Favorite Author

[Toro]

Who is your favorite contemporary author? Mine is Michael Connelly. He has written a series of Murder mysteries with this tough LAPD detective as the central character.

But each book stands on its own so you don't have to read them in any particular order to enjoy them. One has been made into a major motion picture and ironically is the only one not involving this LAPD detective. It was called "Blood Work" starring Clint Eastwood and was good but not his best.

As an added bonus the LAPD detective, Harry Bosch, was married to a woman whose passion was playing poker in the California card rooms. She eventually turned pro and their marriage fell apart and now she plays in the big money games at the Bellagio.

Probably not the greatest that literature has to offer but very entertaining stuff. His books always have great plot twists at the end that literally have me shaking my head sometimes.

Anybody else read any of this guy's stuff and what do you think?

[lu_hawk]

Patrick O'Brian

[mrpurple]

John Irving

[M2d]

Bill Pronzini

[Ulysses]

I read The Poet recently and thought it was pretty good, but I wouldn't put him in my first tier of favorite contemporary authors.

[Toro]

Poet was good, try some more.

[BeerMoney]

This is gonna sound really dumb, but I don't read much new stuff cause I'm always afraid its gonna suck. I'm a pretty slow reader, so it becomes something of an investment.

My favorite author is John Steinbeck. Does that make me boring?

[Sooga]

David Sedaris

[benfranklin]

Connelly is excellent. I've read everything he has written, except the latest, which is in the stack.

If you like him, I recommend Dennis Lehane. One of his is Mystic River, which Eastwood also made into a big movie recently.

Also excellent, writing about the west today, is Michael McGarrity.

Saving the best for last, James Lee Burke is a must. Most of his books are about an ex-Nawlins cop named Dave Robicheaux. Burke's ability to convey a sense of the bayou country is incredible. I suggest starting with the earlier novels to watch the character develop.

[Toro]

Yes I liked Lehane's Mystic River too, which of course was much better than the movie. I'm going to try those other authors that you cited as your tastes seem to run parallel to mine.