Author recommendations

September 17, 2024 2:09 AM

I’m looking for writing in the style of Ruth Rendell, Patricia Highsmith, Anthony Horowitz. I’ve looked at a lot of past questions and gotten some good leads, but I’m having trouble finding stuff that’s as well-written and gripping.

I’m also a John Grisham fan but don’t let that sway you if he turns you off. I really don’t care for things in the style of Louise Penny and Kate Atkinson, though I do like Sue Grafton. Any suggestions?

posted by dianeF to Media & Arts (10 answers total)

Have you read any Tana French?
posted by hazyjane at 2:41 AM on September 17 [9 favorites]

If you read Ruth Rendell, then you’ve probably come across PD James. Try Denise Mina, Nicci French, Minette Walters.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:34 AM on September 17 [2 favorites]

Ann Cleeves.
posted by Grunyon at 4:56 AM on September 17 [4 favorites]

I really enjoyed the first couple Mick Herron novels (Slow Horses and sequels) if spy novels are interesting to you. Le Carre, as well, of course, but good god he's depressing. (I find there's plenty of conceptual overlap between mystery/thriller and spy novels.) Seconding Tana French - she's the kind of crunchy/thinky character analyst that I think you'll probably dig. Sara Paretsky is for sure worth a try - gritty Chicago detective novels. And my brand new fave, Carol O'Connel's Mallory novels - a very different angle on the detective. Don't be put off by the first scene - she stops trying quite so hard to be arty and settles into a really fascinating style.
posted by restless_nomad at 5:02 AM on September 17 [3 favorites]

You might already be aware, but just in case: Ruth Rendell also wrote under the pen name Barbara Vine. Her BV works tend to be more psychological, and I still find the riveting.
posted by OrangeDisk at 9:23 AM on September 17 [3 favorites]

Is PD James still in print? She wrote quite a number of excellent mysteries with strong characterizations.
posted by suelac at 1:50 PM on September 17 [1 favorite]

Nicci French (actually a husband & wife team).

My favourite is Killing Me Softly, a gripping story that was made into a terrible movie, unfortunately. But I've enjoyed everything of theirs I've ever read.
posted by essexjan at 2:04 PM on September 17 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks, all! I will be checking these all out on Libby.. I especially like the idea of branching out into spy novels, restless_nomad. Thank you all again!
posted by dianeF at 5:49 PM on September 17

Have you read any Eric Ambler? Journey Into Fear & Coffin for Dimitrios are exciting, well-written thrillers with psychological realism--1930s/40s spy stories where a regular citizen gets tangled up in international intrigue & has to cope. They're great. Graham Greene can scratch that itch for me too--literary espionage.
posted by miles per flower at 6:06 PM on September 17 [1 favorite]

The Robert Galbraith books are great - more mysteries than thrillers but with the same psychological insight as the authors you mention imo and very gripping!
posted by low_horrible_immoral at 11:48 AM on September 18 [1 favorite]