Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thanks for all the input to date; (Ain't it funny how time slips away?) I'll definitely have to check out Ms. Perry, as I have close friends in Quebec: wish I got up there as often as I once did.
Forgot to mention that I have read most of Kathy Reichs' work; the books are fine except for her tendency to end too many of them with a narrow escape; Sue Grafton got away from this after the first few books in the Kinsey Millhone series. Give me J A Jance's portraits of the law at work any day.
To date, I've read Greg Iles' Spandau Phoenix and Black Cross; not really a fair sampling as I know he also has some works set in the Deep South -- should complement my taste for Stephen Hunter and Ace Atkins.
I've read only one book by Janet Evanovich, and I know she's very, very good for her genre; but I consider her more of a humorist than a mystery writer -- sort of a cross between Sara Peretsky and Erma Bombeck ??
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 09-10-2014 at 04:23 AM..
How about Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series? It's set in almost-contemporary Trenton, NJ.
I would caution readers about the Stephanie Plum series. While the first five or six are fresh & interesting, it goes downhill very quickly and becomes trite and predictable. I've read the entire series, but the last several were a yawn.
My latest favorites are the Murder by Month series by Jess Laurey. They're set in small town Minnesota and the main character is both spunky & witty. Only seven of them are out so far, but the 8th is due out in January and I'm waiting impatiently. Meanwhile, I'm reading the Psychic Eye series by Victoria Laurie, which I'm enjoying so far.
I also have to put a good word in for John Sandford. I believe I've read every crime novel he's published so far and they're ALL excellent.
The Anna Pigeon series by Nevada Barr is good, too, if somewhat gritty at times. Sue Grafton's earlier "alphabet" mysteries were best, her later ones are too much talk, too little action for my tastes.
I picked up a copy of William Kent Krueger's Copper River last week, and was very favorably impressed, particularly by the details of his characters, (and especially the juveniles) and his knowledge of the native peoples and the setting of his work. I'll be on the lookout for more, but het doesn't seem to have too big a following here in Northeastern Pennsylvania .... at least not yet. Also have read two of Mr. Iles' Natchez-based works
I would caution readers about the Stephanie Plum series. While the first five or six are fresh & interesting, it goes downhill very quickly and becomes trite and predictable. I've read the entire series, but the last several were a yawn.
I grew up not far from the white-ethnic bastion of Wilkes-Barre which, until a few years ago, had a culture not far removed from Ms. Evanovich's "burg". Obviously, things aren't like that every day, but I can tell you that lot of the idiosyncracies and off-the-wall one-liners can turn up on an individual basis if you look deep enough and/or wait long enough. It's a lot like Joseph Wambaugh's cop humor -- not all that common, but a lot of it can, or has happened at one time or another.
Stephanie Plum reminds me of the eccentric relative many of us have, and whom we see only occasionally; good for laughs when they show up, but you don't miss them for a while after they leave.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 06-14-2015 at 10:38 PM..
I really like the late Robert Parker's Spenser series. If you like a lot of description and side plots, it's probably not for you. They're pretty quick reads but I like them enough to reread them.
Jefferson and Bass bring their own unique set of strengths to the partnership. Dr. Bass, the duo's scientific expert, is a legend in forensic circles. In 1980 he created the world's first laboratory devoted to human decomposition: the University of Tennessee's "Body Farm." Dr. Bass has authored or coauthored more than 200 scientific publications, most of them based on the research facility's work. During half a century in the classroom, Dr. Bass taught tens of thousands of students, including many of the foremost forensic anthropologists practicing in the United States today. He's been featured on numerous network television news programs, as well as in documentaries for National Geographic and the BBC. CBS was not exaggerating when it called Dr. Bass "America 's top forensic scientist."
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
