Harvey Krim Books in Order

Harvey Krim is an insurance investigator, which makes him a natural outsider in the E.V. Cunningham mysteries. He is brought in after a loss, a fraud claim, or a suspicious disappearance has already made somebody nervous. His job is to find out what really happened, even when the people paying him would prefer a simpler answer.

Krim is not written as a spotless hero. He is cynical, sharp-minded, and willing to irritate almost everyone in the room if that is what the case requires. His employer may complain about his habits, but Krim is valued because he sees through a performance and keeps following a lead after other people have decided it is too inconvenient.

The series consists of Lydia and Cynthia. Both are compact crime novels rather than a long-running saga, so readers can begin with either one. Starting with Lydia gives the clearest introduction to Krim's voice and method.

In Lydia, an apparently routine missing-jewelry investigation turns deadly. Krim finds himself dealing with multiple deaths and a case that is much larger than a valuable necklace. The novel establishes the pattern for his stories, a practical investigator navigating money, deception, and people who are prepared to protect themselves.

Cynthia continues in the same spirit. The title character is at the center of another situation in which appearances cannot be trusted, and Krim has to sort genuine danger from the stories people tell to steer him away.

These are hard-edged mysteries, but they are also built for readers who enjoy a puzzle. Krim has to read motives as closely as evidence. He works in a world of insurance claims and private arrangements, where a missing object can be only the first clue to a much more serious crime.

The books are short, direct, and self-contained. They also offer a useful contrast to the calmer police work of Masao Masuto. Where Masuto brings quiet patience, Krim brings skepticism and a readiness to push until the polished story falls apart.