Thought I would follow MN Dave's example. I'm currently reading The Black Ice by Michael Connelly.
[asin]B001GUXJQA[/asin]
Boy I wish I had that cover, it is better than the cover art on the paperback that I have. This is a Harry Bosch novel. I like it so far, but I swear if the twist is dirty cops I'm flinging it across the room! That is so cliche that it's just boring.
Excellent idea for a thread!
All I have to post for now is: Read Ross MacDonald!
One of my favorite authors in the genre is the Spaniard Arturo Perez Reverte.
Quote from: Mn Dave on July 06, 2014, 07:12:44 AM
Excellent idea for a thread!
All I have to post for now is: Read Ross MacDonald!
Post 1959
All the later books are great. I pick The Chill, primus inter pares.
And look for dramatized readings starring Harris Yulin. Great stuff.
Quote from: DavidW on July 06, 2014, 07:09:58 AM
Thought I would follow MN Dave's example. I'm currently reading The Black Ice by Michael Connelly.
Boy I wish I had that cover, it is better than the cover art on the paperback that I have. This is a Harry Bosch novel. I like it so far, but I swear if the twist is dirty cops I'm flinging it across the room! That is so cliche that it's just boring.
Dude, Michael Connelly is the finest author today. I have every one of the Harry Bosch books and have read them several times each; no worries, it won't be dirty cops. The thing about Bosch is him, he is so
noir. The depth of the mystery is one thing, the overall mood is something else again. Just this afternoon I finished rereading the first book in another series by Connelly,
The Lincoln Lawyer.
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After you are done with Bosch, try Haller. :)
8)
This is my favourite reading genre! I've read all the Connelly's and have many other preferred authors from both sides of the ditch. I especially like police mysteries and would like to recommend the following authors:
US: John Sandford, Robert B Parker's "Jesse Stone" series and of course the good old "87th Precinct" series from Ed McBain which never seem dated despite some being over 40 years old.
UK: Ian Rankin's "Rebus" novels, Peter Robinson's "Inspector Banks" series
Nordic: Henning Mankel's "Inspector Wallander" series, Camilla Lackberg.
There are many others.
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on July 06, 2014, 02:32:45 PM
Dude, Michael Connelly is the finest author today. I have every one of the Harry Bosch books and have read them several times each; no worries, it won't be dirty cops. The thing about Bosch is him, he is so noir. The depth of the mystery is one thing, the overall mood is something else again. Just this afternoon I finished rereading the first book in another series by Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer.
I think that noir feel is what I liked so much about The Black Echo, and I'm liking it hear as well. I picked up several more Connelly novels in hardcover at a library book sale. I remember the person running as cashier said "oh you're buying my Michael Connelly novels, he is just the best writer!" And then the other volunteer said "oh and I see you picked up my Vince Flynn and Brad Thor novels, they are just great." That was kind of cool. :)
Quote from: Holden on July 06, 2014, 03:29:37 PM
This is my favourite reading genre! I've read all the Connelly's and have many other preferred authors from both sides of the ditch. I especially like police mysteries and would like to recommend the following authors:
US: John Sandford, Robert B Parker's "Jesse Stone" series and of course the good old "87th Precinct" series from Ed McBain which never seem dated despite some being over 40 years old.
UK: Ian Rankin's "Rebus" novels, Peter Robinson's "Inspector Banks" series
Nordic: Henning Mankel's "Inspector Wallander" series, Camilla Lackberg.
There are many others.
I'm also a fan of the Rebus novels. I like the Wallander tv show, and some day I will read the novels. I'll remember your post for future ideas.
Quote from: DavidW on July 07, 2014, 07:26:25 AM
I think that noir feel is what I liked so much about The Black Echo, and I'm liking it hear as well. I picked up several more Connelly novels in hardcover at a library book sale. I remember the person running as cashier said "oh you're buying my Michael Connelly novels, he is just the best writer!" And then the other volunteer said "oh and I see you picked up my Vince Flynn and Brad Thor novels, they are just great." That was kind of cool. :)
I predict you will be pleased. It behooves you to try to read them in order, but it isn't necessary, just nice. As it happens, I picked up his first novel when it was new, so I have got all of them as they came out. That was nice, I sort of saw his maturation as an author.
I'm thinking of trying John Lescroart next, never read any of his. My second favorite is John Sandford, got everything he wrote too.
Of course, this all has to do with current authors. I have yet to run across one who surpasses Rex Stout... :)
8)
Another fine series:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Hillerman#Bibliography
Quote from: Mn Dave on July 07, 2014, 07:55:18 AM
Another fine series:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Hillerman#Bibliography
Absolutely. TH was brilliant, and the Navajo background is fascinating. Another set of books which I wore out... :-\
8)
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on July 07, 2014, 07:31:10 AM
[...]
Of course, this all has to do with current authors. I have yet to run across one who surpasses Rex Stout... :)
8)
One of these days, I'll read 'em. My brother put me onto the
Timothy Hutton/Maury Chaykin A&E series.
And this guy...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_D._MacDonald
Quote from: karlhenning on July 07, 2014, 08:32:07 AM
One of these days, I'll read 'em. My brother put me onto the Timothy Hutton/Maury Chaykin A&E series.
A mixed bag, but some are outstanding.
The best Nero Wolfe
books are from the 30s. Rubber Band, Red Box, League of Frightened Men especially.
Quote from: Ken B on July 07, 2014, 09:13:53 AM
A mixed bag, but some are outstanding.
The best Nero Wolfe books are from the 30s. Rubber Band, Red Box, League of Frightened Men especially.
I like all of them. Where the dropoff comes in is after he died and various others tried to keep the series going. Generally they were unsuccessful. Ones from the 1960's were generally excellent as well (
The Mother Hunt, for example) as in the '30's. Don't forget from back then,
Some Buried Caesar too. :)
Generally speaking, Stout was untouchable, especially in characterization. You could picture Wolfe, Goodwin and Fritz, and even Theodore, in your mind's eye so clearly it was like knowing them. I can't easily think of another author in this genre who could match that. :)
8)
Quote from: karlhenning on July 07, 2014, 08:32:07 AM
One of these days, I'll read 'em. My brother put me onto the Timothy Hutton/Maury Chaykin A&E series.
Of the various screen versions of Wolfe over the years, these were the best. As Ken says, the books were the best. I might just snap up that DVD set though, for fun. :)
8)
For those with a taste for flamboyant and outre puzzles the early Ellery Queen books are great. The Chinese Orange and French Powder Mysteries especially. Weak as novels, great as detection and logic. The best *novel* is Calamity Town of 1942. The TV series was pretty good. More in feel like the Queen books of the 40s.
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on July 07, 2014, 10:22:58 AM
I like all of them. Where the dropoff comes in is after he died and various others tried to keep the series going. Generally they were unsuccessful. Ones from the 1960's were generally excellent as well (The Mother Hunt, for example) as in the '30's. Don't forget from back then, Some Buried Caesar too. :)
Generally speaking, Stout was untouchable, especially in characterization. You could picture Wolfe, Goodwin and Fritz, and even Theodore, in your mind's eye so clearly it was like knowing them. I can't easily think of another author in this genre who could match that. :)
8)
My aforementioned beloved brother has by now read the entire Canon (and
pseudepigrapha ;) ) aloud to my equally beloved sister-in-law not once, but twice. And his doctoral dissertation was on Dickens, so his enthusiasm for Stout is high estimation, indeed.
Quote from: Ken B on July 07, 2014, 10:34:48 AM
For those with a taste for flamboyant and outre puzzles the early Ellery Queen books are great. The Chinese Orange and French Powder Mysteries especially. Weak as novels, great as detection and logic. The best *novel* is Calamity Town of 1942. The TV series was pretty good. More in feel like the Queen books of the 40s.
Absolutely! My very first mystery, and the book that got me into mysteries (when I was 13 years old!) was
The French Powder Mystery, which I quickly followed with
The Chinese Orange... The Roman Hat... and
The Egyptian Cross.... I was desperate to beat the 'challenge to the reader' :) I surely read
Calamity Town, although it's been almost 50 years, so you'll have to forgive me if I forgot 'whodunnit'! :)
8)
Quote from: karlhenning on July 07, 2014, 10:35:29 AM
My aforementioned beloved brother has by now read the entire Canon (and pseudepigrapha ;) ) aloud to my equally beloved sister-in-law not once, but twice. And his doctoral dissertation was on Dickens, so his enthusiasm for Stout is high estimation, indeed.
Now I am wondering if you have beloved yet unmentioned brothers, mentioned yet unbeloved brothers, or both.
;D
Stout, especially early on, has wonderful snappy dialog. They bear up under re-reading.
The Gervase Fen stories by Edmund Crispin aka Bruce Montgomery, who was a musician for his day job. Best one to read first is probably Moving Toyshop, in which mot merely the corpse but the entire scene of the crime disappears.
I've finished The Black Ice, and man do I feel dumb. I just did not see that twist coming. Great novel.
Quote from: DavidW on July 08, 2014, 06:12:52 AM
I've finished The Black Ice, and man do I feel dumb. I just did not see that twist coming. Great novel.
Yeah, that's why I laughed when you ventured a guess. Connelly is just that good. Maybe
The Concrete Blonde next? :)
8)
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on July 08, 2014, 06:21:07 AM
Yeah, that's why I laughed when you ventured a guess. Connelly is just that good. Maybe The Concrete Blonde next? :)
8)
Yes the Concrete Blonde is in a to read pile right behind me on my bookshelf.
I'm reading Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn. I think that it is a bad sign when I disagree with the protagonist, and sympathize with the guy they've kidnapped. They keep saying "you just don't get it..." well guess what? I, the reader, don't either. Maybe you could explain it? I wonder if it's meant to be satirical? I can't help but notice that one of the terrorists acts in a similarly closed minded fashion, killing people that could have been left alone. The interrogation and murdering of hunters are happening at the same time. I'm going to give Flynn the benefit of the doubt, and say that he is depicting these men of violence and not saying that there is necessarily any ethical right for them to be above the law.
Anyway the story is about terrorists attack DC, and CIA spook Mitch Rapp is hunting them down. Simple enough story, what I didn't realize is that this is really part 2 of a story started in a previous novel. But you know what? I don't care. You could write the plot on the back of an envelope. The point as always is to see Mitch Rapp kick ass and chew bubblegum, and he's all out of bubblegum!
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Quote from: DavidW on July 14, 2014, 07:13:27 AM
I'm reading Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn. I think that it is a bad sign when I disagree with the protagonist, and sympathize with the guy they've kidnapped. They keep saying "you just don't get it..." well guess what? I, the reader, don't either. Maybe you could explain it? I wonder if it's meant to be satirical? I can't help but notice that one of the terrorists acts in a similarly closed minded fashion, killing people that could have been left alone. The interrogation and murdering of hunters are happening at the same time. I'm going to give Flynn the benefit of the doubt, and say that he is depicting these men of violence and not saying that there is necessarily any ethical right for them to be above the law.
Anyway the story is about terrorists attack DC, and CIA spook Mitch Rapp is hunting them down. Simple enough story, what I didn't realize is that this is really part 2 of a story started in a previous novel. But you know what? I don't care. You could write the plot on the back of an envelope. The point as always is to see Mitch Rapp kick ass and chew bubblegum, and he's all out of bubblegum!
I have always avoided Vince Flynn, somehow the selling points of the books eluded me but I didn't know why exactly. And now I do. You should try John Sandford instead. If you go with the Davenport books, start at the beginning, like 'Eyes of Prey'. His first 10 are the best!
8)
The first two Flynn novels that I read are awesome. One has terrorists taking the White House. Rapp goes in covertly through a tunnel and into the White House... and collects intelligence. It is slow paced and detail orientated, but very exciting. It is like early Clancy.
I read another which was the opposite, it surprisingly kind of predicts the Benghazi incident. The other novel was Rapp as a young man, and this one is Rapp at the end of his career. It is the opposite character. He is a Chuck Norris type character, so over the top it is like 80s action movies cheese.
This novel kind of reveals to me 24's preoccupation with interrogation. I might be selling it short due to not having read the preceding novel, I am going to put it down and read the one that comes before it first. But yeah later...
And I'll check out John Sanford, but I want to finish the Bourne trilogy first. Supremacy and Ultimatum have been sitting on my to read pile for two years! Which is stupid. It has been three or four years since I read the Bourne Identity.
I see no-one has mentioned the Sjowall/Wahloo books with Martin Beck yet. One of the great series, set in Sweden.
I've been watching Longmire on Netflix watch instantly. Really liking the show, good mysteries and characters. None of that csi stupidity, and not a meandering soap either. Just perfect. At least for now. I'm half way through the first season.
(http://extrasline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/longmire-casting.jpg)
Anyone else watch the show?
Quote from: DavidW on July 30, 2014, 08:21:34 AM
I've been watching Longmire on Netflix watch instantly. Really liking the show, good mysteries and characters. None of that csi stupidity, and not a meandering soap either. Just perfect. At least for now. I'm half way through the first season.
(http://extrasline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/longmire-casting.jpg)
Anyone else watch the show?
I will give it a try. I made it partly through the Justified series, but it became way too repetitive and the subplots never seemed to end.
This one might interest you, David.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JoFBQLrOL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg)
http://www.amazon.com/Nights-Red-Moon-Texas-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B003P8Q5M6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406738188&sr=8-1&keywords=nights+of+the+red+moon
Quote from: Bogey on July 30, 2014, 08:28:09 AM
I will give it a try. I made it partly through the Justified series, but it became way too repetitive and the subplots never seemed to end.
I lost interest when they dragged in the third subplot about how all the dumbass redneck crackers were too stupid to tie their shoes, and too ungrammatical to explain their difficulty.
Quote from: Bogey on July 30, 2014, 08:28:09 AM
I will give it a try. I made it partly through the Justified series, but it became way too repetitive and the subplots never seemed to end.
Yes completely different from that show then. Longmire has self contained episodes, each one a mystery.
See the movie Cold in July!
Even if you've read the novel by Joe Lansdale.
I started watching True Detective, liking it so far.
Quote from: DavidW on August 01, 2014, 07:28:54 PM
I started watching True Detective, liking it so far.
It's amazing!
The Mercenaries (1960, a.k.a. The Cutie / The Smashers) by Donald E. Westlake
(http://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz1mpkvzUQ1qagrc1o1_500.jpg)
I read Bear Island which is a whodunnit set on a small island south of Svarbard. It was reminiscent of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie:
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Same format but in Antartica, I read Dark Winter which I really enjoyed.
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If you got the theme, I'm taking a mental vacation from the heat.
What are your Rex Stout Nero Wolfe favorites?
I only discovered this series a few months ago and I am quite fond of it, especially because Archie as narrator is so funny (not quite Bertie Wooster who was an inspiration but very good nevertheless). So far I have read. The mysteries are not as contrived (and unsolvable, e.g. I got the main twist in "Some buried Caesar" fairly early) as (to my recollection) many of Ellery Queen and Dickson Carr but for me that's actually a bonus.
So far I read:
Fer de Lance, League of frightened Gentlemen, Some buried Caesar, Black Orchids, Too many clients, Plot it yourself, The mother hunt, Death of a dude.
The last was (clearly) the weakest but I have not read enough to establish that "earlier=better". Should I go with the earlier ones first or are there particular favorites?
Quote from: Jo498 on June 15, 2015, 12:35:21 AM
What are your Rex Stout Nero Wolfe favorites?
I only discovered this series a few months ago and I am quite fond of it, especially because Archie as narrator is so funny (not quite Bertie Wooster who was an inspiration but very good nevertheless). So far I have read. The mysteries are not as contrived (and unsolvable, e.g. I got the main twist in "Some buried Caesar" fairly early) as (to my recollection) many of Ellery Queen and Dickson Carr but for me that's actually a bonus.
So far I read:
Fer de Lance, League of frightened Gentlemen, Some buried Caesar, Black Orchids, Too many clients, Plot it yourself, The mother hunt, Death of a dude.
The last was (clearly) the weakest but I have not read enough to establish that "earlier=better". Should I go with the earlier ones first or are there particular favorites?
My wife read more of these than I did - she said Some buried Caeser (which you read), The Rubber Band, and Too Many Cooks. I get the impression that while some may be better than others, none (or incredibly few) are real clunkers.
Quote from: Jo498 on June 15, 2015, 12:35:21 AM
What are your Rex Stout Nero Wolfe favorites?
I only discovered this series a few months ago and I am quite fond of it, especially because Archie as narrator is so funny (not quite Bertie Wooster who was an inspiration but very good nevertheless). So far I have read. The mysteries are not as contrived (and unsolvable, e.g. I got the main twist in "Some buried Caesar" fairly early) as (to my recollection) many of Ellery Queen and Dickson Carr but for me that's actually a bonus.
So far I read:
Fer de Lance, League of frightened Gentlemen, Some buried Caesar, Black Orchids, Too many clients, Plot it yourself, The mother hunt, Death of a dude.
The last was (clearly) the weakest but I have not read enough to establish that "earlier=better". Should I go with the earlier ones first or are there particular favorites?
The early ones. Don't miss The Rubber Band. A good later one is The Doorbell Rang.
So, just finished up this Jack Reacher novel:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Z5UkjPNoL._SX275_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
A nice page turner and gives insight into the Jack Reacher character still as an MP in the Army. I rated it 4 out 5 stars at Good Reads. The next novel chronologically, continues the Reacher series. Tom Cruise has a second movie coming out depicting this character. The first was really good in my opinion, but the book series has captured me more so. I believe there are 20 books in the series, and some sort stories. I am on to this one now, as I have chosen to read them in chronological order as opposed to how they were published.:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51gmg%2BxfL5L._SX328_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
I'm completely caught up in Connelly, my favorite, and have read most, if not all, of Jonathan Kellerman (he started out okay, but now can't be bothered to write in complete sentences), and I have discovered a new detective series that takes place in LA, Robert Ellis' Lena Gamble series. He borrows heavily from Connelly in creating details, which is a little offputting at times, but overall the books are a good read (there are three so far). I backed into the Lena Gamble series after reading the first volume in Ellis' Matt Jones series, which I think I liked more.
Yes, I like my detectives Angeleno.
http://www.amazon.com/City-Fire-Lena-Gamble-Novels-ebook/dp/B000V21146/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1453052106&sr=1-1
Quote from: Jay F on January 17, 2016, 08:13:51 AM
I'm completely caught up in Connelly, my favorite, and have read most, if not all, of Jonathan Kellerman (he started out okay, but now can't be bothered to write in complete sentences), and I have discovered a new detective series that takes place in LA, Robert Ellis' Lena Gamble series. He borrows heavily from Connelly in creating details, which is a little offputting at times, but overall the books are a good read (there are three so far). I backed into the Lena Gamble series after reading the first volume in Ellis' Matt Jones series, which I think I liked more. Anyway, here's Amazon's Robert Ellis page: http://smile.amazon.com/Robert-Ellis/e/B001ITTF94/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
Yes, I like my detectives Angeleno.
Great post! I read the first Connelly book and plan on reading Black Ice right after this Reacher novel. Thanks for the leads through Ellis. L.A is easily my favorite venue for crime novels, so I will look into these.
Well, my the second Connelly novel does not arrive until Tuesday, so I am going to give this one a whirl. I believe ave from MN gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Never have tried Patterson, so here goes:
(http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330119158l/231623.jpg)
I have read all of Connelly, a superb mystery writer.
I also want give a recommendation for Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti novels set in Venedig.
Quote from: The new erato on January 31, 2016, 05:37:47 AM
I have read all of Connelly, a superb mystery writer.
I also want give a recommendation for Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti novels set in Venedig.
Just put Death at La Fenice (Commissario Brunetti, #1) on my To Read list. Thanks!
Quote from: Ken B on July 14, 2014, 02:58:46 PM
I see no-one has mentioned the Sjowall/Wahloo books with Martin Beck yet. One of the great series, set in Sweden.
BUMP.
The above mentioned authors wrote ten novels in series. They are terrific, and if there is a real and decent bookstore still standing, all ten will be on the shelf under their category, and in many countries, in the language of the country. They are extremely well-written, quietly awful, dry, wry, horribly funny -- and enough of them have that 'Hitchcock effect,' i.e. without having noticed it, your temperature has been slowly rising along with the subtle way the tension increases without your having been conscious of it. Brilliant, classics, and strongly recommended.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Beck
----------------------------------------------------
ADDING,
Lawrence Block -- 'The Burglar' series, eleven novels. 'comic mystery novels.'
Wholly engaging, truly funny. Manhattan dweller book lover and second-hand book dealer
Bernie Rhondenbarr] has this little compulsive tic -- he burgles.
He is constantly stumbling across just-dead murdered people in the middle of his robberies, is then the prime suspect, the cops look no further, and he has to then become the detective in order to solve the case in order to clear himself.
Each of the novels is also an hommage to an author and the particular sub-genre of the murder mystery that author is known for; knowing the other genre isn't necessary, while knowing it makes the read that much more fun.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Rhodenbarr
-------------------------------------------------------
Lindsey Davis -- Marcus Didius Falco series. There are now twenty books.
[After the first several of these, English critics dubbed her the new Ellis Peters, author of the medieval set Brother Cadfael books.]
Davis' books are set in ancient Rome when Nero was Emperor. The history is very-well researched, the detail of city, houses, everyday effects, difference of class and dynamics between the characters are all used to make you feel genuinely in the time while not at all having that dreadful and intrusive quasi-historical 'you are there,' kind of taste.
The crimes and detection are as gritty and intriguing as anything set in current time, some situations are not without humor. The relationship Falco, an ex-Roman soldier who now works for the government, has with a senator's daughter is developed throughout the series.
-----------------------------------------
These are all series, and within, the principal characters are constant, and throughout the books, the authors develop those characters. Ergo, if new to you, I recommend starting with their first, and progressing -- if your interest holds -- chronologically through the rest.
Quote from: Monsieur Croche on January 31, 2016, 08:45:49 AM
BUMP.
The above mentioned authors wrote ten novels in series. They are terrific, and if there is a real and decent bookstore still standing, all ten will be on the shelf under their category, and in many countries, in the language of the country. They are extremely well-written, quietly awful, dry, wry, horribly funny -- and enough of them have that 'Hitchcock effect,' i.e. without having noticed it, your temperature has been slowly rising along with the subtle way the tension increases without your having been conscious of it. Brilliant, classics, and strongly recommended.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Beck
----------------------------------------------------
ADDING,
Lawrence Block -- 'The Burglar' series, eleven novels. 'comic mystery novels.'
Wholly engaging, truly funny. Manhattan dweller book lover and second-hand book dealer Bernie Rhondenbarr] has this little compulsive tic -- he burgles.
He is constantly stumbling across just-dead murdered people in the middle of his robberies, is then the prime suspect, the cops look no further, and he has to then become the detective in order to solve the case in order to clear himself.
Each of the novels is also an hommage to an author and the particular sub-genre of the murder mystery that author is known for; knowing the other genre isn't necessary, while knowing it makes the read that much more fun.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Rhodenbarr
-------------------------------------------------------
Lindsey Davis -- Marcus Didius Falco series. There are now twenty books.
[After the first several of these, English critics dubbed her the new Ellis Peters, author of the medieval set Brother Cadfael books.]
Davis' books are set in ancient Rome when Nero was Emperor. The history is very-well researched, the detail of city, houses, everyday effects, difference of class and dynamics between the characters are all used to make you feel genuinely in the time while not at all having that dreadful and intrusive quasi-historical 'you are there,' kind of taste.
The crimes and detection are as gritty and intriguing as anything set in current time, some situations are not without humor. The relationship Falco, an ex-Roman soldier who now works for the government, has with a senator's daughter is developed throughout the series.
-----------------------------------------
These are all series, and within, the principal characters are constant, and throughout the books, the authors develop those characters. Ergo, if new to you, I recommend starting with their first, and progressing -- if your interest holds -- chronologically through the rest.
Indeed, concerning Falco! Gurn sent me Silver Pigs and I enjoyed it a lot. I need to get going on that series down the road. And I also have enjoyed the first few Sjowall/Wahloo books. I really like the "grind" of the day in and day out of their police work.
Sjöwall/Wahlöö are more than mere crime mysteries. Like Sayers' Lord Wimsey stories give a picture of 1920s-30s Britain and her attitudes (both Christian and feminist) sometimes obviously influence the stories, Sjöwall/Wahlöö show the 60s and 70s from the viewpoint of (Euro-)communists.
They called the whole 10 volumes "Story of a Crime" and the "crime" referred to is the social democratic, progressive Sweden of the time that despite welfare state etc. fails to build a truly human society. Regardless of whether one believes that communism would do better or if the conditio humana is just so crooked that any society will be twisted in many ways, this attitude gives the books a special "charme". I should re-read one of them.
Quote from: Bogey on January 31, 2016, 05:13:34 AM
Well, my the second Connelly novel does not arrive until Tuesday, so I am going to give this one a whirl. I believe ave from MN gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Never have tried Patterson, so here goes:
(http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330119158l/231623.jpg)
Probably my least favorite mystery writer of all time. He gets DC locations so wrong -- or at least, he
got them so wrong back when I was reading the Alex Cross series in the 1990s -- that I couldn't take anything else he wrote seriously. Besides, he writes in treatment style. It's the closest thing to reading screenplays I know of.
Quote from: Jay F on January 31, 2016, 12:04:14 PM
Probably my least favorite mystery writer of all time. He gets DC locations so wrong -- or at least, he got them so wrong back when I was reading the Alex Cross series in the 1990s -- that I couldn't take anything else he wrote seriously. Besides, he writes in treatment style. It's the closest thing to reading screenplays I know of.
Well, 100 pages in and I am enjoying it so far. I am not super familiar with the DC area, so that has not come into play for me. The only complaint is that he does not seem to flesh out his characters enough for me, like in Bosch, or for that matter, Jack Reacher. That is, the characters in the above so far are rarely presented within a time frame outside of the crime.
Quote from: Bogey on January 31, 2016, 02:00:45 PM
Well, 100 pages in and I am enjoying it so far. I am not super familiar with the DC area, so that has not come into play for me. The only complaint is that he does not seem to flesh out his characters enough for me, like in Bosch, or for that matter, Jack Reacher. That is, the characters in the above so far are rarely presented within a time frame outside of the crime.
He is nothing like Connelly. He is the anti-Connelly, if you like lots of detail in such aspects of storytelling as location or character. He is to Connelly what
CSI was to
Homicide: Life on the Street or
The Wire.
Quote from: Jay F on January 31, 2016, 02:33:29 PM
He is nothing like Connelly. He is the anti-Connelly, if you like lots of detail in such aspects of storytelling as location or character. He is to Connelly what CSI was to Homicide: Life on the Street or The Wire.
No, I'm definitely seeing the difference between the two. The likes of (at least in recent times) Connelly and Henning Mankell are at a level all their own for me. The Reacher stuff, as I felt, is even more developed (and I would throw Sanford's stuff in this ballpark as well). I hit page 124 and Patterson lost me a bit when he took Cross out of DC. So, I hope he circles around and does not get too far fetched.
Quote from: Bogey on January 31, 2016, 03:31:17 PM
No, I'm definitely seeing the difference between the two. The likes of (at least in recent times) Connelly and Henning Mankell are at a level all their own for me. The Reacher stuff, as I felt, is even more developed (and I would throw Sanford's stuff in this ballpark as well). I hit page 124 and Patterson lost me a bit when he took Cross out of DC. So, I hope he circles around and does not get too far fetched.
Thanks, Bill - I've just ordered the first book in the Kurt Wallander series,
Faceless Killers. I hope I like Henning Mankell too.
Quote from: Jay F on January 31, 2016, 09:07:31 PM
Thanks, Bill - I've just ordered the first book in the Kurt Wallander series, Faceless Killers. I hope I like Henning Mankell too.
Hey, you are always giving us great leads on music and other cool things, so a pleasure.
Bosch fans:
Looks like there will be a Season 2 of Bosch on Amazon. I enjoyed the first one. (Yes, not the books, but hey....)
http://www.michaelconnelly.com/
Under way:
(https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1434504762l/6289375.jpg)
Ashley Bell by Koontz was pretty good, surprisingly enough. Bit of the supernatural there though; I think there's a separate thread for that stuff.
I will take John Connolly over Michael Connelly. :D
Quote from: Bogey on February 01, 2016, 02:43:48 PM
Hey, you are always giving us great leads on music and other cool things, so a pleasure.
Hey, Bill.
I just finished my first Kurt Wallander, and I liked it. I've ordered the second,
The Dogs of Riga, which I'll read as soon as I finish some other books in my Kindle. One you may like is
The Madagaskar Plan, speculative "What if WWII had gone differently?" fiction. Lots of bullets and battles, too many of which make my eyes glaze over, and lots of Nazis using the original N-word, which is jarringly anachronistic, but there's a good story underneath these trappings, including what looks like a romantic happily-ever-after tale.
[asin]0805095950[/asin]
You all probably have read them already but among the best "alternative Nazi history" novels are Robert Harris: Fatherland and Stephen Fry: Making History.
Quote from: Jo498 on February 16, 2016, 01:21:05 PM
You all probably have read them already but among the best "alternative Nazi history" novels are Robert Harris: Fatherland and Stephen Fry: Making History.
I read
Fatherland some time ago, and think I saw the (TV?) movie. I ordered
Making History. Thank you.
🗓what do you think of this Italian version of "Spider's web" by Agatha Christie?Are the performances, the actors and the scenography satisfactory?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXuj2edoT94
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on July 06, 2014, 02:32:45 PMDude, Michael Connelly is the finest author today. I have every one of the Harry Bosch books and have read them several times each; no worries, it won't be dirty cops. The thing about Bosch is him, he is so noir. The depth of the mystery is one thing, the overall mood is something else again. Just this afternoon I finished rereading the first book in another series by Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer.
[asin]B000FCKG1G[/asin]
After you are done with Bosch, try Haller. :)
8)
This is a blast from the past. I still read Connelly. But after twenty or so books I way slowed down. Read Bosch and Lincoln Lawyer series along with Blood Work and the sequel.
After a 70 year run in the West End, Agatha Christie's play The Mousetrap has made it to Broadway.
I'm surprised that no one started this before: not MN Dave, or perhaps Utah Bill or myself. This is for mysteries and thrillers of any media, but I think TV and movies are already covered well in their threads... but novels are not.
I started reading Tony Hillerman. I began with Dance Hall of the Dead. Joe Leaphorn has an excellent eye for detail, on par with Sherlock Holmes. But he doesn't always catch the killer fast enough! I needed to use an interlibrary loan to get the first novel The Blessing Way, which finally came in, and I'm reading it now. The interesting thing about Hillerman's mysteries is (a) the setting (New Mexico) and (b) the exploration of Native American culture.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81paYtTdBNL._UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg)
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTBsymz6WuoHw1uy4ycJ84GEKMNN_gG7tNrAw&s)
I didn't care for the first Gray Man novel by Mark Greaney, but I finally gave him a second chance with the sequel On Target, which is a way better novel. It has a Black Hawk Down type of scenario, and it was an exciting page-turner. I will be reading more Greaney novels.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81msFk8+gAL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg)
What mysteries and thrillers are you reading?
Boy, I haven't read a mystery novel in ages! I did borrow an Agatha Christie DVD recently. Read many of her books years ago. :) Watching a bunch of the Midsummer series too.
Looking forward to hearing what others here say that they are enjoying.
PD
I liked the mystery novels of the Spanish Arturo Perez Reverte. They belong to the "intellectual" subset of the genre* and are not bad, although their finale (to borrow a musical term) is rather anticlimactic. They are well written, agreeable and don't stretch credulity too far --- what more could you ask for, considering the genre?
* the one which Umberto Eco is the undisputed and indisputable master of, what with The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum
And talking of thrillers, there's another Spaniard whose novels I liked: Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Much more "gothic" than Reverte's but equally well written and agreeable, considering the genre.
Within the confines of the genres, I heartily recommend these two writers.
Coincidentally, I just started A Diary Found at Lynchburg this week. Reading is slow going for me currently, since I now am on a 14-hour work schedule, so I get to it in extremely small bites.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61F+x12AyfL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg) (https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/613zgO2uypL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg)
Otherwise, my wife is the voracious reader of the family, who recently finished reading all of Agatha Christie's Poirot books from the pictured series below. I think I have only read Ten Little Indians / And Then There Were None from Christie.
VS
(https://fromourbookshelf.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Hercule-Poirot-Books-by-Agatha-Christie.jpeg)
I would have bet that there was already a similar thread, maybe with a different title. Or was that in general "reading" thread?
Quote from: Florestan on September 28, 2024, 11:06:48 AMI liked the mystery novels of the Spanish Arturo Perez Reverte. They belong to the "intellectual" subset of the genre* and are not bad, although their finale (to borrow a musical term) is rather anticlimactic. They are well written, agreeable and don't stretch credulity too far --- what more could you ask for, considering the genre?
* the one which Umberto Eco is the undisputed and indisputable master of, what with The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum
And talking of thrillers, there's another Spaniard whose novels I liked: Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Much more "gothic" than Reverte's but equally well written and agreeable, considering the genre.
Within the confines of the genres, I heartily recommend these two writers.
The Name of the Rose is a wonderful novel (and movie too with the late great Sean Connery).
Quote from: VonStupp on September 28, 2024, 11:20:49 AMI just started A Diary Found at Lynchburg this week. Reading is slow going for me currently, since I now am on a 14-hour work schedule, so I get to it in extremely small bites.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61F+x12AyfL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg) (https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/613zgO2uypL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg)
Otherwise, my wife is the voracious reader of the family, who recently finished reading all of Agatha Christie's Poirot books from the pictured series below. I think I have only read Ten Little Indians / And Then There Were None from Christie.
VS
(https://fromourbookshelf.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Hercule-Poirot-Books-by-Agatha-Christie.jpeg)
And, like your wife, my intention is/was to check out the DVDs of Poirot and David Suchet. :)
K
I am also a fan of the Tony Hillerman books. Some other favorites are the Cadfael series by Ellis Peters, the Morse books by Colin Dexter; the Dalgleish mysteries by PD James; Ruth Rendell; Ann Cleeves "Vera" series. (I also am a fan of the tv productions, although prefer the books.)
I generally read British mysteries more than the US variety, although I used to read Chandler, Elmore Leonard, and others a lot.
I go on spurts, reading a bunch of mystery novels and then none for months, or even years. I am currently in a binge of PD James, and may continue after I've finsihed her Dalgleish books.
Good fun.
Quote from: Florestan on September 28, 2024, 11:06:48 AM* the one which Umberto Eco is the undisputed and indisputable master of, what with The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum
I recently picked up
The Name of the Rose at a used bookstore, not knowing anything about it but thinking that the premise was interesting. I like discovering gems in bookstores. This is the copy I bought, a nice old mass-market paperback (they age better than people think):
(https://www.bibliotecadibabele.com/upload/files/catalogo/KEB0874.jpg)
Quote from: Jo498 on September 28, 2024, 11:26:04 AMI would have bet that there was already a similar thread, maybe with a different title. Or was that in general "reading" thread?
I thought so as well, but the search didn't find it. I even tried Google. No joy, but I found the SF, fantasy, horror thread. Maybe it was in the forum pre-crash? It is nice to know that I'm not losing my mind!
Might have been within the general reading
Quote from: DavidW on September 28, 2024, 12:38:04 PMI thought so as well, but the search didn't find it. I even tried Google. No joy, but I found the SF, fantasy, horror thread. Maybe it was in the forum pre-crash? It is nice to know that I'm not losing my mind!
https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,23365.0.html
Quote from: San Antone on September 28, 2024, 12:29:00 PMI am also a fan of the Tony Hillerman books. Some other favorites are the Cadfael series by Ellis Peters, the Morse books by Colin Dexter; the Dalgleish mysteries by PD James; Ruth Rendell; Ann Cleeves "Vera" series. (I also am a fan of the tv productions, although prefer the books.)
I generally read British mysteries more than the US variety, although I used to read Chandler, Elmore Leonard, and others a lot.
I go on spurts, reading a bunch of mystery novels and then none for months, or even years. I am currently in a binge of PD James, and may continue after I've finsihed her Dalgleish books.
Good fun.
Really enjoyed the Colin Dexter books (plus also the t.v. series).
K
I read a lot of Nordic Noir novels, and two favorite authors are Lars Kepler (actually a husband and wife team) and Jo Nesbo. Neither author is for the faint of heart!
Quote from: Jo498 on September 28, 2024, 01:09:50 PMhttps://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,23365.0.html
Ah, you found it... and I started it! Alright, I will merge the threads.
This is one of the most disturbing yet compelling serial killer novels I have read (It's the first in a trilogy). There's a scene near the end that I wish I could un-read...
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1hOBrm3CML._SL500_.jpg)
This is also compelling but a lost less disturbing!
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Rh8LGaAIL._SL500_.jpg)
This thread has gotten me to look around my Kindle to see what other authors I remember liking:
Michael Connelly
Craig Johnson
James Lee Burke
Nic Pizzolatto
As for Michael Connelly, I like the early novels more than the recent ones. When he switched to cold cases, the novels slowly became dull. It reached a point where I felt like I was just reading about someone carrying on with a routine job. Connelly can't carry cold cases like Val McDermid can.
I tend to prefer "mystery" to whatever passes for "thrillers". The last such book I just read was fairly bad "Written in Bone" by Simon Beckett. He is incredibly popular in Germany but I am not going to read another book of his. Poor writing (show AND tell all the time, mostly cardboard characters, including the narrator, infodumps as all the author's pathology/forensic details are of course only read up, not rooted in any personal experience), mediocre pacing (300 pages very slow, almost boring but the last 50 or so have unlikely twists and revelations to make one's head spin).
Before that I read 2 of PD James; I had heard that name but never read anything by her, I believe, namely the first of Dalgliesh-Series and the first of only 2 books with a female detective ("female dick" in Rex-Stout-language when this was apparently innocuous). As I wrote in the "reading"-thread, James is a good author (unlike Beckett) but I found the first mentioned (Cover her face) too artificially constructed and implausible.
The other one might not be that more plausible in detail but has much better pacing, more excitement and was also more interesting in a portrait of ca. 1970s Cambridge between tradition and post-1960s liberation or libertinage.
I find the better mysteries often quite interesting as portraits of or at least glimpses into the society of their time. Sure, some are singularly focussed on the mystery but e.g. almost all of Sayers' Lord Peter mysteries touch on important topics of the 1920s, from the shell-shocked veterans (of which Wimsey is one) to women's emancipation, class relations, newish fields of work like advertising etc.
Some of the later Christie books are also interesting here, e.g. "Mrs McGinty is dead" has a rather funny portrayal of early 1950s rural life in Britain.
This is also a reason why I love Van Gulik's "Judge Dee Mysteries". Almost all I know about ancient China comes from these books.
Of the Hillerman series I read only one "The ghostway" (I think). Apparently it didn't fascinate me enough to seek out more but it was also interesting with the special native American setting.
Quote from: DavidW on September 29, 2024, 05:53:37 AMAs for Michael Connelly, I like the early novels more than the recent ones. When he switched to cold cases, the novels slowly became dull. It reached a point where I felt like I was just reading about someone carrying on with a routine job. Connelly can't carry cold cases like Val McDermid can.
I've only read his first three Bosch books.
Quote from: San Antone on September 29, 2024, 10:18:56 AMI've only read his first three Bosch books.
Now those are top-notch!
Quote from: Jo498 on September 29, 2024, 08:54:30 AMI tend to prefer "mystery" to whatever passes for "thrillers". The last such book I just read was fairly bad "Written in Bone" by Simon Beckett. He is incredibly popular in Germany but I am not going to read another book of his. Poor writing (show AND tell all the time, mostly cardboard characters, including the narrator, infodumps as all the author's pathology/forensic details are of course only read up, not rooted in any personal experience), mediocre pacing (300 pages very slow, almost boring but the last 50 or so have unlikely twists and revelations to make one's head spin).
Before that I read 2 of PD James; I had heard that name but never read anything by her, I believe, namely the first of Dalgliesh-Series and the first of only 2 books with a female detective ("female dick" in Rex-Stout-language when this was apparently innocuous). As I wrote in the "reading"-thread, James is a good author (unlike Beckett) but I found the first mentioned (Cover her face) too artificially constructed and implausible.
The other one might not be that more plausible in detail but has much better pacing, more excitement and was also more interesting in a portrait of ca. 1970s Cambridge between tradition and post-1960s liberation or libertinage.
I find the better mysteries often quite interesting as portraits of or at least glimpses into the society of their time. Sure, some are singularly focussed on the mystery but e.g. almost all of Sayers' Lord Peter mysteries touch on important topics of the 1920s, from the shell-shocked veterans (of which Wimsey is one) to women's emancipation, class relations, newish fields of work like advertising etc.
Some of the later Christie books are also interesting here, e.g. "Mrs McGinty is dead" has a rather funny portrayal of early 1950s rural life in Britain.
This is also a reason why I love Van Gulik's "Judge Dee Mysteries". Almost all I know about ancient China comes from these books.
Of the Hillerman series I read only one "The ghostway" (I think). Apparently it didn't fascinate me enough to seek out more but it was also interesting with the special native American setting.
I tried to read one of the Judge Dee novels. Too much of a pastiche/stereotype for me to stomach.
Barry Hughart's Bridge of Birds is as much a mystery as a fantasy, and much better in presenting details of Chinese life. The ultimate Chinese novel is Dream of the Red Chamber aka Story of the Stone, but it's not a mystery.
If you like British classic mystery, try the Gervase Fen series, by "Edmund Crispin", the pen name of British musician/composer Bruce Montgomery. (There are some references to music, but not many.) There's more than the usual amount of humor in them, sometimes almost to the point of parody (for instance a character who owns a pet raven but is completely ignorant of Poe's poem).
ETA: I forgot that one of the Fen novels, Swan Song, centers on a production of Die Meistersinger soon after WWII.
Quote from: San Antone on September 29, 2024, 10:18:56 AMI've only read his first three Bosch books.
Quote from: DavidW on September 29, 2024, 01:16:46 PMNow those are top-notch!
Which ones are they and when were they published?
K
Quote from: VonStupp on September 28, 2024, 11:20:49 AMCoincidentally, I just started A Diary Found at Lynchburg this week. Reading is slow going for me currently, since I now am on a 14-hour work schedule, so I get to it in extremely small bites.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61F+x12AyfL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg) (https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/613zgO2uypL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg)
Thank you for the support! 8)
Quote from: Kalevala on September 29, 2024, 03:56:51 PMWhich ones are they and when were they published?
K
The Black Echo,
The Black Ice, and
The Concrete Blonde. 1992-1994
Quote from: DavidW on September 29, 2024, 04:46:23 PMThe Black Echo, The Black Ice, and The Concrete Blonde. 1992-1994
Thanks. I'll look into them.
K
Quote from: JBS on September 29, 2024, 03:11:00 PMI tried to read one of the Judge Dee novels. Too much of a pastiche/stereotype for me to stomach.
Van Gulik was a recognized scholar of Chinese who later spent decades in East Asia as a diplomat. He first translated an original 17th century novel about Judge Dee and then began writing his own, mixing in traditional influences.
I don't think you can accuse him of stereotyping in a bad way (stereotypes are obviously part of the genre, also in Western mysteries, like having a "Watson" character who is a bit duller than the average reader). Stereotypes are also usually correct:
https://spsp.org/news-center/character-context-blog/stereotype-accuracy-one-largest-and-most-replicable-effects-all
Van Gulik covers several aspects of Chinese culture (e.g. conflicts of Buddhism vs. Confucianism) and sticks to certain rules of the genre (e.g. all the longer novels have 3 cases that can be parallel or interwoven) and Dee's "team" with eventually 4 very different assistants.
Quote from: Cato on September 29, 2024, 04:33:06 PMThank you for the support! 8)
No, no... thank you for the yarn. Storytelling is something I was never good at, so I greatly admire those who can cohere a world of their own to blank paper. Same for composing music and other art which is created from the mind and set on canvas, or staff paper, or some such empty space.
Just finished the first part while walking around the compound this afternoon, and should pick it up next on Thursday.
VS
For those of you just trying out the Poirot shows/movies from David Suchet: I envy you! They're so delightful, and I wish I could watch them again for the first time. ;D
Suchet reads a lot of the audiobooks, too. (Some others are read by High Fraser, who plays Hastings on the Suchet shows, and he's a terrific reader, too.)
I also enjoy the Ustinov films (Evil Under the Sun is a personal favorite). I feel like the three Branagh ones get progressively weaker, but his Orient Express was good for me, and I always like his performance as Poirot.
Quote from: NumberSix on October 08, 2024, 08:58:59 PMFor those of you just trying out the Poirot shows/movies from David Suchet: I envy you! They're so delightful, and I wish I could watch them again for the first time. ;D
Suchet reads a lot of the audiobooks, too. (Some others are read by High Fraser, who plays Hastings on the Suchet shows, and he's a terrific reader, too.)
I also enjoy the Ustinov films (Evil Under the Sun is a personal favorite). I feel like the three Branagh ones get progressively weaker, but his Orient Express was good for me, and I always like his performance as Poirot.
IMHO better Poirot was Finney ,Ustinov surely valid but too much nice in comparison with novel
Quote from: Roy Bland on October 12, 2024, 07:33:20 AMIMHO better Poirot was Finney ,Ustinov surely valid but too much nice in comparison with novel
I like that film very much, of course. 8)
Once you have seen David Suchet, everyone else feels wrong. So you just have to enjoy what they bring to the table.
Except John Malkovich, whose performance I can't stand!
Quote from: NumberSix on October 12, 2024, 07:43:18 AMI like that film very much, of course. 8)
Once you have seen David Suchet, everyone else feels wrong. So you just have to enjoy what they bring to the table.
Except John Malkovich, whose performance I can't stand!
Certainly Suchet's interpretation is excellent and also the setting and the ITV reconstructions are excellent. I was referring to how Poirot is portrayed as a character by Christie.Sometimes a non-slavish cinematic reconstruction can be better than the original novel (Ripley's game by Wenders is superion in comparison with Highsmits's novel) .
Quote from: Roy Bland on October 12, 2024, 06:58:01 PMCertainly Suchet's interpretation is excellent and also the setting and the ITV reconstructions are excellent. I was referring to how Poirot is portrayed as a character by Christie.Sometimes a non-slavish cinematic reconstruction can be better than the original novel (American Friend by Wenders is superion in comparison with Highsmits's novel) .
Good points.
I was trying to say - poorly - that I enjoy Ustinov, Finney, and Branagh as the character.