Mystery Novelists

Sirs, Madames,

I'm on a run of reading detective/mystery/suspense stuff for reasons of my own. Hammett and Chandler I know and have done. I'm working my way through the considerable ouevre of Ross Macdonald who was as good as either. Are any of you fans of the genre and who are your favorites? I'm probably more interested in the detective/police procedural branch though I like some Le Carre.

YHS, etc

 

I just discovered Henning Mankell, after many others, I'm sure.

http://www.henningmankell.com/Books/Wallander.

 

Henning Mankell is the deal. Discovered him a few years ago and ate 'em up like candy. The Wallander series is best read in chronological order, IMO.

 

I started in on Dennis Lehane's stuff after I saw "Gone Baby Gone." Really good, particularly if you're in the mood for darker mysteries.

 

Mankell, absolutely. Discovered him last year and am so, so happy I did. Agree with reading Wallender novels in order. Would also suggest Tana French. Michael Connelly has served up some excellent stuff, too.

 

My favorite is George Pelecanos. If you're a fan of "The Wire" he'd be up your alley (he served as both a writer and producer for the show).

Other favorites to look for, in rough order:

Don Winslow (His "Power of the Dog" is a great look at the drug war)
Dennis Lehane
Robert Crais (for me, the class of the detective novelists these days)
Michael Connelly (seems to be coasting at times, at least to me, but at his best he's damn good)

Best mystery/crime novel I've read in the past year is ""The Lock Artist" by Steve Hamilton, which I believe won the Edgar for best novel.

Their recent stuff hasn't been great, but I love the older novels by Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard. Hiaasen's "Tourist Season" may be my favorite book, period.

If you haven't read it, "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" by George V. Higgins is pretty much the gold standard for me. Brilliant novel.

 

Dear F of the F: If you haven't read any Donald Westlake, start. Since he wrote like 80 books, start anywhere.
This guy's books are out of print now, because he died in the mid'90s, but Ross Thomas wrote some great spy and caper books. Try "Chinaman's Chance" if you can find it.

 

Second Elmore Leonard.

 

Robert Crais is damn good. Hooked onto him when I ran out of Spenser books to read.

 

Reginald Hill.
Ian Rankin.
and the British Bill James, not the baseball guy. His Harpur and Iles series is wicked good.

 

Forgot to mention James Lee Burke.

 

borkmann's point by hakan nesser is a good one if you're read a bunch of mysteries—it's good and distinctive in the way the story progresses.