Best hard-boiled mystery books according to redditors
We found 349 Reddit comments discussing the best hard-boiled mystery books. We ranked the 101 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 349 Reddit comments discussing the best hard-boiled mystery books. We ranked the 101 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Sleepless by Charlie Huston.
Centaur of the Crime is CSI meets Narnia, and every bit as ridiculous as that sounds.
The Palace Job is arguably even more "Ocean's Eleven meets Fantasy" than Gentleman Bastards, and definitely worth a read if you like that kind of thing.
Sweet Silver Blues is film noir in a standard fantasy setting, played almost completely straight- while Death Warmed Over is a somewhat more tongue-in-cheek take on the concept, in an urban fantasy setting.
Helen and Troy's Epic Road Quest is a sort of Douglas Adams-style take on an American road trip crossed with high fantasy swords and sorcery.
Chasing the Moon, by the same author, is sort of Lovecraft reimagined as a light-hearted sitcom- about a woman who has to be roommates with a world-consuming elder god, and the hijinks that ensue.
Just a harmless little plug...
The Violinist is now available on Kindle Unlimited. If you have an account it's free to read. Check it out if you like crime/noir stories centered around a mystery wrapped in 1950s era espionage.
Paperback should be available by Tuesday.
I plot out the major arcs of both the story and the characters. I make sure to nail down the essentials of what is happening when, as well as developing a good understanding of my character motivations.
For me, a lot of planning involves just taking the time to mull over the themes I want to work with, or explore questions I want to raise. This involves asking a lot of questions to everyone I know, everyone I meet. It makes for great party conversations!
It takes a few months, during which time I'll also explore what's already been written/said about what I'm hoping to do. I look at similar movies and books, anything at all that's already been produced that has themes or topics similar to what I'm developing.
I watch a lot of movies and read a lot of books.
As a concrete example, my most recent novel is about what would happen if everyone in the world stopped sleeping.
I spent months asking everyone I knew what the longest was that they stayed awake. I also read pretty much the only comparable thing on the topic, a fictional novel called "Sleepless" by Charlie Huston. I also read articles on sleep and neuroscience, as well as watched TED talks and other related videos.
Then I conducted a sleep-deprivation experiment on myself. I wanted to know what it would be like to not sleep. (I am a wuss and didn't make it that long- I need sleep more than the average bear apparently!)
This novel is in the style of World War Z (early title: World War ZZZ, huehuehue) and so it involved a lot of characters. Too many to keep track of in my brain, unaided.
I had index cards for each one, as well as drafts notes (using Scrivener- hurrah!). I got really comfortable with character creation. I read Stephen King's On Writing and O.S. Card's Characters and Viewpoint.
I was able to craft an overarching narrative by determining which characters would inject the story with which elements, and placing them where they needed to be. They got moved around a bit as I went on, but throughout I was very aware of the overall flow of the work.
Through careful planning, the actual writing (80,000 words) only took about seven weeks. I am a machine when it comes to word output, if I've done my (months and months of) homework. A second draft saw a lot of that cut, and more added in to bring it up to 86,000 words in three weeks of the hardest work of my life.
For me, planning is super important. If I don't plan well enough, I waste days. Days where my story goes off the rails, or my characters do things which don't make sense.
It's wonderful to see some things happen more fluidly, and I've had lovely surprises this way, but I always stop and think about if that is really what I want to be doing before I proceed.
I hope this long winded reply answers your question. I do enjoy sharing this sort of thing, and I hope it helps other writers do what they love to do.
The mystery / thriller world has a lot more going on than you might think. Just in the last two years, man, I’ve got, just off the top of my head
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XGLY4R2/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
https://www.amazon.com/Bluebird-Highway-59-Attica-Locke
https://www.amazon.com/Science-Paul-Little-Book-ebook
https://www.amazon.com/All-Things-Violent-Nikki-Dolson-ebook
Also, I'm going to edit this real quick because I remembered this incredible Nikki Dolson story. This is what got me into reading her. https://www.shotgunhoney.com/fiction/83-by-nikki-dolson/
Basically, I've been told my more than a few black writers that Noir is where the black experience is living in American lit now. So, yeah, check these out. And finish your novel! There is absolutely an audience for it.
It's 3.99 on kindle. Someone get it! http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Man-Dutton-Mystery-e-Initial-ebook/dp/B009KUX3FU/
The Friends of Eddie Coyle is Higgin's best and an undisputed classic but he did a ton of other great books as well.
I'd also recommend the Spenser books by RBP.
Sample here http://www.amazon.com/The-Fat-Man-Mystery-Initial-ebook/dp/B009KUX3FU
I swear I have to do everything myself.
The Violinist: A Frank Sloan Novel
So, this is actually the cover of my new book, but I've been so pleased with it that I really wanted to share with this sub. A friend drew it and really captured the feel I wanted, as the story deals with Augmented/Virtual Reality Games and the allure they pose to the isolated.
The book is called The Resonance Enigma, and it's up on Amazon if anyone is so inclined. It's slowly popping up at other retailers, so if you prefer something besides Amazon, just ask.
https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Nevada-James-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00DBPMDTC This one might be more of what you were looking for. In the first book the character is deeply damaged to the point where it might be a little much, but there hasn't been a penis that can fix everything in the series so far :)
I like to think of it as the film adaptation of this because, well, it is.
I recently read the whole Robot series from Isaac Asimov, so:
Those are all pretty quick to read. Since I'm listing robot books already, I can also recommend A Fatal Exception by Scott Finlay.
All the novels I mentioned are featuring robot protagonists and combine science fiction with mystery.
Drive by James Sallis. Not a long read, but just as laconically poetic and violent.
I'll add this thematically similar recommendation: Sleepless, by Charlie Huston.
It takes place in LA instead of New York, but it's about what happens when the city falls apart due to an incurable plague. In the novel, it's insomnia. The story bounces between a detective and an assassin. I love the book for its atmosphere and world-building, as well as for the way it answers the question of what systems and power structures emerge when urban civilization collapses.
Just trying to get some of the lesser known series in there.
EDIT: woops some of these may not be Epic...hmm...I honestly don't know how to distinguish...I think Most of them are Epic, and the only really out of place one in Cook's Garrett series, but to be honest it does get pretty epic, I mean...it builds slowly but...ok, make of the list as you will.
The Friends of Eddie Coyle, one of the greatest Boston-based crime novels ever written.
You sound like you know a bit about this stuff. You might like this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Sleepless-Novel-Charlie-Huston/dp/0345501144/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372710495&sr=1-13
I'm not very far yet but I've heard such great things about 'Sleepless' by Charlie Huston. Everyone has told me it's hard to put down.
A zombie-ish disease is widespread, but nothing like the normal kind. This disease makes it so that people cannot sleep. Without sleep your brain cannot function and you basically turn zombie-ish. There's also some kind of drug element that makes it so you shouldn't sleep, or something. So if you read this book at night you just want to stay up reading, but you're also terrified to fall asleep in case shit goes down.
It gives me some Philip K Dick vibes, too, which is always a good thing.
EDIT: Here's a link to the amazon descriptions, because I'm pretty sure I butchered my own description. Hopefully this interests you more!
If you are willing to give it a shot and you have 16 hours to kill, I'd recommend starting the series A Song of Ice and Fire. Guaranteed to keep you engaged.
If you are looking for a short read about small time crime in Boston and trying to sleep for 14.5 hours I'd recommend The Friends of Eddie Coyle.
Also if you have not read Ender's Game or the companion series Ender's Shadow this would be your other option. A fantastic sci-fi series, just realize that the author is kind of a dick.
*edit added links
Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
amazon.ca
amazon.com.au
amazon.in
amazon.com.mx
amazon.de
amazon.it
amazon.es
amazon.com.br
amazon.nl
amazon.co.jp
amazon.fr
Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, amazon.fr, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.
There is this one, but its not on audio.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B8W9H3T
If anyone wants another free book that also seems to be hilariously mistranslated but sadly isn't, my detective novel Quinn Checks In is usually kicking around the top of the free mysteries chart.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neal_Asher#Polity_universe
'17
100 4.8 https://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Engine-Transformations-Book-3-ebook/dp/B07H457DJV
100 4.4 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41793331-infinity-engine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neal_Asher#Polity_universe
This is the beginning of a series of novels, novellas, and short stories all based on characters that lived in North London right after WW2. The author of the stories died some years ago, leaving boxes and boxes of published and unpublished works that we are slowly piecing together for publication on Kindle.
The first one is based on an expat in the Spanish Civil War
The second one is a compilation of London stories.
The first one is based on an expat in the Spanish Civil War
The Trouble with Sam $2.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M30Q1X2
The second one is a compilation of London stories.
THE MISS DALLEN AFFAIR $2.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0719PVHY8
/r/horror, you're the very best. All of my love to you maniacs. Here's some info regarding the book!
For those who love Laird Barron, they'll be glad to know he blurbed for me. Out of the four stories, his favorite was THERE IS ONLY THE HUNT.
>Humble writes with rare passion in the tradition of Robert E. Howard and a young Stephen King." - Laird Barron, author of Black Mountain
Contents:
A WHOLLY SUPERIOR CREATURE - A brutal murder leads a police detective into the parlor of an excommunicated exorcist. Together they must unravel a mystery of occult killings going back decades and find a way to stop a cult's desire to bring an ancient evil back into the world.
THERE IS ONLY THE HUNT - In the future, the world is consumed with fully immersive video game simulations. These 'arcades' serve as minor league training grounds for the most talented prospects in the world. These players strive to become a part of The League, a professional association of gamers who play for exorbitant wealth and fame. This story follows a recruiter for The League and his prize prospect Johnny Mac, who the recruiter believes is a transcendent talent. The only way to make it into the league is to beat the most challenging game on the circuit--MINOTAUR. It's Johnny Mac's turn to play the game and not even his recruiter knows the lengths Johnny will go to see MINOTAUR defeated.
RIG MOVE - Harvey didn't want to go down into the pit that opened like a mouth in the middle of the West Texas desert. But, he did. What he and his companion found in that subterranean abyss landed Harvey in trouble with his employer. The Company Man has come to Texas to interview Harvey, where he asks the roughneck to recount the harrowing story of what Harvey saw. His chilling tale speaks to the disturbing truth--there are some places people were never meant to go.
A FIRST DATE IN BLACK WELLS - Lauren has lived a hard and difficult life as a single mother. Her luck seemingly changes when she is offered a job as a newspaper reporter in Black Wells, Colorado. Recently divorced, Lauren decides to jump back into the dating pool, and her first date proves to be a less than ideal experience.
The Price of Conceit
$12.95 paperback https://www.createspace.com/6959285
$7.99 kindle https://www.amazon.com/Price-Conceit-JJ-Falco-ebook/dp/B072KW5JFR
A gritty, hard boiled, character driven detective/revenge novel.
Small town life suits Detective Dan Kibirli. He has the respect and admiration of the people living there and the cases he investigates are as straightforward as they come. But when the arrogant and self-serving Kibirli wakes to find himself trapped in a baffling secret room in the basement of the Claremonte County courthouse with no memory of how he got there, the wall surrounding his ego begins to crack.
The identity of his captor torments Kibirli, demanding his attention at the expense of his wife, Edith. It is apparent to Kibirli that his entrapment was an effort to sabotage the trial of his most recent arrests. Saddled with the inept Deputy Wells and with help from his alcoholic best friend, Dr. Darwin Canton, Kibirli tries to track down his captor while keeping his most recent case from being thrown out of court.
Each new clue he finds puts Kibirli, his wife, and those close to him in more danger. Each new connection adds a fresh crack to the wall he's built around his ego. He begins to see himself as others do which allows him to see others as they actually are. As Kibirli becomes more disillusioned, his newfound reality fills with increasingly uncomfortable, painful, and heartbreaking revelations. He fights against what these revelations mean for him, his self image, and what he fears to lose.
While his wall stands, Kibirli won't see clearly enough to keep his cases, and his life as he knows it, from slipping away. It will take a tragedy with high personal cost to bring down the wall completely.
I knew him when his first novel came out, before all the fame.
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/sxsw-watch-the-trailer-for-adaptation-of-anthony-bourdains-bone-in-the-throad-with-ed-westwick-tom-wilkinson-20150313
His favorite comic book series of all time is ''The Spirit''.
http://www.willeisner.com/spirit/index.html
He had the meanest cat ever seen by man, and gigantic oscar fish.
He told me that this was his favorite book:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Friends-Eddie-Coyle-Novel/dp/031242969X
That is all.