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Original poster

Crime fiction fans

95 replies

elkiedee · 10/07/2007 00:49

Calling fans of crime fiction - what have you read recently, any books or authors you'd recommend or warn people against?

OP posts:
thequeenofcontradiction · 10/07/2007 11:49

I have recently liked:

The Stranger House by Reginald Hill

Triptych by Karin Slaughter

The new ones by Susan Hill (can't remember the titles but she has a new detective called Simon Serrailer)

I also really like Dennis Lehane.

Lolly68 · 10/07/2007 11:40

Karin Slaughter
Tess Gerritsen (has a series set around a detective called Jane Rizzoli) but also does lots of standalone ones.
Craig Russell
Mark Billingham
Simon Kernick

Just reading a new author at the moment Karen Rose. Very good.

eidsvold · 10/07/2007 11:13

another one for patricia cornwell

sujata Maseey - I just read the first one the other day but have returned it to the library. Having said that read them out of order anyway.

Think it is the salaryman's wife from memory.

just finished:

The Blue Zone by andrew Gross - he has co-authored with James patterson.

Have also read Karin Slaughter - very good.

expatinscotland · 10/07/2007 10:21

I started with 'The Falls', Ik. EXCELLENT. So was 'Resurrection Men'.

Iklboo · 10/07/2007 10:14

What's the best Rankin one to start with? I've got nothing to read at the moment

WinnieThePooh · 10/07/2007 10:14

Another vote for Iain Rankin and Kathy Reichs.

I also like Patricia Cornwell, but not seen anything new from her for a while.

expatinscotland · 10/07/2007 10:08

Apparently, he's going to give Rebus a rest for a while and work on some other things he'd been wanting to write.

He was contracted to do a set number of books about Rebus and will be retiring him, although he's stated publicly that he may do another book about him in the future.

Iklboo · 10/07/2007 10:05

Mark Billingham & Sue Graftton are both good

MyEye · 10/07/2007 10:04

Martin Beck series by Sjowall and Wahloo
Swedish police procedurals written in 60s/70s
Roseanna is the first

I must get hold of the Sujata Massey ones which are constantly recommended on MN -- which one should you start with?

bossykate · 10/07/2007 09:54

have just discovered michael connelly and am addicted. love ian rankin. also the shardlake series from cj sansom.

saltireslytherin · 10/07/2007 09:52

I do wonder if Rankin will continue writing about rebus, even after the character has reitred.
He could have Rebus propping up the bar in some pub down Leith and Siobhan meeting him there asking for advice!

expatinscotland · 10/07/2007 09:50

Ian Rankin. The books just keep getting better and better.

Kate Atkinson. 'Case Histories' and 'One Good Turn' excellent.

saltireslytherin · 10/07/2007 09:48

Ian Rankin - have all of them

also Karin Slaughter, her books are great, she has 4 that are set round an ME's office in Atlanta and she recently did a stand alone one called Triptych, which was fab.

Charlee · 10/07/2007 09:46

James Patterson's books are fab! HIghly recomended

Original poster
elkiedee · 10/07/2007 09:43

I also like several of the authors mentioned here including

  • Sujata Massey's series about a Japanese-American woman who has gone to live in Japan, Rei Shimura

  • Ian Rankin - other Scottish writers I like include Paul Johnston - Edinburgh in the near future and Greece (2 different series), Manda Scott's Kellen Stewart trilogy starting with Hen's Teeth, and Denise Mina (Glasgow)

  • Arnaldur Indriason. Another Scandinavian writer I really like is Karin Fossum (I think she's Norwegian)

  • Australia - I enjoyed Gary Disher's first book and have The Broken Shore and several Peter Corris books to try. I also really like Shane Maloney's series featuring a rather cynical political activist (Labour Party) in Melbourne

OP posts:
eidsvold · 10/07/2007 07:18

another vote for Rankin

Kathy Reichs

Sidonie · 10/07/2007 05:19

At the moment I have a thing for novels with a Scottish setting and I have really enjoyed Aline Templeton's books set in Galloway. I also enjoyed Ann Cleeves book "Raven Black " set in the Shetland Islands. Other Northern European books I have enjoyed are "Silence of the Grave" by Icelander Arnaldur Indriason and "The Return of the Dance Master" by Henning Mankell (Sweden).

For books set here in Australia if you liked the "Broken Shore" by Peter Temple (winner of the 2007 Gold Dagger Award) I really recommend books by Garry Disher set on the Mornington Peninsular near Melbourne. Peter Corris's Cliff Hardy series mostly set in Sydney are a quick read.

alipiggie · 10/07/2007 04:39

Stephen White books about Alan Gregory. Excellent series about a psychotherapist who assists the police. Also the Ian Rankin books. For a more supernatural crime thriller try the James Rollins Sigma Force books. His new one just released over her in the USA "The Judas Strain" is amazing.

eidsvold · 10/07/2007 04:27

James patterson

faye and jonathon kellerman

harlan corben

michael connelly

richard north patterson - more john grisham style sort of.

Michael Robotham - very good - night ferry it was called - just finished reading it.

female main characters - Mary Higgins Clark and her daughter - Carol Higgins Clark - good for light read.

Sujata Massey - mostly set in Japan with female lead character - very good.

Original poster
elkiedee · 10/07/2007 00:51

I've been rereading/reading Andrew Taylor's Lydmouth books set in a small English town in the 1950s. The main characters are a police detective and a journalist. He's an excellent writer who has since become much better known with The American Boy, but I prefer these.

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