SLCLS Genre Study discussion

What is the perfect blend of mystery and romance? For me it is Romantic Suspense from the old classic authors that I grew up on----Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt or to best selling authors that started out in catagory romance----Nora Roberts, Catherine Coulter, Sandra Brown or Jayne Ann Krentz. I have followed these authors for more years then I want to say. So, what is your favorite all time writer or book. My favorite romantic Suspense book is Nora Roberts'Carnal Innocence. It has a pretty good romance, yet the mystery was compelling with a ending that had a twist that I didn't see coming.

I'm a big fan of Suzanne Brockmann. I know that we put her books in the general fiction category because of crossover appeal. But her books were the first I read in romantic suspense.

I really like Julie Miller. She writes romantic suspense for the Harlequin Intrigue line but, despite the formulaic nature of series books, her books are good. Karen Robards also has some very good ones. I love Julie Garwood's books as well but I have to admit the basic plot is the same for all of them. I mean the names and faces change. but basically the same story.

Elizabeth wrote: "I'm a big fan of Suzanne Brockmann. I know that we put her books in the general fiction category because of crossover appeal. But her books were the first I read in romantic suspense."

She is an author that came out of series romance. I like how she always have a strong military presence in her books.

Do you like a paranormal element in your romantic suspense? For me, it depends on the book. I hate when they put a ghost etc in the story use it to solve the mystery. One that I enjoyed was Dream Man by Linda Howard.

I like a paranormal element in lots of books--though as you say I don't like a deus ex machina where the ghost shows up to miraculously solve the crime. I've enjoyed Heather Graham's books that all have ghosts and spectral elements that are part of the story, but the ghosts don't have all the answers or solve the crimes.

I do love Linda Howard's older books--Cry no More, Mr. Perfect, Dream Man. They don't all have paranormal, but I enjoyed them.

This probably one of the few romance genres I can get myself to read. I love all the ones mentioned, but I also like Alison Stone, Allison Brennan, Heather Graham (I know already mentioned, but I still like her a lot) and I haven't read it yet, but I have Scarlet Revenge by Ann McGinnis on my list. I'm all for ghosts and spectral elements as well.