Needs some (audio)books for my partner, she’s an avid murder mystery/thriller/detective reader but wants books to go fall to sleep too, so doesn’t want full on ‘scary me stupid’ type authors she happy to read books from in the daylight or anything that requires concentrating on. Were talking about a step up from the non-plot Jack Reacher, to more something along the lines of Monk/Death in Paradise/psych, which are amusing but not blatantly obvious who done it. So reality[ish] based not fantasy ala Jasper Fforde.
Any idea’s?

I Am Pilgrim was brilliant. Didn’t enjoy Nomad which is be touted as for fans of Pilgrim, however I’m enjoying Nomad by Alan Partridge at the moment

I liked the movie of A Girl on the Train – thought it was a pretty interesting story.

So, that might be worth a read?

Jo Nesbo

She already done all the Jo Nesbo, and T. Hayes ‘I am pilgrim’ (me too actually), and she found the waterboarding scene troubling, so hence the more light hearted requirements.
I don’t tend to read this type of book, and can’t get her into my sci-fi, so any ideas are helpful.

reality[ish] based

For reality-ish, how about Mike Carey’s Felix Castor novels? They’re set in the real world with supernatural elements, the lead character is what I suppose you could call an investigative exorcist.

Unless she has already read some of her works and not liked them (or has already read the complete canon), how about Agatha Christie? She is the best selling novelist of all time for good reason. The collected short stories editions on Kindle are good and each story is ideal for a short read in bed.

+1 Jo Nesbo – Harry Hole series. I’m not an avid reader so surprised the wife when I couldn’t put these books/Kindle down reading these.

Craig Russel – Lennox series
Peter May – Absolutely anything but in particular his Hebridean and Enzo novels (brilliant audiobook performances too)
Philip Kerr – Bernie Gunther series
Gordon Ferris – Anything except maybe Money Tree (personally didn’t enjoy it)

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Girl who played with fire
Girl who kicked the Hornets Nest
Started off quite slowly and there are a couple of distinctly uncomfortable bits over the 3 novels but it is really clever how it all comes together.
Lizbeth Salander – fantastic character and by the end of the trilogy I defy anyone not to be cheering her on

The Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) are pretty good, read by Robert Gleneister.

Just read Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty, never read any of her stuff before but this one was very good

Try Christopher Brookmyre, not sure about the audio versions but the books are lighthearted enough.

Yeah, I really like Christopher Brookmyre too. Not sure as they’re “murder-mystery” exactly but they’re a good read.

The Temperance Brennan books by Kathy Reichs are very readable, the ‘Bones’ TV series was based on them, but the books are grittier and more realistic, as Reichs herself is a forensic pathologist working in Canada (Montreal) and America.
I haven’t checked, but I would guess they’re all available as audiobooks, and she’s written quite a few books as well.
Yeah, there’s all of her books available as audiobooks, and they can be had from torrent sites, if you’re prepared to go the unscrupulous free route…

No but I’m not sure what murder lite really was so this was my best guess. Someone normally gets topped though.

Seconded Jo Nesbo – Mrs Gti loves it.

Hi Zippy, try
Ann Cleeves the Shetland series.
John Lawton’s Inspector Troy books
John Sandford’s Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers novels, over 30 books for those 2 characters.
Leaf G Persson’s Story of Crime novels, there are 4 in the series but they’re Scandi crime and I don’t know if they’re available audio?
Anne Holt’s Johanne Vik series
Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallander novels
Viveca Sten’s Sandhamn series
Hope there’s something amongst those?
Matt.

Michael Connoly or Robert Crais are authors who have written lots of detective novels and are a bit of a step up from Lee Child . Martina Cole is good as well but most of her books seem to have pretty much the same set of characters in them but with different names . I read about four of hers before becoming bored with the similarities.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Girl who played with fire
Girl who kicked the Hornets Nest
Started off quite slowly and there are a couple of distinctly uncomfortable bits over the 3 novels but it is really clever how it all comes together.
Lizbeth Salander – fantastic character and by the end of the trilogy I defy anyone not to be cheering her on

+1! Lisbeth Salander is an awesome character.

There’s a fourth – The Girl In The Spider’s Web – written after the original author died and in a very similar style. There are (hopefully/allegedly) more to come too.

edit- The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Series Returns with Fifth Millennium Book

For something a bit different try the Rivers of London series. Police thriller with magic and humour.

I’ve recently started the Hamish Macbeth novels by MC Beaton. I would strongly suggest that they fit your bill perfectly

No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. R4 have a serialisation of it at the moment as well.

It’s been a while but really enjoyed reading these books and might be just what your wife is looking for.

YoKaiser
… I’m not sure what murder lite really was so this was my best guess. Someone normally gets topped though.

Murder-lite is my description for when the murder is done off scene, body located, and investigation commences. Have you never seen Monk, psych, Death is paradise or even Colombo? She already vetoed Jo Nesbo’s & the like of the Dragon tattoo audiobooks, having already read them (she a voracious reader) & a big fan, because she doesn’t use a sleep function on her audioplayer, so doesn’t want to wake up to some creepy scene playing… I know she liked the number 1 ladies detective agency, tv show, so will go search them out first
Cheers though I’ll take a look though your suggestions.

Murder-lite is my description for when the murder is done off scene, body located, and investigation commences.

Pretty much exactly what Kathy Reichs books do, it’s all about using forensics to determine the course of events from usually just skeletal remains, hence the ‘bones’ in most of the titles. Very compelling books, real page-turners.

Murder-lite is my description for when the murder is done off scene, body located, and investigation commences…because she doesn’t use a sleep function on her audioplayer, so doesn’t want to wake up to some creepy scene playing

Martin Beck? (although they don’t have much, if anything, in the way of humour)

Michael Connelly +1
I Have read all the Bosch and Lincoln lawyer books and he gets better. Enjoyed

The godfather books by mario Puzo and the 3 bourne books were a great read too