Jonathan Kellerman and the Alex Delaware Novels

I can't even remember how many Alex Delaware Novels I have read.  I do know that I used to read them one right after the other until I couldn't keep them straight.  I once tried writing down the titles of each book I read, but even then the plot lines and stories would not stay in my head more than a few days.  Jonathan Kellerman is a clinical psychologist and a master of the detective mystery. His character, Alex Delaware, is a child psychologist who is called in as a consultant to assist LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis in solving especially vicious crimes. There are nearly 30 Alex Delaware novels. I can only guarantee that you will not be disappointed in the suspense. I am currently reading Compulsion,which is the 22nd Alex Delaware novel, published in 2008.  His latest release is Mystery, published in 2011, and the next book in the series is entitled Victims, (Feb, 2012) 

Michael Connelly and LA Crime

Michael Connelly

Michael Connelly started his journalism career reporting and investigating crime in South Florida.  He moved on to the Los Angeles Times, again covering crime.  With such a background it seemed natural that the aspiring novelist would write about big city crime. Connelly's first novel featured LAPD Detective Hieronymus Bosch (Harry). The novel, The Black Echo, was based, in part, on a true crime that had occurred in Los Angeles. It was published in 1992 and won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by the Mystery Writers of America.

Connelly has followed that up with 18 more novels, including The Lincoln Lawyer, which was made into a film starring Matthew McConaughey as Mick Haller. I was prepared to not like the movie, but in reality I liked it a lot. I imagine there will be more.

I have been reading Harry Bosch novels on my Kindle and have not been able to put them down.  I started with The Black Echo, because it was first, and followed that up with Black Ice.  I see that the next Harry Bosch novel is entitled The Drop and it publishes November 28, 2011. The Drop can be pre-ordered on Amazon.

Michael Connelly has become one of my favorite crime novelists (along with James Lee Burke, of course).

Tess Gerritsen, Rizzoli and Isles

My first exposure to Rizzoli and Isles was the TNT series starring Angie Harmon.  She was the reason I tuned in but the stories and characters kept me around for season two.  Between seasons I found Tess Gerritsen on Amazon and downloaded several Rizzoli and Isles novels to my Kindle.  Now I am a TOTAL FAN!

(My wife downloaded the Kindle App to her Blackberry and now she is reading Gerritsen as well.)

The Surgeon (2001) introduced Detective Jane Rizzoli, and The Apprentice (2002) introduced Medical Examiner Dr. Maura Isles.  Since then there have been seven novels featuring Rizzoli and Isles, with the 2011 publication of The Silent Girl, being the most recent as of this writing.

Gerritsen had written previous successful books, the most notable was The Bone Garden (2007) which is set in 1830's Boston.  However, none of her previous work found the large audience of the Rizzoli and Isles novels. Interestingly, I think, Jane Rizzoli was not the primary character in the first novel, but with the TV series, and Angie Harmon, Rizzoli has now become the focus of the television program, while Dr. Maura Isles is still the main character in the novels.

Arturo Perez-Reverte and Captain Diego Alatriste

Arturo Perez-Reverte

The year is 1625, in Spain, and Diego Alatriste, a Madrid swordsman-for-hire, is in hot water. Spanish author Arturo Perez-Reverte captures the place and time so vividly, it is almost visual.

I'd never heard of Captain Alatriste prior to seeing it in a used book store about a year ago.  I just started reading it a few days ago and am already hooked on Alatriste.  Today, I finished the book and downloaded the second in the Captain Alatriste series, entitled Purity of Blood, to my Kindle.  The third novel is The Sun over Breda.

Translated, expertly, from the original Spanish, this series of swashbuckling novels set in the 17th Century now totals six novels in all, with the most recent just released in the USA in September of 2010. The 4th, 5th and 6th novels in the series are:  The King's Gold, The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet, and Pirates of the Levant (2010).

I'm pretty new at reading authors other than English and American, but with this introduction to Reverte, I believe that I will investigate some other famous authors who write in a language other than English.  There is so much that we miss by reading only in English.

So many books to read, adventures to imagine, stories to share.  I hope you enjoy Captain Alatriste.