Patricia Abbott (pattinase): Who are the biggest holes in your reading of crime fiction?

Wednesday, November 08, 2017

Who are the biggest holes in your reading of crime fiction?

I have many holes, but about half the books I read are out of the genre. But in the genre, I have never read Ellery Queen, Michael Connelly or Hugh Pentecost. There are plenty more too.

24 comments:

Jeff Meyerson said...: Wow. I just read the new Michael Connelly and told Jackie that he is definitely my favorite current mystery writer.

Most of the "holes" are people I avoid because, despite good reviews, they seem to be just too dark for my taste these days. Tana French. Denise Mina. People like that.; 7:38 AM
pattinase (abbott) said...: Not sure why I have never read him because I like the tv show. If there is too long of a series it puts me off. I know the first book is probably not the best but it seems like you need to read it. And I have no interest in reading a 30 book series anymore.
Unlike people like Ross McDonald where you could jump in any time and not need to read earlier books, now it seems like you do.; 8:10 AM
George said...: Even though I try to read a book per day, I have gaps in my reading that look like Swiss cheese. Denise Mina, Ann Cleeve, and dozens more.; 8:21 AM
Anonymous said...: I really do recommend Connelly when you get to his work, Patti. As for me, I've got more reading holes than I wish I had *sigh.*; 8:26 AM
Jeff Meyerson said...: Ann Cleeves is another I want to read, like Peter May. But I always seem to have another book by another author - either a favorite like Connelly or someone new that someone recommended, whose book sounds good to me at the time. I like her VERA and SHETLAND series on television, despite the darkness, but just haven't gotten around to the books yet.

I'm sure there are older authors I haven't read either that I should have, but I am reading mostly new or newish books these days with only a few older ones thrown in occasionally.; 8:43 AM
pattinase (abbott) said...: Margot, you read more wisely than anyone I know. You are more likely to visit foreign ports than most readers.
Haven't read Cleeve either although I have one somewhere. Also have several Minas.
Sometimes the voice doesn't call to me. That is true with Mina, I think,; 9:10 AM
Gerard Saylor said...: John D. MacDonald. I tried reading a standalone novel of his but gave up. I've yet to crack a Travis McGee story. I'll get around to it.; 9:22 AM
mybillcrider said...: I've never read a Scandinavian crime novel.; 9:27 AM
Jerry House said...: There are so many. Like Bill, Scandinavian mysteries would be at the top of my list.
Also, Josephine Tey, George Harmon Coxe, and Daphne DuMaurier's REBECCA.; 9:58 AM
Al Tucher said...: I have a lot of little gaps and one huge one by the name of George Pelecanos. Not sure why.; 10:02 AM
Gerard Saylor said...: I've never read a Scandinavian crime novel.

...but how many do you have in storage?

I started reading the Black Lizard reprints of the Sjowell and Wahloo novels about 20 years ago and really enjoyed them.; 10:11 AM
Gerard Saylor said...: Posted too soon: I never gotten around to reading any of the GIRL WHO novels.; 10:13 AM
Rick Robinson said...: Lots, I'm sure, though my mind is a blank right now. It's a great question. I'm sure there are many British authors, especially older cozy ones, I've not read, and probably won't, and there are super dark, "gritty" authors I skip (Deaver, John Connely, etc.) as I don't need that in my head. I'm sure I'll be pondering this the rest of the day, maybe the week.; 11:58 AM
Steve Oerkfitz said...: Never read Louise Penney or Erle Stanley Gardner. Tried Ellery Queen's Cat of 9 Tails a few years ago but couldn't get past the bad dialogue.; 12:11 PM
pattinase (abbott) said...: No Penney for me either. Too much a cozy-type writer. And I really don't want to read about the same village book after book.; 1:51 PM
pattinase (abbott) said...: No Deaver for me either. No John C. either. I am beginning to wonder just what I do read. Read one of the GIRL novels. I like Scandinavian ok. No Nesbo though.; 1:53 PM
Jeff Meyerson said...: I liked Nesbo's first two - THE BAT and COCKROACHES - but haven't been back. Read the first GIRL WHO but quit the second. I've read all the Sjowall/Wahloo books and have them to reread someday. Also have read other Scandinavians.

Haven't read a lot of cozies, nor do I consider that a loss.; 3:46 PM
Bernadette said...: Many gaps in my reading...lots of American stars like Elmore Leonard, Ross McDonald (or is he Canadian?), James Ellroy, Lawrence Block...the list goes on; 3:53 AM
Yvette said...: My gaps are definitely of the authors whose books are dark and often gruesomely violent. George Pelecanos is one I gave up on years ago. Though I know he is heralded by many. But too stark for me. (He is a very nice guy though.) I also haven't read any Ruth Rendell (or her pseudonym) or for that matter, read many of the Scandinavian school. Don't read Ian Rankin or Val McDermid either. Just too, TOO grim for me, especially at my age.

Louise Penney is as far from cozy as you can get by the way. She is at the tip of stark for me. I thought the buzz over her might be overdone, but it isn't. Things are not set in the village in every book. Try the one set in the monastery. Patti, you, especially, would love it. I don't know why I believe that, but I do.

I read one Jo Nesbo, that was enough for me. (Though I liked Wahloo and Sjowall's books once upon a time.) Jeffrey Deaver, I only read the Lincoln Rhyme books and then I skip over the bloodshed.

Michael Connelly I read selectively. I'm not over fond of Bosch, though I like him well enough. Connelly is not at his best writing relationships and love interest - I wish he'd just concentrate on crime drama and Bosch's detecting brilliance. Actually, his early books are pretty good. Especially TRUNK MUSIC and ECHO PARK. The non-Bosch book, THE POET remains my favorite of the deep, dark and grim books in that it has a serial killer theme.

Not crazy about Ed McBain or Lawrence Block either and maybe if I gave them more of a chance I might change my mind but life is short and there are just so many other books I'm eager to read.

Lately though, I'm concentrating on vintage mysteries because that's what interests me most at the moment. They are comforting to me in some bizarre way.; 12:45 PM
pattinase (abbott) said...: The holes in my Australian/New Zealand/Asian reading are massive.
I will try the one in a monastery. Thanks!; 12:56 PM
seana graham said...: I have one huge hole in my reading, which is that I have rarely read true crime. I am sure some of it is quite good, but I think the only ones I've read are bordering on the literary, like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Another area that I'm quite weak on is spy fiction, or nonfiction for that matter. Have filled that in a little over the last few years, but it's been hard to weed the bad from the good.

And since Gerard Saylor brought it up, even though my mother loved John D. MacDonald and I even brought some of her copies home after she died, I have yet to read a single one of them. Actually, the same goes for Rex Stout, now that I think about it.

But I do like Michael Connelly. I think you could probably just pick one up at random. He's pretty good at providing context, and though I haven't seen the TV show, I imagine it's similar enough to help with that.; 6:37 PM
pattinase (abbott) said...: I don't read much true crime either. I prefer my crime to be fictitious, I guess.
I loved John D. back in the day but am not sure how it would hold up. I do need to read Connelly. Not sure why I haven't.; 7:06 PM
seana graham said...: I made a new younger friend at Bouchercon who was a John D. MacDonald fan, who pointed out that Rockford was just Travis McGee moved to the West Coast. I mention that he is young just because I suspect he's on top of current things and he still seemed to be a MacDonald enthusiast.

When I've gone to Bouchercon I am always reminded what a lightweight I am when it comes to reading crime fiction, even though I feel that I've read a fair amount by now.; 8:22 PM
Charles Gramlich said...: Way too many. I never really grew up reading it, other than MacDonald; 10:56 AM