The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

I am looking for a new character to follow. I love James Patterson's Alex Cross, Ptricia Cornwell's Scarpetta, Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme and John Sandford's Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers series.

Anyone have any good suggestions along those lines?

Thanks so much!

I am a great fan of Reginald Hill's books.

Melissa, try the Pendergast series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Really fun reads. And Lee Child's "Jack Reacher" books are great. Jack Reacher is a super character.

I forgot to put I read all of Lee Child's books too! Great minds red alike. LOL

Thanks!

Alex Delaware - Jonathan Kellerman

Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus - Faye Kellerman

Okay, Melissa, obviously we like the same kind of books. Do you read Robert B. Parker and James Lee Burke?

No I don't. I will now! I just finisged Rough Country by John Sanford - LOVED IT! And right before that I finished The scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell. I loved that too, but the ending really wrapped up too quickly and neatly for me. Too many loose ends.

Oh yea, Jonathan Kellerman by himself is a great writer, I don't particularly like the ones with his wife.

I love Reginald Hill too (Dalziel and Pascoe).

Also Robert Parker (Spenser and Jesse Stone - haven't read Sunny Randall),Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum), and John Connolly (Charlie Parker)off the top of my head. I guess I like everything from fizzy to pretty dark.

I also really enjoyed Tana French's "In the Woods" and "The Likeness". Not sure this counts as a series but they do share some characters.

I've enjoyed the Tess Monaghan series by Laura Lippman set in Baltimore.

If you are looking to branch out to series in England I can highly recommend the Inspector Lynley series by Elizabeth George and the Inspector Adam Dalgliesh series by P. D. James.

Hi, Melissa. If you decide to read Robert B. Parker, read the Spenser books in order - there are about forty of them, I believe, so you have lots of good reading ahead of you. I love the characters. The first book is The Godwulf Manuscript and it's fun to see the development of Spenser, Susan and Hawk. There is also a great series of police procedurals by Ed McBain (pen name of Evan Hunter) about the 87th Precinct in a thinly disguised New York City. This series started back in the sixties and continued until the author left this mortal coil a few years ago. The books and characters are wonderful.

I also love Scarpetta and Lincoln Rhyme. A series I found interesting were the Guido Brunetti books by Donna Leon. I had to order some of mine from England because they weren't published in the States until recently. These aren't fast-paced thrillers, but if you like Venice, Italian food, and interesting characters, these books are great.

Melissa wrote: "I am looking for a new character to follow. I love James Patterson's Alex Cross, Ptricia Cornwell's Scarpetta, Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme and John Sandford's Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers ..."

Melissa: Try Robert Walker's "INstinct" series. The main character is Jessica Coran and she is very, very much like Kay Scarpetta. IT is a very good series with a lot books. Happy Reading.

What about Stuart MacBride? A little rough stuff, but always a compelling read. Set in Aberdeen, and Logan MacRae is his main character.

Lee Child or Michael Connelly have a series of books that you might like.

Melissa wrote: "I forgot to put I read all of Lee Child's books too! Great minds red alike. LOL

Thanks!"<

Melissa, I am about to read Lee Child as well. Should I read The Enemy or The Killing Floor first???

Melissa, I am about to read Lee Child as well. Should I read The Enemy or The Killing floor first..."

I'm not Melissa but if you haven't read any of the other Reacher books, I'd go for the Killing floor first as the character and writing develop through the series even though The Enemy is set further in the past.
If you've read others, I'd go for The Enemy as it's the better book imho. (But the other is by no means bad, it's good, just not as good).

Sandra mentioned the Spenser books. I've also read the other series by Parker -- Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall. I really liked the Jesse Stone books but it was interesting to see how he handled a female lead in the Sunny Randall books.

I also liked his westerns. Basically, I've liked just about everything I've read by Parker. Hate it that he's no longer with us.

Merrill Heath

I would recommend the Agent Pendergast books by Preston & Child and the Alan Gregory books by Stephen White.

Hi Melisa
Have you tried any Tom Thorne DI in Mark Billingham Books set in London FAB

Melissa wrote: "I am looking for a new character to follow. I love James Patterson's Alex Cross, Ptricia Cornwell's Scarpetta, Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme and John Sandford's Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers ..."

A couple that I like are Craig Johnson and the Walt Longmire Mystery series and also Hankell Manning Kurt Wallender series.

The British writer Peter Robinson (who lives in Canada, I believe) has a great police procedural series set in the North of England, featuring Inspector Banks. I also like Val McDermid's series which commenced with Wire in the Blood. And an American writer worth looking at is Karin Slaughter (what a name for a crime writer!) who has written a series collectively known as the Grant County series and a more recent series known as the Atlanta series featuring some of the same characters.

I have all of Karin Slaughter's books on my Kindle, she's one of my favorite authors. I really like the Grant County series.

Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti are excellent mysteries. Giles Blunt has an interesting police detective series, featuring John Cardinal, set in northern Ontario. L.R. Wright wrote a great series set in Western Canada on the Sunshine Coast with RCMP Sgt Karl Alberg, that was one of my favourites. One other you might like is Michelle Spring who wrote a series set in Cambridge, featuring Private Detective Laura Principal. I echo Patricia's recommendation of Karin Slaughter. Great stories.

For something a little quirky I would recommend the Dr. Siri series by Colin Cotterill. For something timely from Brazil the Chief Insp Mario Silva series by Leighton Gage

I recommend the Inspector Ian Rutledge series by Charles Todd. There is also a fun series by Ian Ransom about a mobile library.

Judy wrote: "There is also a fun series by Ian Ransom about a mobile library."

That sounds good Judy, but I can't find it. Do you know the title of the first one?

Hi Hayes, I think the series Judy is talking about is by Ian Sansom and the first book is The Case of the Missing Books. I really enjoyed this one. Great characters and all the quirks and secrets of a small town.

Aha! found it... thanks Donna.

ooops...goofed on a letter. The Ian Sansom series has for or five books now. The Martha Grimes series with Inspector Jury is also quite good.

A name I don't see mentioned often is Michael Robotham. Suspect and Shatter are thoroughly engrossing. The main character is Joseph O'Loughlin, a London psychiatrist afflicted with Parkinson's who gets involved with murder cases. There are at least two more in the series: Lost: A Novel and Bleed for Me.

I also enjoy the series by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahloo featuring Martin Beck, a Swedish police detective. The stories were written in the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies, and are not without social commentary.

Stuart Woods has several series out - Stone Barrington, Ed Eagle, and Holly Barker. I've read a couple from the Stone Barrington series and one in the Holly Barker series. I haven't read anything from the Ed Eagle series.

Everything I've read by Woods has been entertaining and fun but not great or what I would consider "must read" books. But he's published more than 40 books so there's a lot to read if you find you like his style.

Merrill Heath
Bearing False Witness

Karin Fossum Inspector Sejer series. On my 4th book.

Melissa wrote: "I am looking for a new character to follow. I love James Patterson's Alex Cross, Ptricia Cornwell's Scarpetta, Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme and John Sandford's Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers ..."

How about Jefferson Bass' series? It is the writing team of Jon Jefferson and William Bass..the main character is a forensic anthropologist. Here's one:
Or, Simon Beckett's David Hunter series: .

Donna wrote: "For something a little quirky I would recommend the Dr. Siri series by Colin Cotterill. For something timely from Brazil the Chief Insp Mario Silva series by [author:Leighton Gage|6..."

Excellent recommendation..the Dr. Siri books are phenomenal, in my opinion.

Alex Kava's "Special Agent Maggie O'Dell" series, Jack Kerley, "Carson Ryder" series. Mark Pearson "Jack Delaney" series. Others I would recommend with a series theme, Stuart McBride, Richard Montanari, Lisa Gardner, Chris Mooney, so many, check out my books if you like. All series books, pretty much and all great thrillers, but you need a good constitution for most of them.

Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brody, four books out and the BBC have just made the first 3 into TV dramas,(Case histories, One good turn and When will there be good news). Loved the intricate web which Atkinson spins.

I would recommend Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus series. They are set in Edinburgh in Scotland and although the first book (knots and crosses) is good but not great the series gets far better as it goes on. Lee Child and Mark Billingham's DI Thorne I also enjoyed. Also Stuart McBride if you like your humor dark.

i'm new to this group - so nice to find people who read what i read! i read some author suggestions and just finished the first karin slaughter dr. linton book - am now reading laura lippman - so thanks! i have some authors i'd like to suggest: ann cleeves - the shetland quartet, louise penny and martin edwards

Gail wrote: "i'm new to this group - so nice to find people who read what i read! i read some author suggestions and just finished the first karin slaughter dr. linton book - am now reading laura lippman - so t..."

Love Ann Cleeves and Louise Penny, both their series characters are very interesting as well as their settings. Ruth Galloway is another somewhat similiar author another character driven writer.

Diane wrote: "Gail wrote: "i'm new to this group - so nice to find people who read what i read! i read some author suggestions and just finished the first karin slaughter dr. linton book - am now reading laura l..."

Do you mean Elly Griffiths? Her character is Ruth Galloway. I've only just started a sample of The Crossing Places.

Yes sorry that is who I mean. I mistyped or reversed.

I'm new to the group, but I've gotten some good recommendations to start reading. I would like to recommend Julia Spencer-Fleming..Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Myteries. The first in the series is In the Bleak Midwinter. I have read six in the series and am on the last one...hooked right away. Love her writing and the character development.

Hi Terri. Welcome to the group. I read In the Bleak Midwinter a few years ago during a snowstorm so it was a perfect fit.

Donna wrote: "Hi Terri. Welcome to the group. I read In the Bleak Midwinter a few years ago during a snowstorm so it was a perfect fit."

Now, I think the perfect time to read a winter book about snow and ice would be in the middle of a summer heat wave!

How about the Elvis Cole books by Robert Crais or the Alex McNight books by Steve Hamilton or the Harry Bosch books by Michael Connelly??

Celia wrote: "How about the Elvis Cole books by Robert Crais or the Alex McNight books by Steve Hamilton or the Harry Bosch books by Michael Connelly??"
And the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben and CJ Box's books and Peter Robinson's books and Nevada Barr's. OK, I'll stop now. New to list.

Beth wrote: "Now, I think the perfect time to read a winter book about snow and ice would be in the middle of a summer heat wave!."

I re-read most of the Craig Johnson series about Sheriff Walt Longmier during our KY summers. Johnson does blizzard-in-the-Wyoming mountains better than any other author I've read ...

... and I've been in blizzards in the Wyoming mountains myself, more than once!

Celia wrote: "Celia wrote: "How about the Elvis Cole books by Robert Crais or the Alex McNight books by Steve Hamilton or the Harry Bosch books by Michael Connelly??"
And the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Cobe..."

Ridley Pearson fits in here.

Sharon wrote: "Beth wrote: "Now, I think the perfect time to read a winter book about snow and ice would be in the middle of a summer heat wave!."

I re-read most of the Craig Johnson series about Sheriff Walt Lo..."