Lacking Natural Simplicity

They Found Him Dead, by Georgette Heyer. Light but entertaining.

Watery Grave, by Bruce Alexander. A Sir John Fielding mystery.

Nightseer, by Laurell K. Hamilton. You can see in this, her first novel, a few of the themes that Hamilton developed much further in her Anita Blake novels.

Dragon Blood, by Patricia Briggs. This novel and the first in this series, Dragon Bones, are enjoyable alternatives to the prolix sagas of Jordan and company. Interesting characters, interesting situations.