The author who won't let you down

[pippinandtog]

Which author's books would you buy unreservedly, knowing that you will definitely enjoy ?
My choice would be Deborah Moggach.

Claire Allan. Her books get better and better.

Marian Keyes, I have re-read every one.

Sarah Waters. She can turn her attention to anything from Victorian London to the near-present and spin a compelling narrative.

Anne Tyler , Barbara Trapido
Tana French (crime but with charecterisation)

Sharon Kay Penman and Elizabeth Chadwick. And going back a bit, Mary Stewart. Her books were fab.

Philipa Gregory. Alison Weir. Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman

Marian Keyes

Stephen King

Susan Hill
Alan Bennett
Ian McEwan
C J Sansom
S J Parris
Elizabeth Jane Howard
Kate Atkinson

Sara Paretsky

Maggie O'Farrell-every new one is my new favourite!

I must be super-picky. Pretty much every author I've read on those lists seems to have had at least one duff effort.

or maybe I need to stop reading grumpily at 3 a.m. when I can't sleep, and then they'll all be great again?

Barbara Kingsolver
Sarah Moss
Maggie O'Farrell

Zadie Smith, Kate Atkinson, Mo Hayder, Karin Slaughter, Denise Mina.

Oh Maggie O'farrel, I adore her books!
Kate Atkinson, Kate Morton, Philippa Gregory. Also Rachel Joyce

CJ Sansom and Kate Atkinson.

Don't think I've ever found a failsafe author who hasn't disappointed at least once. Need to think about it.

Janet Evanovich is probably the closest: when I go for one of her books, I know exactly what I want (light, funny, romantic) and she always delivers.

I think even my favourite authors have written at least one book I didn't like much.

I must be super-picky. Pretty much every author I've read on those lists seems to have had at least one duff effort.

I'm with you, Kitties. Actually, I think there are very few relatively prolific novelists who aren't also uneven. Every time I think of a name of a novelist I really admire and whose new book I will always read immediately, I find myself thinking that no, they're not always writing at the same level. I adore Anne Enright, but I liked The Green Road less than The Forgotten Waltz or The Gathering. I love Hilary Mantel, but I don't like her early unpleasantly bitter black-comic novels like Every Day is Mother's Day and Vacant Possession.

I will always buy anything new from Colm Toibin, Huge Hamilton, Deirdre Madden, Miriam Toews, Rachel Cusk, Mary Morrissy, Edna O'Brien, and a load of others, and know I'll enjoy them, but without any guarantee it'll be 'unreserved'!

Margaret Atwood.
Ian McEwan.
Nancy Mitford.
Ali Smith.

Used to be Pat Barker. But then Noonday let me down. Since then I have read some of her earlier ones and they've been disappointing too.

Harlan Coben
John Sandford
Sue Grafton

Going back, but I love everything by Edith Wharton.

Also love everything by Manju Kapur, Elizabeth Jane Howard, Antonia Fraser, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, PD James.

Going right back ....Thomas Hardy, Leo Tolstoy

Back a bit ...John Fowles, Doris Lessing, Patricia Highsmith, Ira Levin

Iain Banks? Some weird ones in there, but not duff.

Claire Allan
Lesley Pearse
C J Box