Christopher Brookmyre is a Scottish author known for crime fiction laced with dark humor. His popular novels include Quite Ugly One Morning and Black Widow, showcasing sharp wit and inventive plots.
If you enjoy reading books by Christopher Brookmyre then you might also like the following authors:
Carl Hiaasen writes crime fiction that's sharp, satirical, and hilarious. His novels usually poke fun at corrupt politicians, greedy businessmen, and environmental ruin.
You might enjoy Bad Monkey, which mixes a murder mystery with biting humor and wacky characters, offering comedy and action in equal measure.
Ian Rankin is known for atmospheric, tightly plotted detective novels set in Edinburgh, full of gritty characters and scenes. His Inspector Rebus books capture Scotland's darker side, exploring moral ambiguity and flawed heroes.
You'll want to start with Knots and Crosses, the first novel featuring the hardened police detective John Rebus.
Val McDermid writes hard-hitting psychological thrillers and crime fiction that explore the darkest corners of human behavior. Her stories often highlight complex characters, vividly painted settings, and suspenseful plots.
Try reading The Mermaids Singing, a tense story introducing criminal profiler Tony Hill.
Stuart MacBride creates crime fiction that's darkly funny, gritty, and set in the tough streets of Aberdeen. His writing mixes grim realism with irreverent humor, bringing an entertaining voice to the grim world of policing.
Pick up Cold Granite, featuring Detective Sergeant Logan McRae in a story that balances violence, wit, and intriguing mystery.
Mick Herron's stories blend espionage with a dark sense of humor, giving readers cleverly plotted spy mysteries. He creates memorable misfit characters dealing with secrecy, deception, and betrayal.
Check out Slow Horses, the first book in his series about disgraced spies exiled to the drab corners of London's intelligence service bureaucracy.
Denise Mina writes sharp, gritty crime novels set mostly in Glasgow, full of flawed, believable characters and dark humor. She explores complex social issues and difficult relationships through her characters' tangled lives.
Her novel Garnethill introduces Maureen O'Donnell, a protagonist whose troubled past and resilience make her memorable.
Irvine Welsh writes edgy, raw, and darkly humorous novels that dive headfirst into Scotland's urban environments. His stories often deal with addiction, crime, and working-class struggles, brought vividly to life through unique dialect and dark comedy.
His most famous novel, Trainspotting, is a fast-paced story of Edinburgh drug culture, filled with bold characters and gritty realism.
Ken Bruen offers gritty, noir-infused crime fiction set in Ireland, woven with bleak humor, vivid atmosphere, and sharp dialogue. His Jack Taylor series paints Galway as a city of intriguing darkness and complexity.
Start with The Guards, where Jack Taylor, a washed-up former cop, investigates cases against a backdrop of personal demons, dark wit, and Irish charm.
Mark Billingham creates absorbing mysteries with a dark tone and thoughtful character development, centered around Detective Inspector Tom Thorne. Billingham's plots explore the darker side of human nature and the complexity within criminal investigations.
Check out Sleepyhead, the first in the Tom Thorne series, offering suspenseful drama balanced with intelligent storytelling and dry humor.
Richard Osman brings fresh energy and British humor to the classic whodunit format. His characters are quirky, relatable, and often unexpected.
In The Thursday Murder Club, Osman introduces a group of clever retirees who meet weekly to discuss unsolved mysteries, only to find themselves solving a real-life murder. It's a witty, engaging read full of charm and clever plotting.
Colin Bateman mixes humor and crime fiction with plenty of wit and dark comedy. His stories move at a fast pace, full of ironic observations and quirky characters.
If you like Brookmyre's funny but sharp take on the crime genre, you'll enjoy Bateman's Divorcing Jack, a lively thriller set in Belfast, filled with biting humor and surprising turns.
Declan Burke writes crime fiction that's smart, engaging, and bitingly satirical. He uses quick, clever dialogue and plots full of surprising twists.
In a similar style to Brookmyre, he combines laughs with thrills, especially in his novel The Big O, where humor and tension blend together in a crime gone wrong.
Adrian McKinty is known for atmospheric crime fiction with gritty, realistic settings and sharp storytelling. His writing is fast-paced, full of tension, dark humor, and well-crafted suspense.
Readers who enjoy Brookmyre's ability to combine a serious plot with wit will connect with McKinty's The Cold Cold Ground, set amid Northern Ireland's troubles, featuring a smart, complex blend of mystery, political tension, and dark humor.
Doug Johnstone's novels blend tense psychological thrills with perceptive characters caught in morally complex situations. His writing is tight, sharp, and grounded in authentic settings.
For readers who appreciate Brookmyre's energetic pace and strong character development, Johnstone's Breakers offers an absorbing look at crime through realistic and empathetic eyes.
Chris McQueer brings a fresh, darkly humorous voice to contemporary Scottish fiction, creating sharp, often absurd, portrayals of everyday life. His style reflects modern life with an irreverent wit and plenty of absurd situations.
Fans of Brookmyre's Scottish wit and satirical edge will enjoy McQueer's collection Hings, where bizarre moments illuminate human vulnerability and comedy.