I was on a river cruise in France last month and happened on one of the Detective Inspector Frost series by R.D. Wingfield,
neither of whom I had ever heard of before. Frost, as one of the reviewers notes, is sort of a cross between Rumpold of the Bailey and Columbo, but actually that comparison does not do him justice.
As soon as I got home I ordered all six of the series and have been avidly working through them (four down, two to go) ever since.
The books, in order of publication are Frost at Christmas, A Touch of Frost, Night Frost, Hard Frost, Winter Frost, and A Killing Frost. I find myself reluctant to start the last book with the realization that there will be no more.
Another deceased author I was entranced by is Patrick O'Brian, whose Napoleonic War sea novel series featuring Captain Jack Aubrey, is one I approached cautiously after seeing the film "Master and Commander" based more or less on his books.
As a lifelong fan of C.S. Forester and his hero Captain Horatio Hornblower, I was dubious that anyone else could approach his standards of authenticity. I was therefore amazed to discover that O'Brian leaves Forester in the dust. His books are far superior in every way, and I doubt that I will ever be able to read a Forester book again without making unfavorable comparisons.
There are 22 books to this series and the stories pretty much meld chronologically.
