NFR - detective fiction

[Aspen]

Gillian Slovo - always been a good read
http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth235

[AlFayedsChequebook]

Following on from my posting of 'The Wire', I stumbled across a comparison of The Wire to Charles Dickens serialised novels of the 1800s, well worth a read if you have time:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:OknQr5ux00gJ:hoodedutilitarian.com/2011/03/when-its-not-your-turn-the-quintessentially-victorian-vision-of-ogdens-the-wire/+hooded+utilitarian+omar+comin&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari&source=www.google.com

[Chopper]

Hey Richard - another Top 5! I might have to pinch that at some point for the blog!

I'm working my way through Chandler and enjoying every one. As mentioned the other day, just started The Big Nowhere having previously enjoyed The Black Dhalia.

He doesn't really do detectives my my all-time favourite crime writer is Jim Thompson. The first omnibus (which includes The Getaway, The Grifters, Pop 1280 and The Killer Inside Me) is just astonishingly good.

[BalDrick]

'He doesn't really do detectives my my all-time favourite crime writer is Jim Thompson.'

I've read a few of his - dark stuff indeed. The Killer Inside Me, Pop 1280 and After Dark, My Sweet so far - will keep an eye out for The Getaway.

[richie17]

Hey Richard - another Top 5! I might have to pinch that at some point for the blog!

I'm working my way through Chandler and enjoying every one. As mentioned the other day, just started The Big Nowhere having previously enjoyed The Black Dhalia.

He doesn't really do detectives my my all-time favourite crime writer is Jim Thompson. The first omnibus (which includes The Getaway, The Grifters, Pop 1280 and The Killer Inside Me) is just astonishingly good.

Love Jim Thompson too. I have a biography of him somewhere.  Would be interesting to see what kind of a person he was.  His work is a bit like Patricia Highsmith's (Talented Mr Ripley) - very uncomfortable reading.

[Burt]

My son has just asked whether anyone reads The Beano.

:red:

[Chopper]

'He doesn't really do detectives my my all-time favourite crime writer is Jim Thompson.'

I've read a few of his - dark stuff indeed. The Killer Inside Me, Pop 1280 and After Dark, My Sweet so far - will keep an eye out for The Getaway.

The Getaway is possibly my favourite - though the ending is a bit surreal.

Love Jim Thompson too. I have a biography of him somewhere.  Would be interesting to see what kind of a person he was.  His work is a bit like Patricia Highsmith's (Talented Mr Ripley) - very uncomfortable reading.

Hmm. Would like to read a JT biography sometime. Think he was an alcoholic who struggled for most of his life to make any money. Only after his death did his work get taken seriously.

While I think about it - do you want me to post you that FFC book or can you wait until Blackpool?

[BalDrick]

'My son has just asked whether anyone reads The Beano.'

Any reading's better than no reading IMO.

'He doesn't really do detectives my my all-time favourite crime writer is Jim Thompson.'

I've read a few of his - dark stuff indeed. The Killer Inside Me, Pop 1280 and After Dark, My Sweet so far - will keep an eye out for The Getaway.

The Getaway is possibly my favourite - though the ending is a bit surreal.

Cool - will definitely look for it, but this conversation has already cost me the price of one book and the infamous to-read pile's getting no smaller (though on the home straight of The Stand).

[Burt]

'My son has just asked whether anyone reads The Beano.'

Any reading's better than no reading IMO.

Absolutely... His idea of a joke. He is actually a voracious reader.

[HatterDon]

What, no Dashiell Hammett?

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

I love Hammett, but his plots are so labyrinthian it's hard to figure out what's going on.

The best "high-yield" detective novelist was John D. McDonald. Any of his titles with a color in it will introduce you to a cat who can say his own name [Raoul], and a jeep-like vehicle that began life as a Rolls Royce.

Another that I like a bunch is Elmore Leonard. He has the added benefit of being an excellent writer of westerns. Movies of his work? Get Shorty in the former category and 3:10 to Yuma in the latter.

[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?

Finished this book yesterday, really enjoyed it - thanks.

[CorkedHat]

On this theme can someone remind me what the series of books were about a detective based in Moscow. A few years ago they were all the go but I have forgotten now who wrote them ( except it wasn't a Russian)

[The Equalizer]

On this theme can someone remind me what the series of books were about a detective based in Moscow. A few years ago they were all the go but I have forgotten now who wrote them ( except it wasn't a Russian)

Is this the fella John?

http://literati.net/MCSmith/martin-cruz-smith-books.htm

[aFFCn_Fan]

I would read more intellectual works, but my brain doesn't like them. My favourite crime thriller/detective writers are:
* Mo Hayder - starting with Birdman and the Treatment, are pretty disturbing, as are Tokyo and Pig Island. She's then gone on to write a more formulaic detective series, jack Caffery
* Mark Billingham - started off quite dark, but not read his last couple yet
* Ian Rankin - Rebus - have read a fair few, and always enjoyed them.
And cheesy final favourite is RD Wingfield - with Jack Frost. They're obviously written before the DelBoy-esque TV show, Touch of Frost, but a bit darker.

[CorkedHat]

On this theme can someone remind me what the series of books were about a detective based in Moscow. A few years ago they were all the go but I have forgotten now who wrote them ( except it wasn't a Russian)

Is this the fella John?

http://literati.net/MCSmith/martin-cruz-smith-books.htm

That's the guy Tom - thank you. At the time I was recuperating from heart surgery and his books were given to me by a mate. but I really enjoyed them.

[The Equalizer]

In that case I'll give them a read. Well, once I've finished Atonement, Birdsong, The Princess Bride and the complete Sherlock Holmes!

[Lighthouse]

Edgar Allan Poe wrote (arguably) the first detective story. Always worth a re read.

[BalDrick]

'*Mark Billingham - started off quite dark, but not read his last couple yet'

Did he ever do stuff before Thorne? Personally find the constant use of the same detective a bit tedious (Rebus being a prime example; at first really good but became a tad formulaic rather quickly).

'In that case I'll give them a read. Well, once I've finished Atonement, Birdsong...'

Two absolute classics in there, well one classic and one very good book. If you're going on holiday soon, might I suggest you save Atonement for that? Absolutely loved that book (oh and don't watch the film before reading the book).

[Lighthouse]

Atonement is very very depressing. I very much enjoyed it.

[BalDrick]

Edgar Allen Poe wrote (arguably) the first detective story. Always worth a re read.

I've got a book of his short stories but I never get round to reading them - mainly because I don't really like short stories; if it's good I don't want it to end so soon, and if it isn't I don't want to read it at all. Excuse my ignorance but to which book are you referring?