I'm currently reading Michael Connelly's books in publication order and I would recommend doing the same. The Bosch books aren't technically serialized but also not quite standalone if you want to get every reference. The non-Bosch books take place in the same "universe" and there are occasional references to Bosch characters and cases. Most importantly, there hasn't been a weak book yet (I've read the first seven) so there's nothing to skip.
I plowed through all the Bosch books in order in about 2 months earlier this year and I would say they don’t start getting “weak” until very late. The most recent ones where Bosch acts more like a supporting character are on a lower tier than the first couple dozen, but are still great.
In a recent interview, Connelly stated that the series really turned a corner and he figured out what he was doing with the fourth installment, The Last Coyote from 1995. So if you wanted to start somewhere other than the beginning, this might be the place.
I would read the Bosch novels in order. You get to see Bosch evolve and other characters will come back into the stories, so its nice to have some backstory for these characters.
Parker series helped me start reading a lot more actual books vs comic books, so they'll always hold a special place for me for what Donald E. Westlake created. Not to mention the graphic novels created by Darwyn Cooke were the perfect adaptations.
The Poet is a good one to start with when reading Michael Connelly. It's the first one in the Jack McEvoy series, along with The Scarecrow and Fair Warning. The Poet was the first Connelly that I read, and I have most of his books now. I would read the Bosch novels in order of publication as he does go through a bit of a progression throughout the series. The Lew Archer novels by MacDonald are fantastic, and I would also highly recommend the Amos Walker books by Loren D. Estleman, and of course the Matt Scudder books by Lawrence Block. I do believe you've read the Scudder books already, though. Very good episode, Olly!
I love the Parker books! Been wanting to read the Bosch series for a while. I would also recommend the Mike hammer series by Mickey Spillane with later volumes by Max Allen Collins and the Quarry series by Max Allen Collins.
The Long Lavender Look is my favorite of the Travis McGee books, mostly because the title is so ghastly when you discover what it means. Love the Parker books, but also their alter ego series, the Dortmunder books as by Westlake. The Hot Rock was intended as a Parker book until Westlake realized that Parker would have just killed everyone halfway through the book.
Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer is my favourite "classic PI" series. He delivers like Ed McBain does with his 87th Precinct series, ie. you're pretty much guaranteed to get a well-written, engaging story that is easy and enjoyable to read. I've read the first four Parker novels and I rate them very high as well. I really enjoy Jo Nesbo and am reading the Harry Hole series in order, "Nemesis" being the the most recent and his best (so far...IMO). I understand Netflix is currently producing a series based on that book. I read Vachss "Sacrifice" and found it to be well-written but quite disturbing, maybe not "I Was Dora Suarez"-disturbing, but dark as hell. Another great video ... thanks Olly!
Your "top 2" on this list are my top two in this genre. Connelly and Lehane are favorites. I read 4 or 5 Connelly books out of order before restarting and reading everything in publication order. You could skip around, but Harry goes through a lot and it makes more sense to read them in order to readily understand the subtext. I have a Lehane video ready to shoot (a rare scripted video for me) that should release in December. He's a remarkable author. You have some fantastic book ahead!
I recommend Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther series, about a police detective in Nazi Germany. The later books take place after the war, but they're all worth reading.
Kate Atkinson's Jason Brody series which has been made into television series Case Histories which is also good. Patricia Finney, particularly the Sir Robert Carey series under her nom de plume, P F Chisholm. Books have to be really good for me to purchase them for re-reading. Both these authors stand up to re-reading.
I read the Travis McGee novels when I was a teenager and thought they were great. I bought the collected works last year, but I haven't had a chance to delve into it yet. Very good stories.......as I remember.
The Ross Macdonald Lew Archer books are incredible. Some of the later ones are the best, but I'd still recommend reading the series in order as there's an arc to Macdonald's approach to theme and character, with the later novels becoming increasingly cynical about family dynamics, etc. Really great writing in these. I love Vachss' Burke novels are also great, but these are mostly so bleak and grimy that they leave me feeling a little soiled and tainted by their subject matter. I can't read too many of those back to back. I can also really recommend the Brandstetter books and the Parker novels too,
Darwyn Cooke did great graphic novel adaptions of four Parker novels. They are definitely worth seeking out. I can also recommend Quarry (as mentioned by others).
Thanks for the recommendations in this and your previous video. I really recommend Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series especially the first six. The sixth book has one of the best ending to a series I have ever read.
While the mystery is quite good, book 1 might be among the weakest, in retrospect, since so much of the strength of the following stories comes from the rich cast of supporting characters. I failed to grasp the significance of those characters until they were developed in the following books.
Jo Nesbo / Harry Hole (Holler, I think - he tells the Aussies in “The Bat” how to pronounce it) - read and loved all of them. Great feel for Norway - not sure why the first was set in Oz but the rest are very chilly. Probably best to start with the third (“Snowman”?) but all are twisty and he (Hole) doesn’t get it right all the time which is frustrating but good.
I loved the 'The Bat', I think the second was 'Cockroaches' set in Thailand. The rest are in the chillier climbs of Northern Europe, Norway, Oslo and so on. I need to read the more recent ones. I read them in order , I think my last was ' The Knife' All are good reads, but contrary to popular opinion, I thought the first two were the best.
My current favourite crime authors are Ian Rankin (his Rebus series), Henning Mankell (Wallander series), and Peter May. I recommend these guys, even though I have only read the complete Wallander series so far. Still working through the Rankin and May books. Cheers!
I loved the Snowman by Jo Nesbo. But my favorite of his is The Redbreast, which I think is a Harry Hole but also really stands on its own. It's a bit less black and white 'detective' novel, and draws on multiple genres incl war novel, crime novel, etc. It features a dual timeline exploring Norweigans' voluntary participation on the Axis-powers' side during WWII and their subsequent indictments after the war and how that led to a rise in Neo-Nazism in the early 2000s. The translation by Don Bartlett is superb, as well, highly recommend!
As other have said Parker, Lew Archer and Travis Mcgee all great reads. The Green Ripper for Mcgee is total men's adventure vibe. Ive got the Library of America set for Ross Macdonald. It collects nine of the best.
I think Richard Stark would be right in your wheelhouse. Despite the genre differences they're stylistically like a precursor to men's adventure books - but with much better writing than men's adventure. Even if you didn't like other Donald Westlake books, I'd still recommend trying the Stark books, as I much prefer the ones he wrote as Richard Stark over the books that he wrote under his own name. When I first started reading the Stark books, many of them were hard to find and I ended up reading the series in a jumbled order. One of my aims is to re-read them in chronological order sometime, now that all the books are easily available as ebooks or physical reprints.
I read a ton of Robicheaux novels back in the day. I just picked up a later one and it was kind of neat how I knew all the characters still. I was all...oh Clete, there you are!
I love Michael Connolly. I read his books all the time. I live in Boston and have been hoping to find crime books with a Boston theme and when you mentioned Dennis Lehane I got so excited about it. Finally ! I have ordered a book. You saved the day !
Interesting selections. I looked up the Vachss' book and what made it more appealing to me is that through the reissues the cover artists have had no idea of how to represent what is inside.
I highly recommend sue Grafton and her alphabet series. 25 books in all. She died before she could write z is for zero. The books just get better and better as the series goes along
Hello! I don’t know whether this already came up in one of your previous videos, but I would highly recommend the Atticus Kodiak books by Greg Rucka. It’s about a bodyguard agency and especially the first 3 (as of now 7) entries are a really fun read.
Lehane is pretty good, but Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer series is excellent. I've done some reviews of them, and I've only read one that was less than great.
I'm going to guess that the "less than great" book was The Blue Hammer. I like that one, but it's a bit of a mess and could have benefitted from some careful content editing.
@@PeculiarNotions Ah, yes, that's one of the earlier ones, isn't it? Agreed on it being comparatively weak. I much prefer the later books in the series,
@@paull3466 It's the sixth book, I think. I have a fondness for Moving Target and The Way Some People Die, but the later books to tend to be stronger overall.
RE: Jo Nesbo. I did not read his books in order. I must have first read a book a few books in. I did think the early books were a bit heavy but they get better. I find them an exhilarating read and a nice palate cleanser after reading heavier mysteries/ crime novels. A lot of the Nordic novels can be slow and really dense.
Definitely read Bosch in order. I recently read the Richard Stark "Parker" series: clean, direct, clever - very much recommended. If you enjoy series that convey a sense of environment, try Tony Hillerman. Another that I enjoyed that has a different twist is the "Jane Whitefield" series by Thomas Perry. The multiple series by John Sandford are also favorites but there is a sort of local connection so I may be biased. Also, if you enjoyed Ed McBain, read his European counterpart in developing the group police procedural genre: the works of Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö (the Martin Beck series).
I made it up to The Last Coyote in the Bosch series before getting sidelined by some other books I needed to read. Great series. The Black Echo has impacted the structure of the book I am working on. And I am HUGE fan of the Parker series.
I think you will really like the Parker books, there a bit like the men adventure books you read. Parker is a ruthless professional criminal who has to deal with unexpected problems in his work. And the first and I believe the second book has him going against the mob which is called the Outfit in the books if I remember right.
The Harry Bosch books don't need to be read in order. There is some continuation, especially lately. The books pretty much take place in the year they were published. And Harry Barry Bosch ages as the series progresses. Late thirties in the early nineties, now in his 60's or older and fighting cancer. Very good. My favorite HB book is: "The Black Box". A shooting is tied to a gun that was used in a murder of a female reporter 20 years earlier. Harry takes on the case looking for justice. My favorite of the Harry Bosch series.
My two favorite series: Alan Bradley--Flavia de Luce mysteries--50s England 12yo girl genius chemist; Suzanne Arruda--Jade del Cameron adventure/mysteries--20s East Africa. Good channel. I just subscribed yesterday.
I would recommend 2 series by Australian authors. The first is Wyatt, Gary Disher's series of short novels featuring a thief who likes to meticulously plan and carry out one or two solo jobs a year and then live comfortably off the proceeds. He ends up not following his own rules and has to deal with the consequences. The seond is Crimson Lake by Candice Fox. Her protagonist is Ted Conkafey, a Sydney detective who is wrongly accused of kidnapping a young girl. While he is not convicted of the crime, the community views him with suspicion. He removes himself to northern Queensland where he partners up with an unusual young PI who is under a cloud of her own. I especially enjoy the sense of place in both of these series. The characteries are interesting and the plots move right along.
Michael Connely, Lehane, and Mankell are all excellent books. Read Harry Bosch in order, although they can stand alone, there are many references made.
Michael Connelly series best in order. It's good, but I stopped after he moved to his lawyer series. Richard Stark series is a different style than Westlake(who I like) and quite good. For me, I like Jo Nesbo's stand alones and did not like the Harry Hole series, although the first two were good. I'm not a fan of Lehane's first series, but mistakenly read it after I was absolutely amazed by Mystic River. The Travis McGee books are solid and I enjoyed them. I recommend the K.C. Constantine Rocksburg series, which need to be in order. Maybe the detective work might not excite you, but the dialogue is exceptional.
I seem to have a bias for American hardboiled detectives (and bad guys), make what you will of that. I read all of the Travis McGhee novels in the '80s, and recently realized that there are a billion other John D. McDonald novels and stories that I ought to read too. The Parker series I finished roughly 10 years ago, inspired by the graphic novel adaptation, and found it a wonderful companion to the Keller series. The Libby library app has been of assistance lately in finding good reading, but it varies by which library you belong to, and mine has huge gaps in a lot of authors -- they only had two Ed McBain Ebooks! I'm currently working my way through the Kinsey Millhone series, in order, and dipping a toe in Tony Hillerman's books.
I have to admit the Harry Hole series gets better. If you started with the Bat it was definitely okay at best as it was his first novel. Personally, I would recommend the Blood on Snow duology as an entry to Nesbo. He’s hit or miss for me. I didn’t like Macbeth or The Night House. If you want a classic detective series, I recommend The Harlem detective series by Chester Himes. There are 9 books in the series and they are all under 200 pages.
I have only read three of these series. I liked the Bosch books the best, followed by the Kenzie and Gennaro books. and then the Harry Hole books. I haven't read all of the Harry Hole books, but if I am remembering correctly, the first book is not as good as some of the later books. If you like Bosch books, you might consider trying the Lincoln Lawyer series by Connelly. Mickey Haller, the main character in The Lincoln Lawyer, is Bosch's half-brother.
Im slowly working my way through the Harry Hole books after reading The Snowman and I have to say that the first two have not been as good as The Snowman was. Im not sure how much you would miss by reading out of order but I would very much recommend that one.
I've liked LeHane as well and Gone Baby Gone was either the first of second for me, Mystic River being the other. Both movies were good too I Thought. I've read Come Closer and a different kind of book from Gran sounds good too. I am currently reading The Green Mile thanks to you and Pat! I've never seen the movie either so I don't know the story in advance, my fav way to begin a book. I read a lot of Ross McDonald years ago and always enjoyed those too!
I had this subject as a video idea. Your list is very similar to mine! I like Donald E Westlake but I’m not much of a fan of his Parker books. The Lew Archer books are pretty good. He’s the heir apparent to Chandler’s Marlowe but not as good.
You don't have to read Bosch in order - there are no spoilers re plot maybe just references to previous books etc. But I would (and did) because his career and personal life progress over time and that's kind of important if you plan to read them all. And you will want to read them all. Enjoy (I'm a bit jealous)!
I love Griffiths, Connelly, Lehane and both MacDonalds. The Bat was boring, IMHO. I think you will enjoy the Harry Bosch series more if you read them in order. A Drink Before the War by Lehane was great for a first book!! So glad you are getting back into mystery series.
The Parker books are unique in American crime pulp fiction - Parker is a rare example of a character with no warm qualities whatsoever but remains utterly compelling. His only virtue is he's more palatable than his enemies and even his collegaues. The Hunter, The Score, and Slayground are the dog's bollocks. The Mourner adds some enjoyable Cold War intrigue. The Lew Archer books begin as Chandler copies, albiet well done, the series becomes more literary as it goes on, and Archer morphs into a tool to disect the changing sociopolitical climate of 1960s and 70s America. The Underground Man and The Chill are exemplary, but all of them are pretty good - The Moving Target remains a favourite for me in no small part thanks to Harper (1966).
This comment beat me to the punch about both series. Great minds and readers think alike. Also Ross Macdonald's wife is better then Macdonald. He even said it. Butcher's Moon the original ending to the. parker series. And The Invisible Enemy are my favorites.
I love the Harry Hole series although I don't think the most recent entries have been as good. Nesbo is undoubtedly influenced by the Wallander series by Henning Mankell, all of which are great.
Travis McGee was the first PI series I ever read. It's a genre I've always loved, the lone Wolfe PI who tries really hard to not get involved. It's probably why I was such a huge Rockford Files fan. I just started re-reading the Lew Archer novels and short stories and it's very interesting because the character really evolves over the years. Apparently that was an import element for Ross Macdonald. Archer is not as misogynistic as some of these other characters like Travis McGee. The Parker novels are fun, but they get repetitive and Parker is a jerk so sometimes it's hard to stick with them. There have been several movie adaptations, oddly most NOT with the name Parker.The Lee Marvin take on him in Point Blank is pretty accurate to how uncompromising the character can be. The Burke novels are very intense with children being abused or in jeopardy, but he is an engaging character.
I can't believe that I forgot to mention, in the last video, Janwillem Van De Wetering, and his Amsterdam Cops/ Detective-Adjutant Gripstra and Sergeant de Gier series. I can't remember if you have ever mention this.
Connelly: Read them in publication order. I've read them all and haven't tired of them. Female Leads: If you haven't read them, I'd recommend the Sunny Randall series that was written by Robert B. Parker, not the successor authors.
The Bosch books are great. I would read them in order. I didn't get on with the Harry Hole books. My other favourite series would be the Rebus books by Rankin, and the Robicheaux series by JL Burke.
The first Harry Hole (The Bat) reads very much like a first novel. The Snowman was a very good read, though. Be warned, there's a lot of well-worn tropes that reappear in those novels, but without bringing much to the table or approaching said tropes from a different angle.
@@CriminOllyBlog I think they get better as they go on. But the last few have become a little repetitive and probably Robicheaux should be retired by now. I think they peak around number 12 'Jolie Blon's Bounce' - one of my favourite crime novels.
Robert Crais is one of my favorites. The Elvis Cole series is great!
I'm currently reading Michael Connelly's books in publication order and I would recommend doing the same. The Bosch books aren't technically serialized but also not quite standalone if you want to get every reference. The non-Bosch books take place in the same "universe" and there are occasional references to Bosch characters and cases. Most importantly, there hasn't been a weak book yet (I've read the first seven) so there's nothing to skip.
I plowed through all the Bosch books in order in about 2 months earlier this year and I would say they don’t start getting “weak” until very late. The most recent ones where Bosch acts more like a supporting character are on a lower tier than the first couple dozen, but are still great.
Read all his full length novels and have yet to be disappointed.
Oh interesting - I didn't realise that
In a recent interview, Connelly stated that the series really turned a corner and he figured out what he was doing with the fourth installment, The Last Coyote from 1995. So if you wanted to start somewhere other than the beginning, this might be the place.
Can confirm - I've read every book by Michael Connelly and he's the most consistently great author I've read. Nothing to skip!
Vachss is such a tight, hard hitting writer. His career as an attorney and advocate for children made him an incredible person.R.I.P
I would read the Bosch novels in order. You get to see Bosch evolve and other characters will come back into the stories, so its nice to have some backstory for these characters.
Parker series helped me start reading a lot more actual books vs comic books, so they'll always hold a special place for me for what Donald E. Westlake created. Not to mention the graphic novels created by Darwyn Cooke were the perfect adaptations.
The Poet is a good one to start with when reading Michael Connelly. It's the first one in the Jack McEvoy series, along with The Scarecrow and Fair Warning. The Poet was the first Connelly that I read, and I have most of his books now. I would read the Bosch novels in order of publication as he does go through a bit of a progression throughout the series.
The Lew Archer novels by MacDonald are fantastic, and I would also highly recommend the Amos Walker books by Loren D. Estleman, and of course the Matt Scudder books by Lawrence Block. I do believe you've read the Scudder books already, though. Very good episode, Olly!
I love the Parker books! Been wanting to read the Bosch series for a while.
I would also recommend the Mike hammer series by Mickey Spillane with later volumes by Max Allen Collins and the Quarry series by Max Allen Collins.
I've been enjoying the Nolan, Quarry, and Nathan Heller series by Max Allan Collins.
Yes, Travis McGee! 🇺🇸
Kenzie and Gennaro are my favorite.
The Long Lavender Look is my favorite of the Travis McGee books, mostly because the title is so ghastly when you discover what it means.
Love the Parker books, but also their alter ego series, the Dortmunder books as by Westlake. The Hot Rock was intended as a Parker book until Westlake realized that Parker would have just killed everyone halfway through the book.
Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer is my favourite "classic PI" series. He delivers like Ed McBain does with his 87th Precinct series, ie. you're pretty much guaranteed to get a well-written, engaging story that is easy and enjoyable to read. I've read the first four Parker novels and I rate them very high as well. I really enjoy Jo Nesbo and am reading the Harry Hole series in order, "Nemesis" being the the most recent and his best (so far...IMO). I understand Netflix is currently producing a series based on that book. I read Vachss "Sacrifice" and found it to be well-written but quite disturbing, maybe not "I Was Dora Suarez"-disturbing, but dark as hell. Another great video ... thanks Olly!
I really enjoy Elly Griffiths, particularly her Ruth Galloway books. Would definitely recommend those too.
Your "top 2" on this list are my top two in this genre. Connelly and Lehane are favorites. I read 4 or 5 Connelly books out of order before restarting and reading everything in publication order. You could skip around, but Harry goes through a lot and it makes more sense to read them in order to readily understand the subtext. I have a Lehane video ready to shoot (a rare scripted video for me) that should release in December. He's a remarkable author. You have some fantastic book ahead!
I recommend Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther series, about a police detective in Nazi Germany. The later books take place after the war, but they're all worth reading.
Kate Atkinson's Jason Brody series which has been made into television series Case Histories which is also good. Patricia Finney, particularly the Sir Robert Carey series under her nom de plume, P F Chisholm. Books have to be really good for me to purchase them for re-reading. Both these authors stand up to re-reading.
I read the Travis McGee novels when I was a teenager and thought they were great. I bought the collected works last year, but I haven't had a chance to delve into it yet. Very good stories.......as I remember.
The Ross Macdonald Lew Archer books are incredible. Some of the later ones are the best, but I'd still recommend reading the series in order as there's an arc to Macdonald's approach to theme and character, with the later novels becoming increasingly cynical about family dynamics, etc. Really great writing in these.
I love Vachss' Burke novels are also great, but these are mostly so bleak and grimy that they leave me feeling a little soiled and tainted by their subject matter. I can't read too many of those back to back.
I can also really recommend the Brandstetter books and the Parker novels too,
Only Vachhs book I've read was his throwback to Gold Medal books. The Getaway Driver.
I love all the Archer novels and I have to agree, they get better as they go.
Darwyn Cooke did great graphic novel adaptions of four Parker novels. They are definitely worth seeking out.
I can also recommend Quarry (as mentioned by others).
Got a chance to meet him years ago. And we talked about the Parker books. Butchers Moon was his favorite
Love Ross MacDonald-he’s a bit like Raymond Chandler. Richard Stark is fun too and there are a few great graphic novel adaptations.
Thanks for the recommendations in this and your previous video.
I really recommend Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series especially the first six. The sixth book has one of the best ending to a series I have ever read.
While the mystery is quite good, book 1 might be among the weakest, in retrospect, since so much of the strength of the following stories comes from the rich cast of supporting characters. I failed to grasp the significance of those characters until they were developed in the following books.
@@slothrob I agree about book 1 but as the series continues the threads developed in each book leads to an amazing climax in book 6.
@@oldhab7890 Book 10 also brings many plot threads together.
If it makes you feel better The Poet you could argue is technically part of the Bosch series as characters in it do appear in a future Bosch story.
Hugeeeee fan of Jo nesbo 🙌🏻
nesbo is waaay too dark for me!!
Jo Nesbo / Harry Hole (Holler, I think - he tells the Aussies in “The Bat” how to pronounce it) - read and loved all of them. Great feel for Norway - not sure why the first was set in Oz but the rest are very chilly. Probably best to start with the third (“Snowman”?) but all are twisty and he (Hole) doesn’t get it right all the time which is frustrating but good.
I loved the 'The Bat', I think the second was 'Cockroaches' set in Thailand. The rest are in the chillier climbs of Northern Europe, Norway, Oslo and so on. I need to read the more recent ones. I read them in order , I think my last was ' The Knife' All are good reads, but contrary to popular opinion, I thought the first two were the best.
Ah Holler does sound more scandinavian!
I watched a book tv show presented by Mariella Frostrup (also Norwegian) and if I remember right she pronounced it Hoole
My current favourite crime authors are Ian Rankin (his Rebus series), Henning Mankell (Wallander series), and Peter May. I recommend these guys, even though I have only read the complete Wallander series so far. Still working through the Rankin and May books. Cheers!
I loved the Snowman by Jo Nesbo. But my favorite of his is The Redbreast, which I think is a Harry Hole but also really stands on its own. It's a bit less black and white 'detective' novel, and draws on multiple genres incl war novel, crime novel, etc. It features a dual timeline exploring Norweigans' voluntary participation on the Axis-powers' side during WWII and their subsequent indictments after the war and how that led to a rise in Neo-Nazism in the early 2000s. The translation by Don Bartlett is superb, as well, highly recommend!
As other have said Parker, Lew Archer and Travis Mcgee all great reads. The Green Ripper for Mcgee is total men's adventure vibe.
Ive got the Library of America set for Ross Macdonald. It collects nine of the best.
Yep, "HOO-leh".
I think Richard Stark would be right in your wheelhouse. Despite the genre differences they're stylistically like a precursor to men's adventure books - but with much better writing than men's adventure. Even if you didn't like other Donald Westlake books, I'd still recommend trying the Stark books, as I much prefer the ones he wrote as Richard Stark over the books that he wrote under his own name. When I first started reading the Stark books, many of them were hard to find and I ended up reading the series in a jumbled order. One of my aims is to re-read them in chronological order sometime, now that all the books are easily available as ebooks or physical reprints.
Two of my favorite mystery crime series are James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux and Joe Ide's IQ series. Excellent reads.
I read a ton of Robicheaux novels back in the day. I just picked up a later one and it was kind of neat how I knew all the characters still. I was all...oh Clete, there you are!
@Tokayd13 Clete is a favorite! The audiobooks reader is Will Patton. He really brings the characters to life❤
I love Michael Connolly. I read his books all the time. I live in Boston and have been hoping to find crime books with a Boston theme and when you mentioned Dennis Lehane I got so excited about it. Finally ! I have ordered a book. You saved the day !
Hope you enjoy it!
Interesting selections. I looked up the Vachss' book and what made it more appealing to me is that through the reissues the cover artists have had no idea of how to represent what is inside.
Vachhs is a great page turning read. Bob.
Reissue covers so often feel phoned in
** Video Idea ** If possible, I would like to see a video on your most re-read novels and why you did such or liked it enough to give it a re-read.
I highly recommend sue Grafton and her alphabet series. 25 books in all. She died before she could write z is for zero. The books just get better and better as the series goes along
Hello! I don’t know whether this already came up in one of your previous videos, but I would highly recommend the Atticus Kodiak books by Greg Rucka. It’s about a bodyguard agency and especially the first 3 (as of now 7) entries are a really fun read.
I am so relieved to find that I am not the only one who disliked / got bored by The Midnight Library and Watership Down.
I feel misanthropic for saying it, but both were bad 😂
jo Nesbo is awesome....Harry is a work of art and environment
Lehane is pretty good, but Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer series is excellent. I've done some reviews of them, and I've only read one that was less than great.
I'm going to guess that the "less than great" book was The Blue Hammer. I like that one, but it's a bit of a mess and could have benefitted from some careful content editing.
@@paull3466 I was thinking The Barbarous Coast. It just felt weak in comparison to every other book in the Lew Archer series.
@@PeculiarNotions Ah, yes, that's one of the earlier ones, isn't it? Agreed on it being comparatively weak. I much prefer the later books in the series,
@@paull3466 It's the sixth book, I think. I have a fondness for Moving Target and The Way Some People Die, but the later books to tend to be stronger overall.
Mystic River is a good book and movie by Leahane. Dark and sad.
Lehane, sorry about the writing mistake lol.
RE: Jo Nesbo. I did not read his books in order. I must have first read a book a few books in. I did think the early books were a bit heavy but they get better. I find them an exhilarating read and a nice palate cleanser after reading heavier mysteries/ crime novels. A lot of the Nordic novels can be slow and really dense.
Definitely read Bosch in order. I recently read the Richard Stark "Parker" series: clean, direct, clever - very much recommended.
If you enjoy series that convey a sense of environment, try Tony Hillerman.
Another that I enjoyed that has a different twist is the "Jane Whitefield" series by Thomas Perry.
The multiple series by John Sandford are also favorites but there is a sort of local connection so I may be biased.
Also, if you enjoyed Ed McBain, read his European counterpart in developing the group police procedural genre: the works of Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö (the Martin Beck series).
Yes, have read the first Beck book and liked it a lot
I made it up to The Last Coyote in the Bosch series before getting sidelined by some other books I needed to read. Great series. The Black Echo has impacted the structure of the book I am working on. And I am HUGE fan of the Parker series.
I think you will really like the Parker books, there a bit like the men adventure books you read. Parker is a ruthless professional criminal who has to deal with unexpected problems in his work. And the first and I believe the second book has him going against the mob which is called the Outfit in the books if I remember right.
The Harry Bosch books don't need to be read in order. There is some continuation, especially lately.
The books pretty much take place in the year they were published. And Harry Barry Bosch ages as the series progresses.
Late thirties in the early nineties, now in his 60's or older and fighting cancer.
Very good. My favorite HB book is: "The Black Box". A shooting is tied to a gun that was used in a murder of a female reporter 20 years earlier. Harry takes on the case looking for justice. My favorite of the Harry Bosch series.
My two favorite series:
Alan Bradley--Flavia de Luce mysteries--50s England 12yo girl genius chemist;
Suzanne Arruda--Jade del Cameron adventure/mysteries--20s East Africa.
Good channel. I just subscribed yesterday.
I hadn’t heard of any of those but they all sound interesting, thanks for the recommendations (and for subscribing)
Elly Griffiths is my guilty pleasure. I have and have read all of her crime novels apart from the most recent which is on my list for RWYO 😊
I would recommend 2 series by Australian authors. The first is Wyatt, Gary Disher's series of short novels featuring a thief who likes to meticulously plan and carry out one or two solo jobs a year and then live comfortably off the proceeds. He ends up not following his own rules and has to deal with the consequences. The seond is Crimson Lake by Candice Fox. Her protagonist is Ted Conkafey, a Sydney detective who is wrongly accused of kidnapping a young girl. While he is not convicted of the crime, the community views him with suspicion. He removes himself to northern Queensland where he partners up with an unusual young PI who is under a cloud of her own. I especially enjoy the sense of place in both of these series. The characteries are interesting and the plots move right along.
Michael Connely, Lehane, and Mankell are all excellent books. Read Harry Bosch in order, although they can stand alone, there are many references made.
Michael Connelly series best in order. It's good, but I stopped after he moved to his lawyer series. Richard Stark series is a different style than Westlake(who I like) and quite good. For me, I like Jo Nesbo's stand alones and did not like the Harry Hole series, although the first two were good. I'm not a fan of Lehane's first series, but mistakenly read it after I was absolutely amazed by Mystic River. The Travis McGee books are solid and I enjoyed them. I recommend the K.C. Constantine Rocksburg series, which need to be in order. Maybe the detective work might not excite you, but the dialogue is exceptional.
I seem to have a bias for American hardboiled detectives (and bad guys), make what you will of that. I read all of the Travis McGhee novels in the '80s, and recently realized that there are a billion other John D. McDonald novels and stories that I ought to read too. The Parker series I finished roughly 10 years ago, inspired by the graphic novel adaptation, and found it a wonderful companion to the Keller series. The Libby library app has been of assistance lately in finding good reading, but it varies by which library you belong to, and mine has huge gaps in a lot of authors -- they only had two Ed McBain Ebooks! I'm currently working my way through the Kinsey Millhone series, in order, and dipping a toe in Tony Hillerman's books.
Oh, and I have an itch to look at the Jules De Grandin stories by Seabury Quinn.
I've always thought it was Hole too. I read 2-3 Harry Hole, or Ho-lay, books but didn't finish the series. Not bad, just not great.
I have to admit the Harry Hole series gets better. If you started with the Bat it was definitely okay at best as it was his first novel. Personally, I would recommend the Blood on Snow duology as an entry to Nesbo. He’s hit or miss for me. I didn’t like Macbeth or The Night House.
If you want a classic detective series, I recommend The Harlem detective series by Chester Himes. There are 9 books in the series and they are all under 200 pages.
Can highly recommend the Valerie Hart series by Saul Hart (aka Glen Duncan). Excellent, very dark, detective series.
I have only read three of these series. I liked the Bosch books the best, followed by the Kenzie and Gennaro books. and then the Harry Hole books. I haven't read all of the Harry Hole books, but if I am remembering correctly, the first book is not as good as some of the later books. If you like Bosch books, you might consider trying the Lincoln Lawyer series by Connelly. Mickey Haller, the main character in The Lincoln Lawyer, is Bosch's half-brother.
Im slowly working my way through the Harry Hole books after reading The Snowman and I have to say that the first two have not been as good as The Snowman was. Im not sure how much you would miss by reading out of order but I would very much recommend that one.
I've liked LeHane as well and Gone Baby Gone was either the first of second for me, Mystic River being the other. Both movies were good too I Thought. I've read Come Closer and a different kind of book from Gran sounds good too. I am currently reading The Green Mile thanks to you and Pat! I've never seen the movie either so I don't know the story in advance, my fav way to begin a book. I read a lot of Ross McDonald years ago and always enjoyed those too!
I had this subject as a video idea. Your list is very similar to mine! I like Donald E Westlake but I’m not much of a fan of his Parker books. The Lew Archer books are pretty good. He’s the heir apparent to Chandler’s Marlowe but not as good.
You don't have to read Bosch in order - there are no spoilers re plot maybe just references to previous books etc. But I would (and did) because his career and personal life progress over time and that's kind of important if you plan to read them all. And you will want to read them all. Enjoy (I'm a bit jealous)!
I love Griffiths, Connelly, Lehane and both MacDonalds. The Bat was boring, IMHO. I think you will enjoy the Harry Bosch series more if you read them in order. A Drink Before the War by Lehane was great for a first book!! So glad you are getting back into mystery series.
Michael Connelly is a must read. Surprised you haven't read them.
The Parker books are unique in American crime pulp fiction - Parker is a rare example of a character with no warm qualities whatsoever but remains utterly compelling. His only virtue is he's more palatable than his enemies and even his collegaues. The Hunter, The Score, and Slayground are the dog's bollocks. The Mourner adds some enjoyable Cold War intrigue.
The Lew Archer books begin as Chandler copies, albiet well done, the series becomes more literary as it goes on, and Archer morphs into a tool to disect the changing sociopolitical climate of 1960s and 70s America. The Underground Man and The Chill are exemplary, but all of them are pretty good - The Moving Target remains a favourite for me in no small part thanks to Harper (1966).
Both sound so completely up my alley. Thanks for the rundown
This comment beat me to the punch about both series. Great minds and readers think alike. Also Ross Macdonald's wife is better then Macdonald. He even said it. Butcher's Moon the original ending to the. parker series. And The Invisible Enemy are my favorites.
Don’t forget John Connelly and the Charlie Parker series
I love the Harry Hole series although I don't think the most recent entries have been as good. Nesbo is undoubtedly influenced by the Wallander series by Henning Mankell, all of which are great.
Like your list. Read quite a few of them myself. What are your views on Peter Robinson and his DCI Banks series? And how about the Wallander series?
Travis McGee was the first PI series I ever read. It's a genre I've always loved, the lone Wolfe PI who tries really hard to not get involved. It's probably why I was such a huge Rockford Files fan.
I just started re-reading the Lew Archer novels and short stories and it's very interesting because the character really evolves over the years.
Apparently that was an import element for Ross Macdonald. Archer is not as misogynistic as some of these other characters like Travis McGee.
The Parker novels are fun, but they get repetitive and Parker is a jerk so sometimes it's hard to stick with them. There have been several movie adaptations, oddly most NOT with the name Parker.The Lee Marvin take on him in Point Blank is pretty accurate to how uncompromising the character can be.
The Burke novels are very intense with children being abused or in jeopardy, but he is an engaging character.
I can't believe that I forgot to mention, in the last video, Janwillem Van De Wetering, and his Amsterdam Cops/ Detective-Adjutant Gripstra and Sergeant de Gier series. I can't remember if you have ever mention this.
I know this is irrelevant- but I love that sweater!
(And of course, your videos)
It gets a lot of comments!
I only read Ross McDonald of these and he was very good
Connelly: Read them in publication order. I've read them all and haven't tired of them.
Female Leads: If you haven't read them, I'd recommend the Sunny Randall series that was written by Robert B. Parker, not the successor authors.
Don't make me fly across the pond to get you to read the Harry Hole series! Read them in order.
Snowman is Very Good 💯😎
Some of the others need some good editing.
Might I recommend an Icelandic author, Arnaldur Indridason, His Inspector Erlendur series is a great read.
Thanks for the recommendation!
My wife is a huge Bosch fan, and she suggests you read them in order
Thanks to both of you
can i add another into the mix? Wallamder books
Ah yes, I read the first of those and enjoyed it!
The Bosch books are great. I would read them in order. I didn't get on with the Harry Hole books. My other favourite series would be the Rebus books by Rankin, and the Robicheaux series by JL Burke.
I do need to try more of the Burke books - I tried the first one and didn’t love it but will definitely try more
The first Harry Hole (The Bat) reads very much like a first novel. The Snowman was a very good read, though. Be warned, there's a lot of well-worn tropes that reappear in those novels, but without bringing much to the table or approaching said tropes from a different angle.
@@CriminOllyBlog I think they get better as they go on. But the last few have become a little repetitive and probably Robicheaux should be retired by now. I think they peak around number 12 'Jolie Blon's Bounce' - one of my favourite crime novels.
I also enjoyed "The Snowman". Subsequent books not as much. Didn't hate them🇺🇸
Hi l x Crime thrillers they help me get better at English xx Malcolm
I do like Nesbo but found the Harry Hole series a formulaic ...
Hi New here. I recommend DCI Ryan Mysteries and Alexander Gregory Thrillers by LJ Ross.
Thank you!