Read any good books?

[Scotty55]

I found another author - LJ Ross - who has written a series of crime thrillers set in Northumbria. Seemed worth a punt when I was on holiday there recently and they haven't disappointed.

Thanks for the other suggestions :-)

 

[oldwheels]

I enjoyed The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old. Can be a bit depressing, if you are nearing that stage of your life, but, generally, amusing

Currently reading A Promised Land, Barack Obama, I reserve judgement, only about 20% of way through it.

Recently read Peter James, Inspector Grace books, in order, good "holiday read", but, a lot of cut and paste repetition.

,

There is a followup to the secret diary one which is a bit more optimistic. He goes out with some other ancient on mobility scooters terrorising the good citizens of Amsterdam.
I am beyond that stage anyway so it all a bit to young for me.

 

[Gillstay]

Just finished, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. Hell of a book, esp while all the investigation of the schools for native kids is going on in Canada.

 

[Profpointy]

Try Max Hastings. Military history. Very readable.
Ben MacIntyre.
The aforementioned Bruce Chatwin.
Wensley Clarkson for stories of big crimes - Brinksmat, John Palmer, Kenneth Noye, Hatton Garden etc.

Edit: I've done Mr Hastings a great injustice dissing his book on D-Day. The rubbish one I read was by Anthony Beevor, supposedly a proper academic historian. Not read the Hastings one and had binned the book so couldn't double check!

I was less that impressed by Anthony Beevor's Max Hastings' book on D-day. OK it was "a good read" in that the narrative rattled along nicely but it had that hurried journalistic feel of hastily gathered facts often wrong, and no scholarship to back any of it up. For example he makes some point about the Panther tanks gun, but quotes the wrong size. It's not mere rivet counting as any schoolboy who'd ever made an airfix kit would spot the error, but totally undermines the validity of whatever point he was making. I seem to remember something along the lines that ground attack planes like Typhoons were the biggest killers of tanks then somewhere else he says ground attack planes weren't effective in stopping tanks. If he hasn't a clue about basic stuff, and more seriously is too lazy to check or reference any sources I'm disinclined to give much credence to anything he says

 

[Profpointy]

Tom Clancy.
Andy McNab.
Lee Child.
Wilbur Smith.

What more does a red blooded man need?

I'm reminded of one of Clarkson's quips, "They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but I always choose the one with a fighter jet or gun it"

 

[Saluki]

Currently half way through Troubled Blood - Robert Galbraith.
Its very good. 5th in the series, all great stories, and another 10 at least, planned.

 

[Craig the cyclist]

Perfume, by Patrick Suskind. It's a great book.

I am currently doing an @Drago though. Our local telephone box book exchange had an Andy McNab in it, so I grabbed it to read this week!

 

[John the Monkey]

Series-wise I always loved James Lee Burke and John D MacDonald. I did read a Simon Scarrow and thoroughly enjoyed it. Currently reading about a dozen chess books...

Have you read any James Crumley? I'm a big fan of hardboiled and I'm surprised by how few people know Crumley's work.

It's worth going back to the classics too, James M. Cain, Jim Thompson and Hammett all have good selected works books available.

 

[PaulB]

Fake Law the by Secret Barrister.

This is as good as it gets and EVERYbody should read it and read it regularly.

It shows how the gullible fall easy prey to the manipulators who plant stories in the press when the law goes against them.

You remember the distressing scenes of lines of police defending Alder Hey Children's Hospital from marauding harridans? You'd be AMAZED who actually orchestrated that, and more importantly, how.

 

[postman]

Getting mine off Kindle free I tell you.Crime mystery religious crime,endless choices.

 

[carpiste]

Every so often I pick up a random Terry Pratchett book. I have even got Mrs C to choose one for me so it kind of feels like those wonderful days when a brand new book was being released!
Can`t believe it`s seven years since he died.
"BELIEVE ME IT HAPPENS TO YOU ALL!" 💀

 

[Archie_tect]

I read a lot, mainly before going to sleep, before lockdown. But since March 2020 I've rarely tried to read anything. I get irritated by use of unnecessarily long sentences, sloppy syntax or long, boring descriptive writing.

The only book I've really enjoyed is Richard Osman's "Thursday Murder Club", and to be honest his refreshing writing style and good humour has spoilt all the others!

 

[delb0y]

The only book I've really enjoyed is Richard Osman's "Thursday Murder Club", and to be honest his refreshing writing style and good humour has spoilt all the others!

Currently reading that one and, much to my surprise, I'm really enjoying it, too. I fully expected to hate it (being more of a hard-boiled fan) and also I think I wanted to hate it because I do get annoyed with celebrities seemingly finding it very easy to get novels published and then using all their connections to get massive publicity and the prime-time exposure that other writers would kill for. But in this case, it's a very good book and the plaudits are well deserved.

Have you read any James Crumley? I'm a big fan of hardboiled and I'm surprised by how few people know Crumley's work.

It's worth going back to the classics too, James M. Cain, Jim Thompson and Hammett all have good selected works books available.

All of those - Crumley, Cain, Thompson, Hammett - weigh down my shelves. Chandler, too, of course. Another favourite who seemed to pass many by is Robert Campbell who wrote a few different series and they're all great. Then, of course, there's Robert B Parker, too. And Elmore Leonard...

Derek

 

[John the Monkey]

...Another favourite who seemed to pass many by is Robert Campbell who wrote a few different series and they're all great. Then, of course, there's Robert B Parker, too. And Elmore Leonard...

Derek

I *love* Robert Campbell, especially the La La Land series. His books used to be really hard to get in the UK - a bonus of eBooks and having access to many of the nation's booksellers online is that the search is a lot easier now I like Robert B. Parker in small doses - as with any prolific writer, he can begin to seem repetitive if binged.

 

[JoeyB]

I generally bounce between the following:

Lee Child (Reacher)
Michael Connelly (Bosch, Haller, McEvoy, Ballard)
James Patterson (Cross currently but have done a lot of his other stuff, Private series etc)
Jeffery Deaver (Rhyme)

I'm pretty much up to date on all of the Connelly stuff. I have the latest Reacher book sat in the pile but currently making my way through one of the early Alex Cross books (Roses are Red). Lincoln Rhyme is my fallback when I can't get hold of a Cross book (last book was The Kill Room I think).