The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

I think I've always loved mysteries (and who didn't love Harriet the Spy and From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler?), but the mother of my best buddy from high school got me hooked on Dick Francis when I was about 16 or 17 and I haven't looked back since.

I guess Janet Evanovich hooked me on mysteries. I love her Stephanie Plum series (not really including the between-the-numbers books, though). I've read a couple of her romance novels because of this, but I thought they were pretty bad.

I also enjoy Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series, particularly because of the nature element - they are set in U.S. National Parks. After reading most of them, though, they have become very formulaic.

I've got The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume I and The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume II on my TBR shelf, and I'm looking forward to starting them in the fall. I remember reading The Hound of the Baskervilles in Jr. High and I really enjoyed it then. It's about time for a re-read.

Rob wrote: "Are there any other John Connolly fans here? He writes thrillers that are perhaps darker than most, but I really enjoy them. I have most of his Charlie "Bird" Parker books. I'm reading them in c..."


Other than John Connolly, I haven't heard of any of those. I'll have to look into them. Thanks Rob.

This is EXACTLY why we started this group.

I didn't know that John Connolly wrote thrillers. I will have to check into those. I have The Book of Lost Things here and also Nocturnes, which is a short story collection and, I believe, more on the darkish fantasy side.

There was a time when I used to read primarily mysteries and thrillers. Unfortunately, there was no rhyme or reason to what I read, and I can't remember titles to a lot of them, but here are some of the mysteries or thrillers that I currently have on my bookshelves at home. All of these are good, and have been multiple reads for me.

Sandra Brown Envy
Jan Burke Bones
Minnette Walters The Dark Room
Boris Starling Messiah (This one is VERY good.)
Robin Cook's MEDICAL thrillers, such as Outbreak. (Don't bother with Abduction. It is TERRIBLE.)

Patricia Cornwall is very good... I've read some of her Scarpetta series, and liked them very much, but there are so many now that it's a bit daunting! One of these days I'll take the plunge!

J.A. Jance writes some pretty good thrillers, but it's been a while since I've read any.

I personally love John Grisham. I love A Time To Kill and The Rainmaker. But I haven't read anything of his in a while. It might be time, I have a few sitting on the shelf here.

I haven't read a lot of crime thrillers or old fashioned detective novels, although I'm always willing to take recommendations. :)

Too many to name ( read my shelves) BUT off the top of my head Kathy Reichs
Michael ConnellyJeffery DeaverKarin SlaughterAlex KavaNevada BarrLisa Scottoline

The mystery authors who got me started, in my early teens: Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy L. Sayers.

My favorite mystery authors would include:

Dorothy L. Sayers
Elizabeth George
C. J. Sansom
Jacqueline Windspear
Dick Francis
Robert B. Parker
Agatha Christie
Steven Saylor

I'm sure I'm forgetting somebody.

A college flat mate introduced me to Dorothy Sayers. I have read almost all of the wimsey stories and love them love them. Have read each one at least 3 times!

This is my favourite genre and I am trying not to come too much in here because I get this huge urge to read books, buy books...when I come here. Like I urgently need my drugs!!!!!

Agatha Christie
For me she isn't only the queen of mystery but the queen of ...well of all writing. I adored already books but hers made me obsessed with them! I started collecting them when Iwas about seven years old and loved it that my presents were so predictable those days!

Patricia Cornwell
She is for me the only crime writer who almost reached the level of Christie.

These two are on a seperate highest level for me. Then there are others:
Elizabeth George
pd james
Kathy Reichs
she has a harder, less smooth writing style I think but still good stories.
George Simenon
Ian Rankin
I loved the tv series but the books are as good.
Ruth Rendell
Colin Dexter
Love th tv series and books, they are so great and special. Never thought about it but his stories come near to the ones of Agatha Christie.
Donna Leon
Simple, very nice stories AND set mainly in Venice.
Henning Mankell
The first book I wrote from him suprised me of how strong the story was and how good. Love them no.
Minette Walters


This are the main ones I read and like.

Jeane, what's the first Morse book called, do you know? I think I read it, but I can't remember.

Hayes wrote: "Jeane, what's the first Morse book called, do you know? I think I read it, but I can't remember."

Last Bus to Woodstock

When I went to Oxford I went in the street that is mentioned in the book. I could really imagine inspector morse walking there!

Rob wrote: "Every Dead Thing is the first in Connolly's thriller series. I'd put it in the same category as Silence of the Lambs thematically speaking.

Becky: Nocturnes and The Book of Lost Things are also ..."


So, psychological thrillers? That's what I think Haris' books are. Have you read his others? Hannibal was crap, but I love all his others.

Cool. I like that kind of book. Dark doesn't bother me at all. Well, as long as it's not too focused on shildren, but otherwise...

I read Black Sunday years and years ago, before he was really big, and I really liked it. I think I'll look for it. I've read all the others a few times each.

Jeane wrote: "Hayes wrote: "Jeane, what's the first Morse book called, do you know? I think I read it, but I can't remember."

Last Bus to Woodstock ..."

Grazie!

Rob wrote: "I've read Red Dragon, Silence, and Hannibal. I also read Harris' Black Sunday...which is more of a political thriller I guess?

But yeah..I'd say Connolly's thrillers are as dark and savage as Harris'...if not more so."

Oooh. Thank you Rob! *adds to wishlist* :)

It's funny, I used to avoid the mystery genre like the plague. In school whenever they assigned a mystery read, it was always a cozy-type mystery and I always hated it. That sub-genre is just not to my taste, and I assumed all the mystery books were similar. Eventually I was convinced to try Janet Evanovich books, which of course I loved. On Janet's old readers forum there were some readers who recommended Robert Crais, so I got one of his books out at the library and got hooked. And from Robert Crais I spread to Michael Connelly and Lee Child, and I haven't looked back since.

Becky, wanted to add I also really loved Jan Burke's "Bones". The second best in her series, IMO. ("Bloodlines" is my favorite.)

I didn't know it was a series! I pick up so many books at the thrift store... It's always a crap-shoot what you find. And that one I've had for I don't even know how many years... at least 5, but I think more. I'll have to look into the rest of them now. :)

Dorie wrote: "It's funny, I used to avoid the mystery genre like the plague. In school whenever they assigned a mystery read, it was always a cozy-type mystery and I always hated it. That sub-genre is just not..."

Have you read Harlan Coben? I was recommended him at the same time as Crais? Has a series featuring Myron who is a sports agent and his partner Win who is quite rich, doesnt talk much sports which is good since I am not a sports fanatic, and his stand alones are quite the thriller, maybe even physological?

Harlan CobenHarlan Coben

Oh Becky, I envy you having the whole series to look forward to. You started with one of the best though. I can highly recommend Bloodlines, but you'd appreciate the story more if you've read at least the first book in the series first.

Teresa, yes I like Coben quite a bit as well. At least his Bolitar series. I have the new one in my TBR stack. But his standalones tend to be hit or miss with me.

Dorie wrote: "Oh Becky, I envy you having the whole series to look forward to. You started with one of the best though. I can highly recommend Bloodlines, but you'd appreciate the story more if you've read at ..."


I found with his stand alone you just have to read at face value KWIM? The circumstance might be plausible but the race to end is sometimes a stretch but it does get your blood pumping. I guess you could say it is eye candy of the mystery genre?

You guys, is Bones from the series they made that television series out of? It looks interesting, even though I've never seenit. I had heard it was a series of books, and was thinking of looking for them.

Kandice wrote: "You guys, is Bones from the series they made that television series out of? It looks interesting, even though I've never seenit. I had heard it was a series of books, and was thinking of looking fo..."


The series for the Show bones is based on
Kathy Reichs

Dorie, can you give me the correct reading order please? :)

Sure Becky, here you go:

1. Goodnight, Irene
2. Sweet Dreams, Irene
3. Dear Irene,
4. Remember Me, Irene
5. Hocus
6. Liar
7. Bones
8. Flight*
9. Bloodlines
10. Kidnapped

* Flight is a bit different because unlike the others in the series, Irene's husband is the primary character and narrator.

Other Jan Burke novels:
Nine (standalone)
Eighteen (short stories)
The Messenger (standalone)


Happy hunting!

Wow. OK. So, I need to read the first six now. Hmmm...

I forgot to mention Clive Cussler. Not heavy reads, you know that in general everything will end okay but still very interesting stories! Dirk, the main character often makes me think about Buck Danny.

Jeane's list above covers most of my long standing favorite writers but I also have a few newer writers - at least to me - that have become favorites.

Cara Black - mysteries set in Paris

Garry Disher - Australia

and
Colin Cotterill - 1970s Laos

My Favorite authors in no particular order John Grisham, J.D. Robb, Agatha Christie, Janet Evanovich and Mary Higgins Clark. There are lots of authors I still need to go explore. :~)

My all time favorite author is P.D. James, but Reginald Hill and Jeffrey Deaver are also high on my list.

Well, Agatha Christie is at the top of my list of mystery and the one who started me off. Some others that I enjoy are mystery and/or mystery/crime/thriller:

Ariana Franklin, the Adelia Aguilar series

Laurie R. King, the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series

Tess Gerristen, Maura Isles (ME) and Jane Rizzoli (Detective) series

Linda Fairstein, Alex Cooper series

Sue Grafton, Kinsey Millhone series

Harlan Coben, favorite so far has been The Woods but I like his Myron Bolitar series, too

Stieg Larsson, new favorite, like Fiona after reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Mary Higgins Clark, very predictable, but nice easy reads

Matthew Pearl, write literary mysteries--The Dante Club A Novel, The Poe Shadow A Novel, and The Last Dickens A Novel (currently reading)

Deanna Raybourn, writes the Victorian Lady Julia Grey series


Two authors that I intend to read this summer are Louis Bayard, The Pale Blue Eye A Novel and Charles Finch, A Beautiful Blue Death.

I'm sure I've left someone out, as I read a lot of mystery and crime/thriller.

Well, I did forget another one that I intend to read this summer, Iain Pears and his An Instance of the Fingerpost.

I read that a long time ago. Heavy (all meanings of the word, LOL) and sometimes irritating, but fascinating and very well researched.

Hayes wrote: "I read that a long time ago. Heavy (all meanings of the word, LOL) and sometimes irritating, but fascinating and very well researched."

Yes, when I received An Instance of the Fingerpost from Amazon the other day, it was a bit larger/longer than I anticipated. However, I read all of the Outlander books this past spring, so long doesn't seem as daunting to me as it once might have. Thanks for the feedback, Hayes. I love to hear from some more who have read it, too.

I haven't seen Scott Turow mentioned here. Like Grisham, he is a lawyer turned author. Actually, I have enjoyed some of his books more than Grisham's.

Because I went to school in Miami and a friend had a complete set of the books, I started reading John D McDonald and fell in love witthe Travis McGee series. I used them for escapist reading after a day of more serious things. Agatha Christie was always wonderful, and PD James and Dick Francis helped when I was recovering from a lingering long term illness years ago. Clive Cussler was exciting and I still like picking up the occasional volume. I think I have collected accidentally most of Margaret Truman's books mostly because I knew the places around Washington DC where most were set. I like Elliott Roosevelt for the same reason I suspect. I fell in love with the Women's Murder Club series and all of Patterson's books, although I acknowledge that there is a kind of systematic way in which they are often written.

Katie Flora wrote: "I haven't seen Scott Turow mentioned here. Like Grisham, he is a lawyer turned author. Actually, I have enjoyed some of his books more than Grisham's."

I agree with you about Turow, Katie. As well as his legal thrillers, I loved his Ordinary Heroes. I was fortunate enough to meet him and hear him speak at a book festival. He was just awesome! I've always called him the cerebral John Grisham, not that Grisham isn't smart or talented, but Turow's writing is a step above (in my humble opinion). I actually enjoy them both.

He hasn't published as much as Grisham, so I think he puts more into his writing. The first book I read by him was "One L" given to me as a gift right before my first year at law school.

Kathy wrote: "Katie Flora wrote: "I haven't seen Scott Turow mentioned here. Like Grisham, he is a lawyer turned author. Actually, I have enjoyed some of his books more than Grisham's."

I agree w..."

Rhonda wrote: "Dick Francis helped when I was recovering from a lingering long term illness years ago."

Rhonda, I love Dick Francis, too. He's such a comfort to read when things are hard. I think there are several reasons why. One of the reasons is that his heroes are so great at dealing with problems, yet they are not superheroes. Reading Dick Francis helps me feel like I can deal with the problems I'm facing as well.

I started out reading Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie as a kid. My love for true crime began with Helter Skelter and In Cold Blood as a teenager. Then I mostly stopped reading mysteries. I turned to nonfiction. Then I kind of got into the PBS Mystery series, which was producing Elizabeth George and P.D. James. So I'm reading some of George having seen nearly all the TV episodes, and I think the TV productions are better than the novels. (George is a fairly bad writer.) James on the other hand is quite a good writer so I'll be going back and reading the parts of her oeuvre I haven't read. I read two of Karin Fossum's Inspector Sejer mysteries.

In terms of thrillers, I've read some Follett, one Alan Furst so far, one David Ignatius, one Margaret Truman. I read Leonard Downie's novel - I don't know if you'd call it a thriller, exactly; it's a book of "political intrigue." But I don't recommend it. If you have a copy, throw it on the bonfire at once.

I think my turn from nonfiction to escapist fiction and mysteries was a turn away from the horrors of the real world (largely, the Bush administration) and what felt like powerlessness to do anything about it.

I think my turn from nonfiction to escapist fiction and mysteries was a turn away from the horrors of the real world (largely, the Bush administration) and what felt like powerlessness to do anything about it.

I know what you mean Lobstergirl. I came to Italy during a previous recession (1986) and have been watching the US from afar... powerless is right.

(Live in Maine, by chance? I spent summers near the Mass-NH shore. Lobster dinner was always my birthday treat! Yum!!)

Interesting about Elizabeth George and the TV series of her books - I saw the first one and never watched another one. Didn't like how they had written the sexual abuse out, and their explanation that they thought it was passe these days made no sense to me.

I've liked most of her novels.

Agreed - PD James is an excellent writer.

I got started on Agatha Christie, who I followed for a great while. I now love Anne Perry. She is a Victorian England era author. She is very true to the time period and knows her characters splendidly.

Camerandi, I just bout my first Anne Perry today at Barnes and Noble. I saw The Cater Street Hangman on our poll, voted for it, then decided I wanted to go ahead and buy it. I'm not sure that I'll be able to wait to read it until we finish voting and choose a book. I do so love Victorian England. The Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn is set in Victorian England, too. Silent On The Moor was the third and latest in that series, and I just finished it.

A BookCrossing buddy has just said she will send me a copy of "The Mixed up Files"! I'm so psyched to read this again!!

My mom was a mystery fan. I think she read every book Earl Stanley Gardner ever wrote, even those he wrote as A.A. Fair. She started me on Nancy Drew at a very young age and I read all of Agatha Christie before graduating grade school. She wisely had me read all the old classic mystery writers, John Dickson Carr, Earl Derr Biggers, Ellery Queen, Clayton Rawson, Mgaio Marsh (loved her books!), Margery Allingham, Phoebe ATwood Taylor (and as Alice Tilton), Josephine Tey - and so many others.

I now read mystery, romantic suspense, action thrillers, romance and erotic romance and some non-fiction, though I'm choosier there as I read so much earlier in life.

My two favorite 'new' authors are Barry Eisler with his John Rain series and - obviously - Lee Child with his Jack Reacher series, though his last 3 books, except his most recent release, were not up to par.

My favorite historical mysteries are the Marcus Didius Falco series by Lindsey Davis and the SPQR series by John Maddox Roberts. I read Deanna Rayborne's first Lady Jane Grey and was bored. I enjoy Will Thomas's Baker and Llewelyn series and just bought Charles Finch's A Beautiful Blue Death, which came well recommended.

Reacherfan - have you read Dorothy L. Sayers?

Yes I have read Sayers. I even own some of the BBC mystery series DVD's. She was one of my mom's favorites.

And yeah I was kind of weaned on mysteries. What other 6th grader has her nose stuck in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd? Right next to it would sit one of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars books! LOL What can I say, I was and still am a book fiend.

I enjoyed A Beautiful Blue Death very much. If you like Victorian mysteries have you read Anne Perry series with William Monk or Charlotte and Thomas Pitt?

I read Anne Perry years ago and got a got bored. I do like most of the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters, but I am very partial to Egyptian history and archeology, so for me it's a win-win.

Nobody has mentioned Michael Dibdin whose Aurelio Zen series is wonderful. I'm please that Ian Rankin got one mention but he should be on everybody's lists; he's about as good as it gets when it comes to crime fiction and indeed his works stand up as novels which transcend genre. I see one nod to Lindsey Davis for her wonderful crime books set in Rome of 70s AD. I'd like to second the choice of a classic crime writer of the past, John Dickson Carr, the greatest ever exponent of locked room mysteries; he had a series with one detective, Gideon Fell and then he wrote a few really classy historical-crime novels.

As well as the gritty realism of the likes of Rankin, I do like crime mysteries with an historical setting. As well as John Dickson Carr, I'd recommend Patricia Finney whose three books set in the England of the 1580s and featuring Simon Ames are cracking novels which transcend their crime genre.

I used to like P D James but find her dull and conservative now. I've never liked Agatha Christie, way too overrated. Yes she was prolific and Poirot and Marple are interesting characters but she really wasn't a terribly good writer and she quite often cheated, ignoring the convention that the reader must know as much as the detective. She was good on poisons though but so she should have been. It was her area of expertise.

Donna wrote: "I enjoyed A Beautiful Blue Death very much. If you like Victorian mysteries have you read Anne Perry series with William Monk or Charlotte and Thomas Pitt?"

Donna, I have A Beautiful Blue Death waiting in my short list pile. I'll have to get to it soon.