I am in need of something to read! lol Love suspense, thriller etc. My top favs right now are Iris Johansen, Patricia Cronwell and I'm really enjoying Sue Grafton. However my local library is a little limited on the next editions in these series so I'm looking for something that is comparable to the above..Any suggestiosn>
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Need some series recommendations..or fantastic standalones!
- Thread starter bluequeen
- Start date
pontalba
Well-Known Member
Kathy Reichs writes a series similar to Patricia Cornwell, the TV series Bones is based on Reich's characters.
Harlan Coben writes both a series, main character being Myron Bolitar, and some excellent stand alones as well.
Henning Mankel writes a detective series based in Stockholm that is most satisfying.
James Lee Burke writes two different series, one with one Dave Robicheaux as the main character, an ex-New Orleans police detective, it's based in and around Louisiana and Montana. His stories are excellent and prose beautiful.
Good luck!
Harlan Coben writes both a series, main character being Myron Bolitar, and some excellent stand alones as well.
Henning Mankel writes a detective series based in Stockholm that is most satisfying.
James Lee Burke writes two different series, one with one Dave Robicheaux as the main character, an ex-New Orleans police detective, it's based in and around Louisiana and Montana. His stories are excellent and prose beautiful.
Good luck!
MagnaMater
kickbox
What about Simon Beckett's David Hunter? It has haunting forensic descriptions, though the hero and his train of thought did not always agree with mine, it was a good read, and I'll certainly read the third book, too
Bluenote
Member
Kathy Reichs writes a series similar to Patricia Cornwell, the TV series Bones is based on Reich's characters.
Harlan Coben writes both a series, main character being Myron Bolitar, and some excellent stand alones as well.
Henning Mankel writes a detective series based in Stockholm that is most satisfying.
James Lee Burke writes two different series, one with one Dave Robicheaux as the main character, an ex-New Orleans police detective, it's based in and around Louisiana and Montana. His stories are excellent and prose beautiful.
Good luck!
Burke's Montana /Texas stories have a different protagonist , but are just as texturally rich and well researched.
For the original poster , you might want to try Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski series or Nora Roberts writing as J.D.Robb , her Eve Dallas series is quite entertaining.
Additionally Lee Child , Lawrence Block , Michael Connelly , Patterson , either Kellerman ( Jonathan or Faye) Sandra Brown or Tami Hoag.
Another that's superlative is J.A. Jance , either the Joanna Brady series set in southeastern Arizona or the J.P. Beaumont series set mainly in Seattle.
B.
Try Wendy Corsi Staub, Carlene Thompson or Patricia MacDonald. Each of these authors writes individual stories (as opposed to a series). They are very good and very suspenseful. Every person that I have told about these books has enjoyed them.
pontalba
Well-Known Member
I have only one of Burke's other series...Billy Bob Holland I think it is? Don't have the book to hand right now, but I wanted to read the Robicheaux in order first, then tackle the Billy Bob, glad to know they are as good.
Oh, Burke's daughter writes a good story as well, she has a few out already.
Yes, how could I forget Block! His Keller series is great, and so are the others, although I've only read a few of them.
Re the Kellerman, I finally got tired of his, and didn't care for hers to begin with.
abecedarian
Well-Known Member
I recently read and enjoyed Chasing the Devil's Tail by David Fulmer. It is the first title in his Valentin St. Cyr series.
Bluenote
Member
Yup , that's correct , Billy Bob Holland. Heartwood is a good one , but then they're all good. Interestingly enough , Burke uses his daughter Alafair as a character in the Robicheaux novels. And don't forget Tripod the three legged raccoon.
The Kellermans frequently draw that comment from folks I talk to , some find them rather formulaic after a while. I still occasionally read them though.
Stephen Hunter , Lee Child and Rick Riordan are interesting. In the case of the latter he's not quite that well known but Big Red Tequila and The Widowers Two Step are good ones to start with all his stuff is set in the San Antonio/Austin area and has quite vivid characters , a medieval English Lit Prof who's a combat Tai chi practitioner and all'round nice guy.
B.
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Daisy-Boo
New Member
Kathy Reichs - Temperance Brennan series
John Connolly - Charlie Parker series
Ian Rankin - Inspector Rebus series
Ruth Rendell - Inspector Wexford series
Elizabeth George - Inspector Lynley series
Michael Connolly - Harry Bosch series
Dennis Lehane - Kenzie and Gennaro series
Faye & Jonathon Kellerman - Peter Decker and Alex Delaware series respectively
Colin Dexter - Inspector Morse series
Lynda la Plante - the Prime Suspect series, though some of her standalone novels are good too.
PD James - Adam Dalgleish series and Cordelia Gray books (I don't know how many C.G. books there are)
Quintin Jardine - Bob Skinner series (the plots are always interesting though I find the characters to be fairly two-dimensional)
Russell Brooks
New Member
Try J.A. Konrath's Jack Daniel's series. They're very entertaining. You can find out about them on his site at J.A. Konrath / Jack Kilborn, Official Author Site - Welcome!.
chiangmaifalcon
New Member
One of my favorite series of detective novels, and also among the more realistic ones, were Nameless Detective series by Bill Pronzini. These are old but you can still find them at second hand bookstores.
Russell Brooks
New Member
Bill Pronzini? I guess it'll be worth checking out. It's funny to see the old detectives using pay phones instead of cell phones. lol.
chiangmaifalcon
New Member
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
New Member
Really? So what was the solution in the end?
chiangmaifalcon
New Member
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.
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.
