The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

Just wanted to introduce myself. I am an author, but that's not the reason I joined this group. I am seriously behind in my reading, and hope by joining I'll get back to doing what I love most, reading, writing and discussing mysteries. At the present moment I'm in the market for a new book to read, so any suggestions you can give would be greatly appreciated. I love true mysteries that keep me guessing, and have a complex and well developed plot and characters. I like James Patterson, but have not tried his new stuff. I used to read Patricia Cornwell, but the last book I tried I just couldn't get through it. Love Kay Hooper, some of Dean Koontz, but I'm really looking for someone new that I haven't tried.

Hope to get a chance to talk with everyone and discuss some great books.

Hi Linda. Welcome! Lots of recommendations here, so just wander through the threads. Take a look at the past polls for group reads too, which is where I get most of the books on my overflowing TBR.

Don't forget the Author's Corner if you want to talk about your books, or list promotions etc.

Glad to have you with us. As for recommendations, they come fast and furious here as my TBR list can attest to!

Hi Linda, Carol from Boston here. Welcome! You will find your TBR exploding as you wander around the excellent threads here.

Have you read any Elizabeth George or P.D. James? When you talk about real mysteries with complex plots and well developed characters, those two come to mind immediately.

Linda wrote: "Just wanted to introduce myself. I am an author, but that's not the reason I joined this group. I am seriously behind in my reading, and hope by joining I'll get back to doing what I love most, r..."

Hi Linda...I saw your comment about Kay Hooper, I enjoy those too. Some of the newer Catherine Coulters have a touch of the psychic flavor, too, if you want to try those.

I also like the older Cornwells better than the new ones. Kathy Reichs has a forensic character that you might like, Temperance Brennan, who is a U.S. professor as well as helping with the Canadian authorities.

In the last few years, friends have turned me on to Janet Evanovich's Plum series as well as Harlan Coben and G.M. Ford.

Tried any of these?

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome, and the recommendations. I'm joining the book discussions too, so I'm sure I'll find some great ones there, and I like all of your suggestions. If I really like a book it only takes me a few hours to finish it, so I will definitely try Catherine Coulter although her name sounds familiar and I may have read her a long time ago. I liked Janet Evanovich but I haven't tried the plum series yet. Something new to dabble in.

Linda: just occurred to me, too - Tess Gerritsen has been beefing up her ME character Maura Isles. And there's a new tv program (Rizzoli & Isles) based on her characters. You might dabble with those, too.

Happy reading!

Thanks, T. I actually watched Rizzoli & Isles, and I have read some of Tess Gerritsen's other work, but not these characters. I think I will give them a try. I had read the TV show wasn't very good, but I actually enjoyed it the two times I've been able to watch it.

Linda: Duh! The TV show "Bones" is based on the Kathy Reichs books....I like the books, couldn't get into the TV show, but then again, it'd be bad for me to get hooked on TV shows, it would cut into my reading time!

:-)

T wrote: "Linda: Duh! The TV show "Bones" is based on the Kathy Reichs books....I like the books, couldn't get into the TV show, but then again, it'd be bad for me to get hooked on TV shows, it would cut i..."

Tiny correction, T. "Bones" is not based on Kathy Reichs books although it does use the character's name. It is based on her life.

Thanks for the clarification, Jan C!

I actually liked "Bones" in the beginning, but then it got boring, but I'm like Jan and I don't watch a lot of TV. Rather read any time, and usually the books are better.

Don't know if I am the Jan you were talking about. I do watch a fair amount of TV - however, I am generally reading or at the computer while I am doing it. Almost always doing something else while watching tv. Otherwise, I am wasting time.

T wrote: "Linda: Duh! The TV show "Bones" is based on the Kathy Reichs books....I like the books, couldn't get into the TV show, but then again, it'd be bad for me to get hooked on TV shows, it would cut i..."

I've watched Bones and didn't mind it but just like Rizzoli and Isles, the tv shows are nothing like the books. That's how I look at them. I don't compare them. I look at them as two separate entities. I do the same with movies but to a lesser extent. Its easier for one movie to stay close to one book as opposed to a tv show vs a series.

Agreed! I really like the Brennan character in the Reichs books - so much more than the one on the TV show... she seems much more substantive in the books and less flaky.