I've had several requests to know who or what I read. I read a lot. Do you know those lists, like 100 books every college student should read, or a 1,000 books to read before you die? I've read most of them. You don't want to know about those. If you've followed the Jack Pierce Chronicles, you already know I hate Faulkner, and I love Dune. Just re-read it. So here's a list of authors I particularly like and a short "why", not in any particular order.
Robert Parker - I like him for his characters and their dialog. Very believable.
Robert Crais - great writer, also with good characters and dialog.
Tony Hillerman - His protagonists are Navajo and most of the stories take place on the reservation and I appreciate the way he handles it. When he passed away, his daughter took over and she's every bit as good.
Herman Wouk - He writes on a grand scale. Love his stuff.
John Lescroart - Good characters in a little universe I appreciate.
Christopher Reich - Some of his stuff is top notch. Not all, but most.
Brad Thor - One of the best in the genre.
Vince Flynn - his books are top of the genre but when he passed away, the universe was taken over by other authors, hit or miss.
Marie Benedict - She writes fictional biographies, filling in the details. Fun stuff.
Kathleen Grissom - Same as above. Hers are on another level, though. Extremely good. Crow Mary is simply the best book I've read this decade. How's that for high praise.
Nevada Barr - Interesting twist. Her heroine works at a different national park for each of the mysteries. That alone makes it fun.
If I'm in the mood for a quick read, I'll pick up a Zane Grey or Luous L'Amour.
I also read a lot of biographies but that's more of a personal taste than quality of writing issue.
I keep track of what I've read on Goodreads, and find it an invaluable tool to keep from accidentally reading the same book twice. I've started to re-read some of the classics that I haven't read in years but there are so many great ones it's hard to know where to start.
For those of you who asked, there you go.