Please continue to enter The Rock Paper Tiger Chase/Action Writing Contest Extravaganza if you have not already! Be sure to do so in the official contest thread.
And as we continue in Rock Paper Tiger week (on sale now!), a very timely question: what is your favorite mystery/suspense/thriller novel of all time?
I was drawn to Rock Paper Tiger because it has incredible style and a very keen sense of place. And a lot of what I loved about it I also love about The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler.
What’s your favorite?
MARATHON MAN, by William Goldman. His prose is out of this world – like holding a lightning storm in your hands.
My usual answer for this is TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, which I feel fits into this category. But for those who do not share that sentiment, the it is still L.A. REQUIEM by Robert Crais. He actually came close to topping himself with THE FIRST RULE, so that's a very close second.
The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield. It was her debut novel, but what a start.
Death in Kenya by M.M. Kaye
A romantic view of a world now gone. Plus the final showdown gives me chills.
I'm going with a series rather than a single novel. Sorry. I couldn't choose amongst them. My fave is the Ian Rutledge series by Charles Todd.
Definitely THE THIRTEENTH TALE by Diane Setterfield. Stunning debut novel. I can't wait for her next book.
Absolute Power, by David Baldacci (I'm sure as soon as I hit enter, I'll think of another great one!)
I SHALL NOT WANT by Julia Spencer-Fleming. Every book in this series is better than the previous one.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie.
And now, I really want to read The Thirteenth Tale, thanks to all these comments.
I haven't read many, which will change, but The Bourne Identity is my favorite so far.
I've read too many to narrow it down. Really enjoyed Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy for the blend of suspense, mystery and humor. But "all time?" Don't think I can pick one that won't be replaced with the next book I read (which is Storm Prey, by John Sanford)
Origin, by Diana Abu-Jaber. There's something about this story that engrosses me utterly. I've read it several times, and keep coming back to it.
I like mysteries with a humorous bent like Stephanie Plum or Sookie Stackhouse. Cosies I suppose. I've really only read one straight mystery though, it was Hold Tight by Harlan Coben. I thought it was so boring!
'Day of the Jackal' by Frederick Forsythe. Understated, suspenseful, Forsythe takes you into the Jackal's head.
Great book.
THE FIEND IN HUMAN, by John MacLachlan Gray. What really sets it apart for me is the protagonist, one of the most hapless but soulful–and witty–characters I've come across.
DiVinci Code.
That was the first book I read that made me want to try my hand at creative writing. It wasn't because (as Stephen King said) I thought I could do better– but because it was such fun to read that I wanted to keep the fun going.
First, Fight Club, followed by a close second, To Kill a Mockingbird.