Please recommend some great contemporary literary thrillers!

pandora9 · Oct 5, 2005

This is a genre I haven't explored much, but I want to see what's out there. Looking to buy a bunch to take with me on holiday next week. Any suggestions on the writers I should look out for/books that you loved ...

blacbird · Oct 5, 2005

Not exactly "contemporary", but still fresh and compulsively readable, dating from around 1950: "Rogue Male" and "Watcher in the Shadows", by British writer Geoffrey Household.

Any of the Travis McGee novels by John D. MacDonald.

bird

paprikapink · Oct 5, 2005

My husband usually goes through paperbacks like potato chips. Only slower.

But he recently read "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and mentioned numerous times while reading it that he liked it. And when he finished it, he actually wanted to talk about it and reflect on what he'd read. I haven't read it yet -- I'm not thrilled with thrillers, personally -- but I was impressed by the impression it made on the paperback gobbler.

rich · Oct 5, 2005

I got one. Takes place in the NY subway. I figure I'll finish it in 2037, though. Hope you're young.

pandora9 · Oct 5, 2005

LOL - If it's good enough, I'll come back from the dead for it ... Hey, good luck with it

pandora9 · Oct 5, 2005

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm off to Amazon right now to track them down.

aadams73 · Oct 5, 2005

Any of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's books. They're a fantastic writing team and their solo work is excellent too.

TLHines · Oct 5, 2005

A Few Suggestions

I think James Lee Burke's stuff is all quite good--his recent "In the Moon of Red Ponies" is wonderful Montana-based thriller. You might also try "Church of the Dead Girls" by Stephen Dobyns, which is probably a better literary novel than it is a classic thriller/mystery. Although I've not read it, I've also heard great things about Cormac McCarthy's "No Country for Old Men." McCarthy's writing can be a bit impenetrable at times, but hey, you asked for literary.

Torgo · Oct 5, 2005

George P. Pelecanos is terrific; Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen books; "The Athenian Murders" by Somoza; Daniel Pennac's Belleville books.

MarkPettus · Oct 5, 2005

Steve Berry is very good. The Amber Room, The Romanov Prophesy, The Third Secret. Nice guy too.

Linda Adams · Oct 5, 2005

International Thriller Writers has a must read list of Thrillers: http://www.thrillerwriters.org/mustread.html

pdr · Oct 5, 2005

Terrific!

Thank you, Linda. That's a great resource.

Steve 211 · Oct 5, 2005

Another thanks for the link. In fact, I clicked on the thread to recommend Morrell. His Brotherhood of the Rose is a great one.

aruna · Oct 5, 2005

The Secret History - by Donna Tartt

hoyateach · Oct 7, 2005

I don't know that this qualifies as "literary" but I highly recommend the John Rain series by Barry Eisler, starting with Rain Fall. It's about a Japanese-American hitman struggling to deal with who he is and what he's become while still doing his job.

gomideast · Oct 7, 2005

i like this writer kem nunn, who is contemporary and literary - i suggest either dogs of winter (a surfing/native american book) or tijuana straights (about the san diego/tijuana border region)...good stuff and overlooked

pandora9 · Oct 7, 2005

Thanks all for these great suggestions - I'm building a great reading list

Please recommend some great contemporary literary thrillers!

pandora9

blacbird

paprikapink

Bored fanatic

rich

pandora9

pandora9

aadams73

A Work in Progress

TLHines

Torgo

Formerly Phantom of Krankor.

MarkPettus

Writer and Editor

Linda Adams

Soldier, Storyteller

pdr

Steve 211

Here and There

aruna

On a wing and a prayer

hoyateach

Dancing with limbo sticks

gomideast

pandora9