Top 10 best novels by Dean Koontz

Dean R. Koontz is an extremely hardworking American writer. He published dozens of novels, short stories, graphic novels and how-to books. That's why it's worth to know where to start with books written by Koontz to come to like him like I do :)

I have great respect for Koontz and I'm full of admiration for his work. Of course, I did not read everything he wrote. Maybe when I will be retired, I manage to do that :). But I have read his novels with pleasure for years.

I think Koontz as a writer is quite uneven. He writes either a bad novel or a great one. So many of my friends says that they don't like Koontz at all. During the conversation, it turn out that they simply read one of his weak novels, and that's why they have such opinion about him. So I decided to create a list of my favorite novels, to help all of you read Koontz's books and have fun. The choice was really difficult, because he wrote so many good novels, that it's hard to pick only ten. But after much thought, I have finished the list.

This is my list of top ten great novels by Dean Koontz:
1. Lightning (see description)

2. Watchers (see description)

3. Whispers (see description)

4. The Voice of the Night (see description)

5. Hideaway (see description)

6. The Face (see description)

7. Velocity (see description)

8. The Vision (see description)

9. Cold Fire (see description)

10. The Bad Place (see description)

From the list you can see that I like older novels by Koontz from ones published recently. I think it is so, because they have more action, better plots and less journalism. Characters are also more interesting (e.g. I didn't like Ryan Perry, the main character in novel Your Heart Belongs to Me, the book itself is also not very good in my opinion).

So if you don't read Koontz and you're wondering where to start, take into consideration the titles listed above. Certainly you won't be disappointed!

Shutter Island – should you read a novel or watch a movie first?

Recently a friend of mine asked me what to do first - read a book by Dennis Lehane or watch the movie by Martin Scorsese with Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role? Since I know both, I could honesty advise him.

I answered - read the novel and then watch the movie. Why? First of all, because you won't be limited in any way. You will be able to create in your own imagination everything what Lehane portrayed in his writing. Otherwise the film will eclipse the novel, because it's simply great, with superb creations of actors Leonardo DiCaprio (as Teddy Daniels), Mark Ruffalo (as Chuck Aule) and Ben Kingsley (as Dr. Cawley).

Of course, adaptation is not 100% perfect. But if anyone of you watched the movie first, don't be discouraged. You won't be surprised by unexpected changes in plot, but you will certainly appreciate the language, scenes which are missing in the film, and generally - the climate of the novel.

In my opinion this is one of those movies and books to remember and reminisce for many years. Definitely you will give thought about the story and ending.

If someone doesn't know anything about Shutter Island, I publish some brief information below:

Shutter Island is a novel by Dennis Lehane, published in April 2003. A film adaptation was released in February 2010. Laeta Kalogridis wrote a screenplay of the movie and it was directed by Martin Scorsese, who in my opinion is one of the best directors alive today.

Description from Amazon.com: "The year is 1954. U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his new ­partner, Chuck Aule, have come to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane, to investigate the disappearance of a patient. Multiple-murderess Rachel Solando is loose somewhere on this barren island, despite having been kept in a locked cell under constant surveillance. As a killer hurricane bears relentlessly down on them, a strange case takes on even darker, more sinister shades—with hints of radical experimentation, horrifying surgeries, and lethal countermoves made in the cause of a covert shadow war. No one is going to escape Shutter Island unscathed, because nothing at Ashecliffe Hospital is remotely what it seems".

In a nutshell – it's a great novel and a good psychological thriller :).

Best legal thriller ever

I recently wrote about the top ten legal thrillers by John Grisham. I think he is the king of this genre, but in my personal ranking best title in this category does not belong to any of Grisham's novels, but to Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow.

Scott Turow is a writer, a practicing attorney and author of eight novels and two nonfictional books. Presumed Innocent, published in 1987, was his first fiction book. It tells the story of Rozat "Rusty" Sabich - chief deputy prosecutor of Kindle County. One day he must deal with the brutal murder of Carolyn Polhemus - prosecuting attorney, who was once his mistress. His boss, Raymond Horgan, who is going for re-election, wants the case to be closed quickly since he believes that it will score on it  political capital. So Sabich starts to work on finding Polhemus' killer, but with poor results. There is no evidence nor idea who could do it.

During this time, Horgan discovers the truth about Sabich's relationship with Carolyn, and he pulls him from the case. From that moment evidence begin to turn up that Sabich may have killed Polhemus. Sabich is accused and suddenly the hunter becomes the hunted. Even his wife, who knew about the affair, begins to suspect his guilt.

Sabich has to battle to prove his innocence. He hires lawyer Alejandro "Sandy" Stern to defend him. In this way prosecutor participates in the process from the "other side".

It is interesting to see how a prosecutor thinks and how a defender acts, the methods they use and what is their attitude to work. While reading you can clearly see that Turow has a law degree and wast experience in this profession (he prosecuted several high-profile corruption cases as the Wikipedia states). He created world full of evocative descriptions, great dialogues (especially in the courtroom) and realistic characters.

I remember that while reading Presumed Innocent every moment I was impressed by things that I've learned, turn-based literary workshop, as well as the development of history, because he invented it very credible, it was logically drawn, probable and ends with a surprising finale.

I won't write a detailed review of this book, I would just like to encourage everyone to - if you haven't done it already – to read this book. Certainly you won't regret it! You can buy Presumed Innocent on Amazon.

PS. The novel was adapted for the screen with the same title in 1990 directed by Alan J. Pakula with Harrison Ford in the main role. See description and reviews.

Top 10 best books by John Grisham

When I talk with someone about legal thrillers the first name that always comes up in the discussion is John Grisham. And no wonder. He is one of the most popular writers in the world!

What I like in Grisham's career is his determination  - he didn't get discouraged by the rejection of his first novel - A Time to Kill. It was rejected almost 30 times (!) before Wynwood Press decided to take the risk and publish a novel of an unknown author.

This is another example of a writer, who believed in his work and did not give up easily. As you can see, his hard work and determination paid off :). Up till now he has published over 25 titles! If someone does not know Grisham's biography, you can read it e.g. on Wikipedia.

Earlier I wrote about the ten best novels written by Deaver, this time here is my list of ten favourite and best novels by John Grisham.

One note: I didn't read all Grisham's book. When I'll have more free time - you know this explanation, don't you? :) - I'll definitely read The Street Lawyer, The Innocent Man, The Confession or The Chamber.

I have read about fifteen of his books and I choose ten novels, which I think anyone who wants to know John Grisham's talent should read. You can do it on the bus, train, airplane, in bed, lying on the beach or sitting in the comfortable chair :).

Here is my top ten:
1. The Firm (see description)
2. The Runaway Jury (see description)
3. A Time to Kill (see description)
4. The Pelican Brief (see description)
5. The King of Torts (see description)
6. The Rainmaker (see description)
7. The Client (see description)
8. The Testament (see description)
9. The Brethren (see description)
10. The Partner (see description)

The latest Grisham's book was publish in October - The Litigators (see description). If you know someone who loves Grisham - this is a good title for a Christmas gift! You can find other suggestions for presents in my previous post.

What are your favorite books by Grisham?

The Safe House – great movie trailer with Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds

I enjoy not only reading thrillers, but also watching them :). That's why I often watch trailers to know what new film will appear in cinemas soon. One of the most interesting trailer I have seen lately is about thriller called The Safe House.

Trailer begins intriguing. In the first sentence a woman's voice says - "He was one of the most brilliant CIA operatives we ever had – until he went rogue".

After that it's just gets better and better. It turns out that Denzel Washington plays the most dangerous renegade from the CIA - his name is Tobin Frost.

On the other side we have Matt Weston played by Ryan Reynolds. He is a young and inexperienced CIA agent, who wind up with Frost when a group of soldiers destroy the CIA-operated safe house where he is kept captive. Only Weston and Frost survive the attack. But what next? Whom to trust?

Although I like movies about Jason Bourne, I hope that The Safe House will be made with more respect for the laws of probability ;-). That  it won't turn up to be only entertaining, but also with intricately and logical constructed plot.

Interestingly, Reynolds got a major role. Recently we could see him as a funny guy in The Change-Up, as well as a superhero in Green Lantern. How will he deal with this role? I hope that he created a good duet with Denzel.

Filming took place in Cape Town, South Africa. Now film is in post-production.
Release date: February 10, 2012.

The Safe House cast:
Director: Daniel Espinos
Writer: David Guggenheim
Stars: Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Robert Patrick, Vera Farmiga and Brendan Gleeson.

If you want to get The Safe House summary, see it on the official website.

Watch The Safe House trailer and write what do you think about it!

Christmas presents ideas: best books for gifts

Christmas is getting closer and closer, that's why friends are asking me about some good new crime book or thriller, which they could buy as a gift for their dad, sister, son, aunt or grandfather :). Since I now have a blog, instead of responding them individually, I can give them a link to this post :).

I know that it's difficult to advise a specific title, not knowing anything about person who will get it. Besides, if the main criteria is the "novelty" of the book, I must base on the author's previous works, because I simply can't read all the latest novels which interest me as quickly as I would like to.

I would rather recommend a great book that was released e.g. a year ago, but then I hear the argument "he/she may already have this title".

So I looked through the list of newly published books and created a list of bestselling authors, whose names should be widely known. There is also no fear that it will be a poor novel, because these authors always guarantee a good reading experience. Even if one of them is in weaker form, he still manages to write in such a sugestive way, that is hard to divert attention from the novel :).

So which is the best book as a present for Christmas? :) Here is my list (in alphabetical order by author):

1. Zero Day by David Baldacci (see description)
2. The Affair by Lee Child (see description)
3. The Drop by Michael Connelly (see description)
4. Edge by Jeffery Deaver (see description)
5. V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton (see description)
6. The Litigators by John Grisham (see description)
7. 11/22/63 by Stephen King (see more about this novel in my previous post)
8. Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson (see description)
9. The Impossible Dead by Ian Rankin (see description)

And finally – I pick one proposition for an exclusive gift. Do you know someone who constantly talks about the very popular Stieg Larson's trilogy – Millenium, and always say that one day he will buy it, and finally read it? You can get him Millenium for Christmas! :)

10.  Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy Deluxe Boxed Set: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Plus On Stieg Larsson (see description).

Why I decided to put the titles in alphabetical order? Because it is difficult to compare these books. Some people like King, so probably will be glad to recieve his latest novel, others prefer legal thrillers, so will be content, when they will see cover of newest Grisham's novel, still others want more action, that's why Jeffery Deaver or Lee Child will be the best choice for them (if you have 100% certainty that person, which you want to buy a gift to, didn't read any of Jeffery Deaver's book, see my selection of his the best top ten novels).

Each of these authors is a solid writer, which guarantees a good, enjoyable time while reading. So I encourage you to see the descriptions of each of these books. This will allow you to choose appropriate titles for your loved ones! :)

Recently bought: 11/22/63 – new novel by Stephen King

One of my favorite authors is Stephen King. I think he's one of the best living writers in the world. So don’t be surprised by the fact, I will be writing about him quite often.  But now I'd like to just share the news that I bought his latest book :).

Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books. I have read most of them and I think that almost all of them are great. Of course, few of them are not so good as e.g. Misery, The Stand, It, The Shining or The Green Mile (just to mention a few :)), but still enjoyable to read.

What’s the plot of 11/22/63 about? "On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? Stephen King's heart-stoppingly dramatic new novel is about a man who travels back in time to prevent the JFK assassination" (description from Amazon).

Like you can see, one question has become the starting point for King to write almost 900 page novel. This is another example that "What if", as I have read in many books about writing, is a great method for writers to get an idea for a book or simply start to write one. 

But back to King :). Most of his novels and collections of short stories are a masterpiece. I like to go back to them from time to time. Now, for example, I re-read The Stand - suggestively written vision of the end of civilization because of biological weapon. If someone did not read this book - I encourage to do so!

As soon as I finish The Stand, I’ll start to read his latest novel :). I hope it will be as good as his recent books like Under the Dome and Duma Key. Both are long (I like this very much :)), interesting, have credible characters and a story that you will remembered for a long time.

Shortly speaking - Stephen King is in sensational form. And I don't mean only his novels, but also short stories. His Full Dark, No Stars (a collection of four novellas) can authentically terrify you  (I especially like the first two stories - 1922 and Big Driver).

If any of you have already read 11/22/63 – leave comments about it, please. From what I see on Amazon - with over 260 reviews, the vast majority of users (over 180) gave the book five stars. Nice:).

Jeffery Deaver – top 10 best books

I like Jeffery Deaver's novels for several reasons. The most important is: subject matter of each of his book is different, that's why I learn a lot on different fields of interest (e.g., how voltage works in "The burning wire" or details about the art of magic in "The Vanished Man"). 

The author firmly prepares to write each and every novel (I've read that Deaver spends about eight months on research before he starts to write!), so the background is always very detailed, and the plot – interesting and logical. I should also mention that he is a very good writer :). Dialogues in Jeffery Deaver's books are simply great and a pleasure to read!

I like the sudden action twists, used by Deaver all the time. Guessing who ultimately turns up to be the bad guy is fun for me. Therefore, friends who ask me what to take for a long plane flight or a train ride – I tell them: take Deaver!  

Why? Since the action is dynamic, with believable heroes, you still want to read further and further. Chapter after chapter, till you reach the end. What's why your travel will pass very fast :).

Below is a list of books which in my opinion are the best novels written by Jeffery Deaver:

1. The Coffin Dancer (see description)

2. The Cold Moon (see description)

3. The Broken Window (see description)

4. The Bone Collector (see description)

5. Edge (see description)

6. The Vanished Man (see description)

7. The Sleeping Doll (see description)

8. The Burning Wire - but read The Cold Moon first!  (see description)

9. The Empty Chair (see description)

10. The Bodies Left Behind (see description)

A small notice: I haven't read Roadside Crosses and Garden Of Beasts yet, so I can't say anything about them. But that titles are on my wish list – I hope I'll read them in near future :)

If you are looking for full Jeffery Deaver's bibliography – visit his website :).

What's your favorite Jeffery Deaver's novels? :) And those of you who haven't read any book written by this author I encourage to do so. Check the Amazon website which books by Jeffery Deaver are available today.

Welcome to my blog

Hi,

my name is Paul. I love detective stories, thrillers, horror books and movies. What's why every now and then friends and family members ask me about something interesting to read or watch, as well as for a hint, what they should choose for a gift, take on vacation or for a long journey :).

I decided to share my knowledge not only with my close ones, but also on my blog. This is a combination of work and pleasure, because on the one hand I write about something what I love, on the other – I practise my English, because it is not my first language. Correct me when I make a mistake.

I also believe that with your comments I'll get a lot of new titles to my wish list of books and movies that I should know :).

I hope that my advices will be helpful for you. If you have any questions, observations or notices, feel free to contact me!

Most of my links to descriptions of a book or movie (there is no sense for me to copy them) leads to the Amazon website - you can not only read descriptions there, as well as reviews made by others, but also buy right away if you find something that you like :).

Thanks for visiting and come back soon! :)