Hi everybody

I have been on a romance reading spree for several months but I think I am just about worn out now. I always tend to switch to thrillers in the early fall and I didn't this year. I was having to play catch up in romance and erotica trades. BUT I recently got THE KEEPSAKE by Tess Gerritsen from the library and remembered why I love a good thriller so much, and its been FAR TOO LONG!

I need some good authors-I dont even know what's out there anymore. I do know I prefer female protagonists and point of view just for relatability, but as long as the book is good then I'll read anything.

Some of the authors I know I like are:

-Tess Gerritsen (LOVE her)

-Dean Koontz (LOVE him)

-Iris Johanseen (sort of hit or miss)

 For mysteries, I am open. I started reading the joanne Fluke mysteries and really like those. I l also read the Kinsey Millhone mysteries.

I am BRAND NEW in the cozy genre so any good, funny ones you can suggest would be great.

Thanks in advance!!!!

Karin Slaughter is excellent, but not for the faint of heart - her books typically contain some violence and gore.

Thanks guys! keep em coming.

Maybe Faye Kellerman, James Patterson  The Women Murder Club Series

Hope this helps

Jennifer ~ two of my favorite cozy series are Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow series) and G.A. McKevett (Savanah Reid series).  I'm actually up to date on both of them :)

have you read Tami Hoag? she has some thrillers. I tend to like the lighter stuff myself though I did read about 3 of Hoag's and liked them.

my mysteries are usually cozies in an area I like - tea shop mysteryes by Laura Childs, crochet mysteries by betty hechtman, monica ferris' needlepoint mysteries..cooking class mysteries by  miranda bliss.

Mo Hayder, David Baldacci, Robert Tanenbaum, Robert Crais, Lee Child, Peter Robinson, James Lee Burke, Meg Gardiner, Tami Hoag, Meg Gardner, John LesCroart, James Patterson, Stuart Woods, Laura Lippman, Tim Green, Peri O'Shaunessy (sp?), P.J. Tracy,  Karin Slaughter, Phillip Margolin, Brian Freeman, Greg Isles, Lisa Lutz, James Swain, Richard North Patterson, Stephen J. Cannell, Brad Meltzer......just for starters!  No, really, I could keep going!  Hope that helps!!

Julia Spencer-Fleming and Lisa Gardner are also good authors to consider. I also second Karin Slaughter, although I would like to give her a good piece of my mind (and maybe a few swift kicks) in regard to the happenings in her last Grant County book....

Anna, I second the "few swift kicks"!  And I add a smack upside the head!  What was she thinking?

I dunno, Carol. Although I've read many, many books in my lifetime, Beyond Reach is the only novel, to my recollection, whose ending left me bewildered, enraged and absolutely speechless. It's anyone's guess what direction the storyline will take now. No doubt we'll find out when Genesis is released on July 21.

             *Possible Spoiler*  -  The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

If you want to read another one that ends stupidly, try The Story of Edgar Sawtelle!  I read it months ago and it still makes me mad!

I"d recommend Catherine Coulter.  She's written some really great mysteries, imo.  If you haven't read it, I"d recommend Riptide, The Maze and The Cove by her.  :)  I currently have one of her books on my shelf in HB - Blowout.  If you're interested, please send me a PM.  :)

ETA: I also have By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz on my shelf.  :)

Uh oh on Karin Slaughter... the last one I read was Faint Cold Fear.  Now I want to read the others to see what the issue is... or maybe I don't!  :-\

I just finished Eight of Swords by David Skibbins.  It doesn't seem very popular here on PBS but I really liked it.  Definitely not a cozy though!  For cozies I like John Lamb's Bear Collectors series, and I'll second (or third) Donna Andrews.

I really enjoyed the Elizabeth Macpherson series by Sharyn Mccrumb, the Amanda Pepper books by Gillian Roberts, anything by Carolyn G. Hart (she has a copuple of mystery series going),  and I love the China Bayles series by Susan Wittig Albert. Also really enjoyed The Murder Lover and Deadly Harvest by Ellen Rawlings, but she apparently only has the 2 mysteries. I could keep going, but I have to pick a stopping point!! These would all really be more cozy than thriller. Deb

Dick Francis doesn't write cozies, but I love his books.  You pick one up to read a couple of pages and the next thing you know it's two hours later.   He's more in the thriller line and is an excellent writer.

I'm hooked on P J Tracy right now but the books aren't cozies.

If you like female protaginists I'd say the Barbar Colley Charlotte LaRue books or the Aunt Dimity series by Nancy Atherton are quiet cozies.  For a laugh you might try Joan Hess.  She has two series - the Claire Malloy and the Arly Hanks series.  But, both of those series should be read in order. 

I like the Margaret Maron Deborah Knott series too. 

As others have said I could go on and on.

For those of you that read Beyond reach by Karin Slaughter, did you read her letter of explanation for the ending on her web site?  I read it but still don't agree, she didn't really give a valid reason IMO.  Worst ending EVER.

Back on subject I am really liking Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme/Amanda Sachs series.

LOVE the Preston/Childs Agent Pendergast books!

Kay Hooper,  her Bishop/Special Crimes unit books: the Fear trilogy and the Evil trilogy.

Alex Kava's Maggie O'Dell series is good.

I second the recommendations for Lisa Gardner, P J Tracy, Tami Hoag.

My favorite mysteries are the Jordan Lacey books by Stella Whitelaw. Not really cozies and not really thrillers, maybe a little of both. She is a British author and it's not easy to get your hands on one of her books, not even from the library, but they are well worth it. They should be read in order though.

She just started a new cozy series about a cruise ship director. It was okay, but not as good as the Jordan Lacey books.

Hi, I'm new.  I've been reading mystery/thrillers almost exclusively for a couple of years.  I seem to go through periods where I mostly like only one genre.  Does anyone else do that?  I buy a lot of paperbacks from garage sales and thrift stores.  I have a Barnes & Noble gift card I got for Christmas that I haven't used yet.  People know what to get me, lol.  Anyhow, here are some of my favorite authors.  Some of them also write romance novels.

Karen Robards --- I really, really, really like her.
Brenda Novak - ditto
Linda Howard - ditto
Sandra Brown, James Patterson, Tami Hoag, Lisa Gardner, Nora Roberts, Julie Garwood, Andrea Kane, Catherine Coulter.  There are many more if I could just think of them off the top of my head.  I used to adore Mary Higgins Clark's early books, but not too crazy about her later books.

Dick Francis is my favorite mystery author. A group of us are starting a reading group and will discuss "Dead Cert" starting March 1st, with "Nerve" the following month. You're welcome to join us for just one book or as many as you like! :)