You are at the pool while your child is taking swimming lessons. You just happen to have a book in your bag. At home, you have a few minutes and brew yourself some chai tea and sit on the back patio while the birds sing and the flowers bloom. Again, you find that book you’ve been reading. That evening, you are waiting for your husband while he plays a baseball game. Ah! That book comes out again. But what book? A good book. Here are my all-time five favorite Christian mystery and detective series.
Whether you have an hour or only a few minutes, it’s time to get a new book, open its smooth pages and plunge into a great story. Or, you may prefer to read books on your tablet, computer, iPad, or phone. Either way, a book will whisk you away to any time, place, climate, or event you want! And you will say, “YES! Summer reading is the best!”
Mysteries are my favorite. Why? When they are written properly, they take me to adventures I could never experience in real life while teasing my mind with puzzles, conundrums, and questions that my curiosity must discover.
A good mystery is one that is well written with snappy plot, excellent descriptions, characters I can relate to, and lots of action. I like a little bit of romance, too, and a satisfying ending. I love mind-teasers, the who-dun-its, the suspense, and the twists, turns, and surprises of an amazing plot. The best thing about a good book is when it combines all of the above ingredients with truths from the Bible, mixes them together with the human condition, and sheds light on how to find God in the middle of my life where I am right now. These five Christian mystery and detective stories will do that for you.
I have a collection of good Christian mystery books which fills many bookshelves and draws me back to read time and again.
Some of these authors and their novels that I feature you may find familiar. You may even have some of them on your bookshelves or in your Kindle library as beloved friends. Yet there may be some that are new to you. These five of my favorite Christian mystery and detective series will become your favorites, too!
For each author I highlight, I mention the first book written by the author. In each case, there are many other books written by them for you to find and enjoy.
For Part Two of this Blog, read “Classic Mystery Series of All Time.”
- Dee Henderson, Danger in the Shadows: A Prequel to the O’Malleys series.
Dee Henderson is a lifelong inhabitant of Illinois and started writing stories as a child. As the daughter of a pastor, she laces all her books with spiritual truths and points readers to Christ through her mysteries and detective stories. She has written over 25 books and has won numerous awards.
Her first book is Danger In The Shadows: a Prequel To The O’Malleys which began the O’Malley series (9 books).
Dee has a talent for detail, suspense, and mystery. If you haven’t discovered her mysteries, now might be a good time to do so!
2. Terri Blackstock, Cape Refuge, Private Justice series, many more.
Terri delivers a good read. She has written more than 30 books, mostly suspense novels and murder mysteries, that are clean, true to life, with enough details to ground a person in the scene. Her action scenes and character development is first class.
She is a New York Times best-selling author, with over seven million copies sold worldwide. She has a gift of weaving faith and hope into her novels with page-turning plots that challenge her readers. Terri hopes to leave her readers knowing they are not alone and that life’s trials do have a purpose.
3. Virginia Ann Work, Deadlocked, Gina Lindsey series and many more.
I started writing stories in my head when I rode my horse through the woods and dreamed of things. In college, I took an all-inclusive year of journalism to hone my skills and delve deeply into all kinds of writing. My first mystery book, Jodi Fischer series, The Mystery of the Missing Message was published by Moody Press, as was the next four books. I have since re-written, updated, and published the series.
The first book in the Gina Lindsey series, Deadlocked, begins in a tiny rural town in SE Montana where we used to live. Gina is a toughened cop from New York City, transferred to Spokane, and sent to Montana on the trail of a drug cartel. Her aunt and uncle live and ranch there, and when her uncle goes missing, Gina takes time off work and drives to Ekalaka, Montana to investigate both situations.
Filled with action, set in a rural setting with real cowboys, the occasional blizzard, and lots of interesting characters, this book is truly a page turner. When Gina meets a rough and tough cowboy, Chance Marshal, she isn’t impressed. And yet… there might be something there. During it all, Gina learns the key to her deadlocked heart to God and finds the way to turn her tragedies into triumphs laced with hope and joy.
Deadlocked is followed by two others in the series, Deadwater and Deadeye.
Disclaimer: These books may keep you up late, and they may hinder your house work. Beware!
I have written a young adult series, the Jodi Fischer Mysteries (5 books) which take place in Canada as Jodi and her friend, Lexie, solve mysteries and learn important life lessons about God and faith. The first is The Mystery of the Missing Message, and the fifth is the Secret of the Alaskan Gift. There will be more Jodi Fischer mysteries coming!
https://virginiaannwork.com/series/gina-mysteries
4. Elizabeth Goddard, Present Danger, many more.
Elizabeth Goddard is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than sixty novels, including the Missing in Alaska and Rocky Mountain Courage series. Her books have sold nearly 1.5 million copies.
Present Danger is a detective suspense and “second chance” romance set in the Montana Rocky Mountains. When US Forest Service Special Agent Terra Connors and former FBI Special Agent Jack Tanner find a body in the mountains, the suspense and action rise. You won’t be able to put these books down.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54022603-present-danger
5. Patricia H. Rushford, Deadly Aim, Dying to Kill, Good as Dead series, many more.
She is an award winning author and speaker, has extensive experience in writing, and has authored over sixty books, both fiction and non-fiction. The Jennie McGrady Mysteries for young adults have sold well over 500,000 copies. Silent Witness won the Silver Angel Award for Excellence in Media and was nominated for an Edgar Allen Poe Award by Mystery Writers of America.
I think you will like this series and will probably want to check out the other books Patricia has written.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13632780-deadly-aim
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I hope you have enjoyed reading about my five favorite Christian mystery and detective series!
If you have any you like, please respond to this blog! I would love hearing from you.
“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” CS Lewis
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