Authors Like John Grisham? True Crime Books?

[Seymour Flops]

Anyone have a recommendation for an author for someone who enjoys John Grisham novels? I like everything about them, except that he sometimes lets too much politics creep into his novels, and it takes me right out of the story. If anyone likes Grisham, but hasn't read his first which was "One L," an account of his first year in law school, I recommend it.

I'm looking for someone like that. If it has more police action than Grisham's books do, that's fine also.

Also, anyone know any good true crime books? Something like "Fatal Vision," or "Reasonable Doubt." If you haven't read the latter, I recommend it. Obscure, but one of the best crime non-fiction I've read.

Thanks!

 

[whitehall]

Grisham stuff isn't "true crime", it's fiction. Personally I like Stephen Hunter's Swagger novels and Lee Child's Reacher stuff although his collaboration with his son doesn't seem to be as good.

 

[Seymour Flops]

Grisham stuff isn't "true crime", it's fiction.

Sure, I know that. I meant to ask about a writer like Grisham AND about true crime books.

Personally I like Stephen Hunter's Swagger novels and Lee Child's Reacher stuff although his collaboration with his son doesn't seem to be as good.

I like Reacher, in the book and the series. Casting Tom Cruz in the movie made zero sense, except as a box office draw. Whoever the no-name is they have playing Reacher in the series is much more what I would picture from the book.

Stephen Hunter is one I haven't heard of. I just ordered his first Swagger novel from Amazon. Thanks for the tip.

Here's one for you: The "Prey" books by John Sandford.

 

[hjmick]

Here's one for you: The "Prey" books by John Sandford.

I prefer the Virgil Flowers series of books. Though the Prey series is good. The Letty Davenport novels are good as well.

 

[hjmick]

Lee Child's Reacher stuff although his collaboration with his son doesn't seem to be as good.

That's his brother...

 

[Rogue AI]

Anyone have a recommendation for an author for someone who enjoys John Grisham novels? I like everything about them, except that he sometimes lets too much politics creep into his novels, and it takes me right out of the story. If anyone likes Grisham, but hasn't read his first which was "One L," an account of his first year in law school, I recommend it.

I'm looking for someone like that. If it has more police action than Grisham's books do, that's fine also.

Also, anyone know any good true crime books? Something like "Fatal Vision," or "Reasonable Doubt." If you haven't read the latter, I recommend it. Obscure, but one of the best crime non-fiction I've read.

Thanks!

Probably best to do an online search, 'books like ...'. If you want to avoid the personal politics go back ten years, before it was so pervasive.

 

[hjmick]

Also, anyone know any good true crime books? Something like "Fatal Vision," or "Reasonable Doubt." If you haven't read the latter, I recommend it. Obscure, but one of the best crime non-fiction I've read.

The Monster of Florence

The Monster of Florence

In the nonfiction tradition of John Berendt (Midnight i…

www.goodreads.com

Monster of Florence - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Disturbing 'Monster Of Florence' Murders Remain Unsolved After 40 Years — But That May Be About To Change

With .22-caliber pistol, a serial killer dubbed "The Monster of Florence" murdered eight couples from 1968 to 1985. Four of the female victims had their genitals mutilated.

allthatsinteresting.com

Douglas Preston is a very good author, I've read several of his solo novels and much of his non-fiction work. I've read most of his co-authored novels with Lincoln Child (a couple of which require you to suspend disbelief).

Preston's brother is an excellent author, non-fiction mostly...

The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins …

A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central Afri…

www.goodreads.com

The Demon in the Freezer

The first major bioterror event in the United States--t…

www.goodreads.com

 

[Seymour Flops]

The Monster of Florence

The Monster of Florence

In the nonfiction tradition of John Berendt (Midnight i…

www.goodreads.com

Monster of Florence - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Disturbing 'Monster Of Florence' Murders Remain Unsolved After 40 Years — But That May Be About To Change

With .22-caliber pistol, a serial killer dubbed "The Monster of Florence" murdered eight couples from 1968 to 1985. Four of the female victims had their genitals mutilated.

allthatsinteresting.com

Douglas Preston is a very good author, I've read several of his solo novels and much of his non-fiction work. I've read most of his co-authored novels with Lincoln Child (a couple of which require you to suspend disbelief).

Preston's brother is an excellent author, non-fiction mostly...

The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins …

A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central Afri…

www.goodreads.com

The Demon in the Freezer

The first major bioterror event in the United States--t…

www.goodreads.com

I'll check it out, thanks!

 

[whitehall]

That's his brother...

I stand corrected except for my opinion that the Andrew collaboration doesn't seem to be up to the Lee standards.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

Swagger and Reach are fun but teen ageish.

Read John Sandford's novels starring Lucas Davenport, Virgil Flowers, and Letty Davenport.

Read the in order. You will love them.

 

[hjmick]

I stand corrected except for my opinion that the Andrew collaboration doesn't seem to be up to the Lee standards.

My reading shelf is currently backed up with material so I have not yet picked up their first collaboration, but with few exceptions I generally don't like two authors writing together. The Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child (no relation) books are one of the exceptions.

I know the plan is for Lee to retire and turn over the writing full time to the brother. Maybe that will make a difference, but I don't have high hopes. I look at books being written by authors who did not originate the characters and they're not usually as good as the originals... Dirk Cussler writing the Dirk Pitt novels originally written by his father, Clive... Kyle Mills (soon to be replaced by Don Bentley, who's been contributing to Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Jr. series) writing the Mitch Rapp series since the death of Vince Flynn...

Publishers looking to cash in on the established, beloved authors anyway they can ultimately dilute good story telling.

 

[expat500]

Lee Child's Reacher stuff although his collaboration with his son doesn't seem to be as good.

I’d agree with that. The stories have lost their edge. Not so much the page turners they were before.

I’ve bought the latest one, The Secret. Have yet to read it, when I’ve finished LOTR.

 

[Seymour Flops]

One thing that annoyed me about the Reacher series was how some of the novel were in third person, and some in first person.

It would take me out of the story, because I didn't notice until a few chapters in.

I don't have a preference between the two, just pick one and stick with it.

 

[hjmick]

If you're interested in some historical non-fiction, these are two of the best books (fiction and non) I read last year:


Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man

Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster …

A human drama unlike any other—the riveting and definit…

www.goodreads.com

I thought this book was fantastic. Most people only know the story because of Quint's monologue in JAWS, or they might have seen the bad Nicolas Cage movie. Until I read the book, that included me, except for the Nic Cage movie...


A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II

A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the Ameri…

The never-before-told story of one woman's heroism that…

www.goodreads.com

I had never heard of Virginia Hall or her exploits until I picked up this book, also a great read. I hear there is movie/mini series/ or some such thing in development at Netflix...

 

[hjmick]

If you haven't already read them, the Michael Connelly Bosch series is a very good read...

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Read John Sandford's novels starring Lucas Davenport, Virgil Flowers, and Letty Davenport.

Read the in order. You will love them.

Elitist Spell

Sandford is getting too WOKE for me.