Crime/mystery novels/novelists

Re: Crime/mystey novels/novelists

I looooved Connelly's "The Poet," but have been lukewarm on his Harry Bosch series. Just can't get into it. Now, the guy I can't get enough of is, like Connelly, one of us -- a journo. John Sandford (real name: John Camp), who is 18 books into his "Prey" series featuring Minnesota cop Lucas Davenport. Newest one just came out last week, and like all his others I bought it on day one and killed it off by day two. The sleuthing process is pretty well done throughout the series, with some memorable baddies. The cop-humor and character development are outstanding.

On the guilty pleasure side, I'm a fan of M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series -- a somewhat lazy constable in a small Scottish village. Great fun.

 

Re: Crime/mystey novels/novelists

My mom and grandma loved mystery novels, so I grew up reading Agatha Christie and Martha Grimes. Those two will always be my favorites.

I am also partial to Mary Higgins Clark and Dick Francis.

 

Re: Crime/mystey novels/novelists

Yes! Rankin is wonderful, as is Michael Connelly.
I read way, way too much of this stuff ... as I get older, I'm weary of "serious" reading. Reginald Hill is a huge favorite, and another British author named Bill James (not the baseball guy).

 

Re: Crime/mystey novels/novelists

I've got a book by a British journalist who traveled the US, meeting prominent crime writers in each city -- Hiaasen in Miami, Burke in New Orleans, etc. Each writer he meets gets a funny little grin and says "So... you meet Ellroy yet?"

Apparently the consensus among the crime writing community is that Ellroy is completely nuts.

 

Re: Crime/mystey novels/novelists

Donald J. Sobol!








End of thread.

 

Re: Crime/mystey novels/novelists

I see your Donald J. Sobol and raise you one F.W. Dixon.

Seriously, I've read all of Robert B. Parker's Spenser books, and he's been coasting plot-wise for a couple of decades, but he's still interesting.
Second the nomination of Robert Crais' Elvis Cole series. The guy really knows how to develop characters.

 

Re: Crime/mystey novels/novelists

If we're going to discuss spy novelists, I'd just like to say while Clancy can spin a good yarn, he's no Le Carre. For that matter, he's no Forsyth or Ludlum, either.

 

Re: Crime/mystey novels/novelists

Did anyone mention the Travis McGee books by John D. McDonald?

Literary popcorn. Used to read a couple a day.

 

Re: Crime/mystey novels/novelists

And Forsyth and Ludlum aren't Le Carre either.

I can't read Clancy. Stilted prose doesn't begin to describe his style

 

I enjoy Cain, Christie, Poe, Chandler, Ellroy and Chandler.
I would like to throw out one more out there, lesser known, but an outstanding novelist: Steve Martini.

 

I'm going to get all historical here but The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, published in the late 1800's is considered the first English detective novel.

Very long and intricate--a lot of mystery buffs consider it the greatest mystery ever.

Cannot recommend it highly enough.

 

I'm big on Kellerman and also Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe series.