What are your favorite mystery or espionage novels?

[Corto]

I've combed The Fedora Lounge for a similar thread- but I couldn't find one. (If you know of one, could you please point me in the right direction?)

What are your favorite mystery novels? I'm dying to read something good.

Long ago I got spoiled by the clever intensity of John Le Carre and the casualness of Janwillem Van De Wetering. Who else writes a good "mystery" yarn?

I'm interested in well-written clever mind-games...

So...what's in the mystery section of your bookshelf?

 

[Pilotguy299]

my favorites are...

So...what's in the mystery section of your bookshelf?

The Name of the Rose http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Name_of_the_Rose

Gorky Park
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorky_Park_%28novel%29

MI 5 British Security Service Operations 1909-45 http://www.cicentre.com/intelligencespeakers/ISB_L-Z/SP_WEST_Nigel.htm



DVDs are MI-5 (called "Spooks" in the UK) http://www.amazon.com/gp/series/89381/ref=pd_serl_dvd?ie=UTF8&edition=dvd

 

[Corto]

The Name of the Rose http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Name_of_the_Rose

Gorky Park
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorky_Park_%28novel%29

MI 5 British Security Service Operations 1909-45 http://www.cicentre.com/intelligencespeakers/ISB_L-Z/SP_WEST_Nigel.htm



DVDs are MI-5 (called "Spooks" in the UK) http://www.amazon.com/gp/series/89381/ref=pd_serl_dvd?ie=UTF8&edition=dvd

I read the first two and am a devotee of the last...The Nigel West books look fascinating. THANKS.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

The Phillip Marlowe series...

 

[Pilotguy299]

I forgot one

I read the first two and am a devotee of the last...The Nigel West books look fascinating. THANKS.

I almost forgot the first one I ever read. If you are in to WWII:

A Man Called Intrepid

http://www.amazon.com/Man-Called-Intrepid/dp/9993990795

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Samuel_Stephenson


Anthony

 

[ScionPI2005]

It's not at all vintage, but I just have to say I am a fan of the Sue Grafton alphabet series. My investigator mentor suggested those to me probably four years ago, and I have been going through the released books off and on when I need a "Sue Grafton fix".

I'm also a big fan of Agatha Christie. My absolute favorite of hers would have to be And Then There Were None. There's just something about a bunch of strangers inside a house being killed off.

 

[indycop]

I have read a couple of the Clive Cussler books.

 

[Josephine]

You've already read The Name of the Rose... I adore Agatha Christie. Her books are like comfort food to me.

I also like The Man Who never Was, and while not a mystery per se, it's a fascinating look into how a mystery was perpetrated. I've never seen the movie, only read the book. I also like Clancy novels, god help me, as I enjoy reading the details of the tortuous how things came to be.

If you want to go back in time, the Brother Cadfael mysteries are neat, they take place in the 1100s.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

what they said plus

My dad taught Elderhostels on Cadfael and I helped him get his notes together. Fond memories.
Almost all I read are mysteries. Ruth Rendell, Simenon, E.X. Ferrars, Doris Miles Disney,Charles Willeford, Dell Shannon, A.A. Fair/Erle Stanley Gardner, Jim Thompson, anything published for the Crime Club.
For espionage, I have read The Mask of Dimitrios a few times because I like it and never remember how it ends. Modesty Blaise and James Bond are two good 60s series that make me feel like I'm right there with them.

 

[jdbenson]

Hammet

Dashiel Hammet runs the course from hard boiled (Red Harvest & Maltese Falcon) to erudite and sophisticated (The Thin Man). You can't go wrong.

 

[Senator Jack]

I've always like the espionage thrillers that had some sort of cathartic point. A few suggestions:

Graham Greene's Our Man in Havana and The Comedians
Kingsley Amis' The Anti-Death League
Anthony Burgess' Tremor of Intent

 

[Smithy]

Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh and Barbara Cleverly.

 

[Corto]

I almost forgot the first one I ever read. If you are in to WWII:

A Man Called Intrepid

http://www.amazon.com/Man-Called-Intrepid/dp/9993990795

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Samuel_Stephenson


Anthony

"Intrepid" was one of those books I've been thinking about reading since I was a teenager but never got around to. I'll put that on my list. Thanks!

 

[Corto]

The Phillip Marlowe series...

I'm a Raymond Chandler fan. I've read "The Big Sleep" and I may have read "Farewell My Lovely" years ago...

 

[Corto]

It's not at all vintage, but I just have to say I am a fan of the Sue Grafton alphabet series. My investigator mentor suggested those to me probably four years ago, and I have been going through the released books off and on when I need a "Sue Grafton fix".

I'm also a big fan of Agatha Christie. My absolute favorite of hers would have to be And Then There Were None. There's just something about a bunch of strangers inside a house being killed off.

I'm not a huge Agatha Christie fan, but maybe it's time for another appraisal.
(Did you know that in the 1970's, Annapolis required Middies to read Christie in their Logic classes?)

I never actually considered Sue Grafton. I might check her out too.

 

[Corto]

I have read a couple of the Clive Cussler books.

Will check those out too.
How did you feel about the movie "Sahara"?

 

[Corto]

You've already read The Name of the Rose... I adore Agatha Christie. Her books are like comfort food to me.

I also like The Man Who never Was, and while not a mystery per se, it's a fascinating look into how a mystery was perpetrated. I've never seen the movie, only read the book. I also like Clancy novels, god help me, as I enjoy reading the details of the tortuous how things came to be.

If you want to go back in time, the Brother Cadfael mysteries are neat, they take place in the 1100s.

I'm familiar with the PSYOP, that "The Man That Never Was", was attached to...I'll tack the book onto my to-read list.

If you like Clancy novels, you might enjoy the non-fiction "Blind Man's Bluff". It's about submarine operations during the Cold War. Lot's of "problem solving" of very difficult tasks. Totally fascinating.

Speaking of fascinating, the Brother Cadfael books look absolutely intriguing. I love historical fiction, especially if it's painstakingly researched, which these books seem to be. I'm also an Anglophile, so that's another plus. THANKS!

 

[Corto]

My dad taught Elderhostels on Cadfael and I helped him get his notes together. Fond memories.
Almost all I read are mysteries. Ruth Rendell, Simenon, E.X. Ferrars, Doris Miles Disney,Charles Willeford, Dell Shannon, A.A. Fair/Erle Stanley Gardner, Jim Thompson, anything published for the Crime Club.
For espionage, I have read The Mask of Dimitrios a few times because I like it and never remember how it ends. Modesty Blaise and James Bond are two good 60s series that make me feel like I'm right there with them.

A lot of people have recommended Eric Ambler to me at one point or another. Will give him another looksee. Thanks!

 

[Corto]

Dashiel Hammet runs the course from hard boiled (Red Harvest & Maltese Falcon) to erudite and sophisticated (The Thin Man). You can't go wrong.

I loved "Red Harvest"!

I didn't know that the nature of his writing evolved- so I'll check out "The Thin Man".
I think he's a fantastic writer.

 

[Corto]

I've always like the espionage thrillers that had some sort of cathartic point. A few suggestions:

Graham Greene's Our Man in Havana and The Comedians
Kingsley Amis' The Anti-Death League
Anthony Burgess' Tremor of Intent

I loved "Man in Havana" but I never got into "The Comedians". I might give that one another go.

I like Martin Amis' work, but never read Kingsley.

I'm also interested to see what else the mind that conceived "A Clockwork Orange" produced.

Thanks!