Please help me find a book for my brother.

[QueenOfIce]

He's read quite a few but off the top of my head authors he's read are Terry Pratchett, Stephen King, Wilbur Smith.

I've asked him what he likes and he can't seem to give me an answer that points me in any one direction.

He's struggling with the passing of our mum last year and I thought a book might help him get out of his head out of working all hours and some escapism. However, I'm really struggling because we have very different tastes!

Please can anyone help!

I love the Ben Aaronovich ‘Rivers of London’ series (as do quite a few folks on here), which is a little bit Pratchet-like in its combination of the fantastic with a good dose of comedy (the comedy is more from smart witty dialogue and description than the absurdity and pinning of something like Discworld, though). If you know London well, the sense of place is is pretty good too, even when he’s describing places ther don’t quite exist.

When I had just lost my dad a few years ago, I read ‘H is for Hawk’, which really helped in a funny sort of way (it is partly the story of the author grieving for her father) - so I wouldn’t necessarily say it has to be all about escapism. Sometimes it’s good to read about someone else’s loss (and, in this case, realise that however badly you think you’re dealing with grief, at least you haven’t gone out and bought a large savage bird you have only a vague idea how to look after).

Punning, not pinnning.

I’m sorry for your loss - I remember how tough the first couple of Christmases can be.

Thank you @UrbaneSprawl Rivers of London looks good, I think I'll read that too! I'm not sure H is for Hawk is right for him at this time but it looks like a good read for later on.

Thank you so much

Jeffrey Archer?
The Clifton Chronicles series is very good, but also Paths of Glory about an attempt to climb Everest.

Oh bugger, another purchase from Amazon.... (Paths of Glory - well done Papergirl!)

I’m keeping amazonin track for record breaking sales this Xmas, RR.

Amazon on track...

Thank you @Papergirl1968 Paths of Glory is also in the bag along with Rivers of London which I've also bought for my dh!

Matthew Riley or Lee Child for good thrillers - although Lee Child is a much better writer I think.

Tony Parks writes hairy-chested thrillers set in Africa - might suit if he enjoys the African settings of Wilbur Smith.

I am not anamoured of Bryce Courtney, but my dad, who read mostly non-fiction enjoyed him.

If he enjoyed Wilbur Smith he might like Tom Harper.

His books are part adventure part historical, in that they span two different times lines which somehow interlink in the end.

I’ve read pretty much everything he’s written, most of them twice, and he’s my go-to author when I really want to escape into another world and another time.

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

It’s very Stephen King ish, and if he enjoys it there are a few more in the series (although it doesn’t end on a cliffhanger so that you have to read the others iyswim)

Thank you, I'm getting quite a collection for him! Some really good suggestions I could never have found on my own. Thank you all so much.

Just a quick note to say thank you, I bought my db 6 of the books all suggested by you lovely people. He's read 2 and he's really enjoyed them (moon over soho now on order) myself and my dh have also really enjoyed Rivers of London.

He told me today how glad he was of something good to read that it's taken his mind away from other things which was just what I had hoped for but couldn't have done without your wonderful suggestions.

Thank you all so much.