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Hi guys
I'm a huge fan of this genre. No preferences as to nationalities or era or PI v. Cop.
Favourites
American
Michael Connelly - Not just Harry Bosch
Robert Crais - Great easy reads
Robert B Parker - The Spenser series - the easiest reaads out there & funny with it.
Jeffery Deaver
James Ellroy - a bit harder to read.
Elmore Leonards - great fun
Lee Child (though a Brit) - Reacher series - very very easy reads
James Patterson - love Alex Cross
The 2 Kellermans - can't choose between them
Harlan Coben - Myron Bolitar
James Lee Burke - possibly the best writer of them all?
Lawrence Block & his superb Scudder series
John Lescroart - Dismas Hardy a lawyer is his main character
Sara Paretsky's VI Warshawski
British
Ian Rankin - His Rebus series was superb
Peter Robinson - Insp Banks
Elizabeth George - the Lynley series but I found the quality varied.
PD James - Dalgleish series - a great writer
Ruth Rendell - Wexford - great books, didn't like the TV series at all
(also try the Barbara Vine books, a pen-name she uses - for darker stories)
Donna Leon's Brunetti series set in Venice - really loved these.
Ellis Peters - Cadfael series - wonderful
Dick Francis - great fun & a very easy read - also very informative about a lot of different things not just horse racing
Scandinavian
Henning Mankell - I love Kurt Wallander
Stieg Larsson - the fashionable Millenium series
I've also just finished a couple of books by Brian Eisler - his hero is a Japanese/American hit-man. Great read
Some historical ones
Laura Joh Rowland's books about her Samurai detective Sano Ichiro
John Maddox Roberts - SPQR series set in Ancient Rome
Robert Van Gulik - Judge Dee set in Ancient China - written a long time ago but recommended
Finally some very highly recommended Australian writers
Arthur Upfield's indigenous detective Boney
Peter Corris - especially the Cliff Hardy series - these are as good as anything in the world & a very easy read
Gary Disher & his criminal hero Wyatt
Jon Creasy & his hero Scobie Malone
Peter Temple
Barry Maitland - though his combatants are based in England.
All these I've read recently & most of their books.
The masters - Cain, Thompson, Chandler, Hammett etc - I haven't read for a while but remember as being great.
All of these are highly recommended. Loads of others I've really liked but just don't make it on to this list - Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs etc etc
Some I just haven't read enough of their books but have enjoyed what I have - Mark Billigham, Robert Wilson, Hiassen, Hillerman
And then of course there are all the others that I've forgotten - a regular event at my age
Long-winded I know but I'll guarantee you won't go wrong with any of these.
Be lucky
Larry
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