I just returned from a national writer’s convention in Santa Fe.  It’s called Left Coast Crime and I sat in the middle of almost 400 mystery writers.  Spooky…the only thing that could be worse would be sitting among 400 lawyers!

What would be most interesting for you is the wide variety of people who write mysteries/suspense stories and their ideas.  Almost any crime you could imagine has been written about.  The heroes/heroines include cops, private investigators, archeologists, little old ladies, female NASCAR drivers, cowboys, secret agents, bumbling professors, and even long-dead historical sleuths.

If any of you would like recommendations for books or writers beyond those I’ll list at the end of this post, please let me know.

The quality of the authors also impressed me.  They ranged through all ages and backgrounds.  One writer worked during the Viet Nam war as a  correspondent in Bangkok and was married to an engineer who was supposed to be building military bases in Viet Nam.   She learned from her journalist friends that he was really in the CIA!  (They remained married)  Another writer lived on a catamaran off the coast of England for a time.  Most of them are very intelligent and, even more importantly, curious about the world around them.

This fascination comes through in their writing, making their stories even deeper and more engaging.

Here are some suggestions for your mystery/suspense reading:

Western–  Murder for Greenhorns, Rob Kresge

Historical mystery–  City of Silver, Annamaria Alfieri

Humorous–  The Pot Thief Murder series, Mike Orenduff

Historical mystery–  SPQD, John Maddox Roberts

International mysteries–  The Charlie Fox series, Zoe Sharp

Gritty, street thriller–  Boulevard, Stephen Jay Schwartz

Humorous–  The Albuquerque Turkey, John Vorhous

Medical thriller–  Bone Dry, Bette Golden Lamb/J.J. Lamb

Archeology– Smoking Frog Lives, Pete Goodman.

NASCAR–  Dead Man’s Switch, Tammy Kaehler

Hope you enjoy some of these great authors!!  I can assure you that each one of them is an interesting, dedicated writer.

Let me know your recommendations for favorite authors!