Re: Please Help! Need Great Reads!

Janet Puistonen wrote,

>Karnak, I am highly encouraged by your negative opinion of Elizabeth George

Oh, anytime!  : )

>and positive opinion of Liza Cody. Too many read the former, and not enough
>the latter. (Which type of Liza Cody did you read--Anna Lee or the female
>wrestler? I strongly prefer the former. If it wasn't one of them, give one a
>try.) I'd disagree about Paretsky, but V.I. can be extremely annoying, I
>know.

I read the first three Anna Lee books.  They were actually a lot better than
decent, now that I am remembering more about them.  I stopped reading because I
couldn't find the fourth one, then forgot about them.  Lots of sleuths strike
me as play-acting Sam Spade or Nancy Drew, but Anna Lee seemed very
true-to-life.  It was ironic, but the increased realism made her more
entertaining rather than less so.  I had a lot of fun reading those books.

Naturally, when I went to the library to check out everyone's suggestions,
there were no Liza Cody's at all.  :-(
  
>Have you read P.D. James? If not, I strongly suggest you try Shroud for a
>Nightingale. The protagonist is not female, but there are strong female
>characters, it is very well written, it is intelligent, and by this time it
>is a classic. Also by P.D. James, try An Unsuitable Job for a Woman, which
>_does_ have a female protagonist.

Yes.  I have read that one.  Once it got going, it was terrific, and the ending
was pretty outstanding, but I didn't care for the fact that the heroine was
such a sad-sack.  I pitied her a bit, and I prefer heroines I can admire.

>On a completely different note, the comparatively recently-published Tropic
>of Night by Michael Gruber just blew me away. The protagonist is an unusual
>intelligent female, and the book is intense.

Sounds intriguing . . .

>You should also try the first in the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth
>Peters, "Crocodile on the Sandbank." Peabody is a wonderful character--my
>favorite female in all of crime fiction. (This is actually the same person
>who wrote the Barbara Michaels you didn't like, but the books are quite
>different.) This series may or may not be to your taste, but it is worth
>looking in to. If you like it, you will have many hours of reading pleasure
>ahead.

Actually, whenever I am in a bookstore, I get drawn to the Elizabeth Peters
books.  They seem so exactly my sort of mystery.  Then I remember she is also
Barbara Michaels and put them back.  I have done this at least ten times.

I might overcome my prejudice, though, and give them a try.  Like you
say--there is so much to gain if I like them.

>
>Another avenue for you to explore is Carol O'Connell's Mallory series.
>Mallory is a unique protagonist, to say the least. The books are
>idiosyncratic, and strongly written. I can't recall which is the first, but
>someone else might know.
>
>Last but not least, you might check out Barbara Vine. "A Dark-Adapted Eye"
>for example. A high level of writing, much psychological suspense, et al.

I saw this on PBS YEARS ago and liked it.  But then I saw "Gallowglass", which
reduced me to gibbering horror, and insured I'd never try another Vine story
again as long as I live. <shudder>

>Oh, and if you like good writing, I strongly suggest you read Iain Pears'
>"An Instance of the Fingerpost." It is, roughly speaking, an historical
>mystery, but far beyond what you'd expect from that label. (Not a female
>protagonist, just a very good book.)

I like the sound of it.  Thanks for the tips.    :)