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Topic: Looking for new Christian Suspense/Mystery authors

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Date Posted: 12/8/2011 2:08 PM ET
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Last Edited on: 12/8/11 2:10 PM ET - Total times edited: 2
mannsb avatar
Date Posted: 12/12/2011 6:34 PM ET
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Kay, I don't know if anyone has given you any suggestions, but this happens to be my very, most favorite genre of books!!!!  There aren't a lot that are JUST Christian mystery writers, but they do exist outside of the Steeplechase, Love Inspired, etc type of books. here are a few authors I have enjoyed:

AIKEN, Ginny; ALCORN, Randy - some are not mysteries but others are; Allen, Irene - wrote 4 mysteries all beginning with "Quaker....." - that give one a pretty good insight into the communal worship; BELL, James Scott - I especially enjoyed his "Try..............." 3 in a series; some of his others have some mystery;BENRAY, Ron & Janet - I really enjoyed these - light reading! DAVIS BUNN has more than a few that have mystery elements to them, you'll jjust have to read the blurbs; my very favorite of his is called The Presence; anything by MINDY STARNS CLARK;  also COLLEEN COBLE  - sometimes the library has some of her books; BRANDILYN COLLINS -  i enjoy hers!; TIM DOWNS - He is called the "bug man" because of his work, but his last one - Wonders never cease - was a stand alone; anything by SHARON DUNN; KATE GALLISON'S books may or may n ot be easy to find on the site, but I liked her - a cleric in a large inner cit church; take a look at ALTON GANSKY; one of my very favorites is TRICIA GOYER  who combines history, usually WWII, intrigue, and a little romance, but always God; I have read all of LINDA HALL's books - some mystery and some romance; a humorous series you may enjoy is about a rabbi's widow in a small Texas town. Because I recognized the setting I was interested, b ut they are somewhat inane at times; anything by RICHARD MABRY is good - usually medical mysteries; DAVID MANUEL;  LORENA McCOURTNEY has at least 3 series and I like them all, esp. the ones about the little old ladies since I am one! They are a hoot! SUSAN MEISSNER - Widows and orphans and Sticks and stones; just about anything by GILBERT MORRIS - just check the blurbs to see if it is one you want. I like them all! VIRGINIA OWENS; Sister CAROIL ANN O'MARIE; Father BRAD REYNOLDS - these are interesting mysteries because they are set in the native cultures of the NW; one of my very favorites - EMILIE RICHARDS!!!! GAYLE ROPER wrote several that all begin with "Caught....." plus See no evil' PATRICIA RUSHFORD  has at least 3 series that I know of - she too is quite versatle! I think you might like anything by PATRICIA SPRINKLE she has 9 in a series called Thoroughly Southern Mysteries; she has an Atlanta based series with 7 and she wrote 3 Family tree series mysteries; AUDREY STALLSMITH; JENNIFER STANLEY; WINONA SULLIVAN; TRAVIS THRASHER also has several that are just mysteries; another of my very favorites is the 23 Psalm series by Debbie Viguie - so far I think she only has 3 out; I also especially like CHRIS WELL - Forgiving Soloman Long  was a winner! Last but not least are 3 books by NICOLE YOUNG - kinda, sorta, romantic, but defintately mystery.

This is probably WAY more info than you wanted, but perhaps someone else will add to it, or perhaps someone else will see something here they would like. ENJOY!       Blessings        M'ann



Last Edited on: 12/14/11 3:10 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
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Date Posted: 12/19/2011 10:19 AM ET
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Thank you!  I will definitely check out some of these authors.  I'm going to first check and see if my library has any of these authors.  I hate to waste a credit on something that I won't enjoy so I like to check out an author first to see if I enjoy their writing style.

 

mannsb avatar
Date Posted: 12/21/2011 10:53 AM ET
Member Since: 12/9/2006
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A woman after my own heart! I, too, check the library before I start a series - if they have the author - before I begin ordering. Smart!    Blessings and have a joy filled CHRISTmas!

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Date Posted: 1/21/2012 10:13 PM ET
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Kay,

 

  I know it's been a while since someone posted on here, but I just noticed your posting & thought I'd give you my two cents.  :-D  Christian fiction is also my favorite. 

My favorite mystery-type authors are:

  • Terri Blackstock
  • Brandilyn Collins
  • Tim Downs
  • Irene Hannon
  • Lynette Eason
  • James Pence (he only has 2 myster books but they are great!)
  • Paul McCusker (his Time Thriller Trilogy Series)
  • Dee Henderson
  • Alton Gansky
  • Patricia Rushford

I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones that come to mind.  If you haven't already, you might post over in the Christian Book Recommendations Forum (just a little up the page from the Religion/Spirituality Forum).  They might also have some suggestions.



Last Edited on: 1/21/12 10:13 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
mannsb avatar
Date Posted: 2/4/2012 11:30 AM ET
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Paul, Thank you for your added suggestions. I didn't know about Irene Hannon, Lynette Eason, James Pence, and Paul McCusker. I will look for them. Thanks. The others are favorites of mine - I forgot to list!     M'ann 



Last Edited on: 2/4/12 11:30 AM ET - Total times edited: 1
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Date Posted: 2/4/2012 2:59 PM ET
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I know my library has a lot of those authors listed.  What is not in my library I am able to get on inter-library loan from another library in the system.  I love that program but I can only get books once they have been out six months or longer. Hard to be patient when you have discovered a new author you like.

I recently discovered some series I have not read yet by one of my favorite authors and I have been devoring them. I checked out a four book series  by Colleen Coble, the Rock Harbor series and read each in a day and a half.  Could read in a day but I have to do other things like housework and cooking.

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Date Posted: 2/24/2012 3:09 PM ET
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I guess you could say it's more thriller than mystery, but I definitely recommend "The Road to Hell" by Jess Hanna. It's a fascinating look at the reality of Hell and spiritual warfare. Highly recommend it to people who enjoy Frank Peretti or Ted Dekker!

You can view the trailer for the book on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj4VHoAH_JY

 
It's available on Amazon in paperback ($12.99) & ebook ($4.99):
http://www.amazon.com/Road-Hell-Jess-Hanna/dp/1469927713/
http://www.amazon.com/The-Road-to-Hell-ebook/dp/B007AA342Y/
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Date Posted: 3/8/2012 9:15 PM ET
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Ronie Kendig is a wonderful author. Dead Reckoning is a good book. And her Discarded Heroes series I had a hard time putting down!

Also, Rick Acker's book "When the Devil Whistles" is fantastic.

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Date Posted: 3/9/2012 9:51 AM ET
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I have the Ronie Kendig novel and the Rick Ackers novel downloaded FREE on my kindle.  I just haven't gotten around to reading yet. I just finished Terri Blackstock's novel Downfall and I could not put it down.  I figured out the bad guy about halfway into the book but it still kept me on edge not knowing what the bad guy was going to do or who he was going to murder next.

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Date Posted: 3/31/2014 11:41 PM ET
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The Little Hickman Creek series by Sharlene MacLaren is very good! And I love Dee Henderson!


 

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Date Posted: 10/5/2014 6:16 PM ET
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While not new books, you might want to try Lynn and Gilbert Morris' books The Beginning of Sorrows and Fallen Stars Bitter Watters.  They are a series.

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Date Posted: 12/17/2017 12:07 AM ET
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I just posted this book.  I had to create a custom isbn for it since it is a Hardback not paperback.  http://www.paperbackswap.com/Twilight-Blueberry-Barrens-Colleen-Coble/book/486077/