Larry Kart Posted January 9, 2011 Report Posted January 9, 2011 Screenwriter Timothy Harris wrote two top-notch novels in the late 1970s about L.A.-based private investigator Thomas Kyd -- "Kyd for Hire," and "Goodnight and Goodbye." They're the best of their kind since Ross McDonald IMO -- "Goodnight and Goodbye" especially. Here's an interview with Harris: http://januarymagazine.com/profiles/tharris.html Harris' third Kyd novel "Unfaithful Servant" (2004) was something of a disappointment, I thought, but he had set a very high standard. The opening of "Goodnight and Goodbye": "The first time I saw Laura Cassidy it was four in the morning and she was trying to drive a fire-engine red Volkswagen out of the underground garage of a Harper Avenue apartment building. She nearly sideswiped the stone entrance, knocked over a garbage can at the end of the driveway, and turned right up the hill toward Sunset Boulevard. What held me rooted to the pavement wasn't her driving; it was the man spread-eagled on the hood of her car." Quote
Larry Kart Posted January 9, 2011 Report Posted January 9, 2011 It's been a long time, but I have fond memories of Nicolas Freeling's Inspector Van Der Valk mysteries. Freeling and the Sjowall-Wahloo team were functioning at about the same time IIRC. Quote
jlhoots Posted January 9, 2011 Report Posted January 9, 2011 I like some so called regional writers (Hillerman already mentioned) including Margaret Coel, C.J. Box, Craig Johnson. YMMV. Dennis Lehane deserves some consideration. Quote
jeffcrom Posted January 9, 2011 Report Posted January 9, 2011 They won't appeal to readers of hard-boiled detective/mystery stories, but I always liked Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series. They're set in 12th-century England; Brother Cadfael enters a monastery in his middle age after much experience of the world as a soldier and herbalist/healer. Quote
brownie Posted January 9, 2011 Report Posted January 9, 2011 Whenever I want to read a good mystery novel, I turn to David Goodis. He never disappoints! Quote
jazzbo Posted January 9, 2011 Report Posted January 9, 2011 Read some Jim Thompson. But after you have read everyone else you want to read. It'll be hard to go back to the others. That may be so true it has frikkin' laserbeams mounted on its forehead.Paul, you may be familiar with these but I highly recommend Rex Stout and Cornell Woolrich. Love those guys. Whenever I want to read a good mystery novel, I turn to David Goodis. He never disappoints! I'd rather say he doesn't disappoint very often. Some of his are brilliant, and I always wish the rest were just a bit more like those. This thread has made me realize it's been too long since I read one of the B. Cool and Lamb detective series by A. A. Fair (a pseudonym of course). Quote
medjuck Posted January 9, 2011 Report Posted January 9, 2011 I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Walter Mosley. Devil in a Blue Dress is pretty good but then they get better and better. Quote
jlhoots Posted January 9, 2011 Report Posted January 9, 2011 I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Walter Mosley. Devil in a Blue Dress is pretty good but then they get better and better. You're right. I was sorry when he killed off Easy. Always enjoyed Mouse too. Quote
BFrank Posted January 9, 2011 Report Posted January 9, 2011 Cornell Woolrich (a/k/a Wm. Irish) Patricia Highsmith (Ripley series) Quote
JohnJ Posted January 11, 2011 Report Posted January 11, 2011 Lots of great recommendations above to which I would add James Crumley. 'The Last Good Kiss' is perhaps my favourite post-Chandler crime novel. Crumley died a couple of years ago: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/20/books/20crumley.html Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted January 11, 2011 Report Posted January 11, 2011 A couple of nice series with a French setting: Martin Walker's Bruno series based in Perigord. Martin O'Brien's Jacquot series based on the Mediterranean coast. Neither will allow you to rabbit on about 'the reinvention of the genre' or 'fine writing' but both authors write tense thrillers with a strong sense of place. Quote
paul secor Posted January 12, 2011 Author Report Posted January 12, 2011 Thanks for all of the responses. I've read many of the authors mentioned - ranging from one book to a number of books - Mankell, Chandler, Hammett, Crumley, Burke, Stout, Mosley, Willeford, Hillerman, Simenon, and others - but I was happy to learn of writers I was unfamiliar with and will be checking out. Hope that other folks have gotten as much from this thread as I have. Quote
Tee Posted January 12, 2011 Report Posted January 12, 2011 Hi. Before you wrap up the thread I'd like to mention the Russian detective Erast Fandorin by Boris Akunin. Great stories! Written in various styles almost like an exercise in writings by the author. Take place around 1900. I'm familiar with many of the books/authors that have been recommended here and others I am excited to check out. I love the Mankell stories and Dibdin's Zen. I'm not so fond of my fellow Icelander Arnaldur Indriðason but have nevertheless read his books. It's funny how I signed up for jazz discussion (Hammond, mostly), I have learned quite alot by lurking - but then my first post is about something completely different! Kalli Quote
paul secor Posted January 12, 2011 Author Report Posted January 12, 2011 Hi. Before you wrap up the thread I'd like to mention the Russian detective Erast Fandorin by Boris Akunin. Great stories! Written in various styles almost like an exercise in writings by the author. Take place around 1900. I'm familiar with many of the books/authors that have been recommended here and others I am excited to check out. I love the Mankell stories and Dibdin's Zen. I'm not so fond of my fellow Icelander Arnaldur Indriðason but have nevertheless read his books. It's funny how I signed up for jazz discussion (Hammond, mostly), I have learned quite alot by lurking - but then my first post is about something completely different! Kalli Thanks and welcome. Threads tend to stay open unless a moderator feels the need to close them. Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted January 12, 2011 Report Posted January 12, 2011 I love the Mankell stories and Dibdin's Zen. I'm not so fond of my fellow Icelander Arnaldur Indriðason but have nevertheless read his books. Hi Kalli, And welcome. I just read Indriðason's 'Jar City' over last weekend. Had me gripped. It's the third of his I've read and I'm just taken by the complete lack of glamour in the novels. It's also so grey. I don't think it ever stopped raining in that last one. The writer I didn't take to was Hakan Nesser. Found 'Borkman's Point' a real slog - and couldn't work out what country it was all happening in! Quote
jlhoots Posted January 12, 2011 Report Posted January 12, 2011 I love the Mankell stories and Dibdin's Zen. I'm not so fond of my fellow Icelander Arnaldur Indriðason but have nevertheless read his books. Hi Kalli, And welcome. I just read Indriðason's 'Jar City' over last weekend. Had me gripped. It's the third of his I've read and I'm just taken by the complete lack of glamour in the novels. It's also so grey. I don't think it ever stopped raining in that last one. The writer I didn't take to was Hakan Nesser. Found 'Borkman's Point' a real slog - and couldn't work out what country it was all happening in! I liked Jar City too. I'd like to see the DVD of it. I'm going to read Hypothermia next. Quote
ejp626 Posted January 12, 2011 Report Posted January 12, 2011 I don't read too many mysteries, but I did enjoy Chester Himes. Somehow I came up with The Harlem Cycle in 3 volues. I must have special ordered it. Plan B is near-apocalpytic... Another detective series of interest is the Inspector Espinosa series by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza, which is set in Rio. It's defintely more of a police procedural than a mystery series per se. I've read The Silence of the Rain and December Heat. It looks like there are 3 others translated into English and 2 as yet untranslated. Quote
Tee Posted January 12, 2011 Report Posted January 12, 2011 I just took a hint from this thread and watched the BBC's first Aurolio Zen episode, Vendetta. Having lived in Sicily for a brief period in 2006-2007 I have to admit, I am a terrible Italy snob and love everything Italian (except, sadly, the most of their pop music) so that was all good fun but what I really liked was the 60's-ish music by Adrian Johnston. It even had some Hammond in it! Speaking of which, Sicilians have their own detective stories; Inspector Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri. I have only seen some TV movies about him and they are very enjoyable..funny, clever and sympathetic. I only presume that the books are even better..That's usually the case, as we know. Now, regarding Arnaldur Indriðason, I have to say I like what he's trying to do but I just feel like Mankell was there first with his social realistic detective stories about Wallander. The weather's usually the main focus. But it's obvious that a lot of people are enjoying Arnaldur's books so kudos to him! Kalli Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted January 13, 2011 Report Posted January 13, 2011 I just took a hint from this thread and watched the BBC's first Aurolio Zen episode, Vendetta. Having lived in Sicily for a brief period in 2006-2007 I have to admit, I am a terrible Italy snob and love everything Italian (except, sadly, the most of their pop music) so that was all good fun but what I really liked was the 60's-ish music by Adrian Johnston. It even had some Hammond in it! Yes, I like the music too. Like listening to a 60's Michael Caine film. Quote
jazztrain Posted January 13, 2011 Report Posted January 13, 2011 I second (only because you mentioned them first) the Sjowall-Wahloo series of books featuring Martin Beck. It's been a long time, but I have fond memories of Nicolas Freeling's Inspector Van Der Valk mysteries. Freeling and the Sjowall-Wahloo team were functioning at about the same time IIRC. Quote
Matthew Posted March 19, 2011 Report Posted March 19, 2011 (edited) I've been reading the Average Jones stories by Samuel Hopkins Adams, very nice short tales of Average Jones, rich guy turned "ad-visor." Never heard of of these before, but I was able to get eleven stories for $0.99 for my Kindle. Harmless fun, that will help pass the time on a plane. Edited March 19, 2011 by Matthew Quote
Jazzmoose Posted March 19, 2011 Report Posted March 19, 2011 I did not think that Michael Connelly's third Harry Bosch story The Concrete Blond was very good, but he is very popular, and apparently his fans feel he got better after that. I enjoyed Connelly's stuff the first time around, but I don't recommend rereading them. So I guess there's no love any more for Erle Stanley Gardner? Quote
GA Russell Posted March 20, 2011 Report Posted March 20, 2011 So I guess there's no love any more for Erle Stanley Gardner? I enjoyed The Velvet Claw fifteen years ago. I've been meaning to read some others recently. Not much is in print. Quote
jazzbo Posted March 20, 2011 Report Posted March 20, 2011 I recommended A. A. Fair above, which is my favorite Earle Stanley Gardner. Quote
Jazzmoose Posted March 20, 2011 Report Posted March 20, 2011 I recommended A. A. Fair above, which is my favorite Earle Stanley Gardner. Oops...shows how clumsy my memory is anymore! Quote
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