Mysteries/Thrillers

[Deleted]

I love the whole spectrum of mystery/thrillers, from talking cats and quilting circles to hard boiled to spy thrillers to serial killers. I've recently gotten into John Sandford's Prey series, which I really like--I'm currently reading Hidden Prey, about a rogue band of still-functioning Soviet-era Russian spies in Northern Minnesota. Any other recommendations for books like these?

Not exactly police procedurals but I read every one that comes out...the Dave Robicheaux novels by James Lee Burke. You get your hard boiled in spades and then Burke will toss in a paragraph describing something or other down Louisiana way and it's poetry.

[Mouse]

I have to give a shout out for my favorite mystery writer and series character of all time...Marcia Muller and her Sharon McCone books. Muller can plot like a muthafucka and Sharon McCone's one of the most down-to-earth fictional detectives in all crime fiction. I'd be scared shitless by VI Warshawski and perhaps put off by the chip on Kinsey Millhone's shoulder. But Sharon's the kinda gal I just want to sit down with for a beer...and I don't even like beer.

[littleblacksheep]

For all John Connolly fans out there, he was on a morning tv show here being interviewed about his new book (not a crime one), but did mention that last night he dotted the 'i's and crossed the 't's on his new Charlie Parker book. It will be out next May and is called 'The Unquiet'.

[girlnamedcarl]

Yeaaaaa!!

Also: I'm not sure if it counts as a mystery/thriller, but I just finished listening to "The Night Listener," written and read by Armistead Maupin, and I just wanted to smack him by the end of it. Gaaaah! I wanted some spooky chills, not some sentimental gawp, you self-indulgent wanker!!

Plus: As I've said on my blog, abridged versions of mysteries are an abomination upon the world. Especially Elizabeth George mysteries. I just know I missed a ton of interesting stuff in "Playing for the Ashes." Grumble snarf...

[Deleted]

mouse said:

I have to give a shout out for my favorite mystery writer and series character of all time...Marcia Muller and her Sharon McCone books. Muller can plot like a muthafucka and Sharon McCone's one of the most down-to-earth fictional detectives in all crime fiction. I'd be scared shitless by VI Warshawski and perhaps put off by the chip on Kinsey Millhone's shoulder. But Sharon's the kinda gal I just want to sit down with for a beer...and I don't even like beer.

I agree (except I do like beer!) One of the things that I've liked about Marcia Muller and Sara Paretsky (as opposed to Sue Grafton) is that she's brought Sharon from her hippy-dippy days as an investigator for a liberal law firm all the way to running her own agency in the present day. I understand Grafton's reasoning that, in her head, Kinsey Milhone's cases take place several months apart, so that, for Kinsey, it's still 1988 or whenever, but I find it jarring to read about Kinsey in the past, as it were. Although I guess if Kinsey aged like the rest of us, so would Henry, but even then, he'd still be alive, just 100 years old like the rest of his family.

[Deleted]

I love the Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child mystery/thriller series starring a certain platinum-haired FBI agent. Though others may disagree, I must say that he's one of the most well-developed, rounded character I've read. The Cabinet of Curiosities was great, and so was Still Life with Crows. I'm not feeling the love towards the more recent ones though-probably has something to do with the fact that he has a love interest totally out of the blue, who is annoying, highly pretentious, and utterly useless by the damsel-in-distress-cliche way.

No, I'm most certainly not a fangirl, what are you talking about? ;D

[kafka]

Anyone here a fan of Vince Flynn?

In my mind, he's more "suspense" or "espionage" than "mystery/Thriller" in terms of genre, but, either way, he's a great writer. Or he was. I finished his Act of Treason (the 7th or 8th book in the Mitch Rapp series) this morning and I still can't make up my mind what I think.

I absolutely ADORED the first one, and was only slightly less passionate about the subsequent 3, but the last two.... eh. <shrug> I wasn't a fan. The brand-new "Act of Treason" (it came out last month) perplexes me. It was more of a return to the general thematic style which made Vince Flynn such a big star in the espionage genre. It was more interesting than the last two books.

But it was still rather boring. And not just in comparison to Flynn's normal standard of writing; it was boring even as compared to writers who are normally less qualified than Flynn. It was also terribly stale and almost caricaturishly stereotypical in some of the character or plot aspects. And, my God, this was actually *better* than his last 2 books!!!

I have the sinking feeling Flynn has joined the ranks of other authors who have made it to the big time, only to become lazy and rely on a tried-and-true-but-eventually-really-really-old formula. I think I'm also reluctant to admit how bad one of my favorite action/spy/suspense authors has become but he has. It's so disappointing.

[monkey]

I enjoyed the Prey series by Sanford...particularly Lucas Davenport. Very good beach reading.

For my next plane ride I plan to take a Frederick Forsyth along. I started The Day of the Jackal over the summer, but put it aside in favor of assigned reading.

[kafka]

monkey said:

I enjoyed the Prey series by Sanford...particularly Lucas Davenport. Very good beach reading.

That's a great, GREAT series, Monkey. Well, until the last 3 books. Davenport is damn sexy, and the books are in the top 5 of the serial killer genre.

For my next plane ride I plan to take a Frederick Forsyth along. I started The Day of the Jackal over the summer, but put it aside in favor of assigned reading.

Oh, I *LOVE* Frederick Forsythe. Without exaggeration, or my usual intense hyperbole, he is one of my top 3 favorite action/suspense/espionage writers of ALL time. And probably one of my top 10 light fiction writers EVER. You have no idea how much I worship that man, talk about his books to my friends, and just basically worship at his toenails.

And, trust me, Day of the Jackal is far from being his only amazing, good book.

If you end up liking that book, I'd also recommend "The Devil's Alternative" and "The Fourth Protocol," also by Forsythe. In terms of his newer books, I'd go straight for "Icon." A very clever literary manipulation of the conflicts in post-Soviet Russian politics, and the nightmarish situation which ensued, resulting in a riveting book.

[monkey]

kafka said:

monkey said:

I enjoyed the Prey series by Sanford...particularly Lucas Davenport. Very good beach reading.

That's a great, GREAT series, Monkey. Well, until the last 3 books. Davenport is damn sexy, and the books are in the top 5 of the serial killer genre.

For my next plane ride I plan to take a Frederick Forsyth along. I started The Day of the Jackal over the summer, but put it aside in favor of assigned reading.

Oh, I *LOVE* Frederick Forsythe. Without exaggeration, or my usual intense hyperbole, he is one of my top 3 favorite action/suspense/espionage writers of ALL time. And probably one of my top 10 light fiction writers EVER. You have no idea how much I worship that man, talk about his books to my friends, and just basically worship at his toenails.

And, trust me, Day of the Jackal is far from being his only amazing, good book.

If you end up liking that book, I'd also recommend "The Devil's Alternative" and "The Fourth Protocol," also by Forsythe. In terms of his newer books, I'd go straight for "Icon." A very clever literary manipulation of the conflicts in post-Soviet Russian politics, and the nightmarish situation which ensued, resulting in a riveting book.

Oh, excellent! Other than his detective abilities, I loved the personal, eventually rather domesticated side of Davenport's character - he reminded me a little of Jack Ryan at his best.

I think Icon is on my dad's shelves (where I get most of my mysteries/thrillers/biographies/histories). The post-Soviet Russia plots sound very interesting.