Joseph Hansen was known for his mystery novels featuring detective Dave Brandstetter. His acclaimed series includes titles like Fadeout. Hansen portrayed authentic, believable characters and earned respect for pioneering openly gay heroes in mystery fiction.
If you enjoy reading books by Joseph Hansen then you might also like the following authors:
Books by Michael Nava offer stories rich in character depth and layered storytelling that Joseph Hansen readers will appreciate. Nava’s Henry Rios series features an openly gay Latino defense lawyer living and working in California.
One standout novel is The Little Death, where Henry Rios navigates the challenges of defending a young man accused of murder. The investigation leads Rios through the underground gay community of 1980s Los Angeles, and he uncovers long-hidden secrets.
Nava blends thoughtful social commentary with tightly-crafted mystery plots. Readers who enjoyed Hansen’s Dave Brandstetter character will find a similar depth and humanity in Nava’s Henry Rios.
Books by Katherine V. Forrest offer readers solid mysteries filled with interesting characters and authentic dialogue. Her novel Amateur City introduces detective Kate Delafield, who investigates the puzzling murder of a successful businesswoman.
Set in Los Angeles, this mystery explores corporate intrigue, hidden motives, and personal secrets, all woven into the fabric of the city’s everyday life.
Forrest creates realistic characters readers can relate to and thoughtfully explores social themes, similar to those found in Joseph Hansen’s Dave Brandstetter mysteries.
If you’ve enjoyed Hansen’s portrayal of complex, grounded characters, you’ll find Forrest’s storytelling equally engaging.
Readers who enjoy Joseph Hansen’s mysteries might also appreciate Ellen Hart’s engaging novels. Hart is known for her Jane Lawless series, where the Minneapolis restaurateur Jane becomes an amateur detective.
In Hallowed Murder, Jane Lawless investigates the suspicious death of her friend Allison, whose drowning leaves more questions than answers.
As Jane uncovers troubling secrets about Allison’s past and complicated friendships, she finds herself deep in a community full of hidden motives and deceit.
Hart blends sharp storytelling with authentic, well-developed characters and social themes, crafting mysteries both suspenseful and emotionally rich.
Books by J.M. Redmann offer a fresh detective series set in New Orleans, filled with sharp dialogue, vivid atmosphere, and intriguing mysteries.
Her Mickey Knight series follows private eye Micky Knight, a tough yet sympathetic detective navigating complex cases and her personal life. In Death by the Riverside, the story introduces readers to Micky Knight, whose case begins with a simple search for a missing person.
Soon she finds herself entangled in corruption, dangerous secrets, and difficult moral decisions.
Fans of Joseph Hansen’s Dave Brandstetter novels, known for clever storytelling and realistic, flawed characters, will appreciate Redmann’s compelling mix of gritty suspense and emotional depth.
Readers who appreciate Joseph Hansen’s sharp detective stories might also enjoy Richard Stevenson’s mysteries. Stevenson features a private investigator named Donald Strachey, who is witty, tough, and openly gay, similar to Hansen’s Dave Brandstetter.
In the novel Death Trick, Strachey takes on the disappearance of a young man from Albany’s gay community. As he searches the streets and clubs, he uncovers secrets, lies, and surprising connections that someone is eager to hide.
The story moves quickly, the dialogue is sharp, and Strachey’s determination to discover the truth keeps the pages turning. Stevenson’s mix of quick-paced plots and strong characters makes him a good match for fans of Hansen’s style.
Books by Mark Richard Zubro offer enjoyable reads for fans of Joseph Hansen. Zubro writes engaging mysteries that combine intriguing plots with relatable characters. In A Simple Suburban Murder, readers meet high school teacher Tom Mason and his partner Scott Carpenter.
When a fellow teacher is found dead, Tom and Scott become involved in solving the case themselves. The story explores relationships and community dynamics, wrapped neatly in an inviting and realistic suburban setting.
Readers who appreciated Hansen’s thoughtful detective David Brandstetter may find Zubro’s protagonist similarly appealing.
Greg Herren is an author readers of Joseph Hansen might appreciate for vivid mysteries set in engaging New Orleans locales featuring sharp-witted sleuths and authentic characters.
In his book Murder in the Rue Chartres, private investigator Chanse MacLeod returns to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to find his apartment damaged and the city changed forever.
When an old friend seeks Chanse’s help to investigate the mysterious murder of his fiancé, secrets surface within the city’s prominent families and hidden corners of the French Quarter.
Herren crafts a detective story that explores crime, loss, and redemption amidst New Orleans’ distinctive charm and complexities.
Josh Lanyon writes engaging mystery fiction, often blending suspenseful stories with unique, complex characters, in a style that fans of Joseph Hansen will appreciate.
In Fatal Shadows, we meet Adrien English, a witty bookstore owner caught up in dangerous circumstances when his friend suddenly turns up dead. Adrien becomes both suspect and potential target, and as he tries to clear his name, readers follow along through twists and secrets.
Like Hansen, Lanyon crafts intriguing mysteries alongside sharp character dynamics, giving plenty of depth to each story.
Readers who appreciate Joseph Hansen’s detective fiction might also enjoy Ross Macdonald, another writer who mastered the crime and mystery genre. Macdonald’s detective Lew Archer appears in novels filled with troubled families, hidden truths, and psychological depth.
In The Chill, Archer investigates the disappearance of a young woman named Dolly Kincaid. As the case unfolds, a decades-old web of secrets and betrayal emerges, revealing how past events keep shaping the present.
The novel offers a complex portrayal of characters whose outward appearances hide tangled motivations and emotional scars, making it a great read for those interested in thoughtful detective fiction.
Raymond Chandler was a master of classic detective fiction, known for sharp, vivid writing and crisp dialogue. If you enjoy Joseph Hansen’s Dave Brandstetter mysteries and their complex portraits of characters, you might appreciate Chandler’s works too.
A great place to start is The Big Sleep. In this novel private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by an ailing millionaire to investigate a blackmail scheme involving his troublesome daughters.
Chandler’s storytelling skillfully weaves together mystery, intrigue, and colorful portrayals of mid-20th-century Los Angeles. Marlowe takes readers through a tangled trail of crime, deception, and moral ambiguity.
Chandler provides more than just a great crime story; he captures a particular atmosphere and commentary on humanity that fans of Hansen will surely recognize.
Readers who enjoy Joseph Hansen’s sharp psychological insight might appreciate Patricia Highsmith’s novels. Highsmith’s work often explores tense psychological dynamics, moral ambiguity, and complex characters. Her novel Strangers on a Train is a great example.
It follows two men, Guy and Bruno, who happen to meet during a train ride. Bruno proposes an unsettling idea of swapping murders to solve each other’s problems without getting caught.
What begins as a casual conversation turns terrifyingly real when Bruno acts on the idea and expects Guy to follow suit. The story brilliantly portrays ordinary people caught in sinister circumstances, where morality and guilt become blurred.
Val McDermid is a Scottish author known for crime novels that feature complex plots and layered characters, especially in her Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series.
If you enjoyed reading Joseph Hansen’s crime fiction, which often deals with deep character psychology and suspenseful mysteries, you might appreciate Val McDermid’s The Mermaids Singing.
The story introduces profiler Tony Hill, a specialist in criminal psychology, teamed up with detective Carol Jordan to catch a brutal serial killer.
The killer leaves disturbing clues behind, challenging Tony Hill to unravel a dark, psychological puzzle before more victims fall prey. The tension rises sharply as the killer’s moves become increasingly unpredictable, testing Tony and Carol both personally and professionally.
Fans of Joseph Hansen’s sharp insight into human nature and detailed crime narratives could find Val McDermid’s work equally engaging.
Dorothy B. Hughes was an American crime writer known for her psychological suspense novels set in mid-20th century America. Readers who appreciate Joseph Hansen’s vivid storytelling and complex characters will likely find Hughes equally intriguing.
Her novel In a Lonely Place stands out as a tense exploration of suspicion, murder, and deceit.
It follows Dix Steele, a charming yet mysterious former Air Force pilot whose life becomes increasingly sinister as he finds himself tangled in a web of suspicion surrounding a series of murders.
Hughes masterfully draws the reader into Dix’s disturbed mind and maintains suspense right till the end, making the novel a memorable read.
Books by Margaret Millar offer psychological suspense and complex mysteries that capture readers who appreciate Joseph Hansen’s detective fiction. One of her standout novels is Beast in View, a story filled with tension and unexpected turns.
The novel starts with Helen Clarvoe, a wealthy, secluded young woman who gets a disturbing phone call from someone in her past. As the calls continue, secrets begin to surface and characters reveal their hidden sides.
Millar skillfully unwraps layers of emotion and motive, creating vivid characters and intense suspense.
Readers who enjoy Hansen’s intricate character studies and detective Dave Brandstetter’s careful investigations will find Millar’s combination of emotional depth and thrilling plotlines equally engaging.
Readers who enjoy Joseph Hansen’s Dave Brandstetter mysteries might also appreciate Edmund White’s thoughtful and insightful exploration of gay life. White’s novel A Boy’s Own Story is a vivid coming-of-age tale set in the American Midwest during the 1950s.
It follows a young unnamed protagonist as he navigates adolescence, family tensions, and emerging awareness of his sexuality. White captures the challenges and desires of growing up gay in an era of isolation and hidden identities.
His candid writing style, elegant yet straightforward, resonates authentically, offering readers memorable characters and relatable experiences.