Sue Grafton

Sue is first on my list because I recently, and I mean recently I came across her alphabet series. You probably have seen them in your library. A is for Alibi, B is for Burglary, etc. Why I never noticed them is beyond me. Unfortunately, Sue never did complete the alphabet. She got all the way to X and I understand she started Y, but her family did not want any other author to finish where she left off. I can understand that. It just would not be the same. Sue had a way with words. Her Kinsey Millhone main character is someone who I would have loved to be friends with. She was independent, smart, funny and dedicated. If you are looking for a detective mystery with a little wry humor, please seek out her books. You won’t be disappointed.

Janet Evanovich

You have to be living under a rock if you don’t know Janet’s Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie is an accident waiting to happen. Not only that, but she also has the coolest job! Especially when she gets to work with Ranger. Let me give you a picture of Ranger. You all know “The Rock” no other than Dwayne Johnson? This is who I imagine Ranger resembles in the flesh. I don’t think any of the ladies would mind having Mr. Johnson leave his shoes under their side of the bed. But wait, she has another hunk watching her every move. Joe Morelli. I’m not sure I have a specific actor to compare him to, but I would say he’s a cross between a young Al Pacino and a young Syl Stallone. Now remember I said young. Maybe it’s just me, but these are the visions I conjure up when I’m reading her books. You may have others. That’s fine. We all have our fantasies.

Janet does have other great books to her credit such as Fox and O’Hare series (co-authored with Lee Goldberg), and Lizzy and Diesel series. Feel free to envision your own heartthrob for Fox and Diesel.

Darynda Jones

This is a new author for me. I was looking for a new series to read and stumbled across Darynda. She writes paranormal romantic thrillers. Charley Davidson is her main character. She is funny, tough and a little wacky, but I love her! Starting with First Grave on the Right you are taken into the crazy world that Charley lives in. She has dearly departed spirits coming and going in her everyday life. She says she’s the “grim reaper” and to the people who have died she is the brightest light they see, although to the living she as normal as apple pie. That is if you think apple pie is normal. I’m generally not into this type of genre books, but for some reason I can’t put them down. They are fast-paced and interesting. Charley is a private investigator, and her uncle is a police detective. I’m hooked on how she helps her Uncle Bill, lovingly referred to as Ubie solve each crime. If you love paranormal romantic thrillers, you will love these. If not, well, you should read them anyway.

Laura Childs

For those of you who like the “cozy mysteries” you need to read Laura’s “Tea Shop Mysteries”. Laura’s main character, Theodosia Browning is the owner of the “Indigo Tea Shop”. Not only does she own a shop, but she also solves mysteries on the side. It’s a light, fun read that will keep you interested until the end. Oh, and Laura has recipes in each book. Added bonus!

This is the end of my list of books I like. I will add more once I get through the series mentioned above. I have read all of Janet Evanovich’s books and all of Sue Grafton’s. I’m working my way through Darynda’s and Laura’s. Hopefully it won’t take me too long!

I’m adding to this list Cindy Dees. She is the author of “Second Shot”. She was the keynote speaker at a conference I attended in Tennessee in August. I was very impressed with Cindy and eager to read her book. She is the author of over 100 books in various genres. Being a US Air Force pilot and part-time spy, she didn’t have to go far to find material for her book. If you are looking for a spy/sniper thriller, this is it. Helen Warwick is a retired, fifty-five-year-old woman spy/sniper who just wants to spend time with her grown children. Something that she missed out on while they were growing up. She turns the tables on anyone who come gunning for her. Refreshing and not your typical spy thriller.

Happy reading and if you find any that you’d like to add to my list, please drop me a line below. I’d love to hear what you like to read. And if you sign up for my newsletter, please make sure you check your spam folder and if I’m in there move me to your inbox. It gets lonely in the spam folder.