If you like John Connolly, you will/might like ....?

[Brandi ;)]

So, has anyone out there found an author who writes kind of like, a little bit like, or totally like John Connolly? I know he is one in a million but I was just wondering if maybe there might be someone out there that comes a little close to his brilliance. It's a shot in the dark, I know, but what does it hurt to ask... ;)

[Brandon]

I've really latched on to Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder series.

While Block doesn't provide as extensive a back story as Connolly does nor does it feature a lot of the supernatural aspects of the Parker books but the main character is just as likable.

Connolly really opened my eyes to crime fiction and this was the first outside of Charlie Parker that I really enjoyed!

[Brandi ;)]

I'll have to check him out. I don't sway to far from the paranormal now days, but every now and then I need a little dose of a more real life book. I love John Sandford and Karin Slaughter, they are my go to crime fiction writers but I have read everything they have.

Thanks for the recommendation, I will def check him out :)

Has anyone checked out Jim Butcher's series The Dresden Files by chance?

[[deleted user]]

Love Butcher's Dresden Files! I highly recommend them. Kim Harrison's Dead Witch Walking begins another good paranormal sci fi series. No where near as edgy as Connolly however.

[Gatorman]

Mo Hayder and her Jack Caffery series. Brilliant. Her stand-alones are damn good, too.

[Becky]

Hey Brandi :) Have you read any Cody McFadyen?? His Smokey Barrett series is probably a very close second favourite of mine.. John Connolly being No 1 of course. I find that although they are different, in the supernatural sense, I have much the same reactions when I read them. I laugh, I cry, I swear at certain characters and spend hours thinking about who could possibly play my favourite literary characters if some studio even tried to take the awsomeness from these books to the screen... Anyway, give the first book a go if you haven't - The Shadow Man - and let me know what you think :)

[Brandi ;)]

Candy - I picked up a couple of the Dresden books and I'm putting them in the TBR pile by the bed. I just finished For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison, I'm slowly working my way through her books but I've found I have to read one here and there in between other series because Rachel can really piss me off and make me want to hurt something.
But I love Jenks. ;)

Gatorman - I loved Birdman, kind of got weired out by Pig Island, then read The Treatment and got totally turned off. That book went where I didn't want to go and I've been afraid to pick up another of Hayder's since. I liked Jack Caffery a lot though, so maybe I'll give her another shot some day.

Becky - I have never tried McFadyen and I will def check him out.

Thanks y'all! I have a great list of new authors to try that can help fill the void while waiting for the next JC book! :)

If anyone wants to try someone a little on the paranormal side, but not vamp/were/fairy, try Amanda Stevens. She even writes nonparanormal,
The Dollmaker, among others. Check her out if you get a chance. Her Graveyard Queen books have me captivated!

[Matthew]

You should try Neil Gaiman

[Amanda]

I have not heard of that author, what genre does he write?

[Jimmie]

I would recommend John Hart. The Last Child was a moving book. I also enjoy Michael Connelly and Nelson DeMille. Greg Iles is another strong writer.

[Gatorman]

Amanda wrote: "I have not heard of that author, what genre does he write?"

Neil Gaiman is primarily a fantasy author. His American Gods, Anansi Boys and Neverwhere books are all terrific and I'm not a fantasy fan.

[Gatorman]

Jimmie wrote: "I would recommend John Hart. The Last Child was a moving book. I also enjoy Michael Connelly and Nelson DeMille. Greg Iles is another strong writer."

John Hart is excellent. One of my favorites.

[Brandi ;)]

I've never read John Hart or Nelson DeMille, but I do love Michael Connelly. I've read all of his so far.

[Jason]

The Jack Nightingale series by Stephen Leather isn't bad, but it's not great either. It's about an ex cop turned private investigator (sound familiar) who finds out that when he was born his father sold his soul to a demon from hell, and the demon is coming to collect on his 33 birthday, which is only a week away. So he spends the time gathering info and trying to find the demon so he can save his soul, but everyone that tries to help ends up dying mysteriously.

[Stephen]

If you can live without the supernatural, I would certainly recommend Lee Childs jack reacher series! Read the first two books and he writes a lot like Connolly?!

[Rebecca]

I'd like to put in a good word for Mark Billingham on this thread. He and John Connolly are good friends and do a lot of events together, have even collaborated on a few projects. Mr Billingham's crime novels are set in London and don't have any supernatural elements, but if you're particularly impressed by the characterisation and humorous dialogue in the Charlie Parker novels then the Tom Thorne series and its spin-offs might well be something you'd enjoy.

As for similar books with supernatural elements, I'd like to throw in my support for Neil Gaiman as suggested above, and also mention that Stephen King and Joe Hill (father and son horror authors who are increasingly collaborating on their projects) both write excellent supernatural novels set in New England, some of which also have mystery/crime elements. I recommend to you, for instance, King's Dolores Claiborne, primarily a mystery but with supernatural elements and set on an island off the coast of Maine, which is quite reminiscent of Bad Men.

[Safa]

Stephen wrote: "If you can live without the supernatural, I would certainly recommend Lee Childs jack reacher series! Read the first two books and he writes a lot like Connolly?!"

I absolutely LOVE the Reacher series. I just finished #11 I believe...the one that Tom Cruise did in the movie.

[Safa]

Rebecca wrote: "I'd like to put in a good word for Mark Billingham on this thread. He and John Connolly are good friends and do a lot of events together, have even collaborated on a few projects. Mr Billingham's c..."

I read Joe Hill's 1st novel and enjoyed it. Maybe it's time for me to pick up another. Thanks!

[Carolyn]

I recommend the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz

[Fon]

I've read the Ash Henderson series by Stuart MacBride and loved them, quite dark but no supernatural element.

[Brandi ;)]

I’ve never tried Stuart MacBride, I’ll definitely check him out. Thanks!