Mystery Lovers! discussion
Random Chatter
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Which Mystery Authors from your state do you like?
Definitely Laura Lippman from Baltimore!
From ol' Minnesota...hrmmm...William Kent Kruger
Michael Allen Mallory and Marilyn Victor
Lois Greiman
C. Hyytinen
Arvid Williams
John Harrigan
Couple of WA cozies ..."Miss Zukas" series by Jo Dereske and "Bed and Breakfast" series by Mary Daheim (I actaully live in the exact Seattle neighborhood where the latter are set).
Sean: for MN I'll throw in the Jane Lawless series by Ellen Hart.
I enjoy Aaron Elkins' Gideon Oliver series. The character lives in Washington - I don't know if the author does!
I've met Michael and Marilyn (they have the same publisher I do), and they're both delightful people. Their DEATH ROLL book is a great yarn!
I'm also from MN, have to admit I haven't read that many MN authors. There have been a couple I tried and didn't like. I have read some of Kent Krueger's series, but lost interest after the first three or four books.
John Sandford used to be a favorite with his Prey series, but again, after about the sixth or seventh one my interest fizzled and it's been years since I picked one up.
I have just started Ellen Hart's Jane Lawless series and have enjoyed the first couple of those that I've read--got a couple more here to get to at some point.
On my TBR shelf, I have a stand-alone book by Peter Rennebohm called French Creek--need to get to that soon, as I've had it for over a year!
Will make note of some of those other MN authors mentioned and keep an eye out for their work.
My NYC favorite is Lawrence Block.My favorite NJ is Janet Evanovich.
My favorite FL is Stuart M. Kaminsky.
If there are any other Block fans out there, I started a Lawrence Block book club on this site. Feel free to join and help me get a conversation started.
I also started a Stuart M. Kaminsky book club on this site. Feel free to join there too.
My favorite mystery writer from Texas is Susan Wittig Albert. I've read all her China Bayles books, and love them.
Two recent NY favorites have been...Wendy Corsi Staub
Michele Martinez
Two authors from my area are....
Barbara Block (Robin Light mysteries)
Tim Green (still need to read his latest)
Alex Kava from NebraskaDonald Harstad from Iowa
Illinois...my faves...so many. Let's see:Linda Mickey(traditional mysteries); Tom Keevers(private eye);Shane Gericke(police procedural);Barbara D'Amato(her police procedurals and a bunch of other good ones);Shane Chercover(hardboiled);Michael Black(private eye and a new police procedural);Sam Reaves(Homicide 69 is terrific but Dooleys Back is one of my all time favorite Chicago books);David Case(hardboiled police procedural-he's a Chicago cop and Out of Cabrini really gives a good street flavor). Gone but not forgotten is Bill Granger,a former Chicago Tribune reporter who unfortunately isn't writing any longer. He had a Chicago cop series and a spy series that were tremendous. Anyone know/remember him?
Out of state: I'll jump to Mn and add John Sandford, Kent Krueger and Chuck Logan.
From Michigan:Doug Allyn: Mitch Mitchel Series
Book 1: Ice Water Mansion
Steve Hamilton: Alex McKnight Series
Book 1: A Cold Day In Paradise
Barbara D'Amato: Cat Marsala Series
Book 1: Hardball
From Shelby Township, MI:
Karen Mauck: She's one to watch for. She writes a good story. Her books are from iUniversity, so you'd have to get the ebooks. I think if she continues writting, she'll do well.
I have recently started to read books by Wisconsin mystery writers. I've read books by Deb Baker, Sandra Balzo, and Mary Ellen Hughes (ties to Wisconsin).
Sue Grafton lives part time in California. There are others I've enjoyed as well but she's my favorite of the California bunch.
Ace Atkins grew up in Alabama, played football for Auburn. He now lives in Oxford, MS but we still consider him ours. The Nick Travers books are absolutely great. I'm reading Wicked City now and it is also outstanding. If you like crime fiction, check him out.
I'm from South Dakota, so not a lot of authors to choose from, but I love Kathleen Taylor and wish she could get a publisher to let her continue her Tory Bauer series. Lori Armstrong is new (and from Rapid City, where I live) but is coming on strong and just got a new contract with a "big publisher".Next door, in Wyoming, I'm claiming Craig Johnson as a local author, his Walt Longmire series is marvelous.
Patty
Laura Lippman. She's from here in Baltimore, and writes about the city as one who knows and loves it. I have enjoyed her one-offs, but the Tess Monaghan books are still my favorites.We could claim Sujata Massey for several years, but she's moved. I still count her though.
I'm from PA and i like tawni o'dell,and Stewart O'Nan AND Dean Koontz.. who's bio says he lives in CA, he hails from a SMALL town in central PA
Florida has a lot of famous mystery writers, but I would say my two favorites are Michael Connelly and P.J. Parrish. Since Pennsylvania is my home state, my favorites there are Tawni O'Dell and Lisa Scottoline.
Marcia Muller and Sue Grafton from California-
Two other mystery authors from Washington State, JA Jance, who's JP Beaumont books are set in Seattle, and I can point out all the places in the book, even the building where Beaumont supposedly lives. It's in my neighborhood. Another is G. M. Ford. I enjoyed his Leo Waterman series, and Fury from his Frank Corso series, but the rest left me cold.
Steve Womack from Nashville and the late, great Ann George from my home state of Alabama.
Kathleen Taylor (Tori Bauer series) from South DakotaI also "claim" Craig Johnson from Wyoming (Walt Longmire series). Here on the western edge of SD, WY is practically home!
The only Florida mystery writer I have read is Carl Hiaasen, and he has kept me very entertained with every book. I especially like Native Tongue because it is a thinly veiled account of what theme parks have done to the state.
I'm a big fan of Carl Hiaasen, too. I love his humor! And I'll be in your state by tomorrow evening. My hubby and I are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary with a week in Orlando. We're praying for no hurricanes next week!
No hurricanes on the horizon, but the usual afternoon thundershowers are forecast. Congratulations on your anniversayr and I hope you enjoy yourself here.Sandy
Virginia - Donna Andrews, Patricia Cornwell's Old Stuff, Ellen Berryum, GM Maillett
I love Patricia Cornwell with the Scarpetta series, from Richmond, Virginiaand Sue Grafton with the Alphabet mystery series from California and Kentuky.
I also enjoy Ed McBain series but not sure where he is from
Vicki
I'm from Chicago and I love my fellow authors here, including Sara Paretsky, Barb D'Amato, Michael Dymmoch, Kevin Guilfoile, Marcus Sakey, Sean Chercover, and, of course, me. We all share a blog, btw... at www.theoutfitcollective.com where we write about crime, fiction, and Chicago. Unless we're going off-topic, which happens.
Brenda wrote: "Steve Womack from Nashville and the late, great Ann George from my home state of Alabama."I loved Steve Womack's books! He hasn't written anything in a long time. My favorite from his series was
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I just took a look at the Mystery Writers of America members list for the Northern California chapter since that's where I live.My favorites from that list are:
Laurie R. King and Deborah Grabien
Shomeret
Shomeret wrote: "I just took a look at the Mystery Writers of America members list for the Northern California chapter since that's where I live.My favorites from that list are:
Laurie R. King and Deborah Grabi..."
Laurie King is a terrific writer and a fellow Santa Cruzan. May I also suggest Laura Crum from Santa Cruz and mention me as well as a third Santa Cruz mystery writer (and San Jose State alum and former librarian)?
I live in Colorful Colorado and enjoy reading the Alan Gregory series by Stephen White. I have lived in Boulder County where most of the books in the series take place since 2006. I love reading about murder & mystery set where I live. He writes about local places that I have been and it's very fun. I am currently reading Kill Me.
Dustin wrote: "I live in Colorful Colorado and enjoy reading the Alan Gregory series by Stephen White. I have lived in Boulder County where most of the books in the series take place since 2006. I love reading ab..."I've lived in the Denver metro area since 1978. I haven't read one Stephen White's books in a long time.
Joanna Fluke and I really don't know any other MN authors.
Melodie wrote: "Dustin wrote: "I live in Colorful Colorado and enjoy reading the Alan Gregory series by Stephen White. I have lived in Boulder County where most of the books in the series take place since 2006. I ..."For me they are kinda hard to get through, not quite as fast-paced as I'd like. I enjoy Stephen White more than Jonathan Kellerman who writes a similar series. Not only because I can relate to the setting but also the characters more. My wife has a disability and uses a wheelchair and we have two young children. In the stories, Alan Gregory's wife has MS and they have a daughter. It's great to see a person with a disability portrayed so well, showing having a disability doesn't mean you can't have a family and successful career. Stephen White himself has MS, so I appreciate his insights and perspectives.
I haven't read all the Stephen White/Alan Gregory novels - I think I've read about 5 total.I decided to read Kill Me (2006) and work forward to the newest one - White writes a new one every year - you might try it.
The Colorado setting is really fun to read - Kill Me opens with a serial sniper shooting taking place along I-70 in the Prologue. Many people say Kill Me is his best. I haven't quite finished yet but the story really picks up about the halfway point with some unexpected turns.
Dustin wrote: "Melodie wrote: "Dustin wrote: "I live in Colorful Colorado and enjoy reading the Alan Gregory series by Stephen White. I have lived in Boulder County where most of the books in the series take plac..."I met him at a book signing some years back at Murder By the Book here in Denver. Very nice guy. I'll have to pick up one of his books again one of these days. I used to read a couple of other Colorado writers, who don't have publishers anymore. One was Michael Allegretto and the other I can't remember at the moment, but his protagonist was a PI named Streeter. Really liked the Streeter books. It's always fun to read books where you can identify places. A guy named Jonathan Valin wrote a series with a PI named Harry Stoner that took place in Cincinnati. Since I'm originally from that area they were fun to read, too.
Hey you Minnesotans! JOHN SANFORD!!! You have all mentioned the other main ones...there in another guy retired from St. Paul and a policeman 'up north'...can't remember who by...
Has anyone read Rick Boyer?
I am from the great state of Massachusetts. Who could dispute the talents of Robert Parker, William Tapply and Dennis Lehane?
Folks from Minnesota can also claim Michael Stanley since the "Stanley" half lives part time in Minnesota. I'm from Ohio and can claim Les Roberts and Craig McDonald. Michael Koryta is from Indiana but writes his books set in Cleveland where his parents were born and raised.
Barbara wrote: "I am from the great state of Massachusetts. Who could dispute the talents of Robert Parker, William Tapply and Dennis Lehane?"I LOVE Parker and loved Lehane's Patrick & Angie books. I LOATHE his standalones.
Jen wrote: "Folks from Minnesota can also claim Michael Stanley since the "Stanley" half lives part time in Minnesota. I'm from Ohio and can claim Les Roberts and Craig McDonald. Michael Koryta is from India..."Les Roberts is a favorite of mine, and a greatly overlooked writing talent in my book!
Kari wrote: "I live in Alabama now and am working my way through the Southern Sisters mysteries by Anne George. Chicago is my hometown and I enjoy Eugene Izzi Books and Sara Paretsky. I shall have to read some..."Doug wrote: "Illinois...my faves...so many. Let's see:
Linda Mickey(traditional mysteries); Tom Keevers(private eye);Shane Gericke(police procedural);Barbara D'Amato(her police procedurals and a bunch of other..."
Paretsky makes me homesick for the grittiness that is Chicago! She even mentioned my the building where my Dad's office was, the Corn Products Building.
I also live (and set my own novels)in Chicago, and I can't think of a better town for crime fiction. For those of you who also feel that way, or want to check out some of the talent here, try CHICAGO BLUES... it's an anthology of 21 crime fiction short stories written completely by Chicago authors, including Marcus Sakey, Sean Chercover, Sara Paretsky, Kevin Guilfoile, Joe Konrath, DC Brod, Michael Black, and more.
About a month ago I started a Stephen White - Alan Gregory group on Goodreads - I enjoy getting ideas of new books to read from the larger groups dealing with a certain genre but I like discussing particular authors/series in smaller, focused groups. So far, I only have two members in my little group (that's including myself). If you're interested - please join me - particularly if you live in Colorado or enjoy Stephen White's Alan Gregory series. Thanks :-) I'm currently reading:
Beth wrote: "I've enjoyed reading mysteries by all of the following authors who live in my home state of Colorado:Margaret Coel
Diane Mott Davidson
Maggie Sefton
Christine Goff
Kathy Brandt
Pat Stoltey..."
I noticed Stephen White's not on your list! :-) What do you think of his books? I recently started your book...
but I'm afraid I'm giving most of my reading time to White's new book - don't worry though I'll finish yours too! I've read good things about it :-) Do you have a discussion thread for your books in this group - I'll be happy to contribute to the discussion once I get more than a few pages in.
Mystery Lovers!
Books mentioned in this topic
Kill Me (other topics)A Real Basket Case (other topics)
Chain of Fools (other topics)
The Siege (other topics)
Margaret Coel
Diane Mott Davidson
Maggie Sefton
Christine Goff
Kathy Brandt
Pat Stoltey
Linda Berry
Mike Befeler
Robert Spiller
Do you have favorite home-state mystery authors that you would recommend?
--
Beth Groundwater, www.bethgroundwater.com
A REAL BASKET CASE, Five Star Publishing, March, 2007
"Drugs and jealousy add up to a Rocky Mountain murder. A tense, exciting debut." -- Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2007