I'm so glad you mentioned Simenon. I've been reading him for almost twenty years, but it's really been in the last few that I've become obsessed with him. I think I've read 30+ and I have another 30 of his, as I'm trying to get as many as I can because unfortunately a lot of his books are very hard to find in English (and more unfortunately there were many which have never been translated). But of course his Maigret books are all available and in print and I love them, but wow! his serious books are truly excellent. My favorites are the one you were holding up which also goes by the titles The Snow Is Dirty or also Dirty Snow. Then there's The Man Who Watched Trains Go By (probably my #1 favorite), Strangers in the House, The Man from London, The People Opposite (which would be my favorite if the ending were a little more satisfying), The Widow... Of course, I've got many more to read. I read easily over a dozen of Elmore Leonard's books, but then one day I picked one up to read and I couldn't get past the first few pages, and the same for the next one, and that was it, he no longer had any appeal for me. I did enjoy them at the time as fun reads with lots of interesting and scheming characters, but I never found any that really stayed with me.
It was good to see some beloved authors mentioned in the video, as well as in the comments. Definitely, Donald E. Westlake and Ruth Rendell are worth reading. I hard a little hard time getting into de Insp. Maigret novels. In other classical detective novels you see the detective sharing some thoughts with his/her sidekick, but not Maigret. When asked, he would say "I don't think anything." That was kind of annoying until I realised that he was first soaking up on the facts. After that realisation, I learned to LOVE Maigret!
Often I look up after enjoying your videos & a couple of hours have pleasantly passed. None of my neighbors will admit to ever having read ANYTHING! This is like having a friend come over for a visit. 🙂🎃
Love all 5! Appreciate your spotlighting vintage mystery authors. I also enjoy the length of their books. Most of them are around 200 pages. A perfect afternoon or evening's entertainment!
Do your own self a favor and fall under the influence of my hero, Donald E. Westlake! As a retired cop and writer, myself, I'm amazed by Westlake's mastery of unbelievably complex. convoluted plots and realistic dialogue . He's prolific and had many movies produced from his incredible books. I'm working my way through his unbelievably prolific catalog. Trust me, pick up anything he wrote, you'll be smiling as you read.
@@CriminOllyBlog, his repertoire is so wide it's almost impossible to believe he's not a committee! His best known character is John Dortmunder, an unlucky thief who stars in 16 0r 17 novels and subsequent movies... His novels span an impressive variety of thought. from the man who convinced twin ladies, that he was a twin and married both to them, to a monk who successfully fought off a Real Estate investor Who was trying to foreclose on a several hundred year old monastery on 5th Ave. Manhattan, to one of my favorites, Where an angel sets out to obey God's order to destroy the world, and becomes embroiled with a demon who thinks the decadence going on here is just fine, and tries to save the world. you become involved with a confusesd situation where you have to decide who's side you're on.... There's many, many more incredible plots and twists within them... check him out...
interesting fact of the day!! a well known story about Simeone . . .Alfred Hitchcock telephoned him as he was interested in adapting one of his books or something. his secretary said that he was busy writing a book. Hitchcock, said he'd hold.
Thank you for introducing me to some new authors, your recommendations are usually spot on for me. You’re probably already familiar with him, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Lawrence Block to you! His Hitman series with philatelist hitman John Paul Keller (and his….manager? Scheduler? Dot) are just phenomenal. If you’re not familiar, my dude…. I think you’d enjoy them very much. Block has a bunch of other very good series as well
I need to read him! I did read 1 or 2 years and years ago but don't really remember them. I've been thinking I might pick up the Library of America collection
I love the Miss Marple series, which is definitely cozy, but my favorite Agatha Christie novel is the odd duck Endless Night, which seems so different from her other books. I have to explore the Poirot series further. Honestly, I just always found Miss Marple a more likeable sleuth so I read those first. I haven't read the other authors although I've heard of them.
I’m a bit late to the party but if you enjoyed Endless Night: Towards Zero had a bit of a similar vibe to me. I felt it was also like a bit of an oddball with a very creepy start told from the perspective of the killer… 🫣
Great author choices for a bold, (virtually) all-inclusive recommendation sweep! I think John D. MacDonald's female characters are not standing up to reader reaction as of 2022 as well as they used to, so you don't hear his name as often...but then again, even Ed McBain's or Agatha Christie's books, especially the earliest stuff, have blemishes more noticeable in the "woke" era. But enough of that! I have read pretty widely when it comes to this batch of authors, especially when it comes to Ed McBain and Georges Simenon. 5 Fave Simenon Books: The Yellow Dog The Cellars of the Majestic Maigret Travels The Madman of Bergerac The Stain on the Snow (These English titles are not always, uh, the titles.) 5 Fave Ed McBain Books Ice Lady, Lady, I Did It! Let's Hear It For The Deaf Man See Them Die Lightning (deja vu - oh, right, you're other video...) Agatha Christie: Curtain: Poirot's Last Case And Then There Were None The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Evil Under The Sun The ABC Murders (what can I say...mostly Poirot) John D. MacDonald (stopping at four books): One Monday We Killed Them All You Live Once The Drowner The Girl, The Gold Watch & Everything (a Fantasy novel, with Crime elements...and a bit of a guilty pleasure) (and what can I say...no Travis McGee novels get a supremely high rating from me, so far) Elmore Leonard: Get Shorty Killshot Touch Maximum Bob City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit Thanks for the video. It was fun to watch.
Richard Stark deserves a shout too, especially if you like Elmore Leonard. The Parker books are quite brilliant and again don’t HAVE to be read in order but you do get the bigger picture if you do.
@@CriminOllyBlog They've not been widely available in the UK for years. The first one 'The Hunter' or 'Payback' as it is known in the UK, has been and the later ones but the real meat and potatoes of the series have been shockingly out of print for years.
Thanks for the reviews. I have read some of all the authors you list. More examples are Robert Parker, Robert Crais, C J Box, Ian Rankin, Michael Z Lewin and one I have recently discovered is Keigo Higashino translated from the Japanese.
Thank you so much for this! It seems that RUclips is awash with 'the cozy mystery' discussions. Agatha Christie was never banally dumbed-down drivel. While I have already read all of John D. McDonald, Elmore Leonard, and Agatha Christie I was very happily reminded of George Simenon, INTRODUCED to Ed McBain! Again, thank you.
At one time I had almost all of the 87th pct novels in hardback. I still have them, about to purge and you’re welcome to them. Same with Elmore Leonard, (curious you skipped the Raylan Givens series). I did like having a physical copy, but the dust and space have won out. Have not heard of the Inspector books as far as I know, will check them out. Couldn’t get into McDonald or Christie, Al through read a few of both. Good list.
I need to give Simenon a go one of these days. One of my colleagues bit the bullet and bought all the Maigret novels in one go online - kept him busy during lockdown!
I think that list is hard to beat. Just under I’d go James Lee Burke, Carl Hiaasen, Rober Crais…even Dennis Wheatley (who has never let me down). I’m a big JD McDonald fan too.
I have read all of Highsmith's suspense novels and think very highly of most of them. The not-so-hot ones: People who knock on doors & the last two Ripley novels.
Yes, the vast majority of Elmore Leonard's books were stand alone, but there were some exceptions Stick was a follow up to Swag Rum Punch was a follow up to The Switch Be Cool is a sequel to Get Shorty Pronto and Riding the Rap go together. They could actually be one novel split over two books There are also a bunch of recurring characters that pop up in a few books, Raylan Givens being the most prominent.
Great overview as usual! I've enjoyed all of these authors on occasion, especially Simenon's non-Maigret stand alones. My TBR list concerning these numbers at least 50 by this stage. Somewhat daunting, but also something to look forward to.
Great video Olly! We have relocated to hopefully our final destination and purchased a huge pile of thrillers from the previous owner. This includes 50+ Ed McBain novels. I will start reading them based on your recommendations in a previous video.. Cheers.
Leonard is a favorite of mine, especially because I’m from the Detroit area where many of his books take place. McBain is great as well. I’d recommend Loren Estleman for another Michigan author with a lot of good, noirish crime novels.
Thanks Mike - I'd not heard of Estleman until very recently when someone sent me one of his westerns. I'm looking forward to reading it and exploring more of his work.
I've read a small-ish number of Simenon books (none in the Maigret series though I have a copy of the first in the series) - but I'm curious about the edition that you're highlighting: 'The Snow Was Black'. Goodreads is telling me that that is the same 1948 book available here in the US as 'Dirty Snow'. If so, I've read that one and found it to be among the best of what I know of Simenon's work so far.
Lawrence Block, When the Sacred Gin Mill Closes is a classic. Mark Grenside, Fall Out - The Bastion is coming out and is a sequel. And... I'll slip in writers from my neck of the woods you wodd have little exposure to: Sam Wiebe: Ocean Drive, The Wakeland Series (Invisible Dead, Cut You Down, Hell and Gone, Sunset and Jericho) - he's a a big MacDonald fan. JT Siemens: To Those Who Killed Me, and it's sequel Call of the Void. AJ Devlin: a crime-comedy series featuring Cobra Clutch, Rolling Thunder, Five Moves of Doom Amber Cowie: Last One Alive (very Christie-esque), The Off Season. SM Freedman: The Day She Died, Blood Atonement.
I really enjoyed the Burglar series, but my favorite is his hit man series. I haven’t tried the Scudder series yet, even though I believe it would be considered his flagship series.
@@CriminOllyBlog Once again, I should have thought before I spoke.(Not doing so is one of my little tics.) Because instead of Jim Thompson, no. 6 (or higher) on my list should be Patricia Highsmith. I'm pretty sure she qualifies for this contest. Though I doubt Chesterton does (not prolific enough?). (A lack of volume was what kept Chandler off, I guessed.) If Chesterton DID qualify, he'd replace Christie on my list. Blah blah blah. Nitpicking! You didn't see that coming on the ol' internet, did you? I'm still kind of amazed that the top 5 you mentioned aligned-more or less-& of course depending on the day of the week & my breakfast-with mine. And you didn't fall for some of the flashy pretenders to the throne! (Ross MacDonald & so on.) Peace!
I’ve been meaning to get to Simenon and Maigret for ages! At some point I will. I have read an 87th Precinct book and I have that recently purchased one to read. The one that looked super trashy (but I’m sure is not)! Defo agree that you are guaranteed a good time with Christie! I’ve been advised that the Travis McGee books are trashy? Was hoping to get one for Garbaugust. I also need to get to Elmore Leonard. Great video.
The Maigret books are great, I think you’d really like them. I’d say Trav McGee is the trashiest of the bunch. Just about trashy enough for GarbAugust!
Here are some more. Swede Henning Mankell in the series of his hero Kurt Wallender, Elizabeth George with her heroes Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers. Then there is the entire sector of ethno-mystery stories. Arthur Upfield in Australia with his Detective Inspector Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte of the Queensland Police Force, a mixed-race Indigenous Australian. Tony Hillerman and his detectives Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. James Doss with Ute detective/rancher Charlie Moon.
I’ve been a huge Agatha Christie fan for years. If you like audiobooks, I’ve listened to a few unabridged audio versions of Agatha Christie’s novels here on RUclips for free. George’s Simenon is an author I’ve not encountered before, so will look into his books.
As an airport employee, and if someone is looking for books other than King and Patterson. My recommended reading are pulps, manga, and paperbacks. Some cheap thrills and keep the phone off as much as possible.
Love the video. I would point out that Christie’s mysteries are not called cozy for having no violence in them. A cozy mystery is one that mostly takes place in a single, contained location - a manor, a train, a boat, a beach house - with a small set of characters. In a Holmes novel, all of London might be the guilty party. For Poirot, it’s one of a handful, all known to the reader.
@@CriminOllyBlog It kept bothering me, so I went and looked it up, and it appears that I was wrong. In my defense, I didn’t think I’m wrong, I’m pretty sure everyone else is.
The only book by Simenon that I’ve read is _Three Bedrooms in Manhattan._ It was not a crime novel, and I did not care for the main character. So far, the only Agatha Christie book that I have read is _The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,_ which was really good. I have two more Poirot mysteries that are on my TBR list.
Ngaio Marsh ... wrote I don't know offhand how many crime novels and was pretty much contemporary with Christie. Marsh is from New Zealand and her real love was stage and theater, but her books are very enjoyable. Rather less cozy than Christie, overall. I would also note that Georgette Heyer, known primarily for her vast and formative Regency Romance catalog (incredibly well researched and very well written, btw) has a subset of early 20th century murder mysteries as well. She has a few recurring detectives who kind of age through most of the stories, but they aren't the main characters. She's wicked funny in her mystery novels (also often in her romances) but apparently her real love as far as writing was the small handful she wrote set in more medieval times - which, to my shame, I have not yet read.
Yes John D Mac is great. I havent tried the others but will do. I can recommend Peter Temple, not as prolific but you may pick up his books cheap over there.
I was a huge fan of James' early work. I'm a retired New Orleans Police officer, by the way. His early stuff was awesome! His later stuff, not so much, he fell into the treachery of formula writing. "Neon Rain" Is a tour de force !
@@warrenpope749 I’m a retired English man who has unfortunately never been to the States but James work made me feel like I was in Louisiana when reading it. I’ve not read much of his later stuff but love his earlier work. It’s great to see an ex Officer admire his work it just validates his knowledge of the police. I’d just like to say I’m a supporter of the police and think their not respected enough for their difficult job especially in America.
@@paulfillingham4778 Lol! Paul, He sounded like he was writing about me when he described himslelf in his earlier books, so much so, that I made it a point to meet him at one of his book signings. I was surprised to meet him and find that he in no way resembled Dave Robichaux, at all. I guess he's allowed poetic license in all its forms...
I like hearing about authors who write crime, I like police procedural books, Ed Mcbain sounds interesting, I have heard of him, but I don't think I read anything from him. The only one you mentioned I read was Agatha Christie. I read a few of hers. haven' t heard of the others, but willing to give them a try if I see them.
Great to see John D. MacDonald and Elmore Leonard here! Both are quite fun to read, and I find so few readers who are aware of them unless they read crime fiction. Simenon and Christie are two mainstays in my reading; I aim for 1-2 from each every year. Do you have a favorite novel by Leonard? Cheers, Jack
Yeah I think Leonard is a bit better known because of a few well know films in the 90s, but JDM should definitely be more widely read. I’m not sure I do have a favourite Leonard book, so many of them are good.
Me: "Olly better mention the absolute queen Agatha Christie." *loudly cheers when she comes up* Admittedly a lot of these other writers I need to snatch up sometime. Maybe do a crime month (in which I commit the most amount of crimes possible whilst also reading thrillers).
I’d never heard of Elmore Leonard before watching this. I’m going to head to my local book shop tomorrow and see if they have any of his novels. Any particular favourites of yours?
Now I realize I need to read more crime fiction! Thrillers have been a off for me this past year…..I think it is because it is time for crime fiction, lol
Hi there! Just came across this video of yours and really appreciate the effort you have put into it. I have only read some books of Agatha Christie from the list of authors you mentioned. So I am really excited to read the work of a new author (for me). Can you please suggest a good starting point for Georges Simenon? Unfortunately here in India, Amazon is the only source for me to get the books. So I am listing some of the books that are available on Amazon India. (Thinking of buying 2 books) 1. Night at the crossroads 2. The Madman of Bergerac 3. Cecile is dead 4. Signed, Picpus 5. Maigret and the man on the bench 6. Maigret and the dead girl 7. Maigret sets a trap 8. Maigret and the reluctant witnesses 9. Maigret's secret 10. Maigret and the good people of Montparnasse 11. Maigret and the Tramp
Thanks for your suggestions I will definitely pick some up if I see them. Definitely my kind of thing. I wondered though,if you've read or heard of FANTOMAS by Marcel Allain & Pierre Souvestre? It's originally french but it's difficult to find any translated paperback. There's about fifty of them.I've read the first two and they're quite different from your usual crime novels.They are difficult to find in English but if you do happen to come across them let us know what you think.love your channel.
Never cared for Mcbain - but I’m more than familiar with the others. McDonald is someone I grew up with - my dad is a fan. I read the last 5 McGee books as they were published. If you haven’t - check out his “The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything. A fun bit of fluff. Elmore! No one did dialogue better (well, american dialogue).
@@CriminOllyBlog Forced to admit I don't remember right now - it was a while ago. Like decades... but I almost certainly still have the books, and since I've just moved into a new place and am sorting through my stuff as I unpack (and 3 generations of stuff my mom and grandmother never got managed before their deaths) I will likely find them one of these days. So, updates maybe. I have this mental glitch where I remember author names I've enjoyed better than titles (some titles stand out, but not all). I think it's my head's way of reminding me to acquire possibly valuable resources when they appear rather than when I'm hunting them. However, it has weaknesses. There are books I have bought an embarrassing number of times ...
recommend American authors ...Richard Stark, or Lawrence Block.. or my favourite James Crumbley.. 👍👍👍..I so have a question however, do you know of an author similar to John Connolly 🤔
I do like Block a lot. Stark is one I need to try more by. Off the top of my head I don't think I can think of authors like John C, Maybe Michael Slade?
I would add Mary Roberts Rinehart to this list- as long as you grab one of her crime novels. There was a period in her life when her husband forbade her from writing mysteries because he thought they were too trashy, but after the jerk was dead she was able to write her favorite genre again. As long as you read something outside of the 1914-30 window you should be good! If you're unsure if a certain book from her is a crime novel or not you can voxer/discord me!
Some of the books Agatha Christie wrote at the end of her life were not as good. "Nemesis"-a Miss Marple mystery still holds up to earlier ones, but "Postern of Fate"--A Tommy and Tuppence mystery is awful. It is disjoined and seems to be missing pages. I almost wonder if it was a work in progress that was cobbled together from ideas Christie had. I remember it being a bestseller, but after I re-read it a few years ago I got rid of it. Mostly I agree about Ed McBain. The earlier 87th Precinct books were clean as far as graphic language, but then in the 70's McBain went the other way and the f-bomb seemed to be dropped all over the place. Later books in the 80's went back to his earlier style and were more successful. Another author which I have found consistent over the years is Tony Hillerman. He created the characters Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee--first in separate mysteries and then working together. Another author who was consistent was Dick Francis.
Great video. I have read Simenon and Christie and am currently reading McBain. I worked in the Publicity Dept. at Little, Brown and Co. and had occasion to speak with Elmore Leonard -- a great writer but not a nice person -- quite rude over the phone. What about Ian Rankin and Malcolm MacKay? I like their books, as well. Have you read them? Best regards, Gerard Denza Author of the EDWARD MENDEZ, P. I. series.
Yes! They're fun, fairly short, can be read in any order, and as far as I can tell consistent enough that if you like one, you'll probably like the rest. They're kind of a cross between the kind of detective story featuring a cerebral, sedentary detective (represented by Nero Wolfe) and the active, wise-cracking private eye (represented by narrator Archie Goodwin).
Greetings from Australia. Discovered ur channel a week ago and im hooked! Thouroghly fascinating stuff and a great host ur ! Many thanks and look forward to more of ur content. Best wishes mate
Have you seen Rowan Atkinson or Gerard Depardieu as Maigret? I have never liked Elmore Leonard's movie adaptations.Agatha Christie is OK. I prefer Lawrence Block.
No, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Maigret on screen. I liked the movies of Out of Sight, Rum Punch and 3:10 to Yuma. Block was actually on my shortlist for this but I thought he was maybe a bit too similar to MacDonald
I'm definitely a huge fan of Agatha Christie!! I made my way through her books throughout most of my teen years 😄
If you like these, also look into the considerable canon of Lawrence Block.
Some days you get the bear
I'm so glad you mentioned Simenon. I've been reading him for almost twenty years, but it's really been in the last few that I've become obsessed with him. I think I've read 30+ and I have another 30 of his, as I'm trying to get as many as I can because unfortunately a lot of his books are very hard to find in English (and more unfortunately there were many which have never been translated). But of course his Maigret books are all available and in print and I love them, but wow! his serious books are truly excellent. My favorites are the one you were holding up which also goes by the titles The Snow Is Dirty or also Dirty Snow. Then there's The Man Who Watched Trains Go By (probably my #1 favorite), Strangers in the House, The Man from London, The People Opposite (which would be my favorite if the ending were a little more satisfying), The Widow... Of course, I've got many more to read.
I read easily over a dozen of Elmore Leonard's books, but then one day I picked one up to read and I couldn't get past the first few pages, and the same for the next one, and that was it, he no longer had any appeal for me. I did enjoy them at the time as fun reads with lots of interesting and scheming characters, but I never found any that really stayed with me.
As a Belgian, I'm very proud to find Simenon on your list. 🇧🇪
You should be, he was fantastic!
It was good to see some beloved authors mentioned in the video, as well as in the comments. Definitely, Donald E. Westlake and Ruth Rendell are worth reading.
I hard a little hard time getting into de Insp. Maigret novels. In other classical detective novels you see the detective sharing some thoughts with his/her sidekick, but not Maigret. When asked, he would say "I don't think anything." That was kind of annoying until I realised that he was first soaking up on the facts. After that realisation, I learned to LOVE Maigret!
Often I look up after enjoying your videos & a couple of hours have pleasantly passed.
None of my neighbors will admit to ever having read ANYTHING! This is like having a friend come over for a visit. 🙂🎃
Thanks Daniel, really glad you're enjoying them!
Love all 5! Appreciate your spotlighting vintage mystery authors. I also enjoy the length of their books. Most of them are around 200 pages. A perfect afternoon or evening's entertainment!
Exactly! I really don’t think a mystery needs to be any longer than that!
Do your own self a favor and fall under the influence of my hero, Donald E. Westlake! As a retired cop and writer, myself, I'm amazed by Westlake's mastery of unbelievably complex. convoluted plots and realistic dialogue . He's prolific and had many movies produced from his incredible books. I'm working my way through his unbelievably prolific catalog. Trust me, pick up anything he wrote, you'll be smiling as you read.
Amazingly I don't think I've ever read Westlake! Any recommendations on where to start?
@@CriminOllyBlog, his repertoire is so wide it's almost impossible to believe he's not a committee! His best known character is John Dortmunder, an unlucky thief who stars in 16 0r 17 novels and subsequent movies... His novels span an impressive variety of thought. from the man who convinced twin ladies, that he was a twin and married both to them, to a monk who successfully fought off a Real Estate investor Who was trying to foreclose on a several hundred year old monastery on 5th Ave. Manhattan, to one of my favorites, Where an angel sets out to obey God's order to destroy the world, and becomes embroiled with a demon who thinks the decadence going on here is just fine, and tries to save the world. you become involved with a confusesd situation where you have to decide who's side you're on.... There's many, many more incredible plots and twists within them... check him out...
@@warrenpope749 sounds brilliant. I will!
And be sure to read his more hard-edged alter ego Richard Stark.
I am, as well as "Samuel Holt" and as many of his nom de plum's as I can get my hands on! @@wayneandrews1022
Leonard is king. Got me into crime novels.
interesting fact of the day!! a well known story about Simeone . . .Alfred Hitchcock telephoned him as he was interested in adapting one of his books or something. his secretary said that he was busy writing a book. Hitchcock, said he'd hold.
😂😂😂that’s brilliant
Thank you for introducing me to some new authors, your recommendations are usually spot on for me. You’re probably already familiar with him, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Lawrence Block to you! His Hitman series with philatelist hitman John Paul Keller (and his….manager? Scheduler? Dot) are just phenomenal. If you’re not familiar, my dude…. I think you’d enjoy them very much. Block has a bunch of other very good series as well
Glad my suggestions usually work for you. I have read Block, although not the Hitman series. Love the Matt Scudder books though
Ross MacDonald is another can't miss, quality detective fiction writer. Archer is the name of his detective.
I need to read him! I did read 1 or 2 years and years ago but don't really remember them. I've been thinking I might pick up the Library of America collection
My favorite is Peter Robinson’s Inspector Bank’s series. He doesn’t get much attention on Booktube, but he is very good.
Yeah I’ve never tried Robinson. I think I might have some by him on my Kindle though
I love the Miss Marple series, which is definitely cozy, but my favorite Agatha Christie novel is the odd duck Endless Night, which seems so different from her other books. I have to explore the Poirot series further. Honestly, I just always found Miss Marple a more likeable sleuth so I read those first. I haven't read the other authors although I've heard of them.
Thanks for watching, Adrienne! I've not read Endless Night, I'll have to check it out
I’m a bit late to the party but if you enjoyed Endless Night: Towards Zero had a bit of a similar vibe to me. I felt it was also like a bit of an oddball with a very creepy start told from the perspective of the killer… 🫣
👍I love Agatha Christie. They Came to Bagdad and Third Girl are my absolute favorites.
Oooh, I haven’t read either of those! Thanks!
Great author choices for a bold, (virtually) all-inclusive recommendation sweep! I think John D. MacDonald's female characters are not standing up to reader reaction as of 2022 as well as they used to, so you don't hear his name as often...but then again, even Ed McBain's or Agatha Christie's books, especially the earliest stuff, have blemishes more noticeable in the "woke" era.
But enough of that! I have read pretty widely when it comes to this batch of authors, especially when it comes to Ed McBain and Georges Simenon.
5 Fave Simenon Books:
The Yellow Dog
The Cellars of the Majestic
Maigret Travels
The Madman of Bergerac
The Stain on the Snow
(These English titles are not always, uh, the titles.)
5 Fave Ed McBain Books
Ice
Lady, Lady, I Did It!
Let's Hear It For The Deaf Man
See Them Die
Lightning
(deja vu - oh, right, you're other video...)
Agatha Christie:
Curtain: Poirot's Last Case
And Then There Were None
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Evil Under The Sun
The ABC Murders
(what can I say...mostly Poirot)
John D. MacDonald (stopping at four books):
One Monday We Killed Them All
You Live Once
The Drowner
The Girl, The Gold Watch & Everything (a Fantasy novel, with Crime elements...and a bit of a guilty pleasure)
(and what can I say...no Travis McGee novels get a supremely high rating from me, so far)
Elmore Leonard:
Get Shorty
Killshot
Touch
Maximum Bob
City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit
Thanks for the video. It was fun to watch.
That’s an impressive list! I’m not sure I could nail down my favourites. Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Elmore Leonard was a cool guy.
I'd write him letters after each new book & he ALWAYS replied. 🙂🎃
Richard Stark deserves a shout too, especially if you like Elmore Leonard. The Parker books are quite brilliant and again don’t HAVE to be read in order but you do get the bigger picture if you do.
Shockingly, I don’t think I’ve read any of the Parker books! I definitely need to
@@CriminOllyBlog They've not been widely available in the UK for years. The first one 'The Hunter' or 'Payback' as it is known in the UK, has been and the later ones but the real meat and potatoes of the series have been shockingly out of print for years.
Donald E Westlake is the author of the Stark books. Check out he Westlake novels. Every one of them is brilliant!
The Parker novels have been republished by the University of Chicago.
Thanks for the reviews. I have read some of all the authors you list. More examples are Robert Parker, Robert Crais, C J Box, Ian Rankin, Michael Z Lewin and one I have recently discovered is Keigo Higashino translated from the Japanese.
Yeah Higashino is really great!
Interesting video. 😀 I’ve never been disappointed in a James Ellroy novel.
Ellroy is someone I definitely need to read more by
Thank you so much for this! It seems that RUclips is awash with 'the cozy mystery' discussions. Agatha Christie was never banally dumbed-down drivel. While I have already read all of John D. McDonald, Elmore Leonard, and Agatha Christie I was very happily reminded of George Simenon, INTRODUCED to Ed McBain! Again, thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
At one time I had almost all of the 87th pct novels in hardback. I still have them, about to purge and you’re welcome to them.
Same with Elmore Leonard, (curious you skipped the Raylan Givens series).
I did like having a physical copy, but the dust and space have won out.
Have not heard of the Inspector books as far as I know, will check them out.
Couldn’t get into McDonald or Christie, Al through read a few of both. Good list.
Brilliant! You've answered my Simenon Q's re: reading in order or random
Please do a James Herbert and a Shaùn Hutson collection review. Thanks
I need to give Simenon a go one of these days. One of my colleagues bit the bullet and bought all the Maigret novels in one go online - kept him busy during lockdown!
Wow, that's a lot of Maigret!
I think that list is hard to beat. Just under I’d go James Lee Burke, Carl Hiaasen, Rober Crais…even Dennis Wheatley (who has never let me down). I’m a big JD McDonald fan too.
I’ve actually never read Crais or Burke! Need to give them a try
I too really like Robert Crais! Not familiar with Wheatley though. Which series of his would you recommend for a start?
Simenon is my new favorite author. I have only read his standalone novels so far. And Highsmith is another favorite of mine.
Highsmith is excellent! I read The Talented Mr Ripley earlier this year and really loved it.
I have read all of Highsmith's suspense novels and think very highly of most of them. The not-so-hot ones: People who knock on doors & the last two Ripley novels.
Yes, the vast majority of Elmore Leonard's books were stand alone, but there were some exceptions
Stick was a follow up to Swag
Rum Punch was a follow up to The Switch
Be Cool is a sequel to Get Shorty
Pronto and Riding the Rap go together. They could actually be one novel split over two books
There are also a bunch of recurring characters that pop up in a few books, Raylan Givens being the most prominent.
Ah yes I’d forgotten there were a couple of doubles. Thanks Darren!
also marshall sisco appears in gold coast!
Thank you for the recommendations. i have read Christie and McBain. Also, I just noticed you have a spinning watch rack behind you. Lol I love it!
I read all of Leonard and MacDonald and enjoyed them, so I'll try McBain. I recommend James Lee Burke.
Great overview as usual! I've enjoyed all of these authors on occasion, especially Simenon's non-Maigret stand alones. My TBR list concerning these numbers at least 50 by this stage. Somewhat daunting, but also something to look forward to.
Thank you! I have a few more of his standalones to read - need to get to them soon.
Thanks for commenting and sorry it has taken me so long to reply.
Great video Olly! We have relocated to hopefully our final destination and purchased a huge pile of thrillers from the previous owner. This includes 50+ Ed McBain novels. I will start reading them based on your recommendations in a previous video.. Cheers.
Oh that’s great news! Both the relocation and the McBains!
The chapter for Ed McBain is entitled Ed McMahon.
Ed McBain and Elmore Leonard for sure 'buy on sight'! Haven't read the others... eyes peeled!
Always great to meet another McBain or Leonard fan!
EdMcBain, John D. MacDonald, and Elmore Leonard were all among my late mother's favourites, and I think some of the books are still in my house!
They are well worth checking out. Your mother had good taste
Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lindsey series and John Sandford’s Virgil
Flowers series are two of my favorites. Worth a read.
I've not tried those, will check them out. Thanks for watching!
Leonard is a favorite of mine, especially because I’m from the Detroit area where many of his books take place. McBain is great as well. I’d recommend Loren Estleman for another Michigan author with a lot of good, noirish crime novels.
Thanks Mike - I'd not heard of Estleman until very recently when someone sent me one of his westerns. I'm looking forward to reading it and exploring more of his work.
Great list. I have a huge Elmore Leonard collection somewhere in my attic. I’ve always loved his work.
He’s so great at dialogue and character
I'll try to remember these whenever I get to a second-hand bookstore, no idea when that will be though. :)
Hope you find some soon!
I've read a small-ish number of Simenon books (none in the Maigret series though I have a copy of the first in the series) - but I'm curious about the edition that you're highlighting: 'The Snow Was Black'. Goodreads is telling me that that is the same 1948 book available here in the US as 'Dirty Snow'. If so, I've read that one and found it to be among the best of what I know of Simenon's work so far.
Oh that's good to know! The titles certainly sound like they could be for the same book
Lawrence Block, When the Sacred Gin Mill Closes is a classic.
Mark Grenside, Fall Out - The Bastion is coming out and is a sequel. And...
I'll slip in writers from my neck of the woods you wodd have little exposure to:
Sam Wiebe: Ocean Drive, The Wakeland Series (Invisible Dead, Cut You Down, Hell and Gone, Sunset and Jericho) - he's a a big MacDonald fan.
JT Siemens: To Those Who Killed Me, and it's sequel Call of the Void.
AJ Devlin: a crime-comedy series featuring Cobra Clutch, Rolling Thunder, Five Moves of Doom
Amber Cowie: Last One Alive (very Christie-esque), The Off Season.
SM Freedman: The Day She Died, Blood Atonement.
Excellent video!
Thank you very much!
Thank you, thank you! I want to dive into some new (to me) mystery novels!
Awesome! Hope you enjoy them!
i love Elmore Leonard. His crime novels are character driven instead of plot driven. I also like Lawrence Block. His Burglar series is quite funny.
I've not read the Burglar books, but I love Block's Matt Scudder series
I really enjoyed the Burglar series, but my favorite is his hit man series. I haven’t tried the Scudder series yet, even though I believe it would be considered his flagship series.
Loved this video idea, will definitely be looking for some Ed McBain when book shopping!
He's fantastic!
You named all the right ones! Maybe No. 6 on my list would be Jim Thompson.
Good shout!
@@CriminOllyBlog Once again, I should have thought before I spoke.(Not doing so is one of my little tics.) Because instead of Jim Thompson, no. 6 (or higher) on my list should be Patricia Highsmith. I'm pretty sure she qualifies for this contest. Though I doubt Chesterton does (not prolific enough?). (A lack of volume was what kept Chandler off, I guessed.) If Chesterton DID qualify, he'd replace Christie on my list. Blah blah blah.
Nitpicking! You didn't see that coming on the ol' internet, did you?
I'm still kind of amazed that the top 5 you mentioned aligned-more or less-& of course depending on the day of the week & my breakfast-with mine.
And you didn't fall for some of the flashy pretenders to the throne! (Ross MacDonald & so on.)
Peace!
@@marcsmirnoff936 She is a great suggestion! Reading Cry of the Owl at the moment in fact
I’ve been meaning to get to Simenon and Maigret for ages! At some point I will. I have read an 87th Precinct book and I have that recently purchased one to read. The one that looked super trashy (but I’m sure is not)! Defo agree that you are guaranteed a good time with Christie! I’ve been advised that the Travis McGee books are trashy? Was hoping to get one for Garbaugust. I also need to get to Elmore Leonard. Great video.
The Maigret books are great, I think you’d really like them. I’d say Trav McGee is the trashiest of the bunch. Just about trashy enough for GarbAugust!
Here are some more. Swede Henning Mankell in the series of his hero Kurt Wallender, Elizabeth George with her heroes Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers.
Then there is the entire sector of ethno-mystery stories. Arthur Upfield in Australia with his Detective Inspector Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte of the Queensland Police Force, a mixed-race Indigenous Australian. Tony Hillerman and his detectives Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. James Doss with Ute detective/rancher Charlie Moon.
I’ve been a huge Agatha Christie fan for years. If you like audiobooks, I’ve listened to a few unabridged audio versions of Agatha Christie’s novels here on RUclips for free. George’s Simenon is an author I’ve not encountered before, so will look into his books.
Simenon is really good and SUPER prolific - hope you enjoy whatever you read by him
John Connolly - The Charlie Parker series is the best I’ve read but must be read in sequence
Yeah I've read the first couple of Parker books and really liked them
As an airport employee, and if someone is looking for books other than King and Patterson. My recommended reading are pulps, manga, and paperbacks. Some cheap thrills and keep the phone off as much as possible.
How could you leave out Michael Connelly and his Bosch series? Simply the best police procedural ever. Can’t go wrong with these.
Love the video. I would point out that Christie’s mysteries are not called cozy for having no violence in them. A cozy mystery is one that mostly takes place in a single, contained location - a manor, a train, a boat, a beach house - with a small set of characters. In a Holmes novel, all of London might be the guilty party. For Poirot, it’s one of a handful, all known to the reader.
Ah, interesting! Thank you!
@@CriminOllyBlog It kept bothering me, so I went and looked it up, and it appears that I was wrong. In my defense, I didn’t think I’m wrong, I’m pretty sure everyone else is.
@comicbelief I do think your definition makes a lot of sense
The only book by Simenon that I’ve read is _Three Bedrooms in Manhattan._ It was not a crime novel, and I did not care for the main character.
So far, the only Agatha Christie book that I have read is _The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,_ which was really good. I have two more Poirot mysteries that are on my TBR list.
The Poirot books are a lot of fun - short and smart like mysteries should be
I’m curious about the 87th Precinct series. It’s fun that you can read in any order - going to keep my eyes peeled for some!
They’re definitely worth picking up, McBain is a wonderfully skilled writer
They are what is known as police procedurals in that they showcase the nitty grittiness of basic police work.
@@Plantlady70 I have had my eyes peeled for these when I’ve been in thrift shops but haven’t found any yet. May have to order one soon!
Ngaio Marsh ... wrote I don't know offhand how many crime novels and was pretty much contemporary with Christie. Marsh is from New Zealand and her real love was stage and theater, but her books are very enjoyable. Rather less cozy than Christie, overall. I would also note that Georgette Heyer, known primarily for her vast and formative Regency Romance catalog (incredibly well researched and very well written, btw) has a subset of early 20th century murder mysteries as well. She has a few recurring detectives who kind of age through most of the stories, but they aren't the main characters. She's wicked funny in her mystery novels (also often in her romances) but apparently her real love as far as writing was the small handful she wrote set in more medieval times - which, to my shame, I have not yet read.
Marsh is one of those authors I've always meant to read but have never gotten round to. Heyer similarly, I've never tried but really should
I've read all the Travis McGee and most of Elmore Leonard. Love his Raylan Givens books.
Fantastic! I’m working my way through McGee at the moment. They’re such fun
@@CriminOllyBlog I used to live a few blocks away from where the Busted Flush was moored.
@@caramcnulty8129 oh that’s so cool!
Yes John D Mac is great. I havent tried the others but will do. I can recommend Peter Temple, not as prolific but you may pick up his books cheap over there.
I’ve not heard of Temple! I’ll keep my eyes peeled for him.
Both authors great.
Also Gary Disher.
Must mention James Lee Burke as well. Brilliant writer.
I've yet to read him! I have a couple of his books somewhere
I was a huge fan of James' early work. I'm a retired New Orleans Police officer, by the way. His early stuff was awesome! His later stuff, not so much, he fell into the treachery of formula writing. "Neon Rain" Is a tour de force !
@@warrenpope749 I’m a retired English man who has unfortunately never been to the States but James work made me feel like I was in Louisiana when reading it. I’ve not read much of his later stuff but love his earlier work. It’s great to see an ex Officer admire his work it just validates his knowledge of the police. I’d just like to say I’m a supporter of the police and think their not respected enough for their difficult job especially in America.
@@paulfillingham4778 Lol! Paul, He sounded like he was writing about me when he described himslelf in his earlier books, so much so, that I made it a point to meet him at one of his book signings. I was surprised to meet him and find that he in no way resembled Dave Robichaux, at all. I guess he's allowed poetic license in all its forms...
I like hearing about authors who write crime, I like police procedural books, Ed Mcbain sounds interesting, I have heard of him, but
I don't think I read anything from him. The only one you mentioned I read was Agatha Christie. I read a few of hers. haven' t heard of the others, but willing to give them a try if I see them.
Hope you enjoy McBain when you try him!
i've written 118 books
I’ve read a little from each author. They’re all good and I should read more.
A lot to enjoy between them!
Add Donald Westlake to the list! He writes comical mysteries and hardcore as well.
He is someone I definitely need to read!
Really great video! Thank you!
Glad you liked it!
ELLROY - THE DEMON DOG OF AMERICAN LITERATURE. Extremely dark, fun, funny, intriguing works. The best crime writer of the last 40 years.
I definitely need to read more by him
I’ve never read any of them. Good to know. Nice vid, Olly.
You should!
@@CriminOllyBlog Not anytime sooooooon.
@@M-J lol ok
There’s a nice little second hand bookshop nearby, il have to have a look for one of these 🙂
Great to see John D. MacDonald and Elmore Leonard here! Both are quite fun to read, and I find so few readers who are aware of them unless they read crime fiction.
Simenon and Christie are two mainstays in my reading; I aim for 1-2 from each every year.
Do you have a favorite novel by Leonard?
Cheers, Jack
Yeah I think Leonard is a bit better known because of a few well know films in the 90s, but JDM should definitely be more widely read.
I’m not sure I do have a favourite Leonard book, so many of them are good.
Please make a Top 5 video for John D. MacDonald 😊
Me: "Olly better mention the absolute queen Agatha Christie."
*loudly cheers when she comes up*
Admittedly a lot of these other writers I need to snatch up sometime. Maybe do a crime month (in which I commit the most amount of crimes possible whilst also reading thrillers).
😂😂😂 at both the beginning and the end of that comment
I’d never heard of Elmore Leonard before watching this. I’m going to head to my local book shop tomorrow and see if they have any of his novels. Any particular favourites of yours?
TBH they’re all good! Rum Punch and Get Shorty are two that leap to mind
@@CriminOllyBlog Cool thanks!
Now I realize I need to read more crime fiction! Thrillers have been a off for me this past year…..I think it is because it is time for crime fiction, lol
Go for it!
Thanks Olly, very helpful!
The 87th Precinct spawned a movie, a tv series, and a magazine.
Hi there! Just came across this video of yours and really appreciate the effort you have put into it. I have only read some books of Agatha Christie from the list of authors you mentioned. So I am really excited to read the work of a new author (for me). Can you please suggest a good starting point for Georges Simenon? Unfortunately here in India, Amazon is the only source for me to get the books. So I am listing some of the books that are available on Amazon India. (Thinking of buying 2 books)
1. Night at the crossroads
2. The Madman of Bergerac
3. Cecile is dead
4. Signed, Picpus
5. Maigret and the man on the bench
6. Maigret and the dead girl
7. Maigret sets a trap
8. Maigret and the reluctant witnesses
9. Maigret's secret
10. Maigret and the good people of Montparnasse
11. Maigret and the Tramp
I would go with a couple of the Maigrets! Glad you're enjoying the channel!
(goodwill) has cheap books! Anyone looking for books stop by a goodwill!
Have you read Jack Mullen? I just bought his two books about a San Diego Homicide Detective. I will let you know what I think.
I haven't! Hope they're good
Thanks for your suggestions I will definitely pick some up if I see them. Definitely my kind of thing. I wondered though,if you've read or heard of FANTOMAS by Marcel Allain & Pierre Souvestre? It's originally french but it's difficult to find any translated paperback. There's about fifty of them.I've read the first two and they're quite different from your usual crime novels.They are difficult to find in English but if you do happen to come across them let us know what you think.love your channel.
I would add James Hadley Chase to this list.
He's someone I definitely need to read!
Elmore Leonard’s Mr paradise is a very interesting book.
Yeah, that's a good one from what I remember
Never cared for Mcbain - but I’m more than familiar with the others. McDonald is someone I grew up with - my dad is a fan. I read the last 5 McGee books as they were published. If you haven’t - check out his “The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything. A fun bit of fluff.
Elmore! No one did dialogue better (well, american dialogue).
I'll check out that McDonald one, thanks for the recommendation. Agree about Leonard's dialogue - just perfect
Great list. Can you do another one about the best female mystery writers?
Weird note - I haven't gotten to Ed McBain yet (he's on my near term list, though), but I have read a few Evan Hunters!
Oh cool! Which have you read?
@@CriminOllyBlog Forced to admit I don't remember right now - it was a while ago. Like decades... but I almost certainly still have the books, and since I've just moved into a new place and am sorting through my stuff as I unpack (and 3 generations of stuff my mom and grandmother never got managed before their deaths) I will likely find them one of these days. So, updates maybe. I have this mental glitch where I remember author names I've enjoyed better than titles (some titles stand out, but not all). I think it's my head's way of reminding me to acquire possibly valuable resources when they appear rather than when I'm hunting them. However, it has weaknesses. There are books I have bought an embarrassing number of times ...
@@heidifogelberg3544 Ha! I've certainly been guilty of buying books multiple times, Including Ed McBain ones!
An excellent line up.
Thanks Michael!
My favourites Agatha Christie and Georges Simenon I will try the others Crime fiction is most enjoyable
Hope you enjoy them!
recommend American authors ...Richard Stark, or Lawrence Block.. or my favourite James Crumbley.. 👍👍👍..I so have a question however, do you know of an author similar to John Connolly 🤔
I do like Block a lot. Stark is one I need to try more by.
Off the top of my head I don't think I can think of authors like John C, Maybe Michael Slade?
I would add Mary Roberts Rinehart to this list- as long as you grab one of her crime novels. There was a period in her life when her husband forbade her from writing mysteries because he thought they were too trashy, but after the jerk was dead she was able to write her favorite genre again. As long as you read something outside of the 1914-30 window you should be good! If you're unsure if a certain book from her is a crime novel or not you can voxer/discord me!
Thanks Kevvie! He does sound like a jerk!
Not sure if you ever read Ruth Rendell and her pseudonym Barbara Vine. Combined 70+ crime novels
Yes, I’ve a read a little Rendell, the first of the Wexford books and A Judgment in Stone. I liked both!
thanks for for that, have you checked out Colin Cotterill"s Dr Siri series great reads got me through a covid winter!
No, I’ve not heard of those! I’ll look them up. Thank you!
Love these authors. Have you read any Ruth Rendell (aka Barbara Vine) or P.D. James? Both women are phenomenal at police procedurals
Yes, I've read both and enjoyed them. Although my favourite by James is her SF novel Children of Men which I thought was spectacular
Great video, just found your chanel. Looks like I have a lot to watch back on… Subscribed :)
Thank you! Hope you enjoy the back catalogue
@@CriminOllyBlogwhich Simenon book would you recommend first?
@@cds1112 I'd start with the first of the Maigret books - Pietr the Latvian
@@CriminOllyBlog thank you! What about the “darker” standalones
@@cds1112 I've only read a couple of those
Some of the books Agatha Christie wrote at the end of her life were not as good. "Nemesis"-a Miss Marple mystery still holds up to earlier ones, but "Postern of Fate"--A Tommy and Tuppence mystery is awful. It is disjoined and seems to be missing pages. I almost wonder if it was a work in progress that was cobbled together from ideas Christie had. I remember it being a bestseller, but after I re-read it a few years ago I got rid of it. Mostly I agree about Ed McBain. The earlier 87th Precinct books were clean as far as graphic language, but then in the 70's McBain went the other way and the f-bomb seemed to be dropped all over the place. Later books in the 80's went back to his earlier style and were more successful. Another author which I have found consistent over the years is Tony Hillerman. He created the characters Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee--first in separate mysteries and then working together. Another author who was consistent was Dick Francis.
Ah yes, I read a few Dick Francis books years ago and enjoyed them!
Great video. I have read Simenon and Christie and am currently reading McBain. I worked in the Publicity Dept. at Little, Brown and Co. and had occasion to speak with Elmore Leonard -- a great writer but not a nice person -- quite rude over the phone.
What about Ian Rankin and Malcolm MacKay? I like their books, as well. Have you read them?
Best regards,
Gerard Denza
Author of the EDWARD MENDEZ, P. I. series.
Thanks Gerard! Fascinating about Leonard!
I haven’t read MacKay, but I like Rankin a lot.
I thought I had too many books,not sure now 😳
Yeah I may have you beat
Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe
I need to read some of those!
Yes! They're fun, fairly short, can be read in any order, and as far as I can tell consistent enough that if you like one, you'll probably like the rest. They're kind of a cross between the kind of detective story featuring a cerebral, sedentary detective (represented by Nero Wolfe) and the active, wise-cracking private eye (represented by narrator Archie Goodwin).
I've read every Ed McBain book I could get. What about Rex Stout?
I’ve never tried Stout! I really should
Greetings from Australia. Discovered ur channel a week ago and im hooked! Thouroghly fascinating stuff and a great host ur ! Many thanks and look forward to more of ur content. Best wishes mate
Thank you! Really glad you're enjoying the channel
Have you read any Martin Amis? or plan to. Thanks.
I think I tried one years ago but didn't particularly get in with it
Wish I had room for a mountain of old books smell of worn acid paper permeate my room ❤️
It is a wonderful thing
I am not well versed in crime books for sure. I’ve only read one Christie book.
Whoa!
Have you seen Rowan Atkinson or Gerard Depardieu as Maigret? I have never liked Elmore Leonard's movie adaptations.Agatha Christie is OK. I prefer Lawrence Block.
No, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Maigret on screen. I liked the movies of Out of Sight, Rum Punch and 3:10 to Yuma. Block was actually on my shortlist for this but I thought he was maybe a bit too similar to MacDonald
F Paul Wilson, J A Konrath.
Worth a look... 😉
I don't think I've read Konrath. Loved The Keep by Wilson though!