Here's where I got my info... and yes, the marriage appeared to last past the final book. I was so sad when I realized I'd read every Dorothy Sayer that I quit reading mysteries for a while.
http://www.spies.com/~rawdon/books/mystery/sayers.html
Dream - The aboriginal sleuth interests me... think I'll try to find a book from the series. (And no, haven't heard of the other you mentioned.)
Thank you Piffka, I was sad when I got to the end of PD James too. I mean she is still writing but I never want her stories to end. I read several of Sayers books but obviously not the last one.
While I truly love mysteries, I really love good spy stories, which seem to be in short supply today.
One thing that's becoming apparent is that many authors are using ghost writers. I used to like Margaret Truman's mysteries and then I found out, she used a ghost writer. Now, I don't read her anymore.
I really wonder, why ghost writers don't post under their own names in the first place!
New Haven- Just a guess. Margaret Truman had a known, salable name. If the book had was written by Joe Schmoe, it definitely would not have gotten the exposure. In addition, the problem is, most celebrities are NOT trained as writers. Therefore they need a professional author to pull their thoughts together in a literary way.
Books!
I can remember, how often I did read Truman's books and then wondered, if she was the real author.
I am a new mystery reader so have limited knowledge.
That said, Robert Parker did it for me - I like his character. Am currently reading Ridley Pearson - the I read of his first was quite good (Middle of Nowhere). Michael Connelly (sp?) and Stuart Woods are two othersI am also pursuing - I like them!
Always on the lookout for similar writers.
Bermbits: if you like Robert Parker, you'll love Lawrence Block. They're gritty,very New York, with his detective's struggle with alcoholism underlying the plots. I can't remember the name of that detective, but he has two other series: one about Bernie Rhodenbarr, a professional burglar, and Jesse Stone, a sleuth with amnesia. All are very good, but the first series with the alcoholic detective are the best.
I recently read two books by David Wiltse and enjoyed them both.
"The Hangman's Knot"
"Heartland"
Since my last post, I am now able to add Ridley Pearson to the list. I started with "Middle of Nowhere" and am now into "Beyond Recognition." Both are okay at the start, but there comes a point when I start looking ahead on the pages to see what happens next. Both are highly rated by me.
Dream! I, too, have read all of Ruth Rendell's books! She is my favorite author, and everyone else, to me, is lessor.I keep my RR collection in pride of place!I don't know a lot of people who know of her.I've read her "from the start", have you?
But I also , Diane, have all of Ngaio Marshes books. They certainly ARE lovely--MOST enjoyable, arent they?And so charming! Around now,I like to reread Tied Up in Tinsel, and Death of a Fool. No midwinter is complete without these reads!
Everything writen by playwright and novelist, David Wiltse.
I am currently reading "Bone Deep"
I've read The Edge of Sleep, by DWiltse.Also Close to the Bone.
My favorite mystery writer now is Henning Mankell of Sweden...I noticed Walter Hinteler likes him also. The books are slowly being translated into English...the latest one, "Firewall" is excellent. Maj Sojwell and Per Wahloo of Sweden wrote 10 of the best mysteries before his death in 1975...Henning Mankell seems to be even better than them, if that is possible!
Firewall is really excellent, Vietnamnurse!
Mankell now seems to write (better: to have written) some "new stayle" mysteries - leaving the known places and persons. (The first translated are already published in German. [We had some rather good tv films as well, btw.]
Mrs. SealPoet likes the Kellermans (Kellermen?) too...
Speaking of Keller, I find myself reading a lot of Robert Bloch. One of his characters is a hitman named Keller. He has a series of light mysteries featuring Bernie Rhodenbaum, a burgler by trade which I can reccomend. I am more fond, however, of Matt Scudder. A NY Private Eye who regularly takes a break from the case to go to AA meetings...
Robert Parker. When I was young and foolish I used to work in a parking garage. One evening I'm making the rounds when this fellow walks through. It's Parker! 'Say, aren't you Robert Parker?' 'Yeah. I look just like the picture on the cover. Dammit.' Read most of what he's written. I like to try to save the new ones for an afternoon when there are no interuptions forseen, 'cuz they go down so fast and sweet I like to do the books in one sitting. I have one on standby for a long plane trip I'm taking later.
Tony Hillerman's series that takes place on the Navaho reservation. Anyone got anything to say about the PBS adaptation of Skinwalkers?
I DO like Jonathan Kellerman's books
mostly due to the fact that he's a child
psychologist or something, in the books
and I like his writing style. He is not my
FAVORITE, but then who would that be?
I like Patricia Cornwell.... and Stephen
King, and oh dear, memory fails. I'll
be back.
Proving ever to be a comrade, babs!
Oh yes! Does anyone remember who
wrote Smilla's Sense Of Snow?
That was a good one - I expect we will
hear more from that author, don't you?
What did I miss?
