Starting a new mystery/thriller series...

[amanda_in_pajamas]

I'm just about finished with the Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell. I really enjoyed the series, though I do have to agree with a lot of reviewers...the first books in the series are FAR better than the last!

I'm looking to start a new series when I'm done. I've narrowed down my choices to these:

The Women's Murder Club (James Patterson)
Sue Grafton's Alphabet Murders (A is for Alibi, etc.)
Crossover: A Cassandra Kresnov Novel (Joel Shephard)
Storm Front (Dresden Files) (Jim Butcher)
The Bone Collector (Jeffrey Deaver)
Mary Higgins Clark mysteries (not a series, but I have six or seven to read)

Any suggestions? I've heard positive reviews on all of these series. Is there one here that jumps out as a "must read now"???

Thanks for any input!

Comments

[jennem]

I tried Women's Murder Club and I just couldn't finish it. It was boring and poorly written in my opinion.

Mr. jennem loves the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, but I wasn't able to keep up with them after the first few.

[amanda_in_pajamas]

Thanks :) My grandmother watched The Women's Murder Club incessantly and always raved about the show. I was hoping the books would live up to how wonderful she said the show was.

BTW-I love your icon. I'm still in BSG withdrawal. *wibbles*

[provenguilty]

I vote for the Dresden Files. Definitely definitely. Now. Go off and read!!

[amanda_in_pajamas]

Looks like it's nearly unanimous (was on the poll I posted in my own journal too). I'll have to see if I can find a copy at Half Price Books when I go this week. (I still have one Scarpetta book to go.) If not, I'll order it from Amazon :D

[sideways]

The Dresden Files are a lot of fun, particularly if you're into the modern fantasy scene. It's not what I'd call the most original series, but Butcher mixes various myths and magics well, and the writing is in a dry, laidback style that is easy to read and often funny.

Bank guys get so hung up about things like bad credit histories and people who fill in the "occupation" blank of the application with wizard. I guess it could have been worse. I could have been filling out the reason the loan was needed with 'pay off mercenary for services rendered'.

[amanda_in_pajamas]

LOL, I already like it! I'm all about humor, especially well-written dry humor. Books are escapism for me, and anything fun is always good.

[ellarien]

The Dresden series is great fun (and not very much like the TV version); the problem I had is that it's very hard to stop at just one book. Crossover I didn't much care for, myself; it's very violent, and the protagonist seemed a bit too much like the male author's idea of an ideal woman, if you see what I mean. The others I haven't tried.

[amanda_in_pajamas]

I saw commercials for the Dresden files while watching Battlestar Galactica on Sci-Fi, but never really paid much attention to them. I didn't know anything about the series until I saw a friend's review on GoodReads and it piqued my curiosity.

I'm all for reading fun and entertaining books. Humor is good!

I hadn't heard of Crossover until a few days ago when someone in another book community reviewed it and recommended it as a good series for BSG fans. Since I'm still going through BSG withdrawal, I thought I'd give it a shot. Perhaps I'll just move that one down my list a bit, lol.

[writerlibrarian]

Grafton's series is a litttle dated but from what I recall okay. Dresden files series would be my choice. Is Patterson even really writing his books these days?

[amanda_in_pajamas]

LOL, I have a couple of his (Patterson) books in the series (love Half Price Books clearance sales) and they are co-written. I haven't read any Patterson before, so I'm not quite sure what to expect from him her.

[alfabet126]

About the only Patterson I've read is his Maximum Ride series. I like that his books are easy to read, with very short chapters (2-3 pages). That's good when one lacks an attention span and has a small child as I do. :)

I read some of Grafton's and liked them pretty well. They were okay to check out of the library, but I wouldn't try to collect all of them to keep and love and reread forever and ever.

I've not read the Dresden books, but my husband and best friend have and both love them; I trust their judgment and recommendations.

I tried one Mary Higgins Clark and could NOT get into it.

btw - love the icon!

[amanda_in_pajamas]

LOL, short chapters+small child=♥ My son will be three in July. I typically read two books at a time for that very reason - a non-fiction book for during the day that I can just put down whenever, and a good mystery/thriller for after munchkin's bedtime! :D

[alfabet126]

My son just turned 3 on May 1. Funny how he's content to play by himself until I try to read or do something for myself, then it's time to demand Mama's attention. :)

My "put down whenever" books right now are the Little House on the Prairie books; I never read them when I was little.

[amanda_in_pajamas]

Happy Birthday to your son! I love boys this age (and I'm sure I'll say that about every age...except maybe 16-19). He too has the "bug me" gene when it comes to me reading, lol. It never fails. He does ask about what I'm reading though and will sometimes want me to read to him from my book. That's also another reason why I tend to read the mystery/thriller books after bedtime :D

I never read the Little House books either, but my MIL read them to my husband when he was younger (one of his favorite childhood memories), so it's made me a bit more curious about them. My son loves the Box Car Children, and once we exhaust that series, I was thinking about moving on to Little House next. He's enamored with books, just like his mama. It's wonderful.

[stardancer]

Mary Higgins Clark is all right. I'd read one, maybe two, but they all start to feel the same after a while. They still have the power to scare me, but they're not overwhelmingly original. Still, they're semi-classic; I recommend reading at least one.

[amanda_in_pajamas]

I've read all but the last six or seven that have come out. I absolutely agree that once you've read a couple you've read them all, but they are definitely an enjoyable read (usually-I didn't really care for Nighttime is My Time, which is why I haven't read (m)any(?) of them since).

I remember the first one I read. I was eight or nine at the time. It was A Cry in the Night. Scared the bejeebies out of me!

[thymindmaymove]

I am such a huge fan of the Dresden Files and the Alphabet Murders. I read both series so quickly because I couldn't put them down! Although I'm a big fan of James Patterson and Mary Higgins Clark. And since you've listed such great choices, I'm going to have to check out the rest of your options!

[amanda_in_pajamas]

Have you read the In Death series by JD Robb (Nora Roberts)? I highly recommend that series as well. I'm anxiously waiting for the next one to come out this fall.

[thymindmaymove]

I have the first three, I just need to get around to reading them! I'm a big fan of her other books, so I figured they'd be a good read.

[amanda_in_pajamas]

I absolutely love them! A former co-worker got me hooked quite a few years ago (wow, almost 10 now that I think about it - meep!) I absolutely fell in love with the characters from the first book. It's an awesome series. I'd love to know what you think of them once you start reading them. :)

[slapchop]

I'm adding my voice to the chorus of Dresden recs. It took me until about book three to really get into them, but get into them I did, and they have yet to disappoint. He's built a very large and complex world, and yet has managed to keep all of the balls easily in the air, as well as populating his universe with multiple characters that I really, really like. I can safely say that each new book is a hardcover autobuy, and that once he hit his stride, there isn't a weak one in the entire bunch. Very, *very* worth it.

[amanda_in_pajamas]

I can safely say that each new book is a hardcover autobuy
That makes me very happy to hear. I absolutely love collecting books, and any time I find an author that I really like, I'm doubly pleased because I get the story and the book on my shelf. *is a geek!*

[bibliofilen]

I was disappointed with the Dresden books. They were pretty formulaic with a classic hero of the type who can be severely injured, go without food or sleep for days and still somehow run a marathon or two. Not very in-depth characterisations either. I was just waiting for Harry to start describing people as "dames" or "broads".

Sue Grafton's Alphabet murders are well written and high quality throughout. The others I haven't read, except for Mary Higgins Clark but that was a long time ago and I don't remember any of it.

[amanda_in_pajamas]

LOL, once you read on Mary Higgins Clark book, you've pretty much read them all. For some reason though, I just keep coming back for more. I really enjoy stories with a female protagonist, and these fit the bill.

I'm very curious about the Dresden Files books now. It looks like I'll absolutely love them or really dislike them.

[falena]

I agree with those who said that Sue Grafton's Alphabet Murder series is well-written,with a likeable and believable heroine.

[amanda_in_pajamas]

I've been randomly picking up the books as I see them at our Half Price Book Store. They look pretty good :) I really like books with a female lead, so these should be very enjoyable reading.