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Kearsley, Susanna (aka Emma Cole)
(Canadian, 1966- ) (Historical Thrillers) |
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| Kerr, Philip
(British, 1956- ) http://www.pbkerr.com/flash/index.html (Historical Thrillers, Young Adult crime fiction) A superb writer and one of the strongest voices of our time, British author Philip Kerr is best known for his Bernie Gunther series of tales anchored in the Second World War. Intricate, nuanced tales, they focus on an Berlin ex-police detective who has been co-opted by the Nazis to work for Kripo, the investigative arm of the German State Security Police. Bernie tries to weave a careful path between his Nazi bosses and those around him caught up in the chaos of war, but events overtake him, and he finds himself by turns in a Soviet POW camp, in South America and pre-Castro Cuba, and back in Berlin, where he’s investigated for alleged war crimes. The result is a probing, layered body of work, carefully researched and consummately written. Kerr has also penned nearly a dozen equally compelling standalone novels. Winner of both the 2009 British Crime Writers’ Association Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award and Spain’s RBA International Prize for Crime Writing, Kerr is one of the most original and spellbinding writers on the scene today. |
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King, Laurie R.
(American, 1952- )
http://www.laurierking.com/ (Historical Mysteries) Author Laurie King has been a fixture on the crime writing scene since 1993, when she published A Grave Talent , featuring homicide detective Kate Martinelli . She's gone on to pen several more Martinelli tales, but it is her series of historical puzzles centering on protagonist Mary Russell , and set in England during and after the First World War, that has received the most recent attention. And no wonder: seems she's become the wife of Sherlock Holmes! King's series carries the Holmes stories forward in time, and to such exotic climes as Palestine, India, and San Francisco to apply their crime-solving skills, before returning to their beloved Sussex. Her books have been shortlisted for Agatha and Edgar awards, and in 2002 won King a Macavity Award for Best Novel for her standalone, Folly . |
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| Kirby, Peter (Canadian) http://peterkirby.ca (Police Procedurals) Born in Cork, Ireland, Peter Kirby and his parents moved to Brixton, South London, before he emigrated to America as a young man. After working as a cook in New York, Boston and Toronto he found himself in Montreal, where he resumed his studies, earning a law degree from McGill University. Recently recognized by The American Lawyer as one of Canada’s leading 500 lawyers, today Kirby practices international law at one of Canada’s largest firms; but recognising his long-standing urge to write fiction he put pen to paper, and in 2012 had his first novel, The Dead of Winter, published. Later that same year it was followed by the second in his series, Vigilante Season. Both are set in Montreal, and feature police Inspector Luc Vanier and his partner, Detective Sergeant Sylvie Sainte-Jacques, in atmospheric and insightful tales of inner-city tensions. |
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| Knight, Alanna (Scottish, 1923- ) http://www.alannaknight.com/ (Historical Cozies) Best known for her historical series in which Inspector Jeremy Faro undertakes to solve a wide range of Victorian villainies, some of which concern the Royal Family, Knight has also penned three other series of historical puzzle mysteries. |
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Knopf, Chris (American)
http://www.sameddie.com/ (Thrillers) Sam Acquillo is an ex-boxer and dropout from the corporate world who turned his back on a high salary and company perks to remain his own man. Now he lives in a post-war cottage built by his father in the Hamptons with his dog Eddie. He doesn't seek trouble, but it seems to have no problem finding him, and drawn into confrontations with villains of various stripes, Sam is forced to rely on his wit, and when that doesn't work, his fists. Author Chris Knopf has carved himself a niche with his fast-moving series with an original setting and a protagonist you've gotta respect. |
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Koontz, Dean (American, 1945- ) |
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Kozak, Harley Jane
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| Kupecek, Linda | |
| Lansdale, Joe R.
(American, 1951- ) http://www.joerlansdale.com/ Thrillers, Humourous Mysteries) Creator of one of the more off-the-wall crimefighting duos in recent literary history. Hap Collins is a white, straight wiseass; his partner Leonard Pine is a black, gay, Vietnam vet; put them in Texas and you have the basis for a series of quirky tales featuring psychopaths and prostitutes, rednecks and road trips, nudists and nut-cases, voodoo and violence. Enough zaniness here to satisfy anyone, and some cracking good reads as well. |
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| Landori, Robert | |
| La Plante, Lynda (British, 1943- ) http://www.laplanteproductions.com/ (Police Procedurals) One of the most original, prolific and influential crime writers of recent years, Lynda La Plante made her debut in 1983 with Widows, the first in her Dolly Rawlins series. By 1991 she had launched her Edgar-winning series of novels, Prime Suspect, later filmed for television featuring Helen Mirren in the ground-breaking role of Jane Tennison, one of Britain’s first senior women police officers (at the time there were just four Detective Inspectors in the country). By 2013 La Plante had penned twenty-five novels in six different series, together with nine standalones. Her stories are built around a faithful attention to police procedure, with flawed protagonists whose personal lives are strongly woven into the plot. Gritty detail rounds out her distinctive style, and her stories have earned La Plante millions of fans around the world. Her latest series – already running to eight novels -- comes full circle, with her protagonist, Anna Travis, beginning as a rookie DC before rising through the ranks. Highly recommended. |
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Latour, José (Cuban,
1940- )
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/l/jose-latour/ (Thrillers) This Cuban-born writer draws on the experiences of his homeland to fashion original and dramatic tales that move beyond the island's shores, His first novel in English, The Outcast , chronicles the corruption in both Cuba and Miami, as protagonist Elliot Steil attempts to flee Cuba and join his long-estranged father in America. But not is all as it seems, and Steil must fight for his life, even as he struggles to understand what happened to his father. The Outcast was nominated for an Edgar for Best First Novel, and has been followed by half a dozen other tales of international intrigue, most set in that controversial land. |
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| Lawrence, Caroline (American, 1954- ) http://www.romanmysteries.com/pages/50-Home_Page (Young Readers, Historical Mysteries) Drawing on her background in Classical Studies at Cambridge, Caroline Lawrence has created a series of tales set in the Roman Empire and featuring twelve-year-old amateur sleuth Flavia Gemina , the daughter of a sea captain living in the port of Ostia, and her friends. Popular among young readers, Lawrence's novels draw on actual historical events to capture the atmosphere of Ancient Rome, but remain rooted firmly in the tradition of the classic whodunit. |
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| Lehane, Dennis (American, 1965- ) http://www.dennislehanebooks.com/ (Thrillers) Best known for his standalone novels Mystic River and Shutter Island , both of which became major feature films, Lahane has been nominated for the Shamus, Anthony, and Macavity Awards, winning a Shamus for Best First Novel and an Anthony Award for Best Novel of 2002. But don't overlook his earlier series featuring PIs Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro , a gritty, original series drawing on the color and corruption of Boston. |
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| Leon, Donna www.donnaleon.net (Traditional Mysteries) In 2000 Donna Leon, who for more than twenty years has made her home in Venice, received the 2000 CWA Macallan Silver Dagger for Fiction for Friends in High Places. In addition to many other awards, Leon has been named by The Times of London as one of the Fifty Greatest Crime Writers. Steeped in the rich culture of her adopted country, each case in Leon’s signature Commissario Brunetti series provides her with an opportunity to reveal yet another aspect of Venetian life. Her stories are richly textured, layered tales that inform as well as entertain. |
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| Leonard, Elmore (American, 1925-2013 ) http://www.elmoreleonard.com/index.php?/novels/ (Thrillers, Hard-boiled) Firmly in the tradition of Raymond Chandler and Ross Macdonald, but clear written for today, Leonard's graphic tales combine dark humour with fast-paced action. His Get Shorty is definitely a no-miss. Follow that up with Maximum Bob and Killshot to get the full flavour of this talented writer. A Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America, and Edgar Award winner for Best Novel in 1984. |
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| Lewis, Ted (British, 1940-1982) http://thelifesentence.net/book/the-grievous-life-of-ted-lewis / (British Noir) Best known for creating what became known as the Jack Carter series of tales in the 1970s, British author Ted Lewis penned a total of nine novels until his death from alcohol abuse at the age of forty-two. His stories are taut, spare portrayals of anti-heroes caught up in a web of violence. Lewis’s final novel, GBH, is quite simply a noir masterpiece, a stunningly-written case study in the importance of structure, style, and voice to the telling of a tale. It is a timeless gem and belongs in the very top tier of noir fiction. |
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Liang, Diane Wei
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| Lindsay, Jeff (American, 1952- ) http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/11360-0/Author-Jeff-Lindsay.htm Author of the Macavity-nominated Darkly Dreaming Dexter , Lindsay's protagonist Dexter Morgan is a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami-Dade PD who cringes at the sight of blood; in his off-duty hours he's also a psychopathic serial killer who's dispatched some three dozen victims. In his defense, Dexter only kills bad people (well, so far at least). Of course, he's well positioned to help catch other serial killers, since he understands their twisted psyches. Lindsay's original premise inevitably gives rise to all sorts of intriguing plots, and his wicked sense of humour reaches new heights, or perhaps depths. Need I mention the books have been filmed for television? |
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| Lippman, Laura (American, 1959- ) http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/l/laura-lippman/ (Thrillers) Emerging on the crime writing scene in 1997, Laura Lippman has found an enthusiastic audience for her entertaining tales featuring Baltimore-based PI Tess Monaghan . Frequently taking on high-profile cases involving public figures, Tess sometimes finds it impossible to keep her personal past separate. If you're a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, try her 2001 novel In a Strange City . With seventeen books to date Lippman has become one of contemporary crime writing's most honoured authors, and has been shortlisted for no less than seven Agatha, Shamus, Anthony, Edgar, and Dagger Awards, in addition to having won the Agatha, Anthony (three times), Macavity, and Barry awards, all for best novel. |
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| Liss, David (American, 1966- ) http://davidliss.com/ (Historical Mysteries, Thrillers) Liss's historical novels are set against the background of 18 th -century London, and his ear for language and his attention to detail are impeccable. His debut novel, A Conspiracy of Paper , the latter garnered its author the 2001 Barry, Macavity, and Edgar Awards for Best First Novel, and was followed by five other historicals. The Ethical Assassin is a contemporary tale featuring Melford Kean , a hired killer who dispatches his victims with absolutely no remorse, but who has a problem when there is a witness to one of his hits. So he makes him a deal... |
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Lovesey, Peter (British,
1936- )
http://peterlovesey.com/ (Police Procedurals, Humourous Mysteries) One of the most accomplished crime writers in Britain today, since 1970 Peter Lovesey has been entertaining readers with tales that range from Victorian and Edwardian times to the present. His Sergeant Cribb novels take readers into the esoteric worlds of marathon walkers, pugilists, music halls, and secret societies. He's also given us what, for my money, is one of the best punning titles in crime fiction: Abracadaver , about a magician who makes a body...well, you get the idea. Then there's Lovesey's Prince Albert series, a delightful pastiche based on the premise that the Prince of Wales has an obsession with solving crimes. Lovesey's Peter Diamond series feature a Detective Superintendent based in Bath who, although rooted firmly in the present, is decidedly of the Old School. Finally, in recent years Lovesey has added a third series to his credits, focusing on Inspector Hen Mallin , that promises to be every bit as good. Did I mention that he has been nominated for four Edgar and Dagger awards, won an Anthony award and two Macavities for Best Novel, and has been given the CWA's Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for Lifetime Achievement? 'Nuff said. |
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| Macdonald, Ross (Kenneth Millar)
(American, 1915-1983) http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/ross-macdonald/ (Hard-boiled) Creator of the seminal series of tales featuring private investigator Lew Archer , Ross Macdonald built on a tradition of tough-talking, in-your-face gumshoes begun by Dashiell Hammett and developed by Raymond Chandler. But unlike Hammett and Chandler, Macdonald's tales take readers into a new era of American crime writing, setting a compassionate protagonist against the morally arid climate of post-war Southern California. His work influenced such later writers as Robert Crais, Bill Pronzini, and Sue Grafton, and in addition to winning Silver and Gold Daggers from Britain's Crime Writers Association, MacDonald was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America. |
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| MacInerney, Karen
(American) (Cozies, Traditional mysteries) http://www.karenmacinerney.com/ Her first novel, Murder on the Rocks, was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel in 2006, and since then she’s gone on to write Dead and Berried, Murder Most Maine, and Berried to the Hilt. If you haven’t guessed by now, mysteries in Maine are the basis for this author’s series of tales featuring innkeeper Natalie Barnes, who manages to combine hospitality and homicide on the secluded Cranberry Island. Who knew that B&B meant Baddies and Bodies? Recipes round out the formula for this pleasant, atmospheric series that will appeal to fans of Carolyn Hart. |
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| McFetridge, John | |
| MacLoed, Hilary | |
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Maffini, Mary Jane
(Canadian)
http://www.maryjanemaffini.ca/ (Cozies, Humourous Mysteries) If you enjoy humourous cozies, then you cannot do better than this talented Canadian writer. The author of three separate series, her most recent tales feature Charlotte Adams , a home organizer with a talent for finding herself in the midst of murder. But don't pass up her equally delightful Lament for a Lounge Lizard and The Dead Don't Get Out Much . An engaging take on the lighter side of crime. |
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| Malliet, GM
(British) http://gmmalliet.weebly.com/ (Cozies) Nominated for both Macavity and Anthony Awards, and winner of the 2008 Agatha Award for Best First Novel for Death of a Cozy Writer, G. M. Malliet attended both Oxford and Cambridge, and holds an M. Phil. from the latter. She followed her debut with Death and the Lit Chick and Death at the Alma Mater. Reviving the tradition of witty English country-house mysteries, her stories will appeal to fans of Agatha Christie and Robert Barnard. No one-trick pony, she is following her success with Wicked Autumn, the first of a new series featuring Max Tudor, a former MI5 agent who’s retired to become vicar of a small English village. Very much an author to watch! |
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| Maher, Stephen (Canadian, 1965- ) https://stephenmaher.ca (Political Thrillers and Crime Novels) A multiple-award-winning political reporter and columnist. Born in France, Stephan Maher was raised in Nova Scotia, and has lived in Toronto, Newfoundland, Jamaica, Japan, France, and the United States. In 2012 he debuted with Deadline, a political thriller. Salvage is Maher’s second novel. He lives with his partner Camille in Ottawa. |
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| Mankell, Henning (Swedish, 1948- ) http://www.henningmankell.com/ Thrillers, Police Procedurals) Winner of a CWA Gold Dagger for Best Novel in 2001 for his novel Sidetracked , Swedish author Henning Mankell's crime novels feature Inspector Kurt Wallander as he makes his way through a grisly morass of mostly dark crimes involving disturbed people. Not your granny's reading, but riveting tales from a true master of the genre. |
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| Marlowe, Derek | |
| Marric, J. J. (John Creasey)
(British, 1908-1973) http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/j-j-marric/ (Police Procedurals) See John Creasey. |
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| Marsh, Ava |
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| Marston, Edward (aka Keith Miles (British, 1940 -) (Historical mysteries) http://www.edwardmarston.com The prolific author of over seventy books spanning a wide variety of genres, Keith Miles is perhaps best known for his historically-based mysteries ranging from the times of William the Conqueror through the Restoration period, the Spanish Succession and Victorian times, to those set during the First World War. He has also collaborated with others on mystery anthologies, and published a collection of short stories on his own. In 1996 his novel The Roaring Boy was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best Novel. A former Chairman of the Crime Writers’ Association, Keith lives in Kent with his wife and fellow mystery writer, Judith Cutler. |
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| Martin, Mike (Canadian, 1954 - ) https://sgtwindflowermysteries.com/ (Traditional/Cozy/Police Procedural) Freelance journalist Mike Martin hascarvedout a distinctive nich for himself in Canadian crime fiction with his Sergeant Windflow series, based on a Cree native RCMP officer who has been assigned to work in Newfoundland/ Previous novels in the series include The Walker on the Cape, The Body on the T, Beneath the Surface, and A Twist of Fortune. Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Martin moved to Ottawa in 1984, where he and his partner Joan and their collie make their home. Martin’s articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada, as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He and his wife return to Newfoundland frequently to spend time with their family there. |
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| Martin, Nancy (American) http://www.nancymartinmysteries.com/ (Cozies, Humourous Mysteries) Nominated for Best First Mystery of 2002 for How to Murder a Millionaire, Nancy Martin has penned more than two dozen crime novels, but is perhaps best known for her Blackbird Sisters mysteries and her more recent tales featuring Roxy Abruzzo, the irrepressible niece of a Mafia boss trying her best to go straight. She’s doomed to fail, of course, but her efforts provide lots of laughs along the way. Top-notch escapist reading. |
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| Marwood, Alex (aka Serena Mackesy) (British) http://www.alexmarwood.com (Psychological Thrillers) The pseudonym of a London journalist, Alex Marwood shares her home in South London with her Burmese cat. Both her grandmothers were successful novelists. After writing for The Independent for about ten years she published her debut novel, The Temp. It became a Sunday Times bestseller. Her second novel, Wicked Girls, was shortlisted for an ITW award in 2014, and in 2014 it garnered an Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original, and in the process received lavish praise from no less a connoisseur than Stephen King, who ranked it among the Ten Best Books of the Year. She followed that with an equally harrowing tale, The Killer Next Door, and shows every indication of being very much A Thriller Writer To Watch For. |
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| Massey, Jeremy |
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| May, Peter (Scottish, 1951- ) http://www.petermay.co.uk/ (Suspense tales) With two dozen fine novels to his credit, Peter May has established himself as one of Scotland’s pre-eminent authors of the past two decades. May’s Yan & Campbell series, mostly set in China, debuted in the late 1990s, and were followed by six wide-ranging tales featuring Enzo Macleod, a Scottish biologist cum-forensics analyst based in France. But drawing on his Scottish roots, in 2011 May began a series of stories set in the Hebrides Islands. The Lewis Trilogy, and his most recent novel, Coffin Road, are firmly in that tradition. Told using multiple points of view and evocative descriptions of the islands’ natural settings, Peter May’s exquisitely-layered novels bridge the gap between Scandinavian Noir and traditional British crime dramas. The bleak and primal landscape of the Hebrides serves as a fitting backdrop for equally dark tales about damaged people that often reach far back into his characters’ lives, and May’s compelling and original narratives are very much of our time and place. With three successful series of novels and an equal number of television series – not to mention half a dozen fine standalone novels – Peter May is quickly building a base of fans around the world. |
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Mayle, Peter (British, 1939-
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http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/peter-mayle/ (Cozies, Humourous) Bet you didn't expect to run across this author here, but it's no mistake: the author of the bestselling A Year in Provence is also an accomplished cozy crime writer, and as you might expect, both his wit and the joys of Provence feature heavily in his tales. Mayle's books are always a delight, exquisitely written and guaranteed to entertain. Among my favourites are Hotel Pastis , Anything Considered , Chasing Cezanne , and The Vintage Caper (reviewed here). |
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Mayor, Archer (American,
1950- )
http://www.archermayor.com/ (Police Procedurals) A man of many talents, Archer Mayor is a Deputy Sheriff, a death investigator for Vermont's Chief Medical Examiner, and a volunteer firefighter and EMT technician. In his spare time he writes a series of police procedurals featuring the exploits of Joe Gunther , of the Brattleboro, Vermont PD. Mayor has nineteen novels under his belt to date, plus a NEIBA award for Best Fiction. |
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| McBain, Ed (Evan Hunter) (American,
1926-2005) http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/ed-mcbain/ (Police Procedurals, Thrillers) Nominated for an Edgar for Best Novel in 2002, and the first American to be awarded the CWA's Diamond Dagger Award for lifetime achievement, McBain (in real life Evan Hunter) has also been named a Grand Master by the MWA. Before his death in 2005 he racked up more than fifty titles (at the rate of one every two months or so) in his ground-breaking 87 th Precinct series, set in New York City. His Matthew Hope series of more than a dozen novels chronicles the exploits of a crime-solving attorney, and he is also responsible for another fifteen standalones ranging over a fifty-year period. It is a reflection of his dedication to accuracy that many cops consider McBain among the cream of American crime writers. |
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McCaffrey, Vincent
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McDermid, Val (Scottish,
1955- )
http://www.valmcdermid.com/ Appearing on the crime writing scene in the late 1980s, Val McDermid proceeded to make a name for herself with the Lindsay Gordon series of tales, featuring a freelance journalist who encounters more than her share of crime. In 1992 Val introduced Kate Brannigan, a fearless Manchester-based PI, in what would become a series of ground-breaking tales. But her audience expanded with the filming of her series of Wire in the Blood tales for television, featuring clinical psychologist Dr. Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordon. To date Val has penned 30 novels (selling 11 million copies in 30 languages) and along the way has picked up, among other honours, the CWA Gold Dagger for Best Novel for The Mermaids Singing (1995), the Dilys, Edgar, Macavity, and Anthony Awards for A Place of Execution (2001), a Barry Award for Best British Crime Novel for The Distant Echo (2004), and a Barry Award for Best Paperback Novel for Fever of the Bone (2011). Did I mention that in 2010 she was awarded the CWAs Cartier Diamond Dagger for Outstanding Achievement? McDermid’s novels are compelling and layered tales that always deliver on the promise of a solidly-plotted, well-told story with crackling dialogue and believable characters, and they are among the very best writing today, in or outside of the genre. |
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McFetridge, John (Canadian)
http://www.johnmcfetridge.ca/ (Thrillers, Police Procedurals) Relatively new to the scene, Canadian John McFetridge brings a fresh voice and tight plotting to his work. Not hard-boiled, but with a definite edge that leans toward Noir, McFetridge skillfully explores the corrupting influence of urban life on flawed people. His Toronto-based tales successfully capture the reality of life on the street, whether it's a desperate real-estate saleswoman trying to capitalize on something shady she's just witnessed, or a police detective struggling to understand where his new partner fits within in a corrupt police force. If you're looking for compelling stories, seamlessly told, pick up one of his novels. |
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| McGilloway, Brian | |
| McIntosh, D. J. (Canadian) Thrillers http://www.babylontrilogy.com It’s the stuff dreams are made of: the author of award-nominated short stories in the field of crime fiction, Dorothy McIntosh had her first novel, The Witch of Babylon, shortlisted for the British CWA’s prestigious Debut Dagger Award in 2007. The work went on to win the Canadian Crime Writers Arthur Ellis Award for Best unpublished Novel the following year. That brought her to the attention of the folks at Penguin Canada, who offered McIntosh a three-book publishing contract. Her debut novel, The Witch of Babylon, is an archaeological thriller in the tradition of Dan Brown—though much better written. Drawing on her expertise as a member of the University of Toronto’s Society for Mesopotamian Studies, McIntosh has delivered a fast-paced tale of the search for an ancient artifact that disappeared from the National Museum of Iraq during the First Gulf War, and that may contain a priceless secret. Nicely plotted, with convincing dialogue and enough twists and turns to keep readers enthralled, her debut effort augurs well for the career of this emerging talent. |
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McKevett, G. A.
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| McLachlin, Beverly | |
| Meade, Amy Patricia | |
| Meyer, Deon |
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| Mills, Mark (British) http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/mark-mills/ (Historicals) In 2004 screenwriter and novelist Mark Mills was awarded the John Creasey Memorial Dagger for best debut crime novel for Amagansett , an atmospheric tale set in post WWII Long Island. He followed that in 2006 with The Savage Garden , set in Italy following the war, and released The Information Officer in 2009, which revolves around a series of killings in Malta just prior to a planned British offensive. With a strong sense of history, a keen ear for dialogue, and a strong eye for plotting Mills is definitely a writer to watch for. |
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Mina, Denise (Scottish,
1966- )
http://www.denisemina.co.uk/ (Thrillers) Nominated for Anthony, Edgar, and Macavity Awards for Best Novel of 2007, former law student and teacher of criminology Denise Mina has penned two compelling series of thrillers. The first, known as the Garnethill series, features one of the more unusual amateur sleuths in crime fiction, sexual-abuse victim and psychiatric patient Maureen O'Donnell . Mina's second series focuses on journalist Paddy Meehan , whose work inevitably draws her into the seemy underside of Glascow in ways that often intersect with people in her personal life. The tales are dark, but the situations are lifted from the real world. A fresh and original voice, raising important social themes, from a writer at the top of her form. |
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Mofina, Rick (Canadian)
http://www.rickmofina.com/ (Thrillers) Bestselling Canadian author Rick Mofina's Jason Wade series features a young Seattle-based journalist, anxious to establish himself in his new career as a crime reporter. Wade wrestles with an alcoholic ex-cop for a father, who is seemingly bent on messing up his son's life. Other Mofina novels (some standalone, some featuring San Francisco crime reporter Tom Reed ) explore the dark themes of child abduction, obsession, hostage-taking, the murder of a police detective and a nun, and a cop whose public life is a lie. His novels If Angels Fall (2001) and Cold Fear (2002) were shortlisted for Arthur Ellis awards for Best Novel, and Blood of Others walked away with that honour in 2003. If you like your action fast, your stories raw, and actually enjoy nightmares, then Mofina's tales are for you. |
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| Moliner, Sarah | |
| Monday, T. T. (Nick Taylor) (American, 1976 - ) http://www.ttmonday.com Published under his real name, Nick Taylor’s first two novels, The Disagreement and Father Junípero's Confessor dealt with historical themes, the former winning the 2009 Michael Shaara Prize for Civil War Fiction. His third novel, The Setup Man, was released in 2014 under the pen name of T. T. Monday, and is an informed and rivetting work of crime fiction centering on the world of professional baseball. Since 2007 Taylor has taught in the MFA program at San Jose State University, where he is also Director of SJSU's Center for Steinbeck Studies. Taylor lives with his family in the San Francisco Bay Area. |
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Morgan, Jill (ed.)
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Mortimer, John
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Moss, John
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| Moyes, Patricia
(aka Patricia Pakenham-Walsh) (Irish, 1923-2000) http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/patricia-moyes/ (Police Procedurals, Traditional mysteries) As the Golden Age of British crime writing gradually came to a close, readers might well have wondered just where the next generation of engrossing, puzzle-based tales would come from. In 1959 the critic Anthony Boucher suggested the genre was not yet dead in reviewing the debut novel of Patricia Moyes, Dead Men Don’t Ski. It turned out to presage the appearance of no less than twenty novels featuring the mild-mannered, self-effacing Inspector Henry Tibbett and his wife Emmy. The investigative pair wormed their way into the hearts of Whodunit fans everywhere, and served as a model for such later husband-and-wife teams as Chief Inspector Barnaby and his (rather long-suffering) wife Joyce. As might be expected, action and violence play a secondary role to patient investigation, but Moyes also manages to inject some sly wit into her stories, notably Murder Fantastical, which concerns a family of local patricians who raise British eccentricity to a high art form. Highly entertaining, and an unexpected find for readers who thought they’d exhausted the genre of whodunits. |
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| Muir, T. Frank | |
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Muller, Marcia (American,
1944)
http://www.marciamuller.com/ (Thrillers) Nominated for an Edgar and five Shamus Awards, and winner of the 1994 Anthony Award for Best Novel, Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone novels feature the San Francisco-based pugnacious PI in more than two dozen engrossing tales in which her work becomes increasingly entwined with her personal life. Marcia is married to award-winning crime writer Bill Pronzini, and both are Grand Masters of the Mystery Writers of America, the only living pair to be so honoured. |