The series featuring John Corey. Gripping and hilarious.

his books that have John Corey in it. I think
Charm School is my favorite. I have always wondered why it hasn't been made into a movie.

Also, Donald Westlake.

For humor with some mystery in it, Lisa Lutz's "Spellman Files" series.

I have several of those. They give disfunctional a whole new meaning.

If you ever get a chance to see Lisa Lutz at a signing or reading or convention, do it. She's as funny as the books would indicate, but with a thoroughly dead-pan delivery.

I wonder if she ever comes to Kansas City. I would like to go see her.

Caroline Haines' Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries. That series just makes me chuckle.

If somebody asked, "what's your favorite book reference site," it would be SYKM...no contest - as far as mysteries go anyway..

Have you tried the genre section, or the book site location or character's occupation sections?

I love this site....

I get a domain for sale at the .com place.

Looks great!

by Elizabeth Peters.

Amelia is a late Victorian spinster who inherits some serious money and decides to travel. She ends up in Egypt, married to an archeologist. And every year, there's another dead body!

....with Dave Robicheaux's side-kick, Clete Purcell. Addictive stuff.....

Love that series!

The Stephanie Plum books are very funny. The others are very derivative.

The whole Spenser series by Robert B. Parker (RIP). You can find them at garage sales, libraries, etc. I also love Carl Hiaasen's fiction.

That book was a lot of fun.

He wrote his first book "The Moving Toyshop" in the 1940s when he was 25 years old. (I felt like such a slouch when I realized that.)

The more you know about literature and history, the funnier the books are.

with Roger Zelazny's "the fit hit the Shan" in _Lord of Light_.

Lots of laugh out loud moments.

Of all of his novels I can think of only one that wasn't humorous, and that was "The Ax", which is rather grim. He also wrote under a lot of other names, the best known of which is Richard Stark, and they don't seem to have contained much humor, although I haven't read many of those.

Jim Butcher's books about detective wizard Harry Dresden are full of funny, the earlier the publication date, the funnier. He gets a bit bogged down on more recents...mayb getting bored with subject...but fans won't let him quit!

though I forget what it is. I think he has (internally) a pretty clear idea of what he wants to do story arc wise.

Ok, cheated and went to Wikipedia: 'Butcher is currently planning for approximately twenty books in the "case files" of the series, to be capped by a further "big apocalyptic trilogy".'

And her other series about the policeman in the small Scottish village. Hamish McBeth - I actually like those better.

It would ruin the books if he actually got married.

Same with Agatha. Her trials and tribulations with men are just as bad.

By Joan Hess.

The Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben has some pretty funny dialog at times.

His Florida mysteries, such as "Skinny Dip," make me laugh out loud.

I don't like writers who try too hard to be funny. Hiaasen doesn't. He just IS.

Don't remember which, where a small rodent of some sort (I think) was thrown out of a car, landed in the back seat of another car carrying two hit men, who freaked, stopped the car, drew their guns, and shot the hell out of the back seat. I don't remember how long it took me to finish laughing.

writes a darkly funny, little old lady. Hilda Hopkins/ knitting / serial killer series

Her old stuff and more modern stuff as well.

by Douglas Adams He revs up his wit to warp speed in this ghost/horror/detective/time travel/romantic comedy epic teetering on the edge of lunacy! Only the amazing DNA could write such an insanely funny book

Falco is a lower class young man who often works for the emperor and falls for the divorced daughter of a senator. I've read about half the books and I cried like a baby when their first fictional child was born safely in the last book. She recreates the period beautifully and with lots of humor thrown in.

Been working my way through it sporadically during the last six months or so. Up to _Three Hands in the Fountain_. How can one not love a Roman mystery with a title like that?

I haven't read those, but the SPQR series (I'm on book 5) sounds very similar. Ancient Rome, mysteries, all centered around Decius Caecilius Metallus the Younger, with Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, etc. in minor roles.

Both in print and on disc. Leo McKern defined the role. So much when I read the novels and Rumpole is speaking, I hear Leo McKern.

Wolf

"Even a wrong idea is better than no ideas. a Wrong idea can lead to the truth. No ideas lead to empty-headedness, or a career in politics."

Ian Rankin's John Rebus series is good (set in Edinburgh). But my favorite right now is Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole series (set in Norway). Both are kinda dark, but funny if you find dark humor funny (the hero in both hates authority). On second thought, maybe not so funny. but good reads.

Edit to add: Maybe I just like drunk protagonists.

by Walter Mosely.

Probably the funniest I've read.