the series kind of veers off in a weird direction and I did not stay with it after that, but the first couple of books were super interesting.
The Wolf at The Door by Charlie Adhara is the first in a 4 book (so far) series. A werewolf and a human investigate crimes for the paranormal equivalent of the FBI. Steamy M/M romance and just a delight to read.
Sorry took me a minute to find this but if paranormal is OK with the reader I would also recommend this Rec League, humbly submitted by me a couple years ago: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2017/05/rec-league-paranormal-detective-romances/. I submitted this request after reading the aforementioned Kara Gillian series and being disappointed by the direction that took. Got some great suggestions!
@ellie
LKH early isn’t much sex at all. They progress from “no sex, just thinking about sex” to “angsty sex” to “less angsty sex” to “political sex” to “poly sex” to “kinky poly sex” to “kinky poly sex politics”. You can find LOTS of discussion online about that, but, for me, about the time that “political sex” became important in them, the mystery aspect started being LESS important, and the latest ones are SO. MUCH. ABOUT. THE. SEX. LETS. EVERYONE TALK ABOUT THE SEX ALL THE TIME, TOO.
LETS TALK, TALK, TALK, TALK ABOUT THE SEX. that I went from a preorder to maybe-if-the-library-has-it-sitting-there.
More action/suspense than mystery, but lots of smexy: Tara Jantzen’s Steele Street series. The later “Loose” books ended going a little crazy sauce, but they do give you C. Smith Rydell and Dax Killian, so there’s that.
What about Amanda Stevens’ Graveyard Queen books? Would they come under this? There’s not massive amounts of sex, but they’re not devoid either.
Several years ago I greatly enjoyed a mystery-with-romance series called No Such Thing As, or the Brandy Alexander mysteries by Shelly Fredman. The relationship arc is over several books, but the mysteries are great, and there is humor and good friendships. The first book is No Such Thing As a Secret, and there are presently 7 books, and I think the author is working on another.
I’m not sure these all fit as mysteries, per se, but the Iron Seas series by Meljean Brooks might fit the bill. The first book, The Iron Duke, does have a pretty classic mystery plot. Plus it’s a great book!
What about Elizabeth Lowell’s Donovans series? It’s been a while since I read them, but I remember them as fairly hot while having a decent plot. Not paranormal, tho.
You could try:
— Elizabeth Bear’s New Amsterdam series
— Faith Hunter’s Soulwood series if you don’t mind a slow burn romance
— Laura Anne Gilman’s Cosa Nostradamus series, either the 6-book arc about a thief or the spinoff 4-book arc about a magical crime investigations startup
–Melissa Scott’s Astreiant series
— C.E. Murphy’s Urban Shaman series
The Devil Inside series by Jenna Black
Another KJ Charles rec to add to all the ones already mentioned–Think of England. Also maybe Jordan Castillo Price’s Psycop series or maybe Josh Lanyon’s Adrien English series. These are all m/m btw.
I’ll suggest the Cut and Run series by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban. It’s a male/male series featuring two FBI agents.
Oh I could rant about Anita Blake until the cows come home. In short: enjoyed books 1-7 at the time. Book 8 was alright in parts but there was a werewolf chase scene that was on the rapey side and a characters brother got raped but there was no follow up. Book 9 was actually compelling if disturbing (TW infanticide and Paedophilia) but I liked the darker turn that the series looked to be taking. I’m not sure I can re-read it now as the subject matter is hard to read now that I have a child.
Instead of going this darker route book 10 goes full batshit. I vaguely remember something about a chimera killing shifters but it was buried under a pile of Sex. Anita ends up having to sleep with people to save the world including the swan king and a wereleopard. And the series goes like this from now on. Anita gets increasingly unlikable as the series go on. Including condemning a group of lion shifters to death for the hideous crime of the leader not wanting to sleep with her because he loves his wife and do it shaming her best friend for having doubts about her relationship and liking the look of one of Anita’s boyfriends.
The last couple of books have barely any plot, lots of angst, lots of Dub con sex and lots of diatribes against the evils of monogamy by the main character. It’s almost like the Author is defending her lifestyle and it’s like “look it’s great that you have found happiness in a poly relationship but tolerance works both ways you know!”
Still wondering why I got to book 22 before stopping but I guess it was such a train wreck I had to keep hate reading. Generally the rule of thumb with any series is: if the books get thicker the quality goes down the tubes.
Anyway, that’s my rant! I’ve got no recs!
PS I stopped at book one of Merry Gentry. Even tentacles couldn’t tempt me to keep reading!
How about Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson series?
And of course there’s Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. Some sex, some mystery, and a lot of humor.
I know they’ve been mentioned but pretty much everything from Laura Griffin is pretty good. Pamela Clare’s I-Team series is fun also. Nora Roberts The Witness, Angels Fall, The Obsession and The Search were good reads. Jennifer Armentrout’s De Vincent series kind of hits romantic suspense. Julie James FBI-US Attorney series is really entertaining as well. The ultimate best romantic suspense of all time…
Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier. I’ve read it multiple times.
Charlaine Harris (of Sookie Stackhouse books) has two mystery series from before her Sookie days. Aurora Teagarden and another one that I can’t remember.
Paranormal m/m mystery series in vaguely Victorian steam punk magic-filled New England: Whybourne and Griffin series by Jordan L Hawk. There’s always a murder and lots of magic.
Suzanne Enoch (heist goes wrong/murder and romance)
Helen MacInnes’s first WWII thriller, Prelude to Terror — a married couple asked by British intelligence to go to 1939 Germany, right before the Germans invade Poland, to do something. Based somewhat on her own life, and published during WWII. While there isn’t a developing romance on the page, they are married people who love each other and have to balance care for each other and the horrors they’re seeing of fascist Germany and duty to country. Amazing book. It’s been made available as Ebook not too long ago, so easy to get.