Can anyone suggest a good thriller/crime novel?

[mountainboo]

I haven't read a book in a while. I read some of 'the secret of crickley hall' but got bored. I have never read a James Patterson or Ian Rankin or Kathy Reichs. Are they any good?TIA

[jessiedog]

I've just finished 'Beneath the Bleeding' by Val McDermid and it was very good. It is, however, the latest in a series. She is always good value and you could do worse than try some of hers anyway.

[DotH]

kathy reichs books are very good, quite humorous too in places, I have all of them here I think and i am working my way through them.

[mountainboo]

Thanks. I have just looked up 'Beneath the bleeding' and it does look very good. You wouldn't happen to know Val Mcdermids' first book would you? What I'd really like to do is pick an author that has written numerous books like Val and Kathy, and work my way through

[shaneystar2]

There are far too many good crime and thriller writers out there to mention .
Have a look here
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/
It gives you all the latest books an authors with a brief synopsis .
I have read all the Rankins and Reichs to date and they are a good read .Not keen on James Patterson though.
Reichs is far better than Patricia Cornwell whose last couple of books were awful .
If you like historical stuff with murder and mayhem thrown in try C.J. Sansoms Shardlake series ..brilliant .

On the other hand you can't beat good old Agatha Christie or Dorothy L Sayers .

Christopher Fowler is good and very underrated ...crime with a comic twist .I've read his Bryant and May series and they too are brilliant
Lee Childs ..Jack Reacher series is great ..there are loads of his fans on AB !
Peter Robinson has also written a good series .Inspector Banks .
Donna Leon has written a good series set In Venice the Guido Brunetti series
Hope you find something you like .

[mountainboo]

Thanks very much Shaney, thats a great help. I think I'm going to try Peter Robinson but start with his first 'Gallows view'.

[tickledtrout]

Val Mcdermid has written quite a few different seies of novels, the 1st lot I read featured Kate Brannigan, which are quite funny and no where near as dark and bleak as the Tony Jordan series. I like Johnathan Kellerman, his wife Faye Kellermen, Kathy Reichs (she wrote Bones if you have seen it on sky),LInda Fairstein, Stephen Booth, Peter James and Janet Evanovich has me crying with laughter

[bullpen]

My favorite author is Nelson DeMille. I just cant put his books down

[happyjo]

Hi

Michael Connelly.. he is an ex police reporter from LA and has written some really good crime thrillers. ( about 16 to date)

Try 'The Concrete Blonde' or 'The Poet'....

Jo x

[DrBlockbuste]

mountainboo .. Dr Blockbuster would point you to Ken McClure .... "Ken McClure is to the medical world what John Grisham is to the Law".
The Lazarus Strain is the first bird flu thriler and was written well ahead of its time, like all of Ken's books. Also The Gulf Conspiracy, a fast moving thriller on Gulf War Syndrome.
See my site host, Valentina, at www.blockbusterbooks.co.uk/1.html
After all, good enough for Sean Connery to give me a call

:smiles:

[mountainboo]

Thanks everybody and also DrBlockbuster, I will check out that site

[DrBlockbuste]

See .. you asked for a book and got a deluge!

:smiles:

Dr Blockbuster

[pingping]

I like Michael Connelly, Kathy Reichs and Linda Fairstein for crime novels.
I also really like Harlan Coben's novels (not the PI series) with my favourite being Tell No One which was made into a film recently (in French).
I find James Patterson writes in a quite simplistic style which I'm not keen on.
I agree with Shaney that the CJ Sansom books are worth a look at too: Dissolution is the first in this series.
Also give Clare Francis a go for slightly dark stories. I thought A Death Divided was very good.
I've also read quite a few Minette Walters which are also usually v. good.

[jessiedog]

Val McDermid... The Tony Jordan novels begin with 'The Mermaids Singing' followed by 'The Wire in the Blood' then several others up to 'Beneath the Bleeding'.

The Kate Brannigan series begins with 'Dead Beat' and the last (so far) is 'Star Struck'.

As previously mentioned the TJ ones are rather dark and the KB ones are lighter and more fun.

Also worth a mention are the books by Nicci French (a husband and wife writing team). The early ones of theirs are some of the best of the genre.

And Minette Walters - read 'The Shape of Snakes' - a real treat.

Enjoy, J

[jessiedog]

Meant to add that the standalone Val McDermid's are good too, especially 'A Place of Execution'.

[Reverandfunk]

Try Jeffrey Deaver - Any of the Lincoln Rhyme series (the bone collector film was based on one of his books)

Ed McBain

[dundurn]

Another writer you could try if you want a cast of characters who go from book to book is Elizabeth George. Don't go by the TV series (which I love) but it could almost be a completely different set of stories. The TV series focuses almost exclusively on the detectives when in the books their families and relationships have a much bigger role to play.

[Stevee]

Everybodys taste is different - So this what I do. I go to WH Smith or Waterstones et al - look for an author that has a number of titles, pick one and read the first chapter. In the main if you like the style you will like the book.

Though I have had a couple of "wrong 'uns" :-)

[bimbo123456]

Kathy Reichs is excellent...have you seen Bones on Sky. That is based on her books. A feisty forensic anthropologist gets involved in various police cases. I like her anyway!!

[teddybon]

Once again I find myself agreeing with the Rev.-Jeffrey Deaver books are 'Unputdownable' I've just started the Ian Rankin series and the first one was OK...I understand Rebus has retired now so I may persevere to the end of the series. I also enjoyed the Blackstock novels of Quentin Jardine.

[DrBlockbuste]

Stevee .. an interesting reply from you, and yes, that's what alot of people doooo .." look for an author that has a number of titles, pick one ..... "

However, the downside can be that the bookshop only stocks the recent title or two and hence an author with an impressive backlist may not be "fully on display" and miss your attention. :wink:

Good point to note mountainboo toooooooooooo

says Dr Blockbuster at Blockbusterbooks