Recommend to me an author of mysteries.

[Bertha Venation]

I'm running out of authors.

Thank you.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. What do you like? Hard-boiled? Cozy? Police procedural? Comic?

[Bertha Venation]

4. I'd say hard-boiled/police procedural.

Good question. :)

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. You might try googling mystery reading list. Get lots of

suggestions that way.

These lists are a few years old but you might find something there: http://curvynovels.tripod.com/ReadingLists/ReadingLists.htm#genre

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear Bertha!

Have you read Jonothan Kellerman? He's really good, esp. his Alex Delaware mysteries!

His character is based on himself. And he's a child psychologist who turned to writing...

I recommend him (both of them!) highly!

:hi:

[Bertha Venation]

5. Yup. Read Kellerman.

:hi:

[Fire Walk With Me]

3. Walter Mosley. Jack McDevitt (Alex Benedict stories).

Edit: You might not like the McDevitt mysteries as they're science fiction in format.

[Bertha Venation]

6. Thank you!

:hi:

[Fire Walk With Me]

7. My pleasure! (Did you catch my edit about McDevitt?)

[Bertha Venation]

13. Yep. Thanks!

[bikebloke]

8. James Lee Burke

His Dave Robicheaux novels have some nice languid prose.

Ian Rankin's Rebus novels. Apparently Exit Music is the final Rebus :-(

[Bertha Venation]

14. thank you, bikebloke

:hi:

[DeepBlueC]

21. second the James Lee Burke

[XemaSab]

10. Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine.

Nevada Barr.

The Sabbathday River by Jean Hanff Korelitz. (It's about a Jewish woman living in upstate New Hampshire who finds a dead baby in the river. Her employee is arrested for the murder, and the whole town decides she's guilty, but the young woman's real "crime" is having had an affair with a married man. Morbid, yes, but it's very well written and the politics alone are compelling.)

The Secret History by Donna Tartt. (It's about a bunch of Ancient Greek students who kill their friend, and since this happens on page 1, it's NOT a spoiler.)

You could probably hook all this stuff up used on the internets. :hi:

[Bertha Venation]

15. thank you, XS!

very much

:hi:

[Shakespeare]

11. James Ellroy.

Brutal, but writes like a jazz musician plays, and most of his stuff actually qualifies as real literature, too. Good stuff.

[Bertha Venation]

16. I think I can handle brutal.

Thank you, Shakespeare :hi:

[mitchum]

34. I second the Ellroy recommendation...with the exception of...

"The Cold Six Thousand"
It's just really really terrible self-parody

[HopeHoops]

12. The Microsoft technical writing staff (all based in India) - ANYTHING they produce is a mystery.

[MrCoffee]

17. Loren Estelman

His Amos Walker books are the best.

[bluedeminredstate]

18. I love mysteries!

How about John Sanford's Lucas Davenport? Harlen Coben? Sue Grafton?

Any of those are great reads and Harlen Coben has several books with a recurring character which are terrific.

[motely36]

19. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs

I particularly like the Pendergast books

[madinmaryland]

33. Those books are great. Real easy to get sucked into them!!

:thumbsup:

I think my wife has read everyone of the Pendergast books!

[DeepBlueC]

20. I like Edna Buchanan, Randy Wayne White, Thomas Perry

former crime reporter for(I think) Miami Herald. Damn good mystery writer. Randy Wayne White - again set in Florida. Thomas Perry, Death Benefits to start with, set in Florida after hurricane. You know Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiassen but there are a wonderful bunch of mysteries set in Florida which have great gritty flava.

[jobycom]

22. If you haven't read Raymond Chandler's novels, they are still worth a read.

He's the only detective novelist whose writing I admire, and his stories are not only suspenseful, but also interesting historically.

[Heidi]

23. How about an author of the mysterious? I recommend Haruki Murakami.

http://www.murakami.ch/main_3.html

If I were you, I'd start with his collection of short stories, "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman." Mysterious, lush and delicious. http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Willow-Sleeping-Haruki-Murakami/dp/1400044618

If you love it (and I think you will -- Murakami is a cat guy), I'd move on to "Kafka on the Shore," and then maybe "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle" and then "Norwegian Wood."

[seaker]

25. Enthusiastic second!

I loved the 'Elephant Vanishes'

[Heidi]

27. I wish I had begun Murakami in a logical sequence

or had some sort of guidance to this wonderful, under-appreciated author. I read "Kafka on the Shore First" and, though I loved his way of writing and the power of the story (like a "Catcher in the Rye" for a new generation), I would have appreciated the novel more if I had first read the short stories. While he's a brilliant novelist, I think he's first and foremost a short story writer -- heart of my heart, as short stories are among my passions. :)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

24. Val McDermid

A Scottish writer, one of whose series formed the basis of the British TV series Wire in the Blood (warning: graphic violence). However, she has some standalone mysteries, such as A Place of Execution, which won several prizes, as well as some lighter mysteries.

[applegrove]

26. Elizabeth George. She goes deeply into the psychology of all her characters.

[BOSSHOG]

28. Throw in a couple Agatha Christies in your reading rotation

I read her about every tenth book (amidst murder, mayhem and military fiction and non-fiction.) Her writing style is a pleasure and her intricate mysteries are somewhat transparent but quite a joy to read.

[hfojvt]

29. Michael Collins, John D. McDonald, Andrew Greeley

YMMV

[KamaAina]

30. Robert Parker

two separate and distinct series. The Spenser novels are MUCH better than the ABC TV show (loosely) based on them, which left out his odd but cozy relationship with a Harvard-trained psychologist, the strong gay characters, and much of the New England atmosphere. More recently Sonya "Sunny" Randall has entered the scene: a cop's daughter whose off-and-on partner may or may not be involved with the, ah, family business. More strong gay characters here, too (would you believe a guy named "Spike"?).

A late entry, included by Republican Stepdad in my Christmas box, is Michael Connelly, whose "The Lincoln Lawyer" kicked tail. Surprising gay twist here, too.

[Aristus]

31. Lindsay Davis, the author of the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries, set in Ancient Rome.

They are like hard-boiled detective novels a la Raymond Chandler, only set in Imperial Rome. Falco is a P.I., a 'private informer' for Emperor Vespasian. The first five or six in the series are incredible; great reads. They get a little tedious and repetitive after that. But I really enjoy the series overall.

[Rob H.]

32. Here are 4: Jim Butcher, Robert Crais, Lee Child, and Joe R. Lansdale

Jim Butcher writes the Harry Dresden novels, which are a combo of Harry Potter and Sam Spade (it works surprisingly well, btw). Harry's a professional wizard in Chicago.

Robert Crais writes the Elvis Cole novels. Thus far all but one have taken place in L.A.

Lee Child writes the Jack Reacher novels. Reacher is a retired Army investigator with no fixed address.

Joe R. Lansdale writes in several different genres, but as luck would have it, Vintage Crime/Black Lizard is reissuing his Hap Collins & Leonard Pine mysteries. Some of the most laugh-out-loud funny dialog and writing I've ever read; very highly recommended.

Another great novel by Lansdale is A Fine Dark Line, a mystery that takes place in late 1950s small-town Texas.

[BreweryYardRat]

35. If you'd like something different...

John Maddox Roberts writes mysteries set in the last days of the Roman Republic.

And Michael Jecks writes mysteries set in England during the early 1300s.

Both are well worth your time.

[Pierre.Suave]

36. How about a clue?

:P

[Starbucks Anarchist]

37. Dennis Lehane.

He wrote "Mystic River" and "Gone Baby Gone," among others.

I would start with "A Drink Before the War," which is the first in the Kenzie/Gennaro series (two PIs). I read it in one sitting. :thumbsup:

I'd also recommend James Ellroy, as some others have above.

[Gormy Cuss]

39. I second that recommendation

I've read all of the Kenzie/Gennaro series.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

40. I've read the first two.

I need to finish the series sometime. :hi:

[bigwillq]

38. John Lutz

Very, very good.

[Gormy Cuss]

41. Lawrence Block

Two series: the darker Matthew Scudder and the Bernie Rhodenbarr (Bernie has a cat, not that you'd care about that ;) )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Block