Donna Andrews is one of my favorite authors. When she started publishing, she had two series. One is still going. This is the other one. The AI aspects may not have aged well in terms of how our technology has developed, but my recollection is that this series had better mysteries while the other had a more engaging narrator. Also the surviving series doesn't require as much research.

Every time I've tried a Beaton book, I've wanted to kill the POV character within ten pages but see no prospect of the plot ever going that way.

Guy Noir is based on the Prairie Home Companion character. I'm not sure if he can be sustained at book length, and so much of the character depends on Keillor's delivery that I'd want an audiobook version.