Mysteries/Thrillers

[biondetta]

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.

I second all of this. I LOVE The Day of the Jackal and really, any Forsythe book is a winner for me. Every few years I'll go on a Forsythe bender and reread a bunch of his books. Always enjoyable.

[Deleted]

kafka said:

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.

I love Vince Flynn and can happily say I have never found any of his books boring. I mentioned somewhere else that Mitch Rapp is my dream man and he looks like Eric Bana in my mind lol. I can't wait for the next one. Already pre-ordered it.

[Deleted]

I've just started The Little Drummer Girl by John le Carre. I don't think I've actually read any of his books before; the weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal always picks some sort of genre or book theme and lists a top five pick of books in the category; I've found some good books this way, especially since the ones chosen aren't necessarily recent ones that I would have come across on my own. This past week they were recommending terrorist thrillers and this was one of the picks. Another one that sounded good was Deep Secret by Nevil Shute, but it wasn't in the library when I went today. I liked the sound of that one also, so I'm going to try and track it down.
BTW, they also recommend one by Forsyth, but I don't remember the title!

[kafka]

barrett said:

I love Vince Flynn and can happily say I have never found any of his books boring. I mentioned somewhere else that Mitch Rapp is my dream man and he looks like Eric Bana in my mind lol.

I've always imagined him as Clive Owen. ;D

As for Le Carré, my shameful confession is that I've never been able to get into him and think he's over-rated. I know that's heresy for many fans of the espionage genre, so I'll show myself out now.

[muddywant]

I love mysteries; they're the only kind of fiction I read. P.D. James (my favorite) once said in an interview that the reason the genre is so popular is that at its best it reaffirms the existence of a rational universe where problems are solved through the application of logic and human intelligence rather than the supernatural. I love that. Anyone else read Lawrence Block? The early ones are best ("A Dance at the Slaughterhouse" especially). If you read him more or less in order you get a fascinating glimpse of the way New York has changed over the years. At the other side of the spectrum is Sarah Caudwell, who also wrote only four or five mysteries before succumbing to (I believe) lung cancer. The tone is a bit contrived sometimes but the puzzles themselves are first rate, and as a bonus Gorey designed the covers!

[biondetta]

I think Kafka is my mystery/thriller genre twin. I've read some of Le Carre' but just haven't enjoyed his stuff as much as other writers.

Sarah Caudwell, on the other hand, was awesome! Her style can take some getting used to, but I love it. And somehow it just seems to go perfectly with the Gorey covers. Between titles like "Thus Was Adonis Murdered" and the Gorey covers, I couldn't resist picking up her books. Then I was sucked in by the story telling. Such a shame she's not with us any more to give us more of her wonderful books.

[Ripley]

I just checked out four books by Val McDermid. Has anybody read any of her stuff? I picked up the four Tony Hill novels because I've developed a major crush on the character from watching Wire in the Blood on BBC America.

I second the love from way back of Ian Rankin. I love the character of Rebus, but I especially love how he writes Scotland and Edinburgh. TTMR & I are likely going to Scotland in May, and it is a direct result of his novels.

[kafka]

biondetta said:

I think Kafka is my mystery/thriller genre twin. I've read some of Le Carre' but just haven't enjoyed his stuff as much as other writers.

Heh. We're totally the Wonder Twins on this issue, Biondetta. I can't get over the sheer range of similarities in our favorite authors, favorite books, how we feel about various sub-genres like Vatican intrigue, Templar/historical thrillers, and so much more.

Speaking of all that, got any new books you've really liked and would recommend? And have you ever read any David Morrell?

[muddywant]

biondetta , where do you come down on the male/female debate? is hilary tamar a man or a woman? argument for woman: so was the author. argument for man: the female version of the name would be more likely to be spelled "hillary." not sure if that applies to the brits, though.

ripley, my boyfriend and i lived in scotland for a year, and when i read rankin it brought it all back: beautiful but slightly tattered and drunken -- just how i remember it.

[kanding]

I really can't recommend Out by Natsuo Kirino enough. I read this a few years ago when it first came out and it still stands out as one of the best and most memorable books I've read since 2000.

It's a thriller with real meat to it. The group of women who work at a local lunch-packing factory are original and real although often unsympathetic, and the social commentary is bleak but laced with dark humor. And while you follow the protagonist, you are deeply, deeply disturbed by her bonding with most unlikely character.

Really an amazing book. It's different from any other mystery or thriller I've ever read.