Best Mirthful Mysteries

Crime fiction and mysteries are not books that you necessarily expect to find funny. Humor is very subjective, so I do not expect everyone to like the same books as I do, or find the same things humorous. However, there are some things that can speak to everyone. I have found these mysteries to be great reads that are able to bring a chuckle from a wide variety of readers.

Murder With Peacocks by Donna Andrews is the first book in the Meg Langslow Mystery series. This book was Andrew's debut, which is full of madcap antics with a collection of eccentric characters in a small southern town. Meg Langslow is a decorative blacksmith that is asked to be a bridesmaid for three brides in three weeks time. Wedding planning and work are hard enough, but apparently Meg is the only rational soul in the family. When the rude sister of one intended groom is murdered, the mayhem is elevated to new heights. A farcical fancy that serves as a warning to prospective wedding planners, brides and family that might want to encourage elopement as a viable option. If you enjoy this book I highly suggest continuing in the series, the next book is Murder with Puffins.

Big Trouble by Dave Barry is another debut novel, the first foray into fiction from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. An oddball family is again the focus of the humor, as Barry details mayhem, love and family in Miami. The plot's eclectic and zany characters include a homeless drifter who works at a bar that is really a front for two Russian hoods, two klutzy New Jersey hit men, a pair of two-bit hustlers who work parking meters, an ex-journalist turned ad-man, a cheat and his abused wife and daughter, a teen playing a game of Killer, a retarded dog, a psychedelic South American toad, and a variety of law enforcement. Barry does use profanity and sexual situations liberally, so if they normally offend you then I would suggest skipping Barry's novels. However, if you enjoy Big Trouble, then I suggest following it up with Tricky Business.

God Save the Queen by Dorothy Cannell is a great choice for fans of British humor and mysteries. In this cozy mystery, Sir Henry Gossinger announces that he plans on leaving his estate to his butler. Soon afterward mayhem surrounds the family. The elderly butler is murdered, drowned in a toilet. Then his granddaughter is exiled to London, is it because Flora is too intelligent? Greed is just one of the seven deadly sins that can be found as an age old grudge and schemes take over the estate. Flora and Vivian, Sir Henry's nephew, are seeking answers to the mysteries that arise.

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich is the start of a delightful series that follows Stephanie Plum, a Jersey girl who becomes a reluctant and less than stellar bounty hunter out of desperation. The characters are both realistic and a little insane, particularly Stephanie's family. Her first bounty is the man that played a significant role in her teenage years, and happens to be running from a murder charge. She catches and looses him several times, and remains unsure of what she will do with him once she catches him for good. This is a great, and hysterical romp through Trenton New Jersey, and the series only gets better as it continues, Honestly, I think the series really hits its stride in book five and six but the entire series is worth reading.

Anonymous Rex: A Detective Story by Eric Garcia has a darker leaning, but still provides laugh out loud moments for readers. This story requires readers to go with the idea that dinosaurs have not really died out, they have adapted to live among humans, with a little help from disguises. Thankfully, the book is so well written, that it seems to be possible. Vincent Rubio, a Los Angeles private investigator, is one of the dinosaurs living among us, and he is having a hard time. He is out of work, his car has been repossessed, and his partner dies under mysterious circumstances. To make matters worse his tail just will not stay put. Vincent does not believe the party line about his partner's death, and finds himself led to follow the same leads that might have triggered the 'accident'. The story is witting and entertaining. If you enjoy it I suggest checking out the sequel Casual Rex.

Malice in Maggody by Joan Hess begins a series featuring the spunky Sheriff Arly Hanks. When two murders disrupt the otherwise quiet town of Maggody, Sheriff Hanks and her slow deputy, Paulie, go on a chase through the backwoods in search of a murderer. The book is chock full of quirky characters, humor and some sexual encounters. It might be tough to find this book, and the rest of the series. However, it is definitely worth the effort to read this entire madcap series.

Buck Fever: Blanco County Texas by Ben Rehder is a series starter that contains situations that are so absurd that they are completely believable. Deer hunting season is beginning in Blanco County when a man in a deer suit has been shot. Game warden John Marlin and Sheriff Herbert Mackey disagree over the fallen foolish. Buck Fever is a side-splittingly funny debut loaded with odd people, odder relationships (both animal and human), and frequent humor.