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The Masters of Hard-Boiled Detectives

Just spotted the review by Harriett of John Connolly's book, 'Black Angel', due out later.
I didn't read it, :eek: as it's one I'm waiting to buy, however, made me think of adding Charlie 'Bird' Parker to your list, but maybe he would be more of a bloodhoud? He is certainly a very interesting character.
 
I know they are two different styles but yes, would
recommednd both authors. On my shelves are 23 James Lee Burke titles and
and 6 John Connolly and would recommend them all
I think the following JL Burke are my particular favourites: :D
In the Moon of Red Ponies Billy bob
Last Car to Elysian Fields Dave R
White Doves in the Morning
Bitter-root
Heartwood
Purple Cane Road
Cimarron Rose
In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead
Two for Texas
Lay Down my Sword and Shield

Connolly John. Nocturnes
Bad Men
The White Road
Every Dead Thing
The Killing Kind
Dark Hollows
 
I haven't tried any of John Connolly's books. Guess I will have to give him a try. Any suggestions as to which one to read first.
 
John Connolly is more into the dark side and not for the squeamish ; I'd say Stephen King meets Michael Connelly, add Charlie 'Bird' Parker former New York detective and his two ex-con pals, Angel and Louis, into the mix and you have an interestng read. Very interesting.

You should start with 'Every Dead Thing' as it was his first, but I started with 'Dark Hollow'
'Every Dead Thing'
'Haunted by the unsolved slaying of his wife and young daugjhter, Charlie Parker is a man consumed by violence, anger and the desire for revenge...'
His ex-partner asks him to track down a missing girl. His search leads him into the bowels of organized crime and to a black woman who dwells in the
the Lousianna swamps, to cellars of torture and death; and to a serial killer unlike any other, an artist who uses the human body as a canvas and takes faces as his prize.....' That's from the jacket.. sorry, I guess John Connolly
might belong in the Horror section rather than here :eek:
'Dark Hollow' ...Second book... 'A young woman, Rita Ferris, and her little son die at the hands of an unknown killer, and the past and present collide violently for Charlie Parker. The answer lies thirty years into his past, to a tree bearing strange fruit, and the mythical killer, the monster known as Calab Kyle. ...'
 
Dogtanian said:
Being a bif fan of Michael Connelly, would you recommend books by Burke and John Connelly then?
Dogtanian, I highly recommend James Lee Burke if you are into detective type books. He is one of my favorite authors, period. The list provided by nighthawk is a good one.

nighthawk, perhaps I will pass on the John Connolly books even though I am a fan of Stephen King and enjoy his books, especially the "Gunslinger" series. I have never read any of Mickey Spillane and maybe I will give him a try. I wonder how I could not have read him after all the years I have been reading books.
 
muggle said:
Dogtanian, I highly recommend James Lee Burke if you are into detective type books. He is one of my favorite authors, period. The list provided by nighthawk is a good one.

Ordered 3 last week ;) Just waiting for good old Amazon to deliver them :)
 
Thanks to this thread, I've just finished The Maltese Falcon.

I must say I enjoyed myself. It wasn't too long, but it was very atmospheric. Was this guy one of the pioneers of the rough-and-tumble tough guy detective, rolled cigarette practically glued to his lips, with a damsel-in-distress?

I've not read too many other detective stories, despite being a total fanatic for Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps because of this, I've had very skewed view of every detective story I read - and get disappointed when the mystery resolves itself mainly through turns of events rather than direct deductions from the detective.

But that's just me.

I'm looking forward to getting Raymond Chandler. Sounds like he's loads of fun....

ds
 
Just finished "Farewell, my lovely" by Raymond Chandler! What can I say? FANTASTIC STUFF! Loved it! I will, for sure, be getting his other books. The prose is wonderful and really sets up the dark gritty world that Marlowe moves through. The novel was tense, intense, and full of drive and energy!

The book has SO MANY great lines and moments in it. I could be quoting from the book forever... but I will just leave with a couple that stuck in my mind...

"The eighty five cent dinner tasted like a discarded mail bag and was served
to me by a waiter who looked as if he would slug me for a quarter, and bury
me at sea in a barrel of concrete for a dollar and half, plus sales tax
."

"I like my women all shiny. Hard boiled, and full of sin."
 
:rolleyes: Aw, Shucks! I'm getting a warm, fuzzy feeling! I'm glad everybody's liking this thread! You can't miss, though, with the likes of Chandler and Hammett! If you like Ray, you gotta try Dash!
 
Just like to say heeeeey I've got the new

Michael Connelly 'Harry Bosch' book *The Closers*!!!!!!!! :D

From the cover

'Harry Bosch felt a familiar power begin to take hold of him and move in his veins. Only an hour back on the job and he was already chasing a killer. It didn't matter how long ago the blood had fallen. There was a killer in the wind and Bosch was coming'.

Ooooooooooh .... He's back!!!! :D
 
Ken Bruen?

Hi, I am brand new here, got down here as fast as I could! are there any Ken Bruen fans here? I'm looking for writers that come close, many thanks!
 
To start off on Bruen I would recommend "The White Trilogy" after that there's no looking back! your hooked on his style that makes other writers of this genre seem diluted, for some it may be irritating that he quotes other writers paragraphs, but for me it's an added bonus if you wish to follow up the writers mentioned...e.g. K.T. McCaffrey, my library has had an "Irish Cream" promotion thing going and nothing to date has been worth mentioning :(
 
Little less than 4 weeks until the new James lee Burke book, Crusaders Cross, comes out. Reading the reviews it looks like another good one. Can't wait and think I will contact the library now.
 
muggle said:
Little less than 4 weeks until the new James lee Burke book, Crusaders Cross, comes out. Reading the reviews it looks like another good one. Can't wait and think I will contact the library now.
Woohoo, the book will hit the stands in 12 days. I have my name in at the library and am number 5 on their list, so it will be a little longer wait for me.
 
I just received an email from our library today stating that "Crusader's Cross by James Lee Burke" is ready for me to pick up. The reviews on this book have been very good. Of course, all his books are good. :)
 
Please, pretty please Muggle, just a little snippet when you get James Lee's new book... :D here in the UK we have another FOUR weeks to wait :( Got my name down for one at Waterstone's tho :)

Btw was rather disappointed with Michael Connelly's *Closers* Not one of his best. Anyone else feel this way, or have my tastes just changed over the past year?
 
nighthawk said:
Please, pretty please Muggle, just a little snippet when you get James Lee's new book... :D here in the UK we have another FOUR weeks to wait :( Got my name down for one at Waterstone's tho :)

Btw was rather disappointed with Michael Connelly's *Closers* Not one of his best. Anyone else feel this way, or have my tastes just changed over the past year?
Here you go nighthawk, the first paragraph:

It was the end of an era, one that I suspect historians may look upon as the last decade of American innocence. It was a time we remember in terms of images and sounds rather than historical events - - pink Cadillacs, drive-in movies, stylized street hoods, rock 'n" roll, Hank and Lefty on the jukebox, the dirty bop, daylight baseball, chopped-down '32 Fords with Merc engines drag-racing in a roar of thunder past drive-in restaurants, all of it backdropped by palm trees, a curling surf, and a purple sky that had obviously been created as a cinematic tribute to our youth.

The season seemed eternal........
 
Many thanks Muggle *hug* :D Just enough to whet the appetite! Can't mistake his writing can you ....
oooh counting down.
 
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