(Carlotta Carlyle mysteries, Michael Spraggue mysteries)
Barnes writes mysteries that take place in Boston, a city she writes about very well. Her crime fiction features excellently drawn characters, particularly her protagonists Carlotta Carlyle and Michael Spraggue. Carlyle is an ex-cop turned private investigator in Boston, and Spraggue is a Boston detective (and actor). Barnes’ mysteries are engrossing and told in confident prose.
If you like Linda Barnes, try:
Simon Brett (if you enjoy the Michael Spraggue books and would like to try a cozier kind of mystery, you might like the Charles Paris mysteries—What Bloody Man Is That? is a good introduction)
Janet Evanovich (her funny Stephanie Plum mysteries, starting with One for the Money, might appeal to those who enjoy strong female leads and great supporting characters)
Lawrence Block (if you like mysteries that star complex ex-cops, you might like the noir-y Matthew Scudder series. Start with The Sins of the Fathers)
Nevada Barr (Carlotta Carlyle fans might like Anna Pigeon, especially if you’d like to trade the city setting for national parks)
