World Mysteries and Thrillers discussion

While there are some introductions in the what are you reading now thread, it's probably not such a bad thing to have a thread for introducing yourself.
Who are you, where are you from or where do you live (or how do you want to define yourself), and when did you become a fan of mysteries or thrillers? What kind of things do you usually read? What are your favorite series or geographical locations for the things you read? What other languages do you speak? If you could have a dinner with all the detectives of the books you like to dine with you, whom would you invite and why?

Hi, I'm Anna, I haven't decided yet what I want to do when I grow up :) but I'd invite at least Salvo Montalbano for a dinner. That way there would surely be good food involved. If secret service agents qualify too, perhaps I'd get James Bond there too, as he'd probably be able to expense very impressive drinks. Kurt Wallander would be fun to observe with the above two, but I'd probably need to add a few other diners he might like chatting with too. Erneldur and Kari Vaara perhaps. And if we could time travel Pekkala there, that would make the late night drunk talks interesting (imagine Pekkala's and Bond's stories?). Hmm, who else? Can't go wrong with Mikael Blomqvist... but can't think of others right now.

I guess better make sure there's enough space for a lot of fancy characters - whom would you invite?

Hello, everyone. New here to this group from Montreal, Canada. I'm a Barry Eisler and JA Konrath fan. My favorite book genres are thrillers and mysteries.

Russell Brooks

I am a mystery author. My sister Loretta Jackson and I are authors of The Ardis Cole Mystery Series. Ardis is an archaelolgist who solves mysteries in different places around the world. The first book, The Curse of Senmut, is set in Egypt. I am fortunate enough to have traveled many places including Egypt, Russia and China. I like to read mysteries set in foreign places. I am a fan of Ruth Rendell and Robert Goddards to name a couple of authors I like.

New to the group from Maryland, my book tastes are all over the place from animal stories to heavy nonfiction history subjects to travel books,but I do like crime fiction set in other countries. I think the first series on this subject I ever read was the Kramer and Zondi novels set in South Africa. My favorite author at the moment on this subject would be Deon Meyer.

I've read some of the discussions here and think I'd learn a lot. I'm stuck, albeit quite by choice, in the Scandinavian crime fiction genre at present and don't expect to move on in the near future. But I'd like to learn about other books that might provide the same taught/dark/conflicted characterization and plot, if there are any.

I thought I introduced myself, but I don't see a post by me so I guess I never did. I'm Nancy; I love world literature, translated crime fiction and global crime fiction in general. I think it's because writers from other countries aren't afraid to tackle their social/political issues, so their work tends to have more depth. At least that's my opinion!

Plus it's always fun when it feels like you really get to know the detectives/other good guys and the bad guys like friends even if they are from somewhere you've never been to and never met people from that place when the book is well written. :)
It just feels much more intimate relationship with the story when the exotic place and people are in a book than if you watched them in a movie (especially when that would be in another language).

I've been reading and enjoying the threads here so I thought I'd say hello. I'm a life long mystery reader and I especially enjoy books set in foreign locales. I've enjoyed Cara Black's Aimee Leduc (Paris), Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri (Laos), Batya Gur's Obanyon (Israel), Michael Dibdin's Zen (Italy), Henning Mankell's Wallander (Sweden), and many more too numerous to mention especially all the great British settings that would be "foreign" to me.

I'm glad to have found this group and am especially glad to be able to add so many new authors to my "to-read" list. My interest in foreign mysteries started with Maigret, Colin Dexter's Morse and Michael Dibdin's Zen series. Lately, I've been caught up in WW II and post WW II mysteries. I have especially enjoyed the books by Alan Furst, Olen Steinhauer, David Downing and Philip Kerr. All are an absolutely fascinating mix of complex characters, intricate plots and enlightening historical perspectives on a very complicated time. Also love the Italians - Zen, Montalbano and Brunetti. The list could and will go on and on. Winter's coming after all!

Hi, nice to meet everyone here. I love reading books set in different countries, and have recently discovered Nordic crime fiction. I guess alot of people have with the Stieg Larsson books. After reading those I've branched off into Liza Marklund, and just finished her book, Red Wolf. One thing I've learned is they drink alot of coffee in Scandanavia - and they have some great thriller writers!
Red WolfLiza MarklundStieg Larsson

Hi, I'm Bob. I joined GR a few months back but am only now becoming active. I'm a semi-retired seaman and shipbuilder, now indulging a very old dream of being an author. My reading tastes are all over the place, from thrillers to sf on the fiction side and history, politics, & science on the nonfiction area. I currently live in the US (Tennessee) but have lived and worked all over the world and really enjoy interacting with different cultures. I like Lee Child, Tom Clancy (the older stuff) W.E.B. Griffin, Stieg Larsson, Bernard Cornwell, David Weber, and too many more to mention. I look forward to participating in the group.

Deadly Straits
R.E. McDermott
My Website

I am Nora. I love the genre, love finding new authors. In the last year or so, I've read a lot of the dark things from Ireland, Scandanavia (before Larrson made it cool). I also enjoy the lighter side from Alan Bradley. Of course, if you pay attention, you see a lot of tenderness toward the world and its losses.

Welcome y'all new members. Awesome to see so many authors here too. (Feel free to share any writing or plotting tips you want) :)

Hi mystery and thriller addicts!

I am running a contest to win a $25 Amazon (or BN, Kobo, iTunes) on my site right now. For more info you can visit my site, http://www.leebroad.com/2011/11/win-a...

Good luck and thanks to Anna for allowing me to post here!

Lee

Hi Everybody! My name is Gena and I live in New Braunfels, TX, right in between San Antonio and Austin! I have been into Mystery/Thrillers as long as I can remember starting with Nancy Drew of course! I've been reading James Patterson and Clive Cussler and recently read The Girl With the Tattoo series! I am looking forward to stepping outside of my comfort zone and trying out new authors!

Hi all I'm Wendy from the UK but now living in Spain and just getting started on Goodreads having found a few friends via twitter and Linkedin. I love mystery and thriller and now find it hard to apreciate other genres as I used to. Love the Brit authors such as Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Ruth Rendal, Lee Child, Mark Billingham, Peter James and brit type writer Elizabeth George. But also still faithfull to Stephen King, whom I have been reading for too many years to remember now and just been given his lastest book for my birthday yeah! Hope to join in the discussions here and find lots of new mystery and thriller writers for me to sample.

Gena wrote: "Hi Everybody! My name is Gena and I live in New Braunfels, TX, right in between San Antonio and Austin! I have been into Mystery/Thrillers as long as I can remember starting with Nancy Drew of cour..."

Hi Gena and welcome (if someone who's been here less than 24 hours is allowed to extend a welcome :)) Nice to see someone from the Hill Country here. My wife and I aspire to move there but we're currently in TN and stymied by the real estate market. This looks like a great place for us thriller addicts.

Hi, Everyone!
Duffy Brown here. I write cozy mysteries in Savannah, Ga. Consignment: Murder series set around a consignment shop. Love Stephanie Plum. Mystery and humor, what could be more fun! Watch Castle on TV and absolutely love the new TV series Revenge. Great writing!

Hi, my name is Johnny Ray and I write under many names. Many times as a ghostwriter. However, I am doing some under my own name now. Enough about me. I love meeting people who love mystery and thrillers on an international level. I love to hear what everyone loves to read and why?
i live on the beach in Florida and there can be no better place to be a book lover than here.

Hi.my name is papaoo and from Thailand.now lives in jakarta,indonesia.love mystery.

Hi! I'm Ellen Keim from Columbus, Ohio (USA). I read almost anything, but always gravitate to mysteries and thrillers. For some reason, I particularly like books about serial killers. (My husband thinks I'm sick.) Recently I've been reading Scandinavian authors. My interest in them started with Peter Hoeg's Smilla's Sense of Snow and was of course heightened by Stieg Larsson's trilogy. I just finished reading The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler (actually a husband and wife team). I hadn't realized there were so many Scandinavian mystery writers out there: Jo Nesbo (Norway), Arnaldur Indridason (Iceland), Roslund and Hellstrom (Sweden), Henning Mankell (Sweden) and Jussi Adler-Olsen (Denmark), all of whom I highly recommend. I just got The Boy in the Suitcase by Kaaberbøl & Friis (a female team from Denmark) from the library and am really looking forward to reading it as it is supposed to be very good.

I also love mysteries and novels set in WWII Germany (Modern German history was my major in college), especially the Bernard Gunther series by Phillip Kerr (who is not German). I enjoy books set in other countries even if the authors aren't from those countries. But I find it fascinating to see how foreign writers portray their own countries and cultures through their writing.

One of the problems of course is that there are so few foreign mystery novels translated into English. We're fortunate that Scandinavian writers are big right now because of the Stieg Larsson books. I'd really like to find some German mystery novels written by Germans, but it seems that not that many of them are available in the U.S. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Holland, MI. I have really settled into world mysteries lately. I am making a run through Cara Black's Aimee Leduc series. Right now-Murder in the Rue de Paradis. Also have discovered The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing and A Bali Conspiracy Most Foul: Inspector Singh Investigates.

What a great way to exchange book title! Mary

Hallo, I'm Rahul from India...am currently reading 2 books...one Ulysses (actually my second stab at completing it), and steven pinker's the language instinct for when the first book gets too heavy..

looking for recommendations...

Hi, I've just joined this group as I love mysteries with uncommon settings. While I tend to favor historical mysteries I do read some contemporaries. As well as mystery, my reading is all over the place from picture books & YA to post-apoc/dystopian.

I've been a librarian for the past 41 years so I get to see/read about a lot of books- if only I had time to read more of them.

Some of my favorites that might fit into the "world" category include James Melville's Inspector Otani series set in Japan, Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford series, especially when he forsakes his home base in Florida and takes us to South America or Cuba and his past in covert ops comes into play; Barbara Cleverly's Joe Sandilands series, especially the early titles set in 1920's India of the British Raj and Alan Gordon's Fools Guild series which begins with Thirteenth Night about a group of jesters who are really in covert ops of a sort in the 14thc all over the eastern mediterranean, Venice, etc. Loads of fun.

I look forward to learning of many more titles I'll probably never get to actually read but, oh, the fun of amassing a huge and varied TBR that I can sift through like Silas Marner and his pile of gold. Hope I can suggest a few titles that others might want to read as well.

Thanks,Phair.I will try also.

Phair wrote: "Hi, I've just joined this group as I love mysteries with uncommon settings. While I tend to favor historical mysteries I do read some contemporaries. As well as mystery, my reading is all over the ..."

Phair: Tell me more about Barbara Cleverly's books re: 1920's India. India is on my bucket list.

Hello
I've just joined the group. I have been published by Orion and HarperCollins and have recently had four very different thrillers out. I was wondering how to get them read and reviewed by this group.

THE IMMORTALITY PLOT: Former US government assassin, Hong Kong Police enforcer and esoteric monk exacts revenge on a transvestite contract serial killer known as 'The Priest' and infiltrates 'The Renaissance Project'.The Immortality Plot|13022280]

KNIFE EDGE: Two ugly losers are transformed into beautiful creatures and take over a billionaire's life and fortune.

BODYSWITCH: You think your body belongs to you - think again.

AN ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER: One man, one angel, one prophecy, one quest.[bookcover:

Hi, I'm an avid thriller fan... I love books that set your pulse racing!

I was probably lured into the genre by Ian Fleming (though that was many many years ago) and subsequently hoovered up everything written by Michael Crichton (though not since his death).

A few years back (in the absence of anything that was tickling my fancy and initially just for fun) I decided to seriously try to turn my own hand to the art and recently, over a decade later, have published the result: it's called FIREBIRD and is an action/adventure thriller set around the Mediterranean seaboard.

I'm looking forward to seeing what else I should be checking out! Cheers Anthony

I'm an author who just released my debut book on kindle and nook. The softcover will be released in December. I'm looking at blogs and groups interested in reviews and author interviews. I've always loved mystery/thrillers/science fiction and conspiracy theory novels and am glad to be a part of this group. If you'd be interested, or know anyone interested in any of the above, please pop me a message. Enjoy your day! ~Michael Lorde

Wonderful idea for a group! Thrillers are my summertime beach/pool side reads, so this upcoming summer I plan on making my way through as many books on this list as possible. :)

Anthony wrote: "Hi, I'm an avid thriller fan... I love books that set your pulse racing!

I was probably lured into the genre by Ian Fleming (though that was many many years ago) and subsequently hoovered up ev..."

If you like thrillers, Anthony, I'm just going to plug my book Blind Veil. It's pretty creepy and really seems to grab the readers. The first few chapters set up the rest of the book, the main plot takes place in the present, not in the 60's. If you get a chance to check it out, I'd certainly value your opinion. RIght now it's 99 cents for the holidays. It'll go up after, and possibly just before Christmas. I love thrillers too. Gotta get that blood pumping.

If there are any other authors out there willing to donate their ebooks for free to some of the troops overseas, please let me know. I'm arranging an author gifting group for those in Iraq and Afghanistan who can't be home for the holidays. Just an invite, hope no one is offended that I'm posting this here. Also, has anyone read 'before I go to sleep?'

My name is Jim Kalinowski and I live in Jamestown, NC. Like many here I am a Steig Larsson fan and a fan of thrillers in general. I tend to prefer novels that are more character driven than ones that seem, to me, to focus on the lead character doing something that seems physically impossible or improbable. I love the Alan Furst novels set in pre WWII and during the war. I live the Peter Mayle novels, and nonfiction. While not exactly thrillers many are light mystery/comedies. Right now I'm reading "In the Garden of the Beasts" by Erik Larson. While it is nonfiction it reads like a thriller. It is an in depth look at Hitler's rise to power in Germany through the eyes/words of the American ambassador to Germany. Next up, I hope to get to Jo Nesbo's "The Snowman".

I fell in love with mysteries when I picked up my first Nancy Drew at age five. I seem to recall getting the bejeezus scared out of me by Conan Doyle's "The Speckled Band" when I was a young'un too.

My favorite mystery writer today is Ian Rankin, though I'm looking for some good cozies to cozy up to in the winter months.

I also write mysteriesThe Metaphysical Detective and am a member of Sisters in Crime.

i love the nancy drew books and to especially the graphic novels and that is what hooked me to mystery novels

Hi,
I am Kendyll Martin! I am on a mystery/thriller kick with books right now! I don't know many of the ones based outside of the US except for Kathy Reichs (I think I spelled that right) and I just finished one of her books 206 bones. That ones based in Canada and the US. I'd love to hear about your favorite mysteries and such :)

Hi there, new to this group. I love reading mystery/thriller (helps my mind work faster while trying to help the character unveil a puzzle). I've read so many mystery books, but I do love James Patterson's work; and also Nancy Drew. Am also working on a small mystery book myself.

This looks like my kind of group. I read a lot, but find myself gravitating toward crime/mystery/thriller most of the time.

Previously, I've read all of John Sanford, Nelson DeMille and Robert Parker before searching for someone new.

Found Lee Child and inhaled his series on Reacher. Have tried a couple Scandinavian authors. Read Jar City. I'm reading Girl with the Dragon Tattoo right now.

I live in Atlanta, Ga. (Actually out in the country) and I write. Just published a post-apocalyptic thriller called H10 N1 about a flu pandemic that kills. If you saw the movie Contagion, you know how a pandemic starts. My book shows how it ends, and it isn't with a miracle cure!

Greetings, all!
My name is Bill Doonan. I love mysteries. Just finished a couple of Konrath's Jack Daniels books which are wonderful, and then read A Hard Death by Jonathan Hayes, which was great.

I also write mysteries. My books (available on Amazon, and in larger marine-themed bookstores near you) Grave Passage, and Mediterranean Grave, recount the exploits of Henry Grave, an octogenarian detective who investigates crimes on cruise ships.

12 million people take a cruise each year.
Most have fun.
Some die.
Henry Grave investigates.

I also write a horror blog - The Mummies of Blogspace9 - www.williamdoonan.wordpress.com

In any case, I'm looking forward to hanging out with you guys.

William Doonan
www.williamdoonan.com

Hi! My name is Aline. I'm Belgian and I live in the Brabant Wallon, near Brussels. I became a fan of thrillers and mysteries quite early: at ten, my mother lent me one of her Agatha Christie's books and I immediately enjoyed it.
Apart from mysteries and thrillers I also enjoyed reading fantasy (Tolkien is my top favourite) and classics. My favourite locations for books are the US, the UK, Canada and Nordic countries such as Iceland, Sweden,...
I can speak French, English, Spanish and a little bit of Dutch. I would like to improve my knowledge of Dutch and to learn German and Italian

Some more trivia:
- my favourite colour is blue;
- I collect perfume bottles;
- I love cooking;
- I write a blog about the books I read (http://aline1102.canalblog.com - written in French).

Hi everyone. My name is Sally, currently living in Utah. I have loved reading since I was quite young. Thrillers happen to be one of my favorite genres and I joined this group to learn about new authors and get out of my comfort zone. I have a high stress job so I love being able to escape through reading. Happy to be on here and to meet new and interesting fans of this genre!

Hi Sally. did you say thrillers are your favorite genre? What luck! I happen to have a thriller right here on goodreads.

It's about a flu pandemic gone awry. If you saw 'Contagion' you know how a pandemic gets started. H10 N1 shows how it ends. And it isn't with a miracle cure.

Marsha wrote: "Hi Sally. did you say thrillers are your favorite genre? What luck! I happen to have a thriller right here on goodreads.

It's about a flu pandemic gone awry. If you saw ..."

Perfect, I will put this one on my list for sure. Thanks!

Hello everyone, I'm Rohini, and this is my first time in an online book discussion forum. I was browsing through goodreads and saw this group. I enjoy mysteries and detective stories, and am delighted to find so many others who do!

Hello,
I'm writing this from Nova Scotia, Canada. Any Canadians here? I love mysteries and thrillers, that's why I'm here.
I write romance with a hint of mystery or suspense added, but I'm leaning more toward mystery and suspense lately. Guess I'm tired of going the romance route.
John Sandford is one of my favourite authors, as well as Dean Koontz and of course I can't leave out Stephen King. There are others but can't think of them right now. Just wanted to drop by and say hi.

Hello everyone, was just reading this forum, and thought I would introduce myself. I generally read and write suspense, and am always looking for new work to enjoy. I am currently working on a suspense/thriller, and earlier today, while sitting home alone, writing, I managed to spook myself. So, as you can see, I am either a really good writer, or, a bit of a dork. LOL Haven't decided which yet. Looking forward to reading your stuff.

Hey, carol! I see you like John Sanford. I read all of his books. Loved Lucas Davenport. Although once he married Weather and turned family man, I kind of lost interest. Have you ever read Lee Child? You might like Reacher.

Hi - I'm an author and a reader. Quite omnivorous really, but have been on a Daniel Silva jag lately as you can see from my bookshelf.

My Golan! is a "what if the worst happened" thriller. Iran blinds Israel with an EMP nuclear strike, everyone else attacks, and I spend the next 400 some pages getting Israel though the mess. It's a really page turner. Beware, it has kept more than one person up all night.

Marsha wrote: "Hey, carol! I see you like John Sanford. I read all of his books. Loved Lucas Davenport. Although once he married Weather and turned family man, I kind of lost interest. Have you ever read Lee Chil..."

I kind of agree, Lucas was a lot more interesting before he married, but I do like his wife and I like his adopted daughter, Sanford should have a series on her someday.
I never read Lee Child...something to consider, thanks.

Edward wrote: "Hi - I'm an author and a reader. Quite omnivorous really, but have been on a Daniel Silva jag lately as you can see from my bookshelf.

My Golan! is a "what if the worst happened" t..."

Edward wrote: "Hi - I'm an author and a reader. Quite omnivorous really, but have been on a Daniel Silva jag lately as you can see from my bookshelf.

My Golan! is a "what if the worst happened" t..."

I enjoyed Silva's writing this summer - 6 or 8 books - but who's counting. I do like his writing and his characters. Not sure if I care much for his politics, however.