Inspector Van Vetteren
This Swedish series by Hakan Nesser begins with two engrossing police procedurals. Detective Chief Inspector Van Veeteren is old school, solving his cases through basic trial and error, not fancy forensics. He's a bit of a misanthrope but it works for him.
"Minds Eye" starts slowly, with the Inspector first appearing in Chapter 5. The third person narration includes the killer's perspective but not his/her identity. The investigation into multiple murders proceed slowly but keeps circling round until all is revealed, including the sad motivation for the killings.
"Borkmann's Point" also involves multiple murders by a serial killer dubbed "The Axeman". Van Veeteren is sent to assist a small town police force. The investigation is all very civilized, and leading nowhere, when a female detective disappears but no body is found. The killer is found but proves a likeable fellow.
What's interesting about these stories is that the killers are not run of the mill irredeemable bad guys, but people set adrift from reality through personal circumstances. Van Veeteren likes to smoke and drink and spends a lot of time by himself thinking. He's not a big sharer with bosses and subordinates and he likes to vent when things aren't handled precisely as he wants, but he gets the job done, setting personal deadlines. Quirky but likeable crime solver - good tales. Recommended read.