Detective novels, mystery favorites?

[iamosam]

According to crimefictionlover (http://www.crimefictionlover.com/201...an-hardboiled/), Americas current top five hard boiled writers are James Ellroy, Carl Hiaasen, Dennis Lehane, Walter Mosley, and George Pelecanos.

[Moe The Cat]

Originally Posted by iamosam

... and George Pelecanos.

Thanks, iamosam! Based on your post, I read George Pelecanos' The Night Gardener (which was on my TBR list for a while) and it was really good. Apparently the author interviewed actual Washington D.C. police officers and I think the banter between the officers in the book sounds spot on.

[wminot]

I like the Brits best. Especially Josephine Tey.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Oh, I didn't know Stephen Cannell died. I enjoyed his series too.

Yep it was skin cancer I believe that did him in. I had no idea he wrote fiction books. I know he created a lot of TV shows over the years but had no idea he'd written books as well.

[benham]

You have a ton of really good reading ahead of you if you choose to read his books. His Shane Scully series is excellent and his stand-alones are equally good.

Other recommendations are;
Dave Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter series
Jonothan King's Max Freeman series
John Locke's Carson Ryder series
Rick Murcer's Manny williams series

[BearMountainBooks]

Yes, I agree. His Shane Scully books are very good. I don't think I've read his stand alones, but I bet they would make good audio books for the car. I never saw any of the tv movies or such because I don't watch tv.

[benham]

All of his standalones are excellent except At First Sight. Rockford Files and A-Team were two of my favorite series. He also did Greatest American Hero.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by benham

All of his standalones are excellent except At First Sight. Rockford Files and A-Team were two of my favorite series. He also did Greatest American Hero.

Thanks. I'm always looking for something that will also appeal to husband for road trips and that can be difficult, but his writing style is one that is likely to appeal to both. And husband isn't much interested in series either so stand alones are perfect!

[crich70]

I haven't read them yet but there are some collections of hardboiled stories at Amazon under the title of "Beat to a pulp." They aren't novels of course but there are a number of authors represented in each one and some of them have other works that might be longer. So you can get a look at their writing styles in the short works before dipping into a longer tale.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by crich70

I haven't read them yet but there are some collections of hardboiled stories at Amazon under the title of "Beat to a pulp." They aren't novels of course but there are a number of authors represented in each one and some of them have other works that might be longer. So you can get a look at their writing styles in the short works before dipping into a longer tale.

We tried some shorts a couple of times on the last roadtrip. Didn't work out at all. I like the idea, but the vast majority of the stories were just plain awful. I had checked out the famous collections of mystery series put together by a famous editor...name starts with a "P" I think. His last name. Anyway, there was one story in there out of several sets we liked. Not much room for character development and by and large some of the most depressing garbage we'd ever listened to.

I think we both decided we'd rather listen to longer works.

I do read short stories, but generally only AFTER I like the author. Collections are just too off the wall for me. I tend to like collections by one author that stick to the same characters like Frank Tuttle's Wistril Compleat. Nancy Fulda has a collection that has various stories and characters and I liked about half of those--but I like her caper, adventure stuff, not that darker stories.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

We tried some shorts a couple of times on the last roadtrip. Didn't work out at all. I like the idea, but the vast majority of the stories were just plain awful. I had checked out the famous collections of mystery series put together by a famous editor...name starts with a "P" I think. His last name. Anyway, there was one story in there out of several sets we liked. Not much room for character development and by and large some of the most depressing garbage we'd ever listened to.

Otto Penzler?

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Otto Penzler?

YES! That is him. I've tried about three of those "Best of" by the year and I have loathed every single one. Hmph. (There was an occasional good story in there, but by and large, far to dark and dank for me.)

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

YES! That is him. I've tried about three of those "Best of" by the year and I have loathed every single one. Hmph. (There was an occasional good story in there, but by and large, far to dark and dank for me.)

I haven't tried those, but Penzler has also put together giant collections of older material by established authors--e.g., The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps, and The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories.

Also, Downpour.com has 11 collections of Black Mask stories for $5.95 apiece. That was initially advertised as a sale price, but they've stayed that price for months.

[speakingtohe]

Many anthologies these days attempt to showcase new authors along with several seasoned authors to help the sales. Big name authors often donate their stories to help.

I have read several Penzler anthologies and they are noir generally, but I like that on occasion.

I have 'discovered' at least one unread (by me) author per anthology that I really liked. So it has been worth it IMO.

Penzler anthologies are overly long though and it does seem as if you are choking it down after the first 3-400 pages.

I do like that they are trying to promote less known authors though and find the stories to be well written and edited etc. even if I find that some do not appeal to me.

Helen

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Many anthologies these days attempt to showcase new authors along with several seasoned authors to help the sales. Big name authors often donate their stories to help.

I have read several Penzler anthologies and they are noir generally, but I like that on occasion.

I have 'discovered' at least one unread (by me) author per anthology that I really liked. So it has been worth it IMO.

Penzler anthologies are overly long though and it does seem as if you are choking it down after the first 3-400 pages.

I do like that they are trying to promote less known authors though and find the stories to be well written and edited etc. even if I find that some do not appeal to me.

Helen

I do like an antho on occasion. But I will not try any more Otto P. books. I really loathed them and in the one case we kept listening to the stories because we didn't have anything else. That was a mistake. LOATHED.

I do like noir now and then. But it is probably one of my least favorite genres. It's not one I follow, but I read Carol O'Connell and I've read some Ken Bruen. I avoid most noir these days.