So happy to see Parker/Spenser on your short list. My wife keeps telling me to read "real" books, like those she gets stuck reading for her two middle-aged ladies' book clubs. As a kid she read most of Agatha Christie, and likes those lawyer-thrillers, like Grisham, but she has no repect for the detective mystery genre. And yet, I learn so much from these stories, and love the process. Parker is one of the few who makes me laugh out loud. As you say, it's not about the crime, it's about the characters and dialogue. You betcha! If I can recommend another big favorite, it'll be Dennis Lehane for his Kenzie & Gennaro series. My current mystery guy is Craig Johnson for his Sherriff Walt Longmire series. Before that, it was Robert Crais and for Elvis Cole & Joe Pike. And then there's Lee Child and his Jack Reacher. So much fun! Okay, I'll stop there.