Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers discussion

There are a lot of types of mysteries (sub-genres, if you will). What type do you enjoy best?

I'm in the traditional category, I think it's called: I like when a detective/PI/amateur sleuth solves a mystery. I find that I don't like the noir style, though I really try to get into it.

I've probably read a cozy mystery and loved it, but it didn't register in that sub-genre. I look for stories that speak to me, and fast-moving plot lines.

I do have a soft spot for the Spenser series by Robert B. Parker (and now Ace Atkins), which might be the only exception to what I wrote above.

I'd love to hear from other group members! Thanks in advance!

I pretty much like every category/sub-genre.

I tend to skip serial killer books because they've become dull. The only variation is the method the killer uses, but otherwise they follow the same formula almost to a tee. For the first 80% of the book, either the killer is so smart, he outdoes the police at every turn or the police are so blind the couldn't find the guy if he had a sign around his neck. Over the last 15% of the book, the killer does something so dumb even a blind man could pick him out as the killer or the police suddenly discover the clue that's been sitting in front of them all along that instantly solves the murders.

I refuse to read paranormal mysteries because my mind won't buy into something beyond the 'normal' world. I don't read sci-fi, fantasy, or horror for the same reason - I can't buy into the overall concept.

Rob wrote: "There are a lot of types of mysteries (sub-genres, if you will). What type do you enjoy best?

I'm in the traditional category, I think it's called: I like when a detective/PI/amateur sleuth solves..."

I agree with Quillracer above: "I pretty much like every category/sub-genre". I will try a little of everything but tend to favor the detective/PI (your Connelly's/Burke's/McDonald's) If it's well written I try it.

I like hard boiled crime/ Noirs, specially the old school ones think Chandler or Ross Macdonald. I also love character driven crime like James Lee Burke's Robicheaux, Block's Scudder or James Ellroy. All the contemporary authors I mentioned draw from noirs. They have just added great characters to the mix. Essentially I will take great prose and great characters over ingenious plot any day as in a whodunit only the solution matters. While books with great prose make the whole journey interesting. So it is a no brainer as to which approach is better.

I don't like cozies. I have also read or seen enough about serial killers and vanilla police procedurals that neither of them interest me any more. However back up either with great characters like Tana French does and I will be back for the ride. Don't care about modern psychological thrillers either as I find the hype surrounding most of them inflated. I enjoy Golden Age mysteries as long as I don't over do them.

Once again I repeat give me three dimensional characters and moral complexity and I am on board with any subgenre. It is a pity that the only grittier crime fiction provides what I want.

I really like police procedurals which have strong/interesting main characters and a diverse, well-written supporting cast. For some reason I have found more books by British authors that suit me than others. After relatively recently discovering FantasticFiction i now realize HOW HUGE the mystery/detective genre is.

My favorites are people like Tana French, Karin Slaughter, Louise Penny, Stuart McBride, Val McDermid.

I re FC e NTT you discovered Jane Casey and Im enjoying her work.

This is great, everybody! Thanks for sharing and keep them coming!

I definitely agree that sci-fi and fantasy (or anything paranormal) are too far out there for me.

Aditya wrote: "I like hard boiled crime/ Noirs, specially the old school ones think Chandler or Ross Macdonald. I also love character driven crime like James Lee Burke's Robicheaux, Block's Scudder or James Ellro..."

Agree 100% , these are among favorites in the mystery field.(reading a Macdonald right now and Tana French is amazing) the prose drives it, however I am a sucker for a really great plot twist also.

I can find good mystery writers in just about all the forms of mysteries but I do have to admit, I won't willingly pick up a paranormal mystery (although I've read Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next books, which have the main character in an alternative universe, mainly because they are so funny) and I don't think I would enjoy books in which the main character is a serial killer.

Some books are definitely too dark. I've heard that about Jo Nesbo's later books. I've so far only read his early work but I can see hints of the darkness.

I also read cozies but lightly and there are some that I think are too 'cute' and turn me off.

My favorites are the classic mysteries, Agatha Christie, Patricia Wentworth, Dorothy Sayers and Arthur Conan Doyle, to name just a very few. I love Rex Stout, Ed McBain, Anne Perry, Donna Leon, Donna Leon Charles Todd and Louise Penny — but I don't know what you would call this other than good reads.

I guess it all depends on the writer. If they are good and they have a strong foundation behind their stories, I'll enjoy them. There are some that I have gotten tired of their characters either because of the direction they have been taken, such as Patricia Cornwell and her Kay Scarpetta character, or taken the one quirk in the character a bit too far, such as Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum.

Pamela, I agree with you regarding Cornwell and Evanovich.

I got to the point where I hoped someone would gun Scarpetta et al down in a drive-by.

And I gave up on Plum after 5 books because she was still as clueless in the fifth as in the first.

Scott wrote: "Agree 100% , these are among favorites in the mystery field.(reading a Macdonald right now and Tana French is amazing) the prose drives it, however I am a sucker for a really great plot twist also."

Try Lehane if you have not, I forgot to mention him. A bit inconsistent but when he is firing on all cylinders, you get the best of both surprise endings and excellent prose.

I love reading all types of mysteries/ suspense thrillers. I prefer the quick reads with romance thrown in and a great plot with a fantastic hero/heroine is all I ask for. I am.a complete sucker for good old Agatha Christie anytime. Ellis Peter's The Brother Cadafel Chronicles is something I enjoy too.

I generally don't like reading series and if I do I never go in order.I suppose it's a way of preventing a disappointment and spoiling my euphoric experience with the author's previous book that holds me back.

And I'm just the opposite, Leena. I prefer to read series and read them in order.

Reading them out of order too often has me asking, "When did that happen? When did they get married? When did they move to Pocatello? When did he get killed."

With a series, I don't have to 'form a bond' with a new character in every book. It's already 'set in place' at least in part from the first book.

I also like to see how the character grows over the progression of the books. That's why I gave up on Evanovich. Stephanie Plum didn't learn a single thing over the five books I read.

I agree about the Evanovich books... they're sorta like train-wreck TV; you just can't take your eyes off them. ;)

Stuart Woods is pretty much in the same category.

I also like to read series. I agree with you about liking to see how the characters grow. I had just finished Flavia De Luce series when three friends in my book club each suggested a series: Armand Gamache, Stephanie Plum and Hannah Swenson.

I tried them all. Couldn’t get past book three of Stephanie Plum or Hannah Swenson (what a Mary Sue). My friend told me the love triangle goes on for 18 books. Really? I am up to book 8 on the Gamache series. I am liking th em so far

Couldn't get into Gamache. Too much talk, not enough action.

Woods' books are like Twinkies for the mind - not very filling but a nice snack.

I've always enjoyed the classic private-eye mysteries. Grew up on Sherlock Holmes and Mike Hammer. It's unusual, but gives unique perspectives and lots of ambiguity. It's why I took the same route with my own mysteries. Plus the chance to add a little humor here & there.

Great line about Woods, Quill!

Thank you.

I enjoy almost any mystery that will keep me guessing. I don't like to figure out what happened or who done it until those last chapters. Even a good cozy that keeps me guessing is perfect for a filler between the more serious work.

Camisa wrote: "I enjoy almost any mystery that will keep me guessing. I don't like to figure out what happened or who done it until those last chapters. Even a good cozy that keeps me guessing is perfect for a fi..."

I’m with you Camisa. I enjoy the ride without thinking too much about ‘whodunit’ until the end.

@quillracer there’s a lot of action in Gamache books but probably not until book 6 or 7.

Quillracer wrote: "Couldn't get into Gamache. Too much talk, not enough action.

Woods' books are like Twinkies for the mind - not very filling but a nice snack."

That’s what I enjoy about the books, is the talk....Louise Penny’s insights into human nature

What I meant by too much talk was over-description. I find that boring.

As I've said elsewhere, when an author has a character enter an office, I don't need to be told every single bloody doggone thing in that office. I know there's going to be a desk and chair, file cabinets, a computer, etc. And I especially don't need to know what kind of desk or what make of chair or computer. I don't care if its a Louis XIV desk - unless (as the old joke goes) it goes back to Louis on the 14th.

But that's just me.

I’m all over the place on mysteries, although I don’t really like many contemporary ones, especially murder porn and rape porn books, like Patterson, etc. I’m also not much of a fan of police detective novels, but I like a few. The Sherlock Holmes stories are definitely my favorite. Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, and PD James are other authors I enjoy. I mostly read books for the writing, story, and characters, and less on whether I can solve the mystery. I think others have commented on Raymond Chandler, and he himself admitted once that he was confused by what happened in his own books, as there’s a lot of plot holes. For contemporary mysteries, I mostly have liked the first 2 Robert Langdon books by Dan Brown, although his writing isn’t very good. I thought the stories and characters had color and the premises were interesting. I haven’t read the last ones after the third and fourth books, which I hated.

Leena wrote: "I love reading all types of mysteries/ suspense thrillers. I prefer the quick reads with romance thrown in and a great plot with a fantastic hero/heroine is all I ask for. "

This, though i don't necessarily stick to just quick reads. The Brother Cadfael novels were lovely, I've got them on my to re-read list. Otherwise, anything historical, mystical or paranormal will very likely draw my eye. The problem with many mysteries these days - they are stereotyped cozies, that make no effort whatsoever to jump out of the mold. I'm wary about reading any of them, too often I got disappointed. I need great characterisation, an intriguing and twisty plot and no clichés please. Anybody has any suggestions I'll gladly listen

I kind of enjoy any kind of mystery genre as long as it keeps me interested whilst reading.
But I'm also a series junkie, so if it's an older series with about four books already out I have to read them all.

I enjoy cozy, historical, paranormal, suspense, pretty much any kind of mystery except I do kind of shy away from true crime.