Going to library...recommendations needed....like crime and private investigator stuff

Fred Vargas.
She's really, really good.

Tess Geritsen books are great ... as well as James Patterson, Richard North Patterson, Kathy Reichs etc .... all worth a try!

Read the Dexter books

sorry - just scanned so I may be repeating. In my experience almost every librarian loves crime novels. I'm a librarian so I know! If in doubt ask them, they always know the good stuff.

and since I haven't seen it recommended but I think they're absolutely fab and I'm in love with the main squeeze, anything by Marcia Muller. They're brilliant crime novels, the main character is flawed but wonderful, the boyfriend, well . Do try them, but preferably in order or you miss the love story developing.

I love all this stuff and have recently discovered Karen Rose They had a 2 pack of her books in Tesco for £3.98 and I have enjoyed Die For Me' - although I have about 30 pages to read of it so noone spoil the end for me

Incidentally my friend has just called her new baby boy Harlan... - now that's what i call a fan, noone else knew where she had got the name!

Oh I know what you mean about the annoying guitar repairing Girlfriend in the Johnathan Kellerman books, I feel the same way about the helicopter flying, high IQ niece in Patricia Cornwalls Scarpetta books...grinds teeth in annoyance

Im still working through the Harlen Coben set but I have to space them out as I get so engrossed my family get annoyed

Im going to have to save this thread so I can work my way through the authors I have missed

Isn't it funny? I can't get along with Janet E AT ALL. Or Val McD. Just don't like them.

Love Henning Mankell. Read the entire series one summer in order from the library. Got totally engrossed. Some of them are very dark and depressing.

Love Rebus/Robinson/Coben (esp Myron Bolitar) and some (not all) Carl Hiaasen (more satirical). Would second the Kate Atkinson recommendation and would also suggest William Boyd's Restless (though a spy story) for pure readability.

On the spy note, some of the old Graham Greene's are fabulous and obviously Le Carre if you find you develop a spy liking!

cocolepew I am so glad you have enjoyed Janet E!!! I adore her books - not exactly literary masterpieces but my god they are funny!

I was gutted when I finished the most recent Plum one, so I started again from number one

Anyone who likes Christopher Brookmyre might like Colin Bateman. Perhaps not quite so clever but certainly as funny and a very quick read.

I've got lots from looking at this thread - thanks!

Another one for the pot, I've recently discovered Lisa Gardner.

Vixma - click on the title of the area you want to start a thread in : chat, adult fiction or whatever - and it will come up with a highlighted "to start a new thread, go here. Click on the here and off you go.

Lots of good recommendations here, am about to crack open the new Harlen Coben (not Myron though, boo.)

Just finished a Minette Walters, The Chameleon's Shadow (or something like that) - unputdownable but with a bit of a duff ending imo.

Has no one mentioned Mo Hayder? Her last one was excellent, and I have just realised I used to know her!

what about US crime writers?

I'll read anything by Elmore Leonard, Walter Moseley, also loved LA Confidential by James Ellroy, though it took some getting into - but well worth it.

I am so sorry to impose, but how do you start a new thread?

Sidge recommended Janet Evanovich to me on an earlier thread. I have just finished the last Stephanie Plum book and I'm gutted. Very,very funny.

Yay, someone else who's heard of him! Bad Chili is ace...I really want to read the whole Hap and Leonard series (yet another thing on my maternity leave activities list).

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Here's one that no one ever mentions: Joe Lansdale. A fascinating and very funny man who writes brilliant crime fiction set in East Texas. Laconic, hilarious, violent and disturbing.

Oh yes Pruners - just read my first Indridarsson - loved it

Great hints on this thread

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I would have to recomend Janet Evanovich cos she is bloody funny x

Oooh, yes Mark Billingham good. Also Denise Mina.
Stieg Larsson's the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was brilliant. Awesome. Alas still waiting for the remaining two to be published, and he died after writing them, so only 3 in the series. Very sad, because he was an excellent author.

And would third the recommendation for Christopher Brookmyre, he is seriously good and funny too, I read one of his (All fun and games) and went out and sought all of his work. He's hit and miss but some of his novels are just genius.

I would recommend Dennis Lehane, he has a series of books set in boston featuring detectives angie and patrick, they are great. Also more UK based Mark Billingham has a series with detective Thorne which are also really good. As a standalone I would say Messiah by Boris Starling, haven't read any of his other stuff, but this one book is really really good.

Oh, yes, definitely Christopher Brookmyre (one of my favourite authors ever). COuntry of the Blind is brilliant - in fact they are all brilliant, very funny, very violent and a really sound outlook as well.

Haven't read Jonathon Kellerman, but have read a couple by Faye Kellerman and though they were OK...

Janet Evanovich is good, but start at the start of the Stephanie Plum novels, not so impressed with 'Metro Girl' etc.

Joyce Holm (I think)- Fizz and Buchanan books set in Edinburgh - very good.