The Library currently has a display called, "If You Liked" displaying Read-A-Likes for favorite authors. That made me think about summer reading ... which then made me think about Nancy Drew because I spent many blissful hours with Nancy Drew during a couple summers when I was a kid. This is a list of books in series I think you will enjoy if you liked Nancy Drew. Each features a strong female lead character and a host of support characters that rival Bess, George and even Ned.
The sweetness at the bottom of the pie
C. Alan Bradley
MYSTERY Bradley, C. Alan
Mystery
Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, must exonerate her father of murder. Armed with more than enough knowledge to tie two distant deaths together and examine new suspects, she begins a search that will lead her all the way to the King of England himself.
Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce mystery series is delightful. Flavia, an aspiring young chemist, lives in a large house with her father and pesky siblings. She finds trouble at every turn but, with perseverance and intelligence she always cracks the case.
- Kara
The Spellman files
Lisa Lutz
FICTION Lutz, Lisa
Fiction
The Spellman Family series is irreverent and funny. Izzy Spellman works in her family's PI business and always solves the case with the help of her quirky but dedicated family.
- Kara
One for the money
Janet Evanovich
eBOOK
Mystery
Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series cultivates a cast of memorable characters who all pitch in to help Stephanie solve crimes. This may be a bit too chick-lit-y for some Nancy Drew fans (and certainly Morelli and Ranger don't compare to Ned) but Stephanie is dedicated and gets the job done. A note for new readers of this series - you don't have to read the books in order but it helps. The first two or three books are not as good but then the characters find their voice and the series takes off.
- Kara
"A" is for alibi : a Kinsey Millhone mystery
Sue Grafton
MYSTERY Grafton, Sue
Mystery
Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series features a strong female private investigator who solves mysteries in Southern California. I listened to many of the series and the narration is great. Sadly, Grafton recently died and the series ended with "Y is for Yesterday" in 2017.
- Kara
Deja dead
Kathy Reichs
MYSTERY Reichs, Kathy
Mystery
Kathy Reichs Temperance Brennan series features a forensic anthropologist who works in Montreal and North Carolina using her scientific skills to solve mysteries. The series blossomed into the Bones television series, but my favorites are the first books: Deja Dead and Death du Jour. Reichs is an actual forensic anthropologist so the details are real.
- Kara
The Maisie Dobbs books by Jacqueline Winspear feature a strong female lead character and many memorable support characters. Maisie is independent, determined, and skilled at sleuthing.
- Kara