Detective Novels - Reviews and Recommendations......

Afternoon all,

I'm a keen reader, detective novels especially.

Will put up what I like, why I like it, and then see if anyone who also likes detective novels might have some suggestions.

Authors I like:

Lee Child - most of his Jack Reacher books are superb, though more recently it does feel like he is writing them with a film in mind - have never brought myself to be able to watch little Tom in one of the films, and likely never will.

Donna Leon - Brunetti myseteries - set in Venice.
Fairly gentle books, although some of the murders can be quite bloody - wonderful writing that describes the city and the architecture that makes me feel like I am there, despite having never visited in person.
Quite a prolific writer, much like Child, so no shortage of books.
Never had a dud, always a guaranteed good read for me.

Colin Dexter - Morse: Great author imho, sadly no longer with us - unfortunately only a dozen or so Morse books were written - love the TV version, and Endeavour, and Lewis was ok, but not quite in the same league.

Andrea Camilleri - Montalbano - set in Sicily:
The books that generated the TV series, much as in Morse, far more TV episodes than their are books, but what there are well written, and critically well translated. Really gives you a feel for the place, people, food, and surroundings - pretty immersive.

Dick Francis\Felix Francis - Set on racecourses generally to some degree:
Always loved these books, a good solid dependable read, don't recall a dud, some are better than others though - Proof, and Straight being two highlights - Felix picked up the baton, and is still turning out decent reading material.

Michelle Giuttari - Zen - set in Rome:
The author is no longer with us, but these are wonderfull written, rich and embroidered stories, with plenty of details and you get to know the characters really well. They did bring this to the TV for a 3 part series on the BBC which I personally loved, and I believe had good ratings, but for some reason they cancelled it :-(
Only half a dozen books written in the series IIRC.

Conor Fitzgerald - Alec Blume:
The first two I found awesome, the 3rd one (Namesake) was frankly terrible - not sure if he was being pushed to get something out by his publishers, but it was a drag to finish, but finish it I did.

K.O Dahl - Set in Norway
Only 4 books have been translated so far, the first one was the best, the latter 3 for me did not quite make the grade, but still very readable.

Henning Mankell - Wallander - set in Sweden:
Great writer, and very well translated. Again for me captures the country, people and surroundings and transports me there.

David Hewson - Now this chap is probably my favourite, and has been for sometime:

4 Strands to his writing as I see it.

Nic Costa - set in Italy - Rome to be precise - several books in this series.
Spin off books from the above, ie one about the person who conducts autopsies etc, still very good.
Standalone books

Pieter Vos - set in Amsterdam - more gritty and probably if I am being honest better written than the Nic Costa series above - only 3 released so far I think.

You remember the Scandinavian series The Killing, and II and III - well they made a back to front request, and asked this chap to write a book from the screenplay for all 3 I think - which he did, and even having seen the series first, and read the book latterly, they are amazing - the first one is a beast, at something like 700 pages, but a total page turner, love it.

I looked around a while back, and saw some good reviews for an author called Stephen Leather, whose first book in the series was called Hard Landing, but wow, it was terribly written, no getting to know the character in anyway, it was shocking - didn't even make the end of it.

Anyone have any other recommendations?

I'm about to try a Chris Carter book (Him of X-Files fame I think?) and also Mark Billingham I have heard good things about.