NFR - detective fiction

[richie17]

I know a few of you read detective fiction, and this seemed quite itneresting, about fictional detectives calling it a day:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/8405073/Even-fictional-detectives-have-to-say-goodbye.html#disqus_thread

My top five detectives:

1. Raymond Chandler's Marlowe is the greatest detective fiction character by a country mile.  Interesting what the article says about staleness and character development.  Chandler died before staleness could set in, so Marlowe remained Marlowe, albeit slightly mellowed (and world-weary).  

2.  Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer is a more rounded but less interesting version of Marlowe, and over time he too mellowed out.   Relative to other detective fictiont the Archer series isn't that well known, but if you've exhausted Chandler this is the next best thing.  I'm not sure how Archer called it a day though, if he did at all.

3.  Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes is fantastic fun, and perfect for readers of all ages.  I will ensure Stanley has a copy of the complete works in his room as soon as he can read.   Holmes is not remotely realistic as a character and the plots are contrived even by the standards of the genre, but the language is so fresh and the depiction of London at the time so enthralling that the whole thing works thrillingly well.  Holmes didn't seem to change much as the stories went on, which seems about right:  it wouldn't have surprised me at all to learn that he wasn't actually human.  The Rheichenback Falls episode only proves my point.

4.  Colin Dexter's Morse.  Like Marlowe and Archer, I would like to be Morse.  Dexter had some funny ideas to begin with, and the stories are somehow less vital than other writers', but Morse is a brilliant character who will live on for generations.  How much of this is reliant on John Thaw's TV portrayal I'm not entirely sure.  Dexter ended Morse's run with a heart attack, which had sort of been coming.

5.  Kurt Wallander is very appealing, but I don't really like Mankell and his stories have been increasingly samey.  They succeed because of Wallander, rather than all of the other things Mankell does.  I suppose the same is true of Marlowe and Archer to a degree, but their writers put them in interesting locations and keep things from getting too far fetched.  They're also better writers than Mankell.   But somehow Wallander is so good that he pulls it off.   That said, I've re-read Chandler, and would do the same with Macdonald.  I wouldn't do this with Mankell.   The same applies to Martin Beck to an extent, who is like Wallander but dialled down a notch or two (Mankell drew inspiration from Sjowall, no doubt).  

[AlFayedsChequebook]

Two of the greatest fictional detectives albeit within a TV setting:

(NSFW)

The wire - Mother #@*%$!

[Snibbo]

Recently discovered John Burdett.  Two excellent detective novels set in Thailand:  Bangkok 8 and Bangkok Tatoo.

Really well written, atmospheric and authentic.

[The Equalizer]

Interestingly enough, I've only read Sherlock Holmes out of those listed. And that was limited to A Study In Scarlet.

I've never really tried detective fiction before, but will certainly give it a go. I love reading Lee Child, but that's detective work enforced with a sledgehammer.

I did read an Italian crime novel recently called 'A Florentine Death' by Michele Giuttari, a chap who was head of the Florence police force until recently. A good read, but nothing on those listed above.

[Burt]

Anyone looking for a really good read could do no worse than try out Jo Nesbo's novels, the main character is a slightly flawed Harry Hole, really good reads. A Norwegian equivalent of Ian Rankin's Rebus, with a bit more substance.

[richie17]

Anyone looking for a really good read could do no worse than try out Jo Nesbo's novels, the main character is a slightly flawed Harry Hole, really good reads. A Norwegian equivalent of Ian Rankin's Rebus, with a bit more substance.

They've tried to market Nesbo as the new Steig Larsson, which has scared me off.   Your Rebus suggestion makes me wonder again though, many thanks.

[richie17]

Interestingly enough, I've only read Sherlock Holmes out of those listed. And that was limited to A Study In Scarlet.

I've never really tried detective fiction before, but will certainly give it a go. I love reading Lee Child, but that's detective work enforced with a sledgehammer.

I did read an Italian crime novel recently called 'A Florentine Death' by Michele Giuttari, a chap who was head of the Florence police force until recently. A good read, but nothing on those listed above.

Those were just my top five.  I'd recommend Chandler though, he's brilliant.

Lee Child I am not sure about.  he is a bit of a twerp in real life (imagine if Richard Madeley wrote novels), which shouldn't matter (Chandler was a fairly pathetic creature) but has turned me off his work a bit.

[ImperialWhite]

The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins is worth a read (mates with Charles Dickens and author of The Woman In White, one of my absolute favourites).

[Burt]

Anyone looking for a really good read could do no worse than try out Jo Nesbo's novels, the main character is a slightly flawed Harry Hole, really good reads. A Norwegian equivalent of Ian Rankin's Rebus, with a bit more substance.

They've tried to market Nesbo as the new Steig Larsson, which has scared me off.   Your Rebus suggestion makes me wonder again though, many thanks.

Worth a go Mr Richie sir. I have also read the three Larsson novels and prefered Nesbo.

[cebu]

What, no Dashiell Hammett?

He of course had the benefit of actually having been a detective.     

[BalDrick]

Rankin's Rebus series is good, though a tad samey after a while. Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series is really good. I was recommended the Martin Beck series by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo some time ago, thus far have only read the first, Roseanna, which was pretty good but the fact I haven't read anymore probably says more than I can, in fewer words. Benjamin Black's Quirke series are detective fiction of a sort, as are Christopher Brookmyre's Jack Parlabane and Colin Bateman's The Man With No Name series. Pelecanos too I've just remembered.

It's a potentially fascinating genre though, one I sometimes dream of writing in. I'm not sure there's quite enough interaction, sort of try to solve it yourself before the detecive does.

[BalDrick]

Anyone ever read any Mark Billingham? Specifically not the Thorne series.

[MJG]

I like the Alex Cross books by James Patterson, best know for "Along came a spider" & "kiss the girls", pure pulp but good for a holiday read.

[richie17]

Rankin's Rebus series is good, though a tad samey after a while. Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series is really good. I was recommended the Martin Beck series by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo some time ago, thus far have only read the first, Roseanna, which was pretty good but the fact I haven't read anymore probably says more than I can, in fewer words. Benjamin Black's Quirke series are detective fiction of a sort, as are Christopher Brookmyre's Jack Parlabane and Colin Bateman's The Man With No Name series. Pelecanos too I've just remembered.

It's a potentially fascinating genre though, one I sometimes dream of writing in. I'm not sure there's quite enough interaction, sort of try to solve it yourself before the detecive does.

that was me on TiFF with Martin Beck.  It's much slower pace, and more of a police procedural than a thriller, but I quite dig them and find them much more pleasing that Mankell.

If anyone likes page turning thrillers then Gillian Flynn is really good.   

Hammett I always found overrated.  Readable but not life changing as Chandler or Macdonald might be.

[Aspen]

http://www.valmcdermid.com/
Love her stuff
Laurie R. King
Mary Russell series of historical mysteries, featuring Sherlock Holmes as her partner, and a series featuring Kate Martinelli, a fictional lesbian San Francisco, California, police officer.

[Aspen]

http://www.murderone.co.uk/

Was a great book shop - sadly gone but on line now

[Aspen]

And my fav site
http://www.bookdagger.com/

[GoldCoastWhite]

Interestingly enough, I've only read Sherlock Holmes out of those listed. And that was limited to A Study In Scarlet.

I've never really tried detective fiction before, but will certainly give it a go. I love reading Lee Child, but that's detective work enforced with a sledgehammer.

I did read an Italian crime novel recently called 'A Florentine Death' by Michele Giuttari, a chap who was head of the Florence police force until recently. A good read, but nothing on those listed above.

Jack Reacher could bitch slap Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal at the same time !

[BalDrick]

Interestingly enough, I've only read Sherlock Holmes out of those listed. And that was limited to A Study In Scarlet.

I've never really tried detective fiction before, but will certainly give it a go. I love reading Lee Child, but that's detective work enforced with a sledgehammer.

I did read an Italian crime novel recently called 'A Florentine Death' by Michele Giuttari, a chap who was head of the Florence police force until recently. A good read, but nothing on those listed above.

I really don't like Holmes stuff - it all seems too simple. But I think I'll try it again one day (when I have time, ha ha). My wife's about to start a Lee Childs book I think. Just looked up A Florentine Death on Amazon, it gets roundly slated.

Anyone looking for a really good read could do no worse than try out Jo Nesbo's novels, the main character is a slightly flawed Harry Hole, really good reads. A Norwegian equivalent of Ian Rankin's Rebus, with a bit more substance.

I'm going to have a look at Jo Nesbo, sounds interesting.

Rankin's Rebus series is good, though a tad samey after a while. Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series is really good. I was recommended the Martin Beck series by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo some time ago, thus far have only read the first, Roseanna, which was pretty good but the fact I haven't read anymore probably says more than I can, in fewer words. Benjamin Black's Quirke series are detective fiction of a sort, as are Christopher Brookmyre's Jack Parlabane and Colin Bateman's The Man With No Name series. Pelecanos too I've just remembered.

It's a potentially fascinating genre though, one I sometimes dream of writing in. I'm not sure there's quite enough interaction, sort of try to solve it yourself before the detecive does.

that was me on TiFF with Martin Beck.  It's much slower pace, and more of a police procedural than a thriller, but I quite dig them and find them much more pleasing that Mankell.

If anyone likes page turning thrillers then Gillian Flynn is really good.   

Hammett I always found overrated.  Readable but not life changing as Chandler or Macdonald might be.

The fact the detecive was reall hacked off with everything rather translated as me becoming hacked off with the book in Roseanna, I'm also going to check out Gillian Flynn though.

[BalDrick]

'I'm also going to check out Gillian Flynn though.'

Just ordered Dark Places, thanks - looks really good. Amazon felt I'd like Cathi Unsworth's Bad Penny Blues too - anyone read any of hers?