Crime fiction fans

[elkiedee]

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

adrian1 - I'm dying to read Diamond Dove as soon as it comes out in the UK, I've heard lots of good things about it on other crime fiction sites. I've read other Ozzie crime writers, and find that several misspent teenage years watching neighbours has finally come in useful, for having a reasonable knowledge of Australian slang, and some slight knowledge of Australian geography.

glad to see my thread has picked up again (I started this one).

Bigmouth, have you tried Denise Mina? (Scottish writer) If you like Sara Paretsky, have you read Marcia Muller, Linda Barnes or Janet Dawson (the 2nd and 3rd are out of print over here but you might look out in libraries or secondhand). Liz Evans writes a fun series about a female PI in an English seaside town.

rorytigger - I liked Mo Hayder's book Tokyo and have bought the 4th book (Pig Island?) but the first two really don't appeal to me somehow.

Majorca, Gillian Slovo has written a number of other novels, not necessarily crime, since her Kate Baier series, of which there are 5 books, published some years apart by several different publishers (there were 3 then a long gap before the last 2). The most recent is Ice Road, set in Russia. But I really liked the PI stories too.

Val McDermid has moved on to lots of different sorts of novels but female PI fans could look at her second series featuring a woman PI in Manchester, Kate Branigan, recently republished I think. I also like her first series character, about a gay journalist in Scotland, Lindsay Gordon, and she recently wrote a 6th book in this series - though it's more interesting on the character's personal life than as a crime story.

Hi MummytoSteven

Thanks for that. Book's due to come out in UK early August. Young Aboriginal woman as its 'detective' - think Mma Ramotswe meets Stephanie Plum - hopefully funny and fast. I'm nervously waiting reviews - and to see if it makes sense to you mob over there. Glad you've had some exposure to our Aussie accent - won't be totally foreign to you -Kylie Minogue has paved the way!. (I do love the net - I find it amazing to be talking to someone in England - and I know how important linking up with other people is to mums - I looked after my own kids for the first year or two of their lives (plus my wife's a midwife - insisted I get involved - best thing I ever did).

Contact me at [email protected] if you want).

Best wishes to you and Steven

Adrian

Adrian

Hi Adrian,

What a buzz to see you here. Yes, I am an Aussie. I live in Mt G...... in South Australia. I LOVED your book. I am sure it will do very well overseas. It is obviously getting good reviews on other sites as mentioned by mummytosteven. (By they way it was a great article in 'The Age' too.)

Emily is certainly sassy and funny but she seems much more 'real' than Stephanie Plum which I think is a good thing.

I feel rather bad that I borrowed the book from the library.

After reading your book I watched 'Ten Canoes' and I now have "Carpentaria' to read.

I hope that Diamond Dove is just the start of a successful publishing career for you. I would certainly love to read more books featuring Emily. The fact that you are with Text Publishing is a very good sign I think.

I have read a number of Peter Temple's books. It is great to read a book set in a location that you know. Mt G. gets a mention in 'The Broken Shore'. (not positive re: quality of firewood!)

Wishing you every success in the future.

I thoroughly recommend Manda Scott's crime novels (she also does some on Bouddicca but I cannot be doing with them for some reason). Her crime ones are cracking though not that I can remember a single title.

Also have been reading some David Baldacci lately. Wouldn't be in my top ten but perfectly readable for a flight kind of thing.

Denise Mina has a very strong trilogy as well - Resolution/Retribution? something along those lines

And another plug for Peter Robinson's Alan Banks series and the Dazeil & Pasco books by Reginald Hill.

Finally if you haven't read them yet the the Raymond Chandler books are wonderful.

meowmix - I love Manda Scott's Kellen Stewart trilogy - I hoped to get to speak to her at the recent crime fiction festival in Harrogate but had to rush around during the signing session at the end of the panel she was on. The books are Hen's Teeth, Night Mares and Stronger than Death, there's also No Good Deed which I didn't like nearly so much, thriller with different characters.

Denise Mina has 6 novels, 7th coming out this week. Maureen trilogy is Garnethill, Exile and Resolution, standalone is Sanctum, then there are two Paddy Meehan books, Field of Blood and The Dead Hour, and the new one is the third in this series, I can't wait. This is one where I doubt I will hang on for the paperback, I read The Dead Hour - bought in hardback - before my baby was born in case I didn't get much time afterwards.

I wish she'd write some more of them! I keep trying her other stuff but the historical context isn't me.

Agreeing with lots of authors here and pleases to see some I haven't read.

I'm just about to go out to meet(optimistically)/listen to/whatever Jeffrey Deaver as he's introducing a new book in Waterstone's tonight. Character appeared in the book I read over the holidays- grace someone. really excited, never been to anything like this and everyone else has asked me who????? Hopefully mns here will realise how exciting it is

I've just ordered 5 Sujata Massey novels bcs of this thread
No pressure, then!

I'm not a great fan of Jeffrey Deaver myself - have heard him speak at an event - but I love going to hear authors speak. Enjoy it, and pop by to tell how it went.

Hi Adrian, thanks very much for the post, I've added your e-mail address to my contacts!

I'm a bit when people recommend books by new authors which aren't even out yet. Methinks a bit of astroturfing is going on.

Said it once I'll say it again, Kate Atkinson, 'One Good Turn'.

Unquiet dad - I read a lot of crime blogs/crime review sites - some UK based, some US based, some Oz based, which is how I learnt about Diamond Dove. And some of the regulars on these sites are people whose reading taste I respect highly. I love crime fiction, and genuinely get very excited about interesting new books.

(the MNetter formerly known a MTS)

Well I enjoyed listening to Jeffrey reading some bits from the Sleeping Doll and of course now have my signed copy. he was very nice and quite funny too- but what a strange mind he must have to write these stories. he is now going to alternate between a Lincoln Rhyme book and his new character Kathryn Dance every year. This new book has been bought by Warner brothers and Uma thurman is the favourite to play the lead!(as told by my new friend Jeff!)

Unquiet Dad,

I am a big crime fiction fan who lives in rural South Australia. There has been no 'astroturfing' by me. I have just been sharing with other like minded fans some of the books I have enjoyed reading recently. I have read Adrian's book and read an article in a Melbourne paper about him. I thought it was exciting that a writer had seen the thread.
I recommended a book that is not published in the UK yet. That is all.

Unquiet Dad,

Some further info regarding my comment about Text Publishing. In my life before children I was a librarian (albeit in Tax and Law) this means I tend to notice who publishes books. Text is the publisher of Peter Temple, Garry Disher and Shane Maloney who are all mentioned in this thread. They have published multiple books by these authors. I think my unsolicited opinion to Adrian that he has a good publisher for his book is a valid comment. 'Cash for comment' it isn't.

Oh well, Unquiet Dad, at least you've given me a new word - like Sidonie, I live in the bush - maybe I don't get out enough, but I haven't come across 'astroturf' used like that before - I thought it referred to Donald Trump's hair!

But please - gimme a break - I have enough trouble gathering up the energy to mow the lawn, much less astroturf anything - all I did was pop on to your nice blog to thank a couple of people who'd praised my book. We call that good manners where I come from. When you spend your days sitting in a little mud brick cabin staring at blank pages and kookaburras it's kind of nice to actually have contact with people, especially when they live so far away you're never likely to meet them in person.

By the way, I reckon there hasn't been enough praise for the great Reginald Hill so far - what can I say about Dalziel? He's a Falstaff for our times.

Cheers

Adrian