Thursday, March 05, 2015

The Most Consistent Authors

I read Henning Mankell a lot while in CA. Somehow his themes, his setting, and his detective rarely let me down. He has just enough personal detail, enough police politics, enough stuff about what has happened in Sweden since 1990 to keep me going. And he's pretty good at plotting too.

What writers have rarely let you down? Who is your go-to writer?
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18 comments:

  1. Graham Powell10:09 AM

    Rex Stout is number one for me. Every time I pick up a Nero Wolfe novel I know I'm going to be entertained. Among contemporary writers, probably Philip Kerr and Martin Edwards.

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  2. Jeff Meyerson10:29 AM

    Just a few of many current writers:

    Peter Robinson
    Margaret Maron
    Bill Crider
    Lawrence Block
    Marcia Muller
    Bill Pronzini
    Archer Mayor

    Mankell would not make my list.

    Jeff M.

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  3. George10:40 AM

    I'm with Graham on Philip Kerr. Lawrence Bloch always delivers a good story. I'm a big fan of Bill Pronzini and Loren Estleman.

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  4. Rick Robinson10:50 AM

    Edward Marston
    Peter Lovesey
    Bill Pronzini
    Jeffrey Siger
    Louise Penny
    William Krueger
    Rex Stout (Nero Wolfe only)
    Ross Mcdonald

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  5. Rick Robinson11:06 AM

    I have not read anything by Mankell.

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  6. Charles Gramlich11:11 AM

    James REasoner, Ed Gorman, Joe Lansdale, there are three who have never let me down

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  7. Al Tucher12:37 PM

    Lawrence Bloc, definitely. C.J. Box has been very consistent for a long time, although his sagebrush rebellion, anti-government views are becoming a little intrusive.

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  8. Al Tucher12:38 PM

    Lawrence Block. Sheesh.

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  9. Anonymous1:48 PM

    Colin Dexter's Morse novels were always winners!

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  10. Deb2:23 PM

    Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine. Despite the door-stop size of recent books, I must admit they almost always hold my interest.

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  11. pattinase (abbott)2:58 PM

    I would put Rendell and Colin Dexter very high on the list. Also Tana French and Laura Lippman.

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  12. Anonymous3:01 PM

    Please recommend the one "must read" Mankell title; I want to include his work in my ABCs of Crime Fiction Challenge at Beyond Eastrod, but I want good advice from you and others about which Mankell book (and various other first-rate authors and books, too -- i.e., Rendell, Stout, Kerr, Block, et al). Please share your advice here or at Beyond Eastrod.

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  13. pattinase (abbott)3:05 PM

    SIDETRACKED is one of my favorites.

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  14. Steve Oerkfitz4:06 PM

    Michael Connelly
    Ian Rankin
    Peter Robertson
    Joe Lansdale
    Robert Charles Wilson
    China Mieville
    Ross MacDonald
    Raymond Chandler
    Jack Vance

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  15. Jerry House8:53 PM

    Max Allan Collins
    Bill Crider
    Ed Gorman
    Joe Lansdale
    Bill Pronzini

    There are many more but these five come to mind most easily.

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  16. Sergio (Tipping My Fedora)4:46 AM

    Has to be Grasham Greene for me, though I wish I could think of a living author but I am a bit too much of a magpie. Used to be John Irving but I had to let go many moons ago

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  17. pattinase (abbott)7:15 AM

    Used to be Irving for me too, but I bailed around SON OF THE CIRCUS.

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  18. Bernadette12:04 AM

    funnily enough I've just been reflecting on this issue because an Australian author I like has announced the end of her series (after 8 books). I realised with some surprise that there wasn't a dud in the bunch - that's quite rare I think. So Katherine Howell gets one vote for me

    There aren't a huge number of others that spring to mind, especially not people who've produced a load of books like your Mr Mankell (I haven't read enough of his to know if I would put him in that category).

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