Although Clive Cussler is my favorite author, I do enjoy reading, and for that reason I am always interested in reading other author's books too.

Janet Evanovich
You have to read this article!
Robert Crais
Ridley Pearson
Stephen White
John Dunning
Robert Greer
C.J. Box
Nevada Barr
Sue Grafton
Patricia Cornwell
Mary Higgins Clark
Diane Mott Davidson
Jack DuBrul
Kathy Reichs
Paul Kemprecos
Craig Dirgo
Dean Koontz
Stephen Coonts
Pat Conroy
John Grisham

Here is an interesting note from Stephen White concerning recommending other authors:

A Note From Stephen White
My least favorite question when I do public appearances might surprise you. The one I dread most is the relatively benign, “What are you reading?” or its sibling, “What authors do you like?” Some well intentioned member of the audience will ask one question or the other – or a variant – at nine signings out of ten.

Why do I have so much trouble with those relatively straightforward queries?

Let me count the ways.

The primary problem is one of an implied imprimatur. My concern when I reveal what I am currently reading (or list some books that I’ve recently appreciated, or even authors that I admire) is that the original question wasn’t really a case of simple curiosity, but rather a thinly veiled request for a recommendation. There’s nothing wrong with that, I suppose – I’m as good a person to ask for advice about what to read as the next guy (but, I would argue, no better than that fictional next guy.) What worries me is that people who enjoy reading the books I write are going to make a logical, but ultimately irrational, assumption about the books I read: My fear is that he or she will think that if they’ve enjoyed or appreciated the books I write, then he or she will enjoy or appreciate the books I read.

I would argue that that underlying premise is false. Someone once said that writers don’t make good critics for the same reason that drunks don’t make good bartenders. I’ve never understood that argument in a literal sense, but I think I can feel its undertow. As a reader, I don’t choose books trying to find authors who write in a fashion similar to my own. In fact, I read more non-fiction than fiction these days. And often, when I read fiction, I’m attracted to books that have qualities that are quite the opposite of the ones present in the books I write. I find myself drawn to writers who stretch the form – either the fiction form generally, or the crime fiction form in particular – in ways that I’ve never attempted, and may never have even considered.

I love to find writers who teach me something.

A second concern I have about responding to the whole recommendation question is that after fifteen years as a novelist I no longer consider myself a typical reader. I admit that with more than a modicum of sadness, because prior to become a published writer I proudly considered myself to be among the most typical of readers. It’s a wonderful club to be a member of. Back then, I read for escape. I read for knowledge. I read for fun. But now, especially when I’m reading fiction, I find that I focus on facets of the books I read in ways that I never did before. I focus, for instance, way too much on craft. How is a story structured? (And in a micro-literary sense, how is a chapter, a paragraph, or a sentence structured.) Or I find myself assessing the tone or the consistency of a character’s voice. I will critique dialogue to weigh whether or not the words ring true. Those are all things I may have subliminally appreciated (or criticized) before I started writing novels, but now I focus on them as I read. And I can’t help it. Those things captivate me (and distract me) when they are done well. They distract me (often unnecessarily, I might add) when I think they are done poorly.

When people ask me what I’m reading, I don’t think they consider the possibility that I’m an oddly catalyzed reader, and that it’s likely I don’t read for the same reason, or certainly in the same way, that they do. The reasons I might consider a book flawed now might be invisible to a casual reader (a reader fortunate enough to be similar to the one I was fifteen years ago.) To be frank, I mourn the loss of that critical distance, and wish it on none of you.

I’m also concerned that were I to suggest books, I will leave many worthy recommendations off my list. I don’t read everything, or everybody. I’m not particularly well read in the genre in which I write, and I don’t present myself as an expert guide on this terrain. Inevitably, any list I present will perplex and offend. So, this isn’t exhaustive. I probably wouldn’t come up with the same list next week.

But I do get asked, so here are some answers.

What I’ve decided to do is to list some books that I’ve recently thought about, and that have taught me things, introduced me to things, or whose authors have captivated me with some aspect of the craft. Some are best-sellers, some aren’t. Some you’ve probably already read. Some you probably haven’t.

Do I recommend them?

Back when I was in clinical practice, patients would often ask me for advice. I rarely offered any. Why? Advice is me telling you how to walk across a mine field. Usually the more the patient wants the advice, the more dangerous the mine field. If I’m right with my counsel, great. If I’m wrong – well, I’m not the one who gets blown up.

As always, read at your own risk. The good news? These mine fields aren’t that dangerous.

With only a few exceptions, I haven’t recently re-read any of the books below. Would my feeling be the same were I to do so? Who knows?

They are in no particular order.

- To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. What an easy place to start. How good is this book? I have re-read it recently. Wow.

- Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow. Another book I’ve recently re-read. It’s as good as I remember. In addition, it’s a tutorial on use of the present tense, on mystery structure, and on a whole range of character development issues.

- Time’s Witness, Michael Malone. In my mind, a classic. I haven’t re-read it for a while, but I recall being transported to Malone’s southern vision with a gentle, insistent gravity. Terrific language.

- Booked to Die, John Dunning. A master at his best. Form, character, story. It’s all here.

- The Anna Pigeon novels, Nevada Barr. I’ve written a long series. Nevada has, too. Reading her is a seminar for me on the various ways to keep the familiar fresh.

- Killing Floor, Lee Child. I’m not a fan of most bigger-than-life protagonists, but Lee Child does what he does with great skill, and the beginning sequences of this particular book are as gripping as anything I’ve ever read. The best introduction to a thriller series I could imagine.

- Paris Trout, Pete Dexter. A great writer. A great book. A tough subject. I haven’t thought about this one for a while. It’s time to go back and read it again.

- Easy Money, Jenny Siler. Whenever I’m asked to read an early version of a first novel (usually to give a blurb), this book reminds me that being young, and being new to the game, are not excuses for not being original and skilled. A remarkable achievement.

- Word of Honor, Nelson DeMille, Nelson wrote this long before I wrote my first novel. It is a masterful example of compelling fiction about a difficult subject. It’s inspiring to readers and writers alike.

- The Alienist, Caleb Carr. A genre stretcher, and a wonderfully evocative historical. A psychological thriller by a non-professional that doesn’t offend the field.

- Snow Falling on Cedars, David Guterson. A lovely, alluring mystery that is, and then, it isn’t.

- Free Reign, Rosemary Aubert. An alluring, seductive first novel by someone who loves language.

- Motherless Brooklyn, Jonathan Lethem. Be warned: It’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but I think it’s the work of a literary Houdini. He handles his protagonist’s voice with a skill that is breathtaking.

- The Cider House Rules, A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving. Each book is a seminar in contemporary fiction. Neither are mysteries in any conventional sense, but both kept me turning pages. A great novelist – not afraid of a point of view – at his peak.

- The Accidental Tourist, Anne Tyler. From a writer’s perspective this book proves many things. One is the value of patience, not always a natural for a thriller-writer.

- A Morning for Flamingos, James Lee Burke (or any other of the Dave Robicheaux stories.) Whenever I’m having one of those days when the writing feels less important than the story, I pick one of Burke’s books – from a prose point of view each has its allure – off the shelf. Like no one else in the genre, he reminds me that it’s about the writing, stupid.

- Tell No One, Harlan Coben. One of the many difficult things to master in novel writing is pace. Harlan’s intuitive sense of pace is on display beautifully in his first stand alone thriller. I’ll never be able to match his humor, but I can try to learn from the way he conducts his orchestra.

- Baltimore Blues, In Big Trouble, Laura Lippman. Some series knock you over the head, while others seduce. Laura’s seduces. I appreciate her use of Baltimore and the whole idea of city as character.

- Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris. Early Hannibal Lecter. Enough said.

- When the Bough Breaks, Jonathan Kellerman. This is the book that convinced me that psychology could be interesting to a large audience.

- Wrongful Death, Baine Kerr. When I have doubts about making difficult concepts and distasteful topics interesting, I go back to this astonishing story by another Boulder writer. Accomplished in virtually all ways. And captivating.

- The Black Echo, Blood Work, Michael Connelly. There are plenty of reasons to read Michael’s work, and these are just two examples. Young writers often ask what’s more important – character, or story? Michael’s success proves that the best writers don’t ever choose. Ever.

- Moghul Buffet, Cheryl Benard. In 1998, it was a revelation to me. Cross-cultural, cross-genre. Ambitious and accomplished. Given the events of the last seven years, it’s on my re-read list.

- Dirty White Boys, Stephen Hunter. I’m not a fan of guns. I’m not big on assassins. But Stephen Hunter can damn well write, and I’m a fan of that.

- A Maiden’s Grave, The Devil’s Teardrop, Jeffery Deaver. No modern writer does plot and surprise as well as Jeff Deaver. After a while, I stop leaning into the curves, because Jeff inevitably takes me in directions I can’t anticipate. His protagonists often function beautifully with one hand (or both) tied behind their backs.

- Hunting Down Amanda, Don’t Say a Word, Andrew Klavan. One of those exemplary writers who has somehow managed to escape acclaim, Klavan, writing as himself and pseudonymously as Keith Peterson, is a skilled storyteller and a master of character and prose. I find him always inventive and original.

Good reading.

Stephen

Some new authors have submitted books to me for my review.

New authors that I am currently reading books by:

Drew Rumbley "Confederate Gold"

J.D. Gordon Island Bound Eddie Gilbert is a firefighter and paramedic, having served as a paramedic with the Marine Corps infantry company. He lives in a suburb of Chicago working for the Salt Creek Fire Department. He is a Cubs fan. Deciding to take a vacation for 6 weeks in a rented boat in the Caribbean his path crosses with an adventure that will culminate in events that will change his life forever. The book ends with us set up for another installment, that we can't wait to read!

Author J.D. Gordon is a true to life firefighter. The time to buy a first edition of an author's first book is right now! This book is a winner, and will become a classic collector's item.

Phil Gothro Dawn Strike

Other authors that I heartily recommend, and links concerning them are shown below. The links may not be the author's official website, and if you know of a better link for any of these authors, please pass the information on to me.

John Dunning

On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time...

Booked to Die: The Mystery That...

The Bookman's Wake

Two O'Clock, Eastern Wartime

Two O'Clock, Eastern Wartime

Deadline

The Holland Suggestions

Booked to Die

Booked to Die: A Mystery Introducing...