Linda Fairstein? Tami Hoag? Kathy Reichs?

I've read Kathy Reichs and Linda Fairstein, and truthfully, while they are good writers, I don't like either one of them. Here's why:

The main character is a competent woman, doing a high level job. Somewhere near the end of the story, she does something really foolish and dumb--and often knows it is foolish and dumb and does it anyway--putting her life intentionally in danger. Then when the main character gets caught, she doesn't do much to help herself (where'd the competence go?) and invariably has to be rescued by a secondary male character.

It especially irks me when we have kick butt heroines in fantasy and horror, but for thriller, we get helpless victim characters. You'd never seen this in a book written by a guy, with a guy main character--yet, all the crime thrillers with women characters do exactly the same thing.

I'm a Tami Hoag fan. I usually find female authors tend to direct their story more to female readers, but Tami does a good job of keeping me interested.

I've never read the other two, but will look for them based on Kate's recommendation.

I've been a Tami Hoag fan.
Then I read Kathy Reichs and became her fan too and dropped
Tami Hoag. I don't think it was because I didn't like Hoag's writing.

I haven't read Linda Fairstein and have no idea as to her writing.
What do her stories lean towards?

Cheers

Tami Hoag all the way!

BUT Tess Gerritsen is is BY FAR my favorite

I read all three and prefer Kathy Reichs also. I got tired of Fairstein's main character. I haven't read her last two.

Kate Thornton said:

Tess Garritsen - I forgot about her - yes, her too!

Click to expand...

Yes, she's absolutely my favorite! Not only that, but shes a very nice person IRL as well. She's a real writer's advocate and that goes a long way with me!

Haven't read Tami Hoags, but love Kathy Reichs & Linda Fairstein and have read all of them (well, the last Linda Fairstein I only recently purchased and is still on my 'waiting to be read' shelf).

Both are similar characters, with relationship problems that are gradually being woven out over several books. Though in the case of Linda Fairstein I am now getting a bit tired of the sexual tension between Alex Cooper & Mike Chapman, which has been wound up tighter than a spring for about five books now and going nowhere (oh come on guys, you clearly fancy the pants off each other and this denial is getting irritating - just get it together already).

But I look forward to reading each new book that these two authors come out with, and they are generally a pleasure to read.

Shara

Kate Thornton said:

Do you read any or all of them??

I read them all - but I guess I like Kathy Reichs the best.

Click to expand...

Can you believe I haven't read any of them? Such a slacker I keep meaning to but I always seem to get distracted and end up choosing something else. I wonder why that is? Hmm.

I haven't read Ms Hoag's work but have always liked Kathy Reichs work. Linda Fairstein has improved with each passing novel and currently garners the best reviews of the three here in the UK. I like the fact that Fairstein can write without focussing on the gory aspects of her subject which a lot of writers seem to throw in there for the shock aspect.

However, as someone mentioned previously, the inevitable damsel in distress closing scenes that you get in every Fairstein and Reichs novel do become a bit grating.