From Agatha Christie to Richard Osman, these books are not without seriousness, but they are all set in the warmth and human world that we might prefer to ourselves

Last modified on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, 10.12 EST

I am not surprised that the humor of comfortable crime and the gentle escape from reality have a moment. The books themselves are not responses to what we are experiencing: most of them were written before the lock or Cop26. But while film noir benefits from exploring our deepest anxiety, comfort takes advantage of the self-protection needs that many readers now feel. This does not mean that a well-constructed comfort mystery is easy or meaningless.

When I started to write stories about the queen as a secret detective, I wanted to explore a world governed by a woman driven by a strong moral code. The kind that will say on her 21st birthday: "My life, no matter how long or short, will be dedicated to serving you", and it is serious. I would not say that the integrity of public officials is the defining characteristic of our time, but it is relaxing to imagine it. Add a unique perspective of the world, a lifetime of high-level political experience, and contact with any expert she likes-you have a ready investigator. The Queen is actually one year older than Miss Marple, who first appeared in print in 1927. Is this really a coincidence?

Of course, there is no such thing as a crime of ease. Murder is murder. However, although there may be sex and violence in these stories, it usually takes place off-stage. In the next book, we spend time with detectives who somehow manage not to be alcoholic lonely people, they live where we want to live or visit, in the community, despite the differences, in the end, Trust each other and get along well. It changed the thesis. What don't you like?

1. Agatha Christie's "Evil in the Sun" This Poirot novel was created on the eve of World War II. It is full of scarred characters and hidden hot emotions. The plot contains clever misleading of place and time, but its success is also partly attributed to its depiction of summer sun, silk pajamas, blue sky and beach. By the time it was released in 1941, the peaceful Devonshire coast where it was located had become a fantasy world. The victim was obvious from the beginning, just like in Christie's novel, but whose hands she will die and why? What about those silk pajamas?

2. Janice Hallett's call. This is a postmodern, do-it-yourself mystery, composed entirely of emails, texts and notes, in which readers are asked to solve criminal problems. Set in the comfortable and unforgiving world of amateur drama, its comedy comes from the various voices of the news author, from passive aggressiveness to despair, all of which are recognized by us.

3. Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by MC Beaton MC Beaton is one of the many pen names of the prolific Scottish writer Marion Chesney. He died in 2019. He has written 31 books about Agatha Raisin and 34 books about Hamish Macbeth. If there is anything comfortable crime readers like more important than an underrated heroine, an Airbnb worthy Cotswold cabin, and a cat, it's a series. Agatha herself is a comedian: sexy, bloodsucking and rude, but she hides not only some weaknesses, but also does not hide them well. I don't believe in this TV series. It does not fully capture her Birmingham roots and Mayfair's colors, but Penelope Keith makes Agatha her own in many audiobooks.

4. Dorothy L Sayers' "Vicious Drugs" I grew up in the crime novels of the golden age, and I fell in love with Lord Peter Winsey of Sayers just like many readers. He is Bertie Wooster, who has a Jeeves brain. He became a human being in the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of the First World War and still haunts him in stressful moments. In "Vicious Drugs," he fell madly in love with Harriet Vane, a sharp, indomitable, and intelligent woman who was sentenced to hang for murdering her lover. Sayers obviously made Harriet a successful crime writer, because if she can't have her beloved Peter, no one can have it.

5. Josephine Tey's Brat Farrar A beautiful descriptive story about a young man who puts himself in a wealthy family. He knows that he is not the missing son they hope to be. The mystery he encountered was a slow burning process, but in the end it ended up with an uncomfortable ending worthy of Iain Banks.

6. Anthony Horowitz's Magpie Murders If there is a comfortable crime king, I think it is Horowitz. He originally adapted Midsomer Murders to TV and improved it with Foyle's War. In the Magpie Murder case, it was too easy to tell a simple detective story, so Horowitz told two, one in the other. The clues of contemporary external crime depend on the editor's fine understanding of internal writing, in which Horowitz reproduces a classic golden age mystery. This may seem like a show off, but its clever editing, namely the detection of themes, is pleasant.

7. Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club Richard Osman was a TV personality who secretly wrote crime novels in his spare time. Then the Murder Club came out on Thursday, and he is now a global publishing phenomenon producing TV shows. Osman is a very interesting writer. He is an outstanding observer of middle-class customs and habits. He cares about the life of the protagonist — residents facing death in nursing homes — and it shows this. He is also good at killing people all over Kent, and letting his incredible team of detectives find out why and how. The second book, the person who died twice, is as good if not better.

8. Louise Penny's Three Pines series, can these books be called Comfortable? Penny explored dark political themes. Some books read like thrillers, but the fictional Canadian town in the title has essential benefits to the community, as well as the warmth and love that brings together Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, his family and friends The relationship. Her dexterity in capturing these bonds is a comfort to any soul struck by the ruthless news that separates us. They also feature beautiful poetry and food.

9. Kellie Garrett (Kellie Garrett) Hollywood homicide Garrett (Kellie Garrett) Garrett (Kellie Garrett) first published in 2017 "Detective by Day" (Detective by Day) series, she was outstanding His voice caused a sensation in the United States and won many awards. Garrett brings comfort to Los Angeles, from a semi-famous super bankrupt black actress to PI, featuring Dayna Anderson. Her prose is fresh and interesting, and the setting is everything that movie lovers want.

10. Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens Before writing adult crime novels, I wrote it for children, and I am sure that some of the best books are written for children between 10 and 12 years old. This series imagines two female students from the 1930s using Christie fashion to solve crime problems, including the brave duo of Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong. These books combine a sense of history and modernity, and I see readers approach Stevens at the event and embrace her because it means a lot to them.

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