New Author Recommendations, Please!

So far, my favorite crime, mystery, thriller authors are: Michael Connelly, James Lee Burke, Agatha Christies, Ruth Rendell, Nelson DeMille,and John Lescroart. I'm devouring them as fast as I can, but I'd love to start collecting new authors. Just finished Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larrson, and loved it. But I'm needing more series authors. Suggestions, please.

John Connolly (read them in order, starting with Every Dead Thing), Andrew Vachss, John Sanford (the Prey series).

Hi Vivienbrenda if you like British Mysteries you could try Minette Waters, Nicci French, and Val McDermot. Peter James does a series, first one is Dead Simple. They are very good. Also Elizabeth George's series starting with A Great Deliverance is excellent. You didn't mention if you have read Ian Rankin who does the Rebus series, or Peter Robinson who writes about D.I. Alan Banks, which are another two very good series.

Just got an Ian Rankin and a P.D.James from the library. Also, I reserved a Minette Walters book. I'm not sure if it's British myteries, or just good writing that draws me. The writer's I've mentioned in my request, I think, are all above average. The plots are complex and well drawn and the prose delights me. I will gladly try some of the authors suggested.

I suppose it would be far too brash to recommend myself? :))

Okay, so if I have to be modest and not recommend my own novels, I'll add a few to the great list you've already received. I really like Lee Child's "Jack Reacher" series. Stuart Woods has written some good mystery/suspense novels. Also, Harlan Coben is worth checking out.

My favorites include Dennis Lehane, Mystic River but also the Kenzie/Genaro series, and Julia Spencer-Fleming's series about Rev. Clare Fergusson, which begins with In the Bleak Midwinter.

Marcia Muller, Sue Grafton, Laurie R. King, Lee Harris and Sujata Massey. All great women mystery authors.

In addition to the many great ones listed above, you might try David Baldacci, Greg Hurwitz, Lisa Gardner and the early Scarpettas from Patirica Cornwell.

The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill is the initial title in a series set in Cambodia in the 1970's. The series is up to about six titles now I believe, published by Soho Crime. Worthwhile

If you liked John Lescroart, you might enjoy Steve Martini and D.W. Buffa.

I HAVE SEVERAL AUTHORS THAT I READ AS SOON AS THEIR BOOKS OARE ON SHELF. RIGHT NOW I'M READING "SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE" BY NEW AUTHOR ALAN BRADLEY. I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ALL OF YOU IT IS WICKEDLY FUNNY ALONG WITH BEING A GOOD READ. NEXT IN LINE IS SCARECROW BY MICHAEL CONNELLY ALSO LIKE HIS LINCOLN LAWYER SERIES. A NON MYSTERY I READ THAT I WOULD LOVE TO RECOMMEND TO YOU ALL IS :THE HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET" CAN'T REMEMBER THE AUTHOR BUT IT WAS ANOTHER GOOD READ.

Don't forget Josephine Tey!

A few authors that I like: Ian Rankin (especially the Rebus novels), Val McDermid - almost anything, Sue Grafton, P. D. James, Declan Hughes - he is a bit strange at times but I like him a lot, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Peter James (especially this series http://www.librarything.com/series/DS%20Roy%20Grace ), Peter Temple, Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, John Harvey (especially the Charlie Resnick novels)

If you also read fantasy and/or cosy mysteries, I can recommend some more... And if you like short stories, I can recommend a few collections and anthologies.

Some of the authors forwarded so far are names that have popped up frequently on this site. I'm adding a few to the list. Josephine Tey's work sounds interesting. I've heard good things about her.

I'll check out some of the others. Thank again.

I cannot say enough good things about Josephine Tey! Only bad thing - she didn't live long enough to write more books!

Yeah, how dare she die before we had our fill!

Speaking of authors who pass away before writing enough to satisfy us, try Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire. Both were published posthumously. His final book, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest will be published in the fall.

Great thrillers, translated from the Swedish. I've raved on many other threads about these books.

I'm working my way dowm my TBR list to Dragon Tattoo. I had no idea the author was dead. I'm sorry to hear this.

A fairly new writer I've come across this year is Steven M. Thomas. He has two books out -- Criminal Pardise and Criminal Karma -- both are set in Southern California and told in the first person from the point of view of a professional criminal who is a basically decent person. The books are fast-paced and action-packed but also have a lot of humor and depth in their characters and themes. Really good books that are page turners and leave you thinking afterward.

Arnaldur Indridason, Peter Robinson, Jo Nesbo, Sean Chercover. Also try Louise Ure. Still thinking...

One more author of British mysteries: Deborah Crombie.
Other mystery authors that I like: John Dunning (Cliff Janeway mysteries), J.A. Jance (two different series), Dana Stabenow (set in Alaska), Carol O'Connell (Mallory mysteries; best read in order).

So glad to read about some writers unknown to me. I'll add Laura Lippman whose heroine Tess solves mysteries in Baltimore. Lippman has a few stand alone mysteries which are also great. Reginald Hill is another fantastic British mystery writer. His Dalziel and Pascoe detectives made it to the BBC. John Harvey is also great. Margery Allingham
also made the BBC with Campion. I picked up some other authors at Waterstone's in London recently that I haven't read, yet. They look promising.

You could try J.D. Mallinson's Inspector Mason novels for original plots and settings. DANUBE STATIONS unfolds on a Danube cruise from Vienna to the Black Sea. THE FILE ON JOHN ORMOND, about a missing translator, is set in Finland.

Two authors from mid-20th century who were hugely prolific and thus would provide you with roughly 150 books to read just from them alone: John D. MacDonald and Rex Stout. MacDonald wrote the Travis McGee novels (17 or 18), but his other books are equally good. Stout wrote about 40 Nero Wolfe 150-page novels and about 90 short stories featuring the great detective.

Cursed touchstones!

Try "Missing Witness" by Gordon Campbell. It is a crime drama very loosely based on his experiences growing up in Phoenix, AZ area. It is his first book, but the guy can write a good legal suspense story.

Trent's last case by E. C. Bentley is considered by
many to be the ranking detective story of all time.

Edgar Wallace, wrote close to two hundred books
more movies have been made out of his books, close
to 160. At the time of his death his publisher claimed
that a quarter of all books read in the english speaking world were written by him. I recomend starting with Angel of terror

How about Cara Black 's Aimee Leduc series all set in different areas of Paris, e.g., Murder in the Marais, Murder in Belleville, etc.

A new favorite for me is Lisa Unger. I just finished Black out. Great book, I'd highly recommend it.

Try James Crumley. His C.W. Shugrue series is good hard boiled stuff.

Second re James Crumley. I also recommend Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins series, starting with Devil in a Blue Dress.

Hi
I'm not sure I'm supposed to post here, since I'm an editor, but just slap me and I won't do it again. Anyhow, here goes: I'm trying to get word out on PRIMITIVE, by Mark Nykanen, who got tons of major reviews for his previous thrillers, written for big NY pubs. Now he's switched to my small press.

I'm offering 100 ebook copies in Early Reviewers this month, also 50 print copies during Book Blogger Appreciation Week next week (sept 14)
all best, deb smith, bell bridge books. visit mark at www.marknykanen.com

hey Deb (I'm a Smith, too - hail!).
I've had one of his earlier works for ages. It wasn't too bad. Tried for the print version of the new one a few ER batches back, but didn't succeed in getting one. Would have gone for it again, but for the ebook status. I couldn't promise to get through it. Sorry, but there it is. It will be interesting to see how he's grown/improved as a writer. I'll check out the website to see if I can get a chance at it again.

I just finished my first draft on a novel i'm writing in the crime/thriller fiction genre. I need to find novels from first time Authors to use as models to get an idea what it takes to get published when you're an unknown. I need 1st person Narratives with 3rd person POV's as well. I would appreciate any suggestions you might have

I just finished an ARC of a book called The Ark : ) by first-time author Boyd Morrison. Not a bad thriller, although what I found more interesting was that he published it as an ebook first, and 16,000 downloads in a few months was what brought it to the attention of, well, somebody--his agent? his publisher? At any rate, using the brave new world of technology and social networking he made it happen.

Also of interest, along the same lines, the works of Scott Sigler. He got noticed by podcasting his first book (I can't recall which one that was; I first read Contagious by him, and loved it.

Good luck!

John Lescroat is a local author who I have emailed about writing/publishing on a few occasions. He is more crime oriented than my taste which runs to legal thrillers (surprising since I'm a lawyer?). Anyway, I love David Baldacci, who was my inspiration to start writing, Perri O'Shaughnessy, and Sandra Brown (although didn't love the last one I read called Smash Cut). If you like an environmental bent, there's Nevada Barr, which are more mystery than thriller.

I am looking for a new mystery series to love... I ended up at this site, and since I don't see most of MY favorite authors, I thought I'd post them!

Rex Stout
Ross MacDonald
Henning Mankell
Batya Gur
Lee Child
Colin Dexter

runners up.... Ruth Rendell, Jill McGown (what happened to her? she seems to have disappeared!) , Reginald Hill, Peter Robinson

now, somebody please recommend a new mystery series I can become obsessed with! I'm reading John Lescroart... ok but not truly GREAT...

oh right! I have to add her to my just-posted list of favorite authors! she is wonderful

Michael Pearce - Mamur Zapt Series
William Marshall - Yellowthread Street
Barbara Nadel - Inspector Ikmen
Robert Van Gulik - Judge Dee

I like Sarah Andrews' mystery series, the heroine, Em Hansen, is a geologist.

The Jerusalem Quartet by Edward Whittemore:

Sinai Tapestry
Jerusalem Poker
Nile Shadows
Jericho Mosaic

There is some mystery here, this stuff is crazy, though it settles down in the later books, you won't know what hit you with the first two. Magical Realism? by an ex CIA operative.

I don't know about new-new in the sense one might not have heard of her-Mary Roberts Rinehart-Margaret Allingham(Spelling)-Walter Satterthwait-Amanda Cross-Patricai Moyes-Charles Willeford-Don Winslow-Tom Kakonis-Brian Harper-James Sallis-Ben Rehder-David Goodis-Ed Gorman(Heavy Duty)-Daniel Woodrell-Michael McGarrity-Pete Hauptman-Ken Breun-Arthur Upfield-Harry Crews-Gilbert Chesterton-Peter Lovsey-Philip Caputo-Marlon James-Dashiell Hammett-Kinky Friedman-Rich Riordin-Ross Thomas-Stuart Kaminsky-Harold Adams-Michael Stone-Sean Hanlon-Peter Rabe-James D. Doss-Lawrence Block-Minette Walters-E.Richard Johnson-Patricia Wentworth-Ann Perry-Helene Tursten-Spelling(Detective Inspector Huss series)Charlotte MacLeod-Sara Paretsky-Rex Stout-William Tapply-Dorothy Sayers-George Pelecanos-Dorothy Uhnak-Elizabeth Lemarchand-Charlotte MacLeod-Jim Thompson-James Crumley-Stephen Greenleaf-Randy Wayne White-George C.Chesbro-Chester Himes-Loren D.Estleman-Eugene Manlove Rhodes-Andrea Camilleri-Sara Woods-Tony Hillerman-Earl Emerson-Robert Crais-David Klass-William R. Cox-

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Dan Brown, but a few of my favorites are: Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels, Robert Crais' Elvis Cole books, Rick Riordan's Tres Navarre series, Jonathon Kellerman's Alex Delaware novels, John Sandford's Prey series, Ann Perry's Victorian Era mysteries, and Tami Hoag, and Steve Berry.

Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad books. Each one features a different main character, who might show up as a minor character in the others.

In the Woods
The Likeness
Faithful Place

All are highly recommended and she has gotten better with each one.

Try Stephen Greenleaf's John Marshall Tanner series.

I would suggest ;

Phil Rickman, Colin Cotterill, James Lee Burke and Tom Rob Smith

I recently read Katy Munger's sixth Casey Jones mystery, Bad Moon on the Rise (click the title for my review). Most of this series are quite enjoyable. Casey is bold, irreverent, lusty, sometimes downright vulgar. Great fun, with an entertaining cast of secondary characters. The first is Legwork.

I recently read Katy Munger's sixth Casey Jones mystery, Bad Moon on the Rise (click the title for my review). Most of this series are quite enjoyable. Casey is bold, irreverent, lusty, sometimes downright vulgar. Great fun, with an entertaining cast of secondary characters. The first is Legwork.

If you like Nelson Demille I think you will like Brian Haig and Kyle Mills.
The Haig books should probably be read in order. Mills has a recurring character in a few of his books so those should probably be read in order. He also has written a few stand alones.

Oh, another good series is the ealy Robert K. Tanenbaum books. (I am not trying to open the debate or discussion about the ghost writing fiasco, I am just saying the 6 or 7 books in the series were good reads).

Somewhere on this site the name Daniel Silva popped up several times. I guess I'm CMT ignorant, but I never knew who he was. I sure do now! His espionage novels are like a narcotic. I do listen to most of the books on audio and they are so fantastically narrated with an array of voices and dialects and accents that are just unbelievable.

By the way, I don't think I've ever enjoyed espionage before. Maybe LT members can recommend other authors who write in the same vein. In the meantime, I have about eight more Silva books to work throough...ravenously.

Thanks members for all the good recommendations in the past.

Michael Gruber starting with Tropic of Night is well worth trying.

You might enjoy Philip Kerr's Berlin Noir series.

Laurie King...Beekeepers Apprentice series
Louise Penny...Inspector Gamache series
"Masie Dobbs" series (forgot the author)

If you're looking for new authors, I'd like to offer you my latest novel. Her Demons of Passion. A murder mystery in Jamaica that involves intrigue, passion and sex. The readers who have read it have given wonderful reviews.

A few of my favorite writers -
Kaye C Hill - Dead Woman's Shoes, The Fall Girl
Janwillem van der Wetering - The Rattle-Rat, The Corpse on the Dike
John Dunning - Bookman's Wake
Jane Langton - The Transcendental Murder, The Dante Game
Sarah Caudwell - The Sirens Sang of Murder, Thus Was Adonis Murdered
Josephine Tey - The Daughter of Time, Miss Pym Disposes
Mary Roberts Rinehart - The Circular Staircase, The Man in Lower Ten
Elizabeth Peters - The Seventh Sinner, The Murders of Richard III
Georgette Heyer - Blunt Instrument, They Found Him Dead
Sara Paretsky - Bitter Medicine, Indemnity Only
Laurie R King - Folly, The Beekeeper's Apprentice
John D MacDonald - The Dreadful Lemon Sky, The Turquoise Lament
Alan Bradley - The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag

Try John Burdett's "Bangkok" series.

Try Peter Lovesey, Reginald Hill and Elizabeth George.

She's already been mentioned, but the Kinsey Millhone private investigator series by Sue Grafton is very good. She's done A is for Alibi through U is for Undertow.

I'm currently re-reading them, have gotten to J is for Judgement, and haven't even gotten close to tiring of reading them one after another. I read A-J so long ago that I don't remember hardly any of the details, so it's like a whole new series for me. And I've never read K-U at all, so it's definitely new territory for me.

Josephine Tey, Miss Pym Disposes
Dorothy L. Sayers, Gaudy Night
Jill Paton Walsh, Thrones, Dominations
Dana Hand, Deep Creek

Finished the Sue Grafton series and was pleased, more or less, with all of them. I hope V is for.... comes out soon!

PeteJens - Miss Pym Disposes is my favorite Tey, although I really like all of them. Pym is deliciously ironic. I could write paragraphs about Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. They are among my favorite books of all time and I re-read them constantly.

I found Thrones and Dominations only okay. Jill Paton Walsh took fragments of a manuscript by Sayers and finished it, and I found it somewhat uneven because of that. She completely wrote a second book, A Presumption of Death, which is much more Sayer-ish and satisfying.

I haven't heard of Dana Hand. Deep Creek sounds good, though.

Carlos Ruiz Zafon is amazing! You have to read The shadow of the wind and The angel´s game!

> 60 I want to like the Jill Paton Walsh books more because it's a wish fulfillment to have more Peter and Harriet books - but I've only found them okay. The latest, The Attenbury Emeralds, was again, for me, only okay.

I like Agatha Christie too, and in a similar(-ish) vein I also like Dorothy Sayers's Lord Peter Wimsey books (my favourite is probably Murder Must Advertise and the earlier ones, not so fond of Harriet Vane :P) and Margery Allingham's Albert Campion series, which has quite a number of titles, each one with a different theme.

Also, maybe try Boris Akunin's books? I like the Fandorin series better than Sister Pelagia, The Turkish Gambit is possibly my favourite (although The Winter Queen is a close second) but he also wrote an "Agatha Christie" type story, Murder on the Leviathan. (Although I like the original Agatha Christie better since Akunin's take is somewhat more violent.)

#62 - jnwelch - of course they'll never be Sayers, but I really did like A Presumptionof Death. I thought it was clever and true to the period and captured Harriet, Peter, and Bunter pretty well.

I didn't even realize there was another one and just ordered The Attenbury Emeralds. It is wish fulfillment, but fortunately I like them well enough.

#63 sakayume - I think of the non-Harriet-Vane books, I like Murder Must Advertise best myself. Whiffling is so clever, and Sayers really captures advertising's essential absurdity. The mystery's clever, and Peter as Harlequin is quite dashing.

I'll have to check out Boris Akunin.

#64 karenmarie - I had to think hard who Whiffling was, it's time for me to re-read Murder Must Advertise. ;) I fully agree with you re: Sayers capturing advertising's absurdity. And while reading the book I was continuously struck by how, despite the book being written many decades ago, what she says about advertising still essentially rings true.

I've never read any of the Jill Paton Welsh continuations, I might give them a go. There aren't enough stories in the Sayers canon to satisfy me.

I'm not sure I saw her name, but Kate Atchinson is a terrific author