Part 2: Crime Genre
There are a lot of books that I read that fall into the category of, “crime/thriller.” When looking at the 10 regular authors I read in this area, they can be divided into two areas: Crime – general and crime detective. Crime detectives (part 3), deals with the type of books that focuses on Private Detectives. The protagonist is not necessarily part of the police and therefore does things there own way.
In this section I will talk about all the books that fall into the crime genre. First up is:
Mark Billingham (U): B
Total books read: 7
Total books written: 12
Mark released his first crime book, “Sleepyhead” in 2001. I can’t recall what made me pick up the book but I was pleased I did. Up until that point the books that I had read in the genre were far removed from my every day life. The stories may have been realistic but ultimately they took place in the U.S and so were like stepping into another world and experiencing some escapism.
Mark’s DI Thorne books changed that. His books took place in London. The names and place were all familiar, if Thorne entered a café, I might know it. When he talked about how his favourite football team was getting on, I could readily identify.
The books just added that extra link to my every day life and made them appear that bit more real to me. Also, they were bloody good.
Mark writes an intriguing story. The killers are always interesting but more importantly Thorne is compelling. He is a grumpy sod who experiences every day issues such as feeling guilty about not caring for his father more. He is supported by a fantastic cast of colleagues, who evolve with him as the series progresses. Mark’s background was in stand-up comedy and this comes through in his novels. He strikes the perfect balance between escalating tension and providing more light hearted moments.
It is easy with this genre to think that all of the books are much of a muchness, but each time I read Mark, I am pleasantly surprised. Reading his books are like putting on an old comfortable pair of slippers. You forget how good it feels until you do it.
In 2007, Mark took a break from the series and wrote a standalone book. I haven’t read it yet but it was well received. His books consistently score well on Amazon and his website contains a hardcore group of fans that are very welcoming. Mark also chimes in quite a lot and is always accessible.
In the last year his books were adapted into a TV series staring David Morrissey and the excellent Aidan Gillen. Again I haven’t seen it but the fans were happy. With a consistent roll out of books and the TV series Mark Billingham’s career is definitely on the rise. The 11th entry in the Thorne series, “The Demands” is due out next year.
SJ Bolton (u): A -
Total books read: 4
Total books written: 4
SJ Bolton is vast becoming one of my favourite authors. Her first book, “Sacrifice” debuted in 2008. I stumbled across it when I was looking for a book that was a crime novel with a hint of the supernatural. The blurb on the back of this book immediately grabbed me and fitted what I was after perfectly. It is set in the Shetland Islands and begins when a woman’s mutilated body is found with runic symbols carved into skin and the uterus removed. As the book progresses, links to an ancient myth becomes more and more evident. Could trolls possibly exist?
There is always the fear that when you read a book like Sacrifice the book can becomes far too implausible and plain silly. SJ Bolton’s novels are anything but. The first three novels all deal with solving a grizzly series of murders where the supernatural or other forces are hinted at but not necessarily brought to the fore.
The fourth novel, “Now you see me” seems to mark the start of a new series staring the same characters. I was anxious when I read this, as SJ Bolton’s opening novels had been so good as standalones. “Now you see me” is the best so far (check out my review).
SJ Bolton’s books are released in April in the UK and make a welcome birthday present each year. The next one is entitled, “Dead scared,” and is one of my most anticipated novels of 2012.
Tess Gerritsen (u): A –
Total books read: 8
Total books written: 24
Tess is best known for her Rizzoli and Isles series. This series works for a number of reasons but the first and foremost is that Tess has allowed herself to explore the crime genre from two different perspectives. Where as most authors focus on just one character Tess uses two. Jane Rizzoli is a detective and Maura Isles is a medical examiner. By exploring both of their lives, Tess allows the reader to witness two distinctive methods of approaching a crime scene and solving the mystery of the killers.
This is effective as not only does it keep things fresh, it also makes the books more believable. Quite often when a series is on it’s 10th book although I may be enjoying it, part of me is thinking, would one person really solve this many high profile crimes (hey Alex Cross)?
Tess also introduced the characters in an effective way. For the first two books she concentrated on only one of these characters, the third focussed on another. Over time they both have either taken equal prominence or one takes centre stage. Again this keeps things fresh.
Another strong point in the series is the relationship between the Rizzoli and Isles. They don’t always see eye to eye. Although mutual respect exists between them, that gradually gives way to friendship; the two are not in each others pockets. They have their own lives that they keep private. In short the dynamic between the two is very good. The supporting cast is good although not as strong as other series and each new book always focus on an interesting subject rather than just your standard thriller.
The series has been adapted for TV. I’ve seen the first 3 episodes and although the relationship between Rizzoli and Isles is very different to the books (as is the overall feel of the show), I am enjoying it a lot.
The Rizzoli and Isles series only makes up a third of the books that Tess has written. The others are all standalones and I have not read them, although I intend to. Where as the Rizzoli and Isles books receive universal high praise the standalones vary wildly in the reviews. Some are loved and others are despised. The subject matter of the books seems also to vary in content, one I believe even occurs in space! I raise my hat to Tess for exploring different genres but as I said cannot comment on the quality of the books.
With the consistency of material and the success of the TV series so far, Tess is on the up. The 9th book in the Rizzoli and Isles series was released in July. I will be reviewing it shortly.
James Patterson (d): C +
Total books read: 39
Total books written: 78 (I think. Who knows? Another 20 will be released next year probably).
I wrote quite a long blog on James Patterson late last year (included below) which pretty much still sums up my feelings on Mr. Patterson. At the end I will talk a bit more about him:
I was around 18 and at University. I had taken a summer job to subsidize my drinking during the term time at my uncle’s air conditioning firm. It was also a time when I didn’t really read. A girl I was fooling around with recommended a book called, “Along came a spider.” As a young lad and eager to impress I duly obliged.
I was delighted I gave it a go. In Alex Cross I had found a cool detective that I didn’t know existed in literature (I have subsequently realised there are far better ones out there). In Gary Soneji there was the type of villain I loved. In short the book was fast paced with a good story. I was hooked. The short chapters gave way to the very definition of the term page turners.
As the months progressed, I devoured the next couple of books. I will never forget that summer doing air conditioning. It was a time where internet was not common place and so when I was strolling through Covent Garden on the way to a job in the Lyceum theatre and saw a board in a bookshop that read, “Roses are Red by James Patterson” coming soon, I punched the air in delight. God I miss those days when you didn’t know when a book was coming out – you only get that with George R R Martin these days!
A weekend job in WHSmiths had me looking forward to the book catalogue to see when the next book was coming out. Patterson led me to other authors: Mo Hayder, Mark Billingham, Harlan Coben, Karin Slaughter, Tess Gerritsen etc. All of which I now regularly read. (John Connolly I discovered in a unique way, which I will talk about some time).
Thrillers were my thing way before Fantasy. Usually it is the other way round but I’ve always been a geek at heart. As the amount of books I read increased so did my knowledge of the authors. Suddenly James Patterson had two books out a year, and then three and then four. His name was always on the cover but other names joined him. I still bought every book but the stories were hit and miss. The woman’s murder club started off fantastic and then by the time I read the “5th Horseman,” I half enjoyed it and I was half disgusted with how lazy the writing was.
I was actually half way through the “Lifeguard” before I realised I had already read it. I was appalled at how frequently the books were coming out and how hit and miss they were. At least he was still writing the Alex Cross series by himself I reconciled. However, even these were starting to take a dip. “London Bridges” was woeful in comparison to the others.
I was torn between ditching him all together and remaining loyal. After all he was the author that kick-started my reading interests again. In the end I decided to just read his Alex Cross books which were written solely by him and released once a year. This worked well, when I read them it was like meeting an old friend. The weak writing didn’t matter so much and instead I remembered why I liked him in the first place.
Following this I have read three James Patterson’s books. Two have been in the Alex Cross series. “Cross Fire” was good and “Kill Alex Cross” (released last month) was better. The other one, “Beach House,” I read in the summer and I can’t remember a thing about which says it all really.
On the back of his books James Patterson has seen two films made with Morgan Freeman playing Alex Cross – perfect casting and not bad films. A third film is due to come out and Idres Elba was attached to the role of Alex Cross. Again good casting but not as good as Morgan. However, I believe Idres as left the project and so my interest has waned already.
The Women Detective series was also made into a TV show. This has only aired in the US and so I have not seen it. I believe it is no longer on air but don’t quote me on that.
With the TV series and the unfaltering popularity of the juggernaut that is the brand James Patterson I really should be saying he is on the up. Personally, for me he is heading in the opposite direction. Maybe, it is nostalgia. Maybe if I reread, “Along came a spider” I will appreciate that he should never been put on the pedestal on placed him on. I don’t think so though. His first books were quality.
I think James Patterson needs to change something in the series and I deplore the increasing number of writers in his stable. Some like Andrew Gross have gone on to be successful so I can’t argue that system is not beneficial. Still if you are buying a book with an author’s name on it, you want to read that author’s work and not his ideas and editing whilst someone imitates his style. Between now and July next year, James Patterson and his ilk are set to release 8 books. It is simply ludicrous.
Karin Slaughter (-): A
Total books read: 9
Total books written: 11
My write up with Karin is fairly similar to Tess Gerritsen, where as Tess has focused her series on two protagonists, Karin has done a similar thing but in a different way. So all the positives apply as above but Karin approach is slightly better. Her initial series concentrated on Grant Country and Sara Linton which was excellent.
The series began with Blindsighted in 2001 and told the story of Sara, a paediatrician and medical examiner. Like Tess Gerritsen, Karin Slaughter uses the effective method of telling the story from another perspective as well. We get point of view chapters from Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver who also happens to be Sara’s estranged husband.
The two protagonists struggle with their own lives, Sara with her family and Jeffrey with his junior member of staff Lena Adams. The interactions between Sara and Jeffrey are always interesting. There is hatred there, but it is one sided. There is also a mutual respect. This makes for a fascinating character study at the two are forced to work together to solve the various grizzly murders in the books. Karin also chops and changes the dynamic. One book for example focuses a lot on Lena Adams and her history. She is a great creation and a fan favourite. Karin is also not afraid to mix things up either. The sort of thing I have been crying out for James Patterson to do with his Alex Cross series, Karin does effortlessly.
With these characters Karin has created a series that could have easily sustained for a number of books. However, not content with this. In 2006, Karin wrote a seemingly standalone book about special agent Will Trent who operates in the Atlanta area. Triptych was a nice and tantalising break from the Grant County series. It was a surprise then, when Karin returned to Will Trent after visiting the Grant County series for only one book.
The character of Will was fleshed out and so were the supporting cast. Karin then merged the two series and so what we now have is the familiar and new all at the same time. It is what Karin does, to keep her at the top and she pulls it off with ease.
As things stand, I have two books left to read until I am up to date. Look out for a review shortly for the first of them.
Karin has recently written and offered a couple of short stories on the Kindle. The first of these, “the unremarkable heart” was very reasonably priced and marked a change of style to a more brutal tale. I loved it and Karin continues to be a must buy for me.
