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Favorite Female Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Writers

31K views 234 replies 42 participants last post by  Ann in Arlington 
#1 ·
Some of my favorite contemporary mystery/thriller/suspense writers are Catherine Coulter, Tami Hoag, and Deborah Crombie.
Favorite classical mystery writers of the Golden Age:  Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and Georgette Heyer (yes - she wrote mysteries too!)
Anybody else?
 
#2 ·
That's an interesting range of authors.

For thriller, I'd say Carol O'Connell and Linda Fairstein.  Contemporary and humorous, I'd say Janet Evanovich although I haven't been reading her latest stuff. 

Classical, definitely Elizabeth  Peters.  Always a favorite.
 
#6 ·
The Hooded Claw said:
Dated, but not really classic, is Dorothy Gilman and her Mrs. Polifax series.
Those are good. Kind of an odd mesh of a cozy character, but the books aren't really cozy.
 
#7 ·
Nevada Barr (Anna Pigeon series, although there's one I never even tried to read based on reviews); Dana Stabenow (Kate Shugak series, although her cliffhanger on the last one made me almost mad enough to quit - I'll get them from the library from now on); Deborah Crombie and Elizabeth George (although their last books make me feel like both are running out of steam); Susan Conant and Laurien Bersenson (cozy dog mysteries).

I enjoyed the Mrs. Pollifax but wouldn't say she was a favorite. No, other than the ability to solve mysteries and her insight into human nature, she's not like Miss Marple; Mrs. P is older but still pretty athletic for her age and adventuresome. She starts the series as a depressed widow and marries along the way.

Over the years and the alphabet, either I've changed or Grafton has. I'm reading her latest now and it's not holding my interest well, but she would always have been on my like list, not favorites list.

For classics - Josephine Tey.

 
#9 ·
vprelatte said:
I've never read Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Polifax series. Is Mrs. Polifax like Agatha Christie's Miss Marple in any way?
Not really. The character is cozy in some ways, but Mrs. Polifax is tough as nails and gets into some dangerous situations. In cozy reader groups some cozy readers don't like them because the "thriller" and "danger" aspect can be a little more real (that is not to say these are realistic type books. They are just more thriller material than a lot of cozies.) They are good reads with well-drawn characters and Gilman has written other detective and psychic type stand alones. All good stuff that I've read.
 
#15 ·
vprelatte said:
A big thank you to Ellenoc for reminding me about Josephine Tey. I loved all of her Inspector Grant novels, especially The Daughter of Time.
My favorite is Brat Farrar, but then I'm a horse person and find the setting very appealing. I reread it every few years and it's one of the few books I had in paper that I've now got for Kindle. The paperback was in such poor shape I had to keep it together with a rubber band around it.
 
#17 ·
jmiked said:
I liked that one a lot. I also have the TV version that was on Masterpiece Theater years ago. It's on VHS tape and getting a bit streaky from the re-watchings over the years.
Oh, I didn't know there was such a thing. I can't decide whether to go looking to see if it can be acquired or whether I'd rather stick with my own mental images.
 
#21 ·
Sometimes I enjoy being able to guess who the murderer is, but I also enjoy being thoroughly stumped. Agatha Christie has stumped me on more than one occasion. For example, when I read The Murder at the Vicarage, I was absolutely sure that I had the whole thing figured out - and I was totally wrong. I wasn't just way out in left field; I was completely out of the ball park!
Great writer, great mystery.

Vanessa
 
#22 ·
I love a "fair" mystery where enough information is given to the reader that we can sometimes figure things out before they are revealed in the text.  But I don't want this to happen too often in a book!  And sometimes it's good to be completely baffled or caught flatfooted by surprise.
 
#23 ·
Surprised no one has mentioned Lisa Gardner or Lisa Jackson! But, maybe I missed it. Either way, they're awesome. I grab their books as quickly as they're published, right along with other already mentioned authors Tami Hoag, Tess Gerritsen, and Janet Evanovich.

Oh, and Sandra Brown's thrillers...did we mention Sandra? Love her.

Gillian Flynn, too. Can you tell this genre is my happy place? :D

 
#25 ·
The Hooded Claw said:
I love a "fair" mystery where enough information is given to the reader that we can sometimes figure things out before they are revealed in the text. But I don't want this to happen too often in a book! And sometimes it's good to be completely baffled or caught flatfooted by surprise.
I agree. Other Agatha Christie books that had me totally stumped were And Then There Were None and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (but some people question how "fair" the latter book mentioned is). Now Sad Cypress was different. I figured out the "who" and the "why", but darned if I could figure out the "how"!
 
#26 ·
vprelatte said:
I agree. Other Agatha Christie books that had me totally stumped were And Then There Were None and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (but some people question how "fair" the latter book mentioned is). Now Sad Cypress was different. I figured out the "who" and the "why", but darned if I could figure out the "how"]
I never have gotten around to reading Roger Ackroyd. I am not a Christie fanatic, but do like her, and I ought to finally read this...
 
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