Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Authors I Love

1. Nelson DeMille - General's Daughter/Lion's Game/Nightfall and many others. An excellent thriller writer, well researched, some based on his own experiences. If you want a really thrilling ride, read Up Country, his own cartharsis!

2. Clive Cussler - too many to mention and Sahara! An experienced diver and adventure seeker, Clive runs the real life NUMA. His books are a thrill a minute rollercoaster rides with, amongst others, a definitive 'Hero' (Dirk Pitt), sidekick (Al Giordino) and crusty boss (Admiral Sandecker). And Mr Cussler turns up in all his books too with small cameos!

3. Jung Chang - Unusually at the top of the list on the strength of one book. Her second book, Mao, is out in paperback shortly, but so far, she only has Wild Swans to her credit. What a book! Three generations of Chinese history seen through the eyes of her grandmother, mother and self! Read it - I dare you not to cry.....and laugh....and recoil in horror.

4. Dan Brown - yep, him of Da Vinci Code fame. Don't just read that, read Angels and Demons, Digital Fortress and Deception Point too. Really well researched books, based on myth and science, playing with our deepest beliefs, questioning our faiths and entertaining us as well. And coming soon (I'm going blue from holding my breath!) Solomon Key!

5. Lee Child - An Englishman living in America and embracing the American Dream with his All American Hero, Jack Reacher. The film rights to the latest book have been sold. These are easy to read, exciting thrillers.

6. Matthew Reilly - more shoot-'em-ups. Action-packed (literally) books with, again, a definitive hero (actually he has two heroes ongoing). His first book was raw, Contest, but he is learning as he goes along. A cliffhanger episode King!

7. PJ Tracy - murder most foul. And written by a Mother/Daughter team thousands of miles apart. Excellent murder mysteries and a must for whodunnit fans. Red herrings and false trails abound in these books.

8. CJ Sansom - a new one! 'Dark Fire' and 'Dissolution' - whodunnit thrillers set in the reign of Henry VIII. Don't be put off, Sansom has the gift of putting his readers right in the era without long wordy descriptions.

9. Lincoln Child - another newbie; 'Utopia' and 'DeathMatch'. Oustanding mystery writer with a flair for the unusual.

10. Mo Hayder - started with gruesome murder mysteries 'Birdman' and 'The Treatment', covering necrophilia and paedophilia, then blew her readers out of the water with Tokyo, an exceptionally strong, well written mystery story wrapped around the Rape of Nanking.

11. Alexander McCall Smith - Adorable books, of which my favourite are the No1 Ladies Detective Agency (run by Mma Ramotswe) series. This is a man with his finger on the pulse of his story, whether it be in Africa or Scotland. Wonderful books to 'run away' with :-)

12. Maeve Binchy - an enchanting Irish writer who can convey the sweetest stories to paper, making her characters well-rounded and loveable.

13. Finally, my weakness, my family saga author. Mary Jane Staples, creator of the Adams family of Walworth. We have followed this family through over fifty years, two wars and numerous births, deaths and marriages. I'm not now a big fan of family sagas, but the Adams family has caught my heart and I eagerly buy each new book.

So there you are, my favourite authors. Some mysterious, some grisly, some entertaining and some challenging.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. kdubs

2. wendy

3. Daisy

4. Uisce

5. Mrs Aginoth

6. SleepyPete

7. YellowRose

8. Ivoryfrog

9. Killired

10. MamaB

11. Mar

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