Need some series recommendations..or fantastic standalones!

[chiangmaifalcon]

Yes this is true. I remember in old days when I was working for detective agency in New York they gave me a pager. It never failed that I would be on a surveillance and had subject in sight and boss would page me. If I went to find a pay phone and lost the subject, boss yelled. If I didn't answer page, boss yelled. Never happens to detectives in fiction. Then when they came out with caller ID that really screwed me up. I thought it would be great when cell phones came along, but this caused another whole set of problems. Then the internet came, and I figured it was time for me to retire from the detective business.

[Russell Brooks]

Originally Posted by chiangmaifalcon

Yes this is true. I remember in old days when I was working for detective agency in New York they gave me a pager. It never failed that I would be on a surveillance and had subject in sight and boss would page me. If I went to find a pay phone and lost the subject, boss yelled. If I didn't answer page, boss yelled. Never happens to detectives in fiction. Then when they came out with caller ID that really screwed me up. I thought it would be great when cell phones came along, but this caused another whole set of problems. Then the internet came, and I figured it was time for me to retire from the detective business.

Really? So what was the solution in the end?

[chiangmaifalcon]

I retired and moved to Thailand, but before I did I worked as consultant and contract investigator for private agency which works with US govt. in counter-terrorism. However, my job with them was all the same sort of stuff I did as PI. Physical surveillance and pounding the pavement and other stealthy crap like that. Even though the outfit gave me a laptop to use and other surveillance equipment, I never did figure the stuff out. I can barely manage to deal with internet forum. In fact, I used to use super 8 cameras instead of video, and had an old pentax 35 mm camera even after digital ones came out.
One time, while I was working as both PI and state investigator, I had bought a digital micro cassette recorder to replace the old cassette type I always used. I had the recorder in my pocket while I was talking to my boss, the captain. I was not supposed to be moonlighting with this PI work, and while I was talking to captain, recorder came on in my pocket, with my voice saying something like,"red Chevy Impala, NY Delta Charlie 1376 turns right at intersection of second avenue and whitehall road," from surveillance I did night before. Captain, who was even dumber than I am if you can believe it, was looking around for voice. I faked a coughing fit, which wasn't hard to do in those days since I smoked cigars, and ran out of office. I couldn't figure out how to turn off recorder so I threw it on floor and stepped on it.
Point of this stupid story is that technology helped end my career in NY. However I still do occasional things here in Thailand, where fortunately, like myself, they haven't figure technology out either.

[GinaKing]

I highly recommened
Karin Slaughter - Sara Linton series
Tess Gerritson - Rizzoli series
Stuart Macbride - Linton series

[Niyoosha]

+1 for Karin Slaughter and the Sara Linton series.

Although the second, Kisscut, is pretty disturbing and not in a good gorefest kind of way.

[GinaKing]

Yes that one is rather grusume and thought prevoking. The second series involving Will Trent are really good aswell!

[emmapetersson]

Karin Slaughter is a must, my absolute favorite author. Other good ones are Karen Rose, very gruesome and a bit OTT on the lovestory bit between the main characters but nevertheless a very good read (who doesnt love a bit of romance:-)
Peter James, Tess Gerritsen, Lee Child, Patricia Cornwell, John Connolly,Kathy Reich are more good authors
Stieg Larsson triology is fantastic, a little slow in the start with the first book but you will not want to put it down once you get into it, great heroine

[Niyoosha]

Originally Posted by emmapetersson

Stieg Larsson triology is fantastic, a little slow in the start with the first book but you will not want to put it down once you get into it, great heroine

I got into the Millenium trilogy, I enjoyed the first two although I found them really slow and a bit of a slog to get through at times. I got about halfway through the 3rd book and gave up.

Lisbeth is still one of the greatest fictional characters ever though.

[emmapetersson]

Originally Posted by Niyoosha

I got into the Millenium trilogy, I enjoyed the first two although I found them really slow and a bit of a slog to get through at times. I got about halfway through the 3rd book and gave up.

Lisbeth is still one of the greatest fictional characters ever though.

Yeah, the books are a bit slow at times and although I enjoyed all three books immensly the third one got me feeling confused with all the names of the secret service people etc. As Im swedish myself and struggled with all names and characters I can only imagine how a none-swedish speaking would find it hard to keep up.
Lisbeth is my favorite leading lady and the fact that she's not beautiful and perfect with the most fantastic body and have all men fancy her, as most fictional heroines makes it soooo refreshing.

[CouchPotato]

Try Cincinnatus: The Secret Plot to Save America by Rusty McClure.

I'm not a fan of books that have colons in their title but this one was a nice, escapist, page turner of a thriller, which is what you want.

Involves, a lot of different elements from the paranormal to fixing PGA golf tournaments (both are intertwined somehow), and a lot more.

Worthwhile.