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Isaac Asimov
The Black Widowers
The Black Widowers series features a club of six friends who meet monthly for dinner and discussion. Each meeting includes a guest, who inevitably presents a puzzling problem for the Widowers to solve. These stories offer classic mystery puzzles with a literary and often scientific bent.
The Black Widowers stories are largely self-contained mysteries, so they can be read in any order. However, reading them in publication order allows you to see the subtle development of the characters and their relationships over time.
The six core members of the Black Widowers club and their waiter, Henry, are the recurring characters in every story. Each meeting features a new guest with a unique puzzle for them to solve.
While The Black Widowers series is distinct from Asimov's science fiction, it shares his characteristic emphasis on logical deduction and intellectual puzzles. The character of Henry, the waiter, occasionally demonstrates a surprising depth of knowledge, reminiscent of some of Asimov's other insightful characters.
This series is an excellent entry point for new mystery readers due to its focus on classic, fair-play puzzles. The stories are short, engaging, and emphasize intellectual challenge over graphic details or complex overarching plots.