The Murders in Great Diddling is one of Washington Posts Five mystery novels to read this fall:

With fall’s arrival comes the promise of longer evenings — the perfect time to curl up with a mystery novel. This season’s offerings bring us quirky characters, puzzling murders and far-flung settings, including an English country village (naturally) and Iceland. Each book pairs well with your favorite pumpkin-spiced beverage — and perhaps a scone

I couldn’t agree more! And Berit Gardner is in excellent company on their list. Or how about Maggie Moore, a woman who has beer for breakfast, chain smokes and studies “forensic linguistic” in Wordhunter? Or the hero in Ragnar Johnassons (an Icelandic writer who has also translated Agatha Christie) novel, where Reykdal is writing a dissertation on how the police handled two deaths at a former sanatorium in Death at the sanatorium? Not to mention “elderly but intrepid” Agnes Sharp who solves crimes with her motley crew of fellow retirees, and of course, at the top of my TBR-pile, 11 year old savant, Flavia de Luce who lives on the English countryside and solves murder with the gardiner.