Need some mystery/crime book recommendations

**pezspencer** · 07-21-2008, 10:09 AM

It was inevitable. I've read all the books written by my favorite author, Lawrence Block. Anyone have a recommendation? Some of my other favorite authors are Lawrence Sanders, John Grisham, Rex Stout, and Sue Grafton.

**STINGYBRIMSandBOURBON** · 07-21-2008, 10:15 AM

Patricia highsmith
ed mcbain
gregory mcdonald

and then try the publisher HARD CASE CRIMES

sullivanpm · 07-21-2008, 10:19 AM

Robert B. Parker
There are a lot of Spencer books.

**langod** · 07-21-2008, 10:28 AM

Michael Connelly
James Patterson

Of course, if you've never read Raymond Chandler's classic detective novels, you're really missing out.

If you like forensic crime, Patricia Cornwell's earlier stuff is pretty good. (Then she got pretty full of herself and started doing weird things with her characters and writing style.)
Kathy Reichs also writes pretty good forensic crime. (far better than the asinine TV show that's supposedly based on her books)

**ScottS** · 07-21-2008, 10:28 AM

Hammett

**langod** · 07-21-2008, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by sullivanpm

Robert B. Parker
There are a lot of Spencer books.

Except if you were a true fan, you'd know it's "Spenser" -- "with an 'S'"

And yes, they're good reads.

**Suzuki** · 07-21-2008, 10:52 AM

I like Ian Rankin.

**pezspencer** · 07-21-2008, 10:54 AM

Thank you, Gentleman. The B & B community once again pulls through!

**IGNITERS** · 07-21-2008, 11:03 AM

ANYTHING by Mickey Splliane....I THE JURY,KISS ME DEADLY...ANYTHING ! They are some of the best books out there!

**gunner6477** · 07-21-2008, 11:10 AM

Anything by Nelson DeMille

**Dr. Mike** · 07-21-2008, 11:20 AM

I won't tell you to read all of the Agatha Christie mysteries, but I would definitely try "And Then There Were None." Great mystery!

**pezspencer** · 07-21-2008, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by Dr. Mike

I won't tell you to read all of the Agatha Christie mysteries, but I would definitely try "And Then There Were None." Great mystery!

"And Then There Were None/Ten Little Indians" was my absolute favorite Agatha Christie novel. I was disappointed by the 1965 film as they changed the ending.

sullivanpm · 07-21-2008, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by langod

Except if you were a true fan, you'd know it's "Spenser" -- "with an 'S'"

And yes, they're good reads.

Good point
I have never read a Spenser book.
I am working my way through the jesse stone novels now.
Hammet
Spillane
Chandler
and
Rex Stout
All excellent authors

**ant4177** · 07-21-2008, 11:52 AM

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is probably my favourite Agatha Christie but I can't say why without ruining the ending. I highly recommend this if you haven't read it already.

**kestrel** · 07-21-2008, 12:07 PM

pezpencer

I recommend P D James's A Taste For Death, in which the murder is commited with a straight razor.

All of P D JAmes is worth reading, as are Sue Grafton and Scott Turrow.

The Brother Cadfael books by Ellis Peters provide a change of pace by placing conventional whodunit stories in a very accurately detailed medieval setting.
Peters also writes modern mysteries and, under the name Edith Pargeter, writes excellent historical novels.

Best Regards

Graham

**TorzJohnson** · 07-21-2008, 12:10 PM

I don't usually read in that genre, but two that were enjoyable were "Headhunter" by Michael Slade (a little gruesome and in the "Red Dragon" vein) and "The Death Collectors" by Jack Kerley.

**Governor11201** · 07-21-2008, 12:14 PM

Old School

Dashiell Hammett: The Thin Man - The Maltese Falcon - Red Harvest

Jim Thompson: The Killer Inside Me - Pop 1280 - A Swell Looking Babe

Raymond Chandler - The Big Sleep (read this, you'll read all his other Phillip Marlowe's)

New School

Carl Hiassen: Skin Tight - Tourist Season

Lawrence Shames - Florida Straights

Anthony Bourdain - Gone Bamboo

**ScottS** · 07-21-2008, 12:19 PM

"The Alienist" by Caleb Carr was a very good read, if you're into that sort of stuff.

**WithTheGrain** · 07-21-2008, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by sullivanpm

Robert B. Parker
There are a lot of Spencer books.

+1, but I was going to go with the Jesse Stone novels. There are only a handful of them, but they are really great. I have read 1 Spenser so far, I enjoyed it but not as much. Then again, I was starting with Parker's first novel and it is less polished for that reason.

**Bowcephalus** · 07-21-2008, 02:51 PM

James Lee Burke's, "Swan Peak" set in Montana. Gritty and profane at times but the guy packs a lot in a paragraph. He definately has a talent painting pictures in the readers mind with the printed word. Excellent in character development. His politics definately come through but this book, the first of his I've read, is a page turner.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw...urke&x=17&y=24