Since becoming a mystery-thriller writer, I’ve searched out great debut novels from other authors in the genre so I can learn from them and compare my skill level and storytelling ability to there’s at approximately the same stage in our respective careers. I’ve read dozens of debut novels, both mystery-thrillers and other genres, and believe that as a writer, I have an extra level of passion and interest and inside knowledge of what makes a great mystery or thriller.
An incredible premise (the President of the United States is involved with the death of his mistress and a cat burglar hiding in a closet is an unseen witness) is the salient feature of this book. That alone made for an exceptional story. Then Baldacci takes us on a tense, suspenseful ride into the President’s inner circle as his chief of staff attempts damage control in order to guarantee his re-election as well as keep him out of jail. To have the book turned into a blockbuster Hollywood movie confirms the greatness of this novel.
When burglar Luther Whitney breaks into a Virginia mansion, he witnesses a brutal crime involving the president -- a man who believes he can get away with anything -- and now, Luther may be the only one who can stop him in this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller.
In a heavily guarded mansion in the Virginia countryside, professional burglar and break-in artist Luther Whitney is trapped behind a two-way mirror. What he witnesses destroys his faith not only in justice, but in all he holds dear.
What follows is an unthinkable abuse of power and criminal conspiracy, as a…
The book that introduced the world to the iconic Jack Reacher has it all: a one-of-a-kind protagonist who’s larger than life; incredible tension from page one; an outstanding hook—Reacher getting arrested while minding his own business one hour after arriving in a small Georgia town and being charged with murder; lean prose (ala Hemingway) that fits the main character; and something that few reviewers mention—the incredible rhythm Child infuses into his prose. Because I have a music background, the rhythmic cadence that appears in so many scenes added great depth to my reading experience.
Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is a drifter. He's just passing through Margrave, Georgia, and in less than an hour, he's arrested for murder. Not much of a welcome. All Reacher knows is that he didn't kill anybody. At least not here. Not lately. But he doesn't stand a chance of convincing anyone. Not in Margrave, Georgia. Not a chance in hell.
Palmer Lind, recovering from the sudden death of her husband, embarks on a bird-watching trek to the Gulf Coast of Florida. One hot day on Leffis Key, she comes upon—not the life bird she was hoping for—but a floating corpse. The handsome beach bum who appears on the scene at…
Connelly hits the ground running with his MC, Harry Bosch, the rogue LAPD detective who barely stays in the good graces of his superiors while using his unique skills and insight to solve crimes that other cops won't or can't solve. Bosch has just enough flaws to make him real and believable while at the same time imbuing him with qualities that lift him above the average detective. Connelly's plotting is superb as he ties Bosch to a former Army buddy in Viet Nam who is found dead and no one but Bosch suspects he was murdered. As the players move like pieces in a master chess game, Bosch deciphers the truth by synthesizing a collection of random facts and observations into coherent motives for conspiracy, burglary, and murder.
An LAPD homicide detective must choose between justice and vengeance as he teams up with the FBI in this "thrilling" novel filled with mystery and adventure (New York Times Book Review). For maverick LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch, the body in the drainpipe at Mulholland Dam is more than another anonymous statistic. This one is personal . . . because the murdered man was a fellow Vietnam "tunnel rat" who had fought side by side with him in a hellish underground war. Now Bosch is about to relive the horror of Nam. From a dangerous maze of blind alleys…
I can't praise this highly enough for a first novel. From page one, I was immersed in Depression-Era Los Angeles and the life of a private eye who was tough and cynical, yet honorable and talented. Yes, Chandler wrote in a different era with a singular style that probably wouldn’t sell today. But I can't remember highlighting nearly as many beautiful, wonderful, pithy, gritty, evocative passages in any other book I've read as I highlighted inThe Big Sleep. Passages that make me jealous of Chandler's skill and talent. Passages that I wish I had written or passages that I may write that will cause readers to "swoon" as I did over Chandler's prose. A classic example of timeless genre fiction.
Raymond Chandler's first three novels, published here in one volume, established his reputation as an unsurpassed master of hard-boiled detective fiction.
The Big Sleep, Chandler's first novel, introduces Philip Marlowe, a private detective inhabiting the seamy side of Los Angeles in the 1930s, as he takes on a case involving a paralysed California millionaire, two psychotic daughters, blackmail and murder.
In Farewell, My Lovely, Marlowe deals with the gambling circuit, a murder he stumbles upon, and three very beautiful but potentially deadly women.
In The High Window, Marlowe searches the California underworld for a priceless gold coin and finds himself…
This is the fourth book in the Joplin/Halloran forensic mystery series, which features Hollis Joplin, a death investigator, and Tom Halloran, an Atlanta attorney.
It's August of 2018, shortly after the Republican National Convention has nominated Donald Trump as its presidential candidate. Racial and political tensions are rising, and so…
Wow. One of the best first novels I've ever read. All I can say is, “Read the damn book if you're a fan of thrillers.” Kenzie and Gennaro complement each other well as a husband-and-wife detective team. Lehane’s prose is as lyrical as it is dark, and his plot is superbly constructed. Finally, Bubba Rogowski is one of the all-time great supporting characters. He might be the only literary character who could beat Jack Reacher in a fight. Plus he’s more loyal to Kenzie and Gennaro than a thousand dogs.
Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro are tough private investigators who know the blue-collar neighbourhoods and ghettos of Boston's Dorchester section as only natives can. Working out of an old church belfry, Kenzie and Gennaro take on a seemingly simple assignment for a prominent politician: to uncover the whereabouts of Jenna Angeline, a black cleaning woman who has allegedly stolen confidential Statehouse documents. But finding Jenna proves easy compared to staying alive. The investigation escalates, uncovering a web of corruption extending from bombed-out ghetto streets to the highest levels of state government.
With slick, hip dialogue and a lyrical narrative pocked…
Two mysterious deaths—one of which is his father’s—compel Matt Lanier, a professional musician by trade, into a search for the killer. With no superhero skills other than his brilliant musical mind and razor-sharp hearing, Lanier quickly uncovers a land-grab conspiracy that could mean financial ruin or death for thousands of farmers... and for himself. If you're a fan of unique characters who defy all odds and stand up against powerful, ruthless foes, then you'll love this story of a musician/hero who marches to the beat of a different drummer.
