P.D. James, Cordelia Grey novels

An Unsuitable Job For a Woman
The Skull Beneath the Skin.

As with Adam Dalgliesh, but instead of "Adorable poet detective" read "Adorable private eye".

The main thing wrong with these is that Cordelia's class status and background knowledge wavers around too much depending on what the plot requires.

I found the solution in "An Unsuitable Job" risible, but enjoyed "The Skull Beneath" much more.

These are not good books. In fact, they are trash. But they're readable trash for all that. I feel a little disgusted with myself for reading so many of them so fast, and that makes me feel more negative about them than I probably would be otherwise.