# Mystery book recommendations???



## StarbucksLvr8 (Aug 26, 2010)

Hi everyone!
I've gotten really into mystery / suspense books lately and I'm looking for some new ideas.
I really like Carl Hiaasen and James Patterson.
I'm currently reading the Rizzoli and Isles series by Tess Gerritsen and really enjoying it.
I'd appreciate any recommendations or comments!


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

I love Mary Higgins Clark (mostly her later work, some of the newer stuff isn't as good).

Her books are low on the romance scale, low on bad language and usually there aren't any sex scenes either, just good old fashion who done it. 

I like the Jack Daniels series as well (from what I have read of them so far).


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## josiesmom (Aug 26, 2010)

I recently read Marlin, Darlin' by Margaret Langstaff.  Really great mystery - and it seems that it's going to become a series!


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## Carolyn J. Rose Mystery Writer (Aug 10, 2010)

You can't go wrong with John Sandford, Robert Crais, T. Jefferson Parker, Dennis Lehane, Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Reginald Hill.
(And then, of course, there's Hemlock Lake by yours truly.)


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## Eric C (Aug 3, 2009)

If you like Carl then you like humor with your mysteries, so I'd recommend the John Corey novels by Nelson DeMille or anything by Harlan Coben.


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

I write and read mysteries constantly. My all time favorite author in the genre is James Lee Burke
Try Dennis Lehane and his Kenzie/Gennaro novels
John Connelly, a new master who keeps getting better
Elmore Leonard (especially if you liked Carl Hiasson) amazing and prolific and a must-read for a gazillion reasons
Robert Crais
Michael Connolly
T. Jefferson Parker's earlier stuff
Heck, go back and check out some of the stuff by John D. MacDonald back in the 60's and 70's.
Mo Hayder, Jan Burke, Bill Pronzini, Ed Gorman, Sue Grafton

You have a lot of reading to do!


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## chiffchaff (Dec 19, 2008)

lots of good suggestions have been given already, and here are a couple other authors to check out:

William Kent Krueger - Cork O'Conner series set mostly in the north woods of Minnesota

Louise Penny - Inspector Armand Gamache series, set in Canada and my current favorite mystery series.  Can't wait til the next one comes out this fall.


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## patrickt (Aug 28, 2010)

I generally read mystery/detective books and on a whim I download a book by Lee Goldberg about a detective named Adrian Monk who is obsessive/compulsive. I laughed all the way through it, in spite of the two murders. I don't know how well the OCD gimmick will wear so I think I'll wait a few months to read another Adrian Monk. I did think the book well written.


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## William L.K. (Aug 5, 2010)

I know probably everyone has seen the movie by now, but I still love Presumed Innocent.


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## Nancy Cohen (May 7, 2010)

If you like humorous mysteries with amateur sleuths, check out the Bad Hair Day series featuring hairdresser Marla Shore who solves crimes with wit and style in sultry South Florida. Killer Knots, Perish by Pedicure, and Dead Roots are some of the latest titles. There are nine books available in this series so far. Author is Moi. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Nancy+J.+Cohen&ih=13_0_0_1_0_0_0_0_0_1.93_235&fsc=-1&x=9&y=22


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## melgerber (Feb 28, 2010)

Peter Robinson. I just started reading his latest, Bad Boy. 
Also check out Elizabeth George, Deborah Crombie, Stephen Booth, Jill Mcgown, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles.  I really like them all (Jill Mcgown passed away a couple of years ago).


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## Sandra Edwards (May 10, 2010)

Love Mary Higgins Clark. For some great 'old school' stuff, try some Mickey Spillane. He's one of my fav authors 

Sandy


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

scififan said:


> I know probably everyone has seen the movie by now, but I still love Presumed Innocent.


Gotta second that emotion. The book was fantastic. He did a great job of dropping the subtle hints without giving away the answer. I never had a clue!


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## Valmore Daniels (Jul 12, 2010)

Anytime I venture out of my genres (sf&f), I gravitate toward James Patterson, Jeffrey Deaver, Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child. Although the later authors are more thriller, there is still a great deal of mystery in their stories.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

patrickt said:


> I generally read mystery/detective books and on a whim I download a book by Lee Goldberg about a detective named Adrian Monk who is obsessive/compulsive. I laughed all the way through it, in spite of the two murders. I don't know how well the OCD gimmick will wear so I think I'll wait a few months to read another Adrian Monk. I did think the book well written.


I've read all the Monk books. I enjoy them more than the TV show.

Mike


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## RJ Keller (Mar 9, 2009)

If you like the good, old-fashioned English mystery, Dorothy L. Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey novels are a good choice. There are a few of them available on Kindle.


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## L.J. Sellers novelist (Feb 28, 2010)

I also write and read mostly mystery/suspense, and I second what Harry said. My favorites: Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, Elmore Leonard, John Sandford, Alafair Burke, JT Ellison, and so many more.
L.J.


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## Pamela Burford (Jul 25, 2010)

StarbucksLvr8 said:


> Hi everyone!
> I've gotten really into mystery / suspense books lately and I'm looking for some new ideas.
> I really like Carl Hiaasen and James Patterson.
> I'm currently reading the Rizzoli and Isles series by Tess Gerritsen and really enjoying it.
> I'd appreciate any recommendations or comments!


If you enjoy psychological suspense, you must read Tana French! I'm still waiting to read her third novel, which was just released in July. Her first, IN THE WOODS, and second, THE LIKENESS, blew me away. Her protagonists are Irish detectives. I suggest reading them in order.

I also love Dennis Lehane. Even if you've seen the movie MYSTIC RIVER, the book is a must-read. And I too love Carl Hiaasen. If you like a touch of humor with your mystery/suspense, check out Elmore Leonard.

Pam


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## kennethrlewis (Aug 29, 2010)

"Testarossa" by Julie Dolcemaschio. Not only a great suspense/police procedural/mystery novel, but a great love story too!
http://tinyurl.com/27rqzkz


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## SidneyW (Aug 6, 2010)

Ross MacDonald - doesn't look like he's available yet on the Kindle, but hopefully soon. Any of the books from The Wycherly Woman on are great. Earlier are good too, but that's around the time he really hit his stride.


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## KindleGirl (Nov 11, 2008)

Some more to add to your list:
Karen Rose
Allison Brennan
Hank Phillipa Ryan
All are very good authors!


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## Barry Eysman (Jul 19, 2010)

Still love Phillip MacDonald's mysteries. The List of Adrian Messenger. Warrant for X. Murder Gone Mad.
The Mr. and Mrs. North mysteries.
But the best, ever in the world, Ed McBain/Evan Hunter.
Joyce Carol Oates has written lots of dark mysteries, always deeply satisfyingly good.
Robert Bloch, Fredric Brown, just simply always solidly good.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Sherlock Holmes!

Billy Boyle was listed on the free books thread yesterday, and I downloaded it and liked it. Recommended highly to fans of WW2 history.


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## cc84 (Aug 6, 2010)

I really like No time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay. And R.J Ellory writes great books also. His "A Quiet Belief In Angels" is great.


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## P.A. Woodburn (May 22, 2010)

Deed to Death by DB Henson is a great mystery/suspense read if you haven't tried it yet.

This is the review I gave:

D.B. Henson writes a complex, fast paced, well thought out first novel. She weaves an intricate plot with all of the pieces fitting smoothly together. I look forward to reading her next book.


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## KateGeorge (Mar 9, 2011)

I rencently finished LOOSE SCREW my Rae Davies. If you like humor in your mystery you'll like this story. It's well written, funny and left me wanting more. If you like Janet Evanovich, Edie Claire or Gemma Halliday you'll like this story.


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## VickiT (May 12, 2010)

Erica Spindler is one of my favs. I really enjoyed my most recent read, Blood Vines ($7.99):



Cheers
Vicki


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## patrickt (Aug 28, 2010)

Here a couple of sites I enjoy:

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/
http://www.cozy-mystery.com/


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## trip (Dec 27, 2010)

This series will have you drooling for more...Rick Murcer writes a seriously good mystery. I got them inexepensivley on my Kindle..1- Caribbean Moon....2- Deceiptful Moon...3- Emerald Moon

You will be hooked like I was, bigtime.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

These are all writers of series:
Robert B. Parker (Spenser series, Jesse Stone series, Sunny Randall series)
Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone series)
Harlan Coben (both his Myron Bolitar series and his stand-alones)
Michael Connelly
Robert Crais
John Sandford
James Lee Burke (Dave Robicheaux series)
J.D. Robb (In Death series - mystery/romance)


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Sara Paretsky. I love her courage which comes through in VI Warshawski. HARDBALL,which goes back to the Mid Sixties in Chicago is terrific. 

At the other end of the spectrum is Joe Lansdale, whose Hap Collins series is so profane and violent it even makes me wince.. But he's funny as hell... and every once in a while he throws in an allusion to someone like Stephen Hawking, and I sit up and say, WTF...

Another funny one is Carl Hiassen. Star Island is to die for ... very funny. 

And for mystery thrillers, I can never pass up Daniel Silva.


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

Dennis Lehane and Lee Child. Lehane didn't write enough of the Kenzie series, but Child is still turning out good mystery/thrillers with his Reacher series. Child is more far-fetched with Jack Reacher's prowess and deeds, but is thoroughly enjoyable.


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## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

patrickt said:


> I generally read mystery/detective books and on a whim I download a book by Lee Goldberg about a detective named Adrian Monk who is obsessive/compulsive. I laughed all the way through it, in spite of the two murders. I don't know how well the OCD gimmick will wear so I think I'll wait a few months to read another Adrian Monk. I did think the book well written.


Sounds like Monk the TV show. Are they related?


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## djgross (May 24, 2011)

Based on your love for Carl Hiassen, James Patterson and now Tess Gerritsen, I'd suggest the following:



My favorite of the Prey series, $9.99 Kindle. John Sanford has been mentioned a number of times in this thread.



$12.99 Kindle. The most recent release in Child's Jack Reacher series is a prequel, set when Reacher was still in the Army.



Currently $8.99 Kindle. #11 in the Reacher series and one of my favorites.



$7.99 Kindle. Think you'd enjoy any book by Robert Crais, who has been mentioned a number of times in this thread. The Watchman puts the spotlight on L.A. private detective Elvis Cole's partner, Joe Pike.



As you are enjoying Tess Gerritsen, you may also like Lisa Gardner's D.D. Warren books. My favorite is Hide, $7.99 Kindle.

Happy Reading!

DJ


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## trip (Dec 27, 2010)

If you like Hiaasen, check out Laurence Shames.... quirky mysteries, set in Key West...loved every book, but, my fave was Welcome to Paradise...


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## Jim Krieger (Oct 8, 2011)

Robert Parker is good.  I love Haisson, How about the classics?  Anything by Raymond Chandler or 
Daschel Hammett.
ahem or you could read my book..............is that OK Miss Moderator?


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## Julia444 (Feb 24, 2011)

I agree with Ross MacDonald and Sue Grafton--the latter of whom was greatly influenced by the former.

I also like the whole Elizabeth George series--very suspenseful and hard to put down, even though they are very long books.

And I second whoever said Jill McGown.  She's one of my all-time faves.

If you like Cold War suspense, I recommend Helen MacInnes, who wrote her stuff in the mid-20th century.

Julia


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

I am a huge Tartan Noir fan. Ian Rankin is its leading light and his Rebus series is absolutely stunning, of course, but there are a lot of writers in that sub-genre who do wonderful mysteries. William McIlvanney may whine about the term being ersatz but it's what his _Laidlaw_ was (not available for Kindle). There are many more such as Allan Guthrie. Although I'm not quite sure that she is truly Tartan Noir but another fantastic writer of Scottish mysteries is Kate Atkinson. She is an amazing writer. But if you're looking for sweet cozy, you won't find in the darker vision of Scottish crime writers. Maybe it's all that drizzle.


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## ToniD (May 3, 2011)

I'm a big fan of Hiiason--Skinny Dip is one of my all time favorites.

Also agree with these suggestions: Lehane, Burke, Turow.

I'll add these to the list:

Laura Lippman. She writes the Tess Monahan series, and standalones. All excellent.

Nevada Barr. She writes the Anne Pigeon series, about a ranger solving mysteries and having adventures in the national parks.


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## LaRita (Oct 28, 2008)

All wonderful suggestions, and I'll add one of my favorites...Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone series.


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## VeroWriter (Oct 23, 2011)

Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Barry Eisler, Sue Grafton, Janet Evanovich, Sara Paretsky, the Kiki Lowenstein series by Joanna Campbell Slan, Nancy J. Cohen, Elaine Viets, Linda Fairstein, Meg Gardiner, John Hart, Dennis Lehane, David Morrell, Lisa Scottoline, Margaret Maron


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## barbarasissel (Jul 4, 2011)

I'm reading and really enjoying Tana French's latest, Faithful Place. But I love John Hart. His latest is Iron House[url/]


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Jon Olson said:


> Sounds like Monk the TV show. Are they related?


Yes. Lee Goldberg worked on the show and has written a dozen or so excellent tie-in novels.

Mike


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

There's also, of course, Thomas Harris.

And Val McDermid scared the crap out of me. Try "The Mermaids Singing."


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

I'm currently reading my first Lee Child book, The Hard Way, and loving it.


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## BarbraAnnino (Jan 27, 2011)

I loved Absolute Liability.


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

Also a big fan of Michael Connelly, Sue Grafton, and Lee Goldberg's Monk series here.

For dog lovers, I would add Spencer Quinn's Chet and Bernie series, starting with 

N


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## CJBranscome (Oct 25, 2011)

I love this list! I'm going to go through it carefully, but I'm looking for mysteries with 20-somethings protagonists. 

If you've written one or know of one, please let me know!

Thanks,
CJ


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## BarbraAnnino (Jan 27, 2011)

CJ, the book I mentioned, Absolute Liability, I am almost positive has a 20-something protag. My own Stacy Justice mysteries have a 20-something protag as well. Opal Fire and Bloodstone.


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## patrickt (Aug 28, 2010)

Jon Olson said:


> Sounds like Monk the TV show. Are they related?


When I read the first Monk novel I told my sister on the phone and she was, "Well, sure, it's been on television for years." Well, sure, I haven't have a television for about 17 years. Yes, the television series came from the books.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

I like the Charles Todd series with the shell-shocked Inspecter Ian Rutledge, and I love Lindsay Davis' Falco series set in ancient Rome. I'm a sucker for witty heros like Falco. One of my favorite series is the one about Flavia de Luce by Alan Bradley. (My spelling is horrible so...)

My problem is that I can never remember names...like the names of authors...so it makes it hard for me to recommend books.  I'll try to go through my Kindle library though and see what other mysteries I've gotten recently and really enjoyed.

The older I get, the less I want to read the really serious ones with a lot of brutality. Which is weird since I don't mind crime capers like Electric Barracuda (which is funny in a really dark and politically incorrect way). But some books just portray the violence in a bit too graphic and realistic a way for me.

Anyway, I'll look up some more suggestions. I love this thread and have gotten a lot of good mysteries from it.


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## CJBranscome (Oct 25, 2011)

BarbraAnnino said:


> I loved Absolute Liability.


I looked at the first 2 pages between meetings today, and the voice was terrific. Can't wait to read more of this one.


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## authorandystraka (May 4, 2011)

My all-time favorite is Jame Lee Burke.
Also try these terrific writers:
SJ Rozan
Michael Koryta
CJ Box
Steve Hamilton
Rick Riordan (Yes, the same Rick Riordan who write the mega-selling Percy Jackson YA series. He also writes award-winning PI mystery fiction.)
Laura Lippman
Timothy Hallinan
Brett Battles
Max Alan Collins
Donna Andrews
Marcia Talley
Janet Evanovich
Ace Atkins
Ellen Crosby
Jan Burke
Edie Claire
Margaret Maron


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

patrickt said:


> When I read the first Monk novel I told my sister on the phone and she was, "Well, sure, it's been on television for years." Well, sure, I haven't have a television for about 17 years. Yes, the television series came from the books.


Actually, the books came from the TV series, which started in 2002. The first "Mr. Monk" book by Lee Goldberg came out in 2006.


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## Russell Brooks (Dec 23, 2010)

Check out the Jack Daniels series by JA Konrath. I loved it to death.


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## morriss003 (Feb 20, 2009)

If you would like to try a historical mystery, get The Silver Pigs, by Lindsey Davis, the first book in a stunningly good series set in ancient Rome of the 0060's A.D. and probably the best researched historical series that I have ever had the pleasure of reading.


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## MadCityWriter (Dec 8, 2011)

Oh my gosh!  So many great reads posted here. I am a fan of Harley Jane Kozak.  Her first is Dead Ex. Her tone is sassy and the mysteries are fun.


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## mattlynn (Jun 10, 2011)

I just read this great new Mycroft Holmes story - Mycroft Holmes and the Adventure of the Silver Birches A must for any fans of classic detective fiction.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

And here's another vote for Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series.  Beautifully written, wonderful characters, rich atmosphere.  I'm slowly making my way through the series (so far read the first 3) and, in fact, it's about time I read the next one!


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## MommaSaysRead (Feb 10, 2013)

This mystery is also very funny!


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## Roberto Scarlato (Nov 14, 2009)

I decided to give Sue Grafton a shot and read only T is for Trespass, knowing nothing about the series. I loved it. The pacing was great, the characters were believable and the story was engaging. Matter of fact, I wanted to read the series backwards to the beginning. Check her books out. Really good mysteries.


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## MommaSaysRead (Feb 10, 2013)

Has Anyone Mentioned ?

It is very good!


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## sdskye (Dec 14, 2012)

I'm reading Lee Child right now. Between him, Daniel Silva, and Michael Connelly (bought one each of their books recently), Lee Child's voice was the only one that really trapped me and gripped me in the book. I wanted to read at least one Jack Reacher book before I watched the movie. I'm really enjoying this character.


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## nmg222 (Sep 14, 2010)

sdskye said:


> I'm reading Lee Child right now. Between him, Daniel Silva, and Michael Connelly (bought one each of their books recently), Lee Child's voice was the only one that really trapped me and gripped me in the book. I wanted to read at least one Jack Reacher book before I watched the movie. I'm really enjoying this character.


See, that's why Baskin-Robbins makes 31 flavors. I read Silva (my favorite current series) and Connelly (my first series) but quit the Lee Child series after 5 books because the character is not believable and the plots were downright silly.


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## sdskye (Dec 14, 2012)

Well...there is still hope for me. This is my FIRST. Maybe he'll wear on me after a while. 

With that said, in the preface The Killing Floor, Lee Child actually explains why he wrote the character the way he did, which was really interesting. So, with that background knowledge, I think I liked him before I started actually reading the book...an unfair advantage to the others. LOL


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## LucyJHamilton (May 7, 2013)

Hey I've read some of Cheryl Kaye Tardif and are pretty nice! 

Have a look on her Amazon Author Page.
 Lucy


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## brianjanuary (Oct 18, 2011)

Have you tried Jerry Kennealy's Nick Polo series? Or John Lutz's Nudger?


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## Robena (Jan 19, 2013)

Harley Jane Kozak, Rochelle Staab, and Linda O. Johnston are all good, especially if you like a small thread of romance with your mystery. All talented authors, with great mystery writing skills.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

I keep recommending Ross MacDonald's _Lew Archer_ series of detective novels, and will continue doing so until I'm bright blue in the face.


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## Francis Bennett (Jan 29, 2013)

Just about any mystery by John D. McDonald!!!


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## 67499 (Feb 4, 2013)

I like a lot of the mystery recommendations on this thread but too many more are stuffy stuffy stuffy. The best cure for stuffiness is Jo Nebo's "The Leopard" - THAT will shake it out.


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## MineBook (May 31, 2013)

Check this one *"We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves" by Karen Joy Fowler*.
Just good story.


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## KevinH (Jun 29, 2013)

I was always a big fan of Lawrence Block; his_ Matt Scudder_ novels are great, aand his _Burglar_ books are hilarious (even though Hollywood made a drastic mistake when they made a movie based on the first book, changed the lead character to a woman and cast Whoopi Goldberg).

I also love Ed McBain's _87th Precinct_ novels. Finally I've enjoyed the books in John Sandford's _Prey_ series that I've read, as well as his _Kidd_ novels.


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## Not Here Anymore (May 16, 2012)

mattlynn said:


> I just read this great new Mycroft Holmes story - Mycroft Holmes and the Adventure of the Silver Birches A must for any fans of classic detective fiction.


I just found a new series related to Sherlock that I'm really enjoying: . Modern day-setting with that classic twisty mystery.


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## LilianaHart (Jun 20, 2011)

My auto buys are Lee Child, Allison Brennan, J.D. Robb, Lisa Gardner, Lisa Lutz, and Michael Connelly.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

I am another who likes Mary Higgins Clark. If you like an author who can keep you turning the pages she's the one. There is some romance, and it is ROMANCE and not the stuff that passes for it in most mysteries; tender, sweet, and at times very moving. Also, a lot of humor. How can you _not_ like an author who has one character say of another, "When she dies, I can just see God and the devil saying to each other, 'Take her, she's yours.' " My personal faves of hers are Loves Music, Loves To Dance, about tracking a serial killer who searches for his victims through the personal ads, and While My Pretty One Sleeps, where a young woman has to solve a murder before it results in her own. Both of these are moving as well; in each one the survivors of the victims are left to try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives while mourning their departed loved one, another typical characteristic of her books.

You can't go wrong with Agatha Christie, and each story, let alone SERIES, has a different feel to the book and setting. Murder At the Vicarage is my favorite, told in first person by the vicar and it can be hilarious at times. Then there is A Murder Is Announced which is genuinely creepy. The Poirot books are better than the TV adaptations which were just an exercise in 1920s art deco style; Hercule comes across more as a person than a one-dimensional character with a funny mustache.

M. M. Kaye, author of the Far Pavilions, wrote a series when she was a very young British army wife in every locale her husband was stationed in. This is the Death In series and they take place in Cyprus, Berlin, Zanzibar, Kenya, Kashmir, and the Andamans. Very exotic with fun characters, most of them young and adventurous or old and snobbish who provide lots of joke fodder for the young and adventurous. She builds an atmosphere of suspense, and just as with Agatha Christie, I have never solved the who-done-it factor yet. In one book the murder is actually taking place while we are reading a scene and we don't realize the victim was killed until the murderer is revealed. Brilliant! And typical of her style.


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## mestrin (Aug 27, 2012)

I'd suggest Don Winslow and John Burdett. 

For Winslow, I'd start with Savages. That one kind of took him to the next level. It's sort of a surfer noir with a crisp, wry narration that's very SoCal cool. Technically, it's not a mystery. But that's sort of Winslow's home genre. Check out the Neal Carey detective series, or for something a little more intense, The Winter of Frankie Machine. He also has the Boone Daniels series, which has two books: Dawn Patrol and Gentleman's Hour. Both feature a surf bum PI who's fighting out of a pretty dark place.

For Burdett, it's all about the Sonchai Jitpleecheep series. Don't worry, you learn to roll with the Thai. Plus, Burdett's explanations of Bangkok and Thailand are a rich backdrop for a hardboiled mystery. Start with Bangkok 8 and work your way through the series, which I believe is still going.


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## 67499 (Feb 4, 2013)

Recommendations here for readers to go for Lee Child's Jack Reacher series got me thinking I'm not sure I'd recommend reading more than one or two in the series. Each story is pretty much the same - Reacher hitchhikes into town, beats up everyone, is offended by the villain, beats up everyone again, leaves town. That's fun a couple of times. Like reading James Bond (or seeing the films) is fun a couple of times. But the stories begin to feel hollow. "61 Hours" is terrific, and just enough preposterous to be a lot of fun. I recommend it anyone who wants a good, powerful read. But I just finished "The Hard Way" which ends with Reacher killing 15 mad murderers, each in single combat, beheading an old woman (she deserved it) and strangling a young beauty (she deserved it double). He's so perfect at exacting vengeance that you've got to think the guy's a Greek god, and always a winner. That's when you begin to feel you can have too much Reacher. I guess I've reached that point (and pardon the pun). Too bad.


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## MadCityWriter (Dec 8, 2011)

I recently discovered Colin Cotterill's _Killed at the Whim of a Hat,_ which takes place in Thailand and is refreshingly different the way that the _Number One Ladies Detective Agency_ was when I first read that.



And I've become a huge fan of Louse Penny's Inspector GAmache series, especially _Bury Your Dead_, which takes place in Montreal.


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## tahliaN (Nov 6, 2011)

Jen Blood
Darcy Scott
Tony Mc Fadden
T J Cooke

All write great mysteries.


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## Nancy Beck (Jul 1, 2011)

Two that come to mind

Alice Duncan
Kate Kingsbury

Kate Kingsbury wrote a really long series called the Pennyfoot Hotel Mysteries. They take place during the early part of last century (1908-1910 or so) and take place in a small sort-of-touristy town in England. The main character lost her husband to malaria (I think) and now she's running the hotel along with her general manager, Baxter. She looks at him as more of a general manager, though.  

Alice Duncan has a bunch of mystery series. The one I'm reading now is the Mercy Allcut series (the last one, darn it! as Mercy would say - but I'm hoping there's more). Mercy comes from a wealthy family in Boston, but to get away from her domineering mother and experience life, she moves out West, to Los Angeles, where her sister has married some bigwig in the movie business. (This is 1926, so we're talking silent pictures here.) She actually goes out and finds a job as a secretary to a private investigator - and she helps solve the mysteries, almost gets killed once or twice, etc. - which doesn't sound like much, but the character of Mercy is persistent, stubborn, and funny as all get out, since it's told from her perspective. Did I say I love this series? Well, I do! (And Mercy is a total hoot!)

Another one of her series I'm thinking of reading is her Spirits series. This one also takes place in the 1920s, in Pasadena, where the main character is a "fortune teller" to the movie stars. She feels she's doing people a service by listening to their woes, and it's also a chance for her to do something other than tend to her husband, who was gassed in the Big War...anyway, it sounds fascinating and fund to me.

Ms. Duncan also has a western mystery series which isn't my bag, but maybe someone else would be interested.


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## Mahree Moyle (Jun 19, 2013)

I've always been a Grisham fan. Seems like any book he writes is good.


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## Donna White Glaser (Jan 12, 2011)

For suspense, I love Michael Connelly, Jeffery Deaver, Lisa Scottoline.
For humor, I love Janet Evanovich (especially early books,) Lisa Lutz, and Louis Greiman.
For cozy-ish, I love Alexander McCall Smith, Dame Agatha, and Alan Bradley. 

All mystery, all the time!


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## SidneyW (Aug 6, 2010)

I've been reading a fascinating, deeply character driven mystery called The Blackhouse by Peter May. http://www.amazon.com/The-Blackhouse-Novel-Peter-May/dp/1454901276


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

*Gritty, brutal, shocking and fun. *
Irish crime fiction candy. I just can't get enough.

Stuart Neville:
Ghosts of Belfast, http://www.amazon.com/dp/1616952415

Ken Bruen:
The Guards, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003J48C1I

Adrian McKinty:
Dead I Well May Be, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FBJHVC


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## jaspertyler (Feb 13, 2009)

I highly recommend JT Ellison's books.  They are great!


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