Amazing psychological thriller: Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris - review

Behind Closed Doors, first novel written by British author B. A. Paris is a fascinating story how appearances can be deceiving. Best debiut I have read for a long time!

The book has three hundred pages and I am convinced that you, like i did, will read it very quickly, because it is difficult to break away from this story.

B. A. Paris leads the story in two ways - she describes Present Time and Past, gradually revealing what the current life of Grace, the main character, looks like and how she found herself trapped by her recently married husband, Jack.

I do not want to reveal any details of the story, because from the first chapter you can see that the novel is well planned, here and there are small pieces of information that make you think about what we are witnessing.

Why Grace is stressed at a party with Jack's friends, why she seizes the opportunity and eats chocolates, although she just lost hope that she will ever see these sweets again?

Behind Closed Doors is a simple story with a minimum number of characters and places, but so emotionally charged that it is difficult to tear yourself away from reading the next chapter. Therefore, do not do what I did, that is, do not start reading it at night, because you will go to sleep much later than you planned ;-)

I have the impression that the story of Paris fascinates because it contains a certain degree of probability. Yes, no one would like to believe that such a thing could never have happened, but after thinking about it, we can imagine that somewhere, someday, a similar story could, unfortunately, happen. And that's so scary in this book.

That's why Behind Closed Doors from 2016 is one of the best debuts I've read recently. I know that in the future I will reach for others books by B. A. Paris (see list of hers novels on Amazon).

I hope that they be as good as her first novel! :-)

See Behind Closed Doors on Amazon >

Top 10 best books with Hercule Poirot by Agatha Christie

I love Hercule Poirot. I decided that I would start with this confession, because the hero created by Agatha Christie reminds me of childhood, youth, years of study and work. That's how much it took me to read most of the adventures of the famous Belgian detective.

My ranking of the ten best novels with Hercules Poirot is an attempt to interest people who have never read Christie's work before, or read a few and discouraged or stories did not interest them enough to read more books. Belgian detective comes together in more than 30 novels. I suggest choosing from these ten titles your adventure with this character.

These novels are worth to read! I believe that even though almost a century has passed since Agatha Christie wrote her novels, everyone will still read them with pleasure and growing curiosity.

Sure, sometimes the action develops slowly, there are no sudden twists, but these are classic detective stories! It's not about dynamism, it's about the mystery, the questions: who killed? What really happened? How did this happen?

First and the last novel with Hercule Poirot
The first book was published in 1920 - The Mysterious Affair at Styles. The last one appeared in 1975 and is called Curtain. The stories are fascinating. Every time I had fun, maybe sometimes I did not quite like the narrative or the pace of the story, but I have no objections to the chosen ten :-) If you decide on one of these books, then there will be no time wasted!

What is the best novel by Agatha Christie with Hercules Poirot? In my opinion, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is an absolute masterpiece that reads fantastically and with unflagging curiosity. Every lover of detective stories should know this novel!

In my ranking I have not placed collections of stories, because due to the number (over 50) they deserve a separate article :-)

Here is my ranking of the best books by Agatha Christie with Hercule Poirot:

1. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (see description on Amazon)
2. Murder on the Orient Express (see description)
3. Five Little Pigs (see description)
4. Death on the Nile (see description)
5. Hercule Poirot's Christmas (see description)
6. The A.B.C. Murders (see description)
7. Cards on the Table (see description)
8. The Mysterious Affair at Styles (see description)
9. Peril at End House (see description)
10. Murder in Mesopotamia (see description)

At 11th place I would place Curtain (see description on Amazon) - this is an important book, sad, because the last of Hercule Poirot. I must admit that although I was interested in the criminal riddle, I read this novel primarily because of curiosity about the fate of Poirot.

What book do you like best?

Closed Winter by Jorn Lier Horst - good crime novel from Norway

My review: Closed Winter is an interesting crime novel about police work, where the most important elements are collecting and analyzing evidence and ongoing conversations with people. If you like this kind of stories, when reach for this book of the Norwegian author Jorn Lier Horst.

What you should know? Author worked for many years in the police, he was the head of the investigation department of the District Police in Vestfold, Norway. Professional experience, knowledge about how daily operational work in Police looks like (he retired from service in 2013) and ability to creating unusual plots helps Horst to write very interesting crime books.

Main character: William Wisting
Jorn Lier Horst writes detective stories with Police Commissioner William Wisting in the lead role. You can buy 10 novels with this character, but you don’t have to read them in order. Of course, where are connection between books, but they are not blockers to buy titles randomly.

Closed Winter - description of the book from Amazon:
"The summer cottages are closed and peace is settling over the coast of Vestfold, Norway, but the autumn fog conceals evil deeds. Ove Bakkerud, newly separated and extremely disillusioned, is looking forward to a final quiet weekend at his summer home before closing for winter but, when the tourists leave, less welcome visitors arrive. Bakkerud's cottage is ransacked by burglars. Next door, he discovers the body of a man who has been beaten to death.

Police Inspector William Wisting has witnessed grotesque murders before, but the desperation he sees in this latest murder is something new. Wisting's unease does not diminish when he discovers several more corpses on the deserted archipelago. Meanwhile, dead birds are dropping from the sky".

Great plot
In Closed Winter there are some surprising moments. One scene in particular is very memorable. I wish I could write more about it, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise. But it worth to read the whole book even for this one scene :-)

Story is multidimensional, the writer skillfully weaves different threads to make it more difficult to explain what really happened on the day of the murder. If you like crime novels written by Henning Mankell with Kurt Wallander in the main role (see top 5 best books by Henning Mankell), I think you will also be interested in inspector William Wisting’s adventures.

What I particularly like about Horst’s book? Details. It feels that author knows exactly what he writes. In a few words he can accurately describe the steps in an ongoing investigation. I must admit that Horst came up with a really interesting character.

History has a few flaws (including that one of the threads is quite predictable), but the whole story is so interesting that I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a new author of detective stories or just well-written crime story to read. Buy Closed Winter on Amazon.com! :-)

Finders Keepers by Stephen King - book review

Stephen King's latest novel is really great. One of my favorite writers once again proves that he can still create a compelling story that you want to read through as soon as possible.

Although this is a continuation of the novel Mr. Mercedes (see review), which is the first book where retired detective called Bill Hodges appears, you can read Finders Keepers even without knowing the previous history.

I emphasize this because latest Stephen King's novel is better and I would not want anyone to discourage from Finders Keepers just because they don't know Mr. Mercedes. This is an independent story, in which Bill Hodges appears only on the second plan.

Finders Keepers - description of the book
In the latest novel written by Stephen King the most important characters are: Morris Bellamy and Peter Saubers. The first one kills world-known writer - John Rothstein in 1978.

Bellamy did not kill for money or because Rothstein has stopped writing books, but because in his last book the famous character that this writer had created - the nonconformist Jimmy Gold - has sold himself for a career in advertising.

However, Bellamy wants to know how the story of Gold ended. That's why he breaks into Rothstein's house, forcing him to reveal where he keeps a safe full of manuscripts and money, and when he kills him.

Morris hides the money and the notebooks, and then he is captured and locked away for another crime he committed.

Decades later, in 2010, a teenage named Pete Saubers finds the treasure, and now it is Pete and his family that detective Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney and Jerome Robinson must rescue from the ever-more deranged and vengeful Morris when he’s released from prison after serving a thirty-five years sentence.

Buy this book! (on Amazon :))
I recommend Finders Keepers by Stephen King, because it is well written, interesting thriller. I like that the story is stretched over several decades and told from several perspectives. More over, it is impossible to accurately guess how the story will end.

Stephen King talks about the obsession with literature, which can be so overwhelming that it becomes more important than reality and sometimes even can push somebody to madness. In this novel an author was murdered by a fan, who did not like the ending of his book!

I have already written in the post about Stephen King, that I am full of admiration for his hard work, passion and ideas. I love that he likes to write so much and wants to continue doing so, because it makes him happy.

I am glad that Stephen King does not retire. That's why I cannot wait for his next book :-)
See Finders Keepers on Amazon >

Gone Girl - great book and movie

Very rarely after watching a movie I find myself wanting to buy the novel on which the film was based on. That is exactly what happened when I saw Gone Girl directed by David Fincher.

This history is so great that even though I already know the key points, surprising twists and strong ending, I bought the novel by Gillian Flynn to see how this story was written.

Interestingly, Gillian Flynn also wrote the screenplay for David Fincher's movie!

Gone Girl - the story
According to an official description: „On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?„

David Fincher, director of such films as Seven, Fight Club and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, created a thriller that develops slowly. gradually increasing tension until about the middle of the movie, when action begins to speed up and since then it is difficult to tear yourself away from the screen.

Movie and novel - a strong finale
The movie is worth seeing but also you should definitely read the novel to the end, because the finale is really, really great. I would like to tell you more about it and explain why I think it is so good, but I do not want to spoil the surprise and deprive you of these emotions that accompany while watching this movie or reading the novel.

Gone Girl is an interesting thriller about marriage, trust, betrayal, revenge and emotions that are associated with all of the above.

Even if you watched the movie, be sure to read the novel. You will not be disappointed!

Buy a novel on Amazon >

See the movie on Amazon >

Buy the movie on DVD >

Best books by Raymond Chandler

Raymond Chandler's style can not be mistaken with any other writer. It is so distinguishing  as the main protagonist of his novel - a private detective Philip Marlowe. That's why I like to go back to Chandler's novels. If you have not read any of them yet, here is my ranking of best novels written by Chandler.

Raymond Chandler (1888 - 1959) was a novelist and screenwriter. His first novel, The Big Sleep, was published in 1939. This detective fiction writer popularized the genre called Hardboiled.

I'm a fan of crime novels written by Chandler. Every few years I read one of them again, because I like Chandler's style of writing, Philip Marlowe and I'm simply having fun reading about the adventures of probably the most famous private detective in the history of crime novels.

I can not do your typical ranking of the ten best novels of the author for a simple reason - Raymond Chandler wrote only eight. Therefore, here's a list of all Chandler's novels starting from the best:

1. The Long Goodbye (see description)
2. Farewell, My Lovely (see description)
3. The Big Sleep (see description)
4. The Lady in the Lake (see description)
5. The Little Sister (see description)
6. The High Window (see description)
7. Poodle Springs (see description)
8. Playback (see description)

So if you have not read any Chandler's books, start with The Long Goodbye – it's a great novel. And then I encourage you to read them all :-)

What is your favorite book written by Raymond Chandler?

Top 10 best novels by James Patterson with Alex Cross

James Patterson is a great thriller and crime writer. He created many stand-alone novels and several famous cycles. One of them - with Alex Cross in the main role - I like the most, what's why I created ranking of best James Patterson books with Alex Cross.

Patterson has written more than 100 novels, some as a co-writer. I do not know them all, maybe when I'm retired, I will have the time to read them :-), so I wanted to focus on a particular segment of  Patterson's work. To be more specific – on the Alex Cross series.

Alex Cross is a former FBI agent and psychologist who works in Washington DC. I like this character, because he is so different from the typical detectives in most crime novels.

Cross first appeared in the novel called Along Came a Spider published in 1993 (in 2001 the novel was filmed by Lee Tamahori with Morgan Freeman in the lead role).

Since then, readers got 22 novels with Alex Cross in the lead role. The last one is from 2014 and it is titled Hope to Die.

Which is best in my opinion? Below I present my top ten best novels with Alex Cross:

1. Alex Cross, Run (see description)
2. I, Alex Cross (see description)
3. Along Came A Spider (see description)
4. Hope to Die (this is the continuation of Cross My Heart) - (see description)
5. Kiss the Girls (see description)
6. Pop Goes the Weasel (see description)
7. Four Blind Mice (see description)
8. Jack & Jill (see description)
9. Cross Fire (see description)
10. Mary, Mary (see description)

If you are looking for a good thriller turn your attention to Patterson's work, the Alex Cross series in particular!

Top 10 best novels by Jo Nesbo

I like Jo Nesbø's  books - each of his crime novels is well written and have interesting plot. If you don't know this Norwegian author, see which of the Jo Nesbo novels are the best.

Jo Nesbo sold over 23 million copies of his Norwegian novels. He is best know as an author of series with inspector Harry Hole. His first novel ever written was The Bat (1997), which is also the first part from Hole's series.

These best selling crime novels are very interesting for several reasons: have distinctive main character, a surprising turns in the plot, good dialogues and detailed background story. That's why I was never bored reading any of the Nesbo's books.

But you must to know that Nesbo is an example of a writer who has steadily improved his skills. This means that his later novels are better than earlier titles.

Of course, I recommend reading Jo Nesbo books in order (you can check the chronology e.g. on the official website of the author). Especially when it comes to novels with inspector Harry Hole.

But, in my opinion, best book by Jo Nesbo is The Son, which is a stand-alone novel. You should read this book first. It's great!

This is my ranking of top ten best novels by Jo Nesbo:

1. The Son (see description)
2. Police - Jo Nesbo latest book (see description)
3. Nemesis (see description)
4. Phantom (see description)
5. The Redeemer (see description)
6. The Bat - first book of Harry Hole series - (see description)
7. Cockroaches (see description)
8. The Snowman (see description)
9. The Redbreast (see description)
10. The Leopard (see description)

If you want to know the style and atmosphere of books written by Jo Nesbo you must read The Son. It is a stand-alone novel, so you do not need to know the other titles by this author. When read the rest :-)

Enjoy!

Mr Mercedes by Stephen King - book review

I love Stephen King's books. I'm always impressed by his hard work, imagination and skills to create an interesting story. Mr Mercedes, his latest novel, is another of them.

If you want to know why I'm such a big fan of the works of this author, see my ranking of best books written by Stephen King.

Is it worth to read Mr Mercedes? I'm convinced that the answer is: yes. This is the most straight-up mystery-thriller in King's bibliography and it's good.

In Mr Mercedes we have a classic battle between good and evil: on one hand, there is Brady, who plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over many innocent people, and escapes. One year after the police still doesn't have any suspects.

On the other hand, there's Kermit William Hodges, a retired cop, who is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the “perk” and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges decides to catch the killer, before he strikes again. William has no time to lose, because Brady's next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands of people.

This is only a brief description of the book Mr Mercedes (see full description), but from the beginning we know who is the killer, so no spoilers here :-). The bigger question is whether and how Hodges will connect all the information and find Brady?

The action takes place over almost 500 pages, but we are not dealing with painstaking police work, but more of a psychological war between the murderer and the detective. The book is very well written, has interesting plot, characters and dialogues. 

That's why I think that Mr Mercedes is successful King's debut in a detective genre, but if you want to know best works of Stephen King, I encourage you to read titles from my ranking of King's novels.

If you are going on vacation, a long journey or just want to read a good crime book, go ahead and reach for the Mr Mercedes. It will most certainly catch your attention.

Top 10 best books by David Baldacci

David Baldacci has a law degree and practiced law for nine years, but he doesn't creates stricte legal or court thrillers. This novelist writes thrillers that have more action in them and hes doing it really well. So if you are looking for titles from this genre, you should definitely get one of books written by Baldacci.

This American writer has published more than 20 titles and created several series (including Camel Club and with Sean King and Michelle Maxwell), as well as many stand-alone novels.

Baldacci made his debut in 1996 with the novel Absolute Power, which immediately became the worldwide bestseller. A year later, the novel was made into a movie - Absolute Power (1997) - with Clint Eastwood (who is also a director of this movie), Ed Harris and Gene Hackman.

Now this author has millions of sold copies of his novels. Fully deserved!

I like books by David Baldacci – they are well written, dynamic, always with an interesting story and a surprising ending. It's worth to read his novels, which is why I choose the books which in my opinion are the best novels written by David Baldacci. I encourage you to read them.

This is my ranking of best novels by David Baldacci:

1. Absolute Power (see description)

2. Stone Cold (see description)

3. Wish You Well (see description)

4. The Winner (see description)

5. Divine Justice (see description)

6. Split Second (see description)

7. The Innocent (see description)

8. The Hit (see description)

9. The Target – latest David Baldacci's book (see description)

10. Total Control (see description)

I think if you are looking for a new thrillers or wondering which of the books written by Baldacci to read first - see one of the titles above. I guarantee it will be a good read :-)

Review: Jeff Abbott - Panic

If you are looking for an interesting and well-written thriller to take for a long journey or you just have a free evening, reach for the novel Panic by Jeff Abbott. It will be good choice. 

Jeff Abbott is an author of over ten mystery, crime and suspense novels. Before he decided to become full time writer, Abbott worked as a creative director at an advertising agency.

Panic, which was first released in 2005, is an excellent example of the scheme: a common man is suddenly in unexpected danger and must fight against opponents to be able to return to his normal life.

Here is a description of the book from Amazon:
„Evan Casher is a successful documentary filmmaker with a perfect life- until the day his mother is brutally murdered. Suddenly pursued by a ruthless circle of killers, Evan discovers his entire past has been a carefully constructed lie. With only one chance at survival and no one he can trust, Evan must discover the shocking truth about his family and himself...”

I other words Evan, while trying to find his father, meets FBI agents, brutal killers, spies and mysterious people from his parents' past. He wants to get his revenge on the people who murdered his mother and uncover all the secrets about his family.

What I like most about this novel? The story with a surprising finale. It is a very interesting idea. However, I think that the author could have included more detail into the plot, which would make the story more credible. But if you are looking for a good thriller for the free evening or as a gift for a thriller lover, Panic wirtten by Jeff Abbott is a title ideal for you and I encourage you to read it.

Top 10 best books by Lee Child

Dynamic, well-written and interesting - this is how you can characterize Lee Child's books. So if you are looking for a great thriller, I encourage you to buy one of titles written by this author.

Lee Child, whose real name is Jim Grant, is a British thriller writer. He made his debut in 1997 with the novel Killing Floor, which won the Anthony Award for Best First Novel. A great character - Jack Reacher, a former Major in the United States Army Military Police Corpsfor, has made his first appearance in this book.

Jack Reacher is 6'5" tall (1.96 m) with a 50-inch chest, and weighing between 220 and 250 pounds (100–115 kg). He has ice-blue eyes, dirty blond hair and very little body fat. If you watched the movie One Shot from 2012, based on Child's excellent novel, it is clear to you that Tom Cruise does not fit that description at all, right? ;-)

But this was a little off topic. Back to Child's work - his first novel was a bestseller, so naturally Child began to write another one with enthusiasm :). Each of his books has an interesting story, situations, and above all, an incredible action and amazing twists in the plot. In particular, I encourage you to read the first two Child's bestsellers from my list of his best thrillers. They are awesome!

Child has written more then dozen novels with Jack Reacher in the lead role. Not all hold the same high level, that is why I recommend you to read the titles from my ranking of Lee Child's best books.

This is my list of top ten great novels by Lee Child:

1. The Hard Way (see description)
2. Gone Tomorrow (see description)
3. Without Fail (see description)
4. One Shot (see description)
5. Persuader (see description)
6. The Enemy (see description)
7. Killing Floor (see description)
8. Never Go Back (this is the latest Lee Child's novel - see description)
9. The Affair (see description)
10. Worth Dying For (see description)
 
What is your favorite novel written by Lee Child?

Top 10 best books by Michael Connelly

Novels written by Michael Connelly are an excellent page-turners, well-written crime stories with interesting plots, great dialogues and memorable characters. That is why I recommend them to anyone who asks me "what to read?". If you are also looking for a new book or do not know this author  yet, see my list of Michael Connelly's best novels.

In many interviews he says that Raymond Chandler inspired him to become an crime and detective author. Michael Connelly studied journalism and creative writing on the University of Florida. After graduation, he began working as a crime reporter and wrote mostly about crime beat. He was also worked as a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times.

Everything has changes when he published the first book with LAPD Detective Hieronymus Bosch in 1992 titled The Black Echo. It won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by the Mystery Writers of America. Since than this author has written 17 more books with Hieronymus Bosch in the lead role.

But Harry Bosch series is not the only one, which he creates. Michael Connelly bibliography includes also standalone novels and others series (ex. with Mickey Haller or Jack McEvoy). All his fiction books are very popular in the world - they have been translated into over 30 languages and have won many awards! I think that Hollywood also helped this writer. When Lincoln Lawyer movie had a premiere, many of movie-fans started to take interest in this author's detective novels. 

I like Michael Connelly's best selling books, because they always have expressing characters, interesting plots and good dialogues. I never get bored reaching for crime novels by Connelly. I particularly like the Bosch series, but this is not a ranking of the best books with this detective. Below is a general list of books which in my opinion are the best novels written by Michael Connelly.

See my ranking of top ten crime fiction books by Michael Connelly:
1. The Poet (see description)
2. The Black Echo (see description)
3. The Last Coyote (see description)
4. The Lincoln Lawyer (see description)
5. The Concrete Blonde (see description)
6. The Drop (see description)
7. The Black Box (the latest book by Michael Connelly - see description)
8. Angels Flight (see description)
9. Lost Light (see description)
10. Trunk Music (see description)

I choose the books which in my opinion are the best crime novels by Michael Connelly, but I encourage you to read  a series of Harry in chronological order. You can find the list of Bosch novels set in order for example on Wikipedia. If you are looking for full Michael Connelly's bibliography - see his website.

BTW - this year a new book by Michael Connelly will be out - called The Gods of Guilt. Publishing date is set on December 2! See more details >

What's your favorite Michael Connelly's novel? :)

Joyland by Stephen King - review

Finally! There is a new book written by the king of horror. Stephen King - to the delight of his fans – still writes great novels. His latest one - Joyland - is a must read for everyone who likes crime and mystery!

Some time ago I wrote about 10 best books by Stephen King. I think that if someone did not read his earlier novels, he should start with any of the previous titles.

However, if you already read some of the books written by King you should reach for the Joyland immediately, because in tis one the writer confirms that he is a great author with extraordinary imagination and workshop skills. He perfectly creates the characters, a mood and a story.

What is Joyland about? 
"Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever" (see full description on Amazon).

Interestingly, the book is available only as a paperback. Why this decision?

"I love crime, I love mysteries, and I love ghosts. That combo made Hard Case Crime the perfect venue for this book, which is one of my favorites. I also loved the paperbacks I grew up with as a kid, and for that reason, we’re going to hold off on e-publishing this one for the time being. Joyland will be coming out in paperback, and folks who want to read it will have to buy the actual book." - said Stephen King.

What is my opinion about Joyland? The book is great, I highly recommended it. So if you have a birthday soon and the family asks you what you would like to get for a present - Joyland is a good answer :). Everyone else should buy a novel for themselfs, for example on Amazon :)

Top 10 best books by Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben is - in my opinion - the master of unexpected twists and turns in the novels. This American author of thrillers often was able to surprise me with the story's ending what's why, if someone wants a great crime novel that sucks you in action from the first page, I recommend to read one of Coben's books.

Harlan Coben's work can be divided into three parts:

First one consists of a series in which the main character is Myron Bolitar - a former basketball player and sports agent in one person. He first appeared in the book Infamous in 1995.

Second - stand-alone novels.

Third - new young adult series with the nephew of Myron - Mickey. For the first time he appeared in the novel, Shelter in 2011.

I like Coben's books because of interesting characters, great dialogues and unexpected twists. It is impossible to be bored while reading his novels. I remember that I literally could not get away from reading Tell No One. Instead of going to sleep I sat most of the night, until I read the last page.

He has written more than twenty novels. I chose the books which in my opinion are the best novels by Harlan Coben. Below is a list:

1. Tell No One (see description)
2. Gone For Good (see description)
3. Deal Breaker (see description)
4. Fade Away (see description)
5. Promise Me (see description)
6. The Innocent (see description)
7. Back Spin (see description)
8. One False Move (see description)
9. Caught (see description)
10. Darkest Fear (see description)

What is your favorite novel written by Coben? :)

Top 5 best books by Henning Mankell

Henning Mankell is a very popular Swedish writer known around the world. His books have been translated into over 40 languages. On my blog I will only concentrate on his novels where Kurt Wallander is the main character although Mankell is not only a crime novels author.

Kurt Wallander is a fictional police inspector living and working in Ystad. This character has brought Mankell his fame and made ​​him one of the best-selling writers in the world. This is another example that a interesting, memorable character is already a half of success in writting a bestseller novel :).

I like to read the Mankell's books, because they always have a well-constructed plot, carefully and curiously described. Sometimes the pace of the action is pretty slow, but after reading a few thrillers in a row, where the action is practically on every page, this is a nice change.

Therefore, I recommend to read Mankell's novels were we can expect long conversations, descriptions of tedious witnesses' questioning and Kurt checking all leads, because the story always illustrates what changes are taking place in modern Swedish society as the whole world changes, what problems people are facing nowadays etc.

So if you are looking for a good crime story, with a intresting and troubled policeman in the lead role, the novels of Kurt Wallander will be perfect for you!

Since Kurt as the main character appeared in only nine novels, I decided to choose five titles that I think are absolutely worth reading.

So below is a list of books which in my opinion are the best novels written by Henning Mankell with Kurt Wallander.

1. Faceless Killers (see description)

2. One Step Behind (see description)

3. Sidetracked (see description)

4. The Pyramid - short stories about Wallanders' early years in the police (see description)

5. The Fifth Woman (see description)

Of course, when you read those books, get the rest :).

Top 5 novels by Dan Brown

Usually, I make a list of the ten best books of the author, but with Dan Brown this is not possible, because he wrote only five novels :). That's why this time I created a list of all novels sorted from the best to the weakest.

First Dan Brown's novel I have read was The Da Vinci Code - like I guess most people did. The novel had spectacular marketing, but for me all the things which are associated with this book, all the conspiracy theories, criticism of the Catholic Church, etc. didn't really matter.

What matters is that The Da Vinci Code reads really well. I was fascinated by the writer's workshop, the narration (short chapters ending at an important time, which force you to read further just to see what happens next) and the general plot and characters. This is a good thriller.

I got interested in other novels by Dan Brown and that is why I read his earlier books: Digital Fortress, Angels & Demons, Deception Point, and his newest - Last Symbol - which came six years after the publication of The Da Vinci Code.

I recommend to read The Da Vinci Code first, which is probably not surprising. I think that the plot is more interesting is Angels & Demons, but the structure of this book is not quite as good as in The Da Vinci Code (narration is slow in the beginning, there are too much explanations, the real action starts just somewhere in the middle). That's why Angels & Demons you should read second :).

This is my list of best novels by Dan Brown:

1. The Da Vinci Code (see description)

2. Angels & Demons (see description)

3. Deception Point (see description)

4. The Lost Symbol (see description)

5. Digital Fortress (see description)

If you already known adventures of world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, get the Deception Point – very interesting, surprising and well-written political thriller, where NASA is involved in the plot. You certainly won't be bored!

Stephen King - top 10 best books

I waited a long time to write about one of my favorite writers, because I love most of Stephen King's works and it's very difficult to pick his best works from over fifty books which he wrote. 

Almost all of them I read with great pleasure and I think that most deserves attention. But to encourage people, who don't know his books at all or are wondering what to read next - this is my top ten Stephen King's best novels.

I think that each book written by Stephen King have memorable characters, excellent atmosphere and dialogues and great plot. Without hesitation I can even say that some of his works (such as The Stand) are the most important novels of the twentieth century.

Why I love King? For his passion, hard work and that he always surprised me, because each book brings something new. That's why I encourage everyone to read his books!

After a long struggle with myself and looking over and over his bibliography, here is the list of top ten best novels by Stephen King:

1. The Stand (see description)

2. Misery (see description)

3. The Shining (see description)

4. It (see description)

5. The Green Mile (see description)

6. The Dead Zone (see description)

7. Duma Key (see description)

8. Under the Dome (see description)

9. Carrie (see description)

10. Salem's Lot (see description)

And special mention: The Dark Tower series.

Of course, it would be easier to write which King's novels you shouldn't read (for example: The Regulators, Dreamcatcher or Roadwork), than which ones you should, because where are so many good books written by Stephen King – e.g. I didn't mention the Firestarter, Pet Sematary, Lisey's Story, Bag of Bones, The Long Walk, Cujo or 11/22/63, which I recently finished reading. All whose titles you should also read, because they are great!

My list also don't include collections of short stories (I recommend them all, but especially Night Shift, Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Skeleton Crew, Full Dark, No Stars, Hearts in Atlantis and Different Seasons). In my list of best books I chose only between the novels. 

About non-fiction - Danse Macabre and On Writing - I will write in in the future, because these titles require "special treatment" :).

If you are looking for full Stephen King's bibliography – visit his official website :). 

Which is your favourite book by Stephen King? And those of you who haven't read any book written by this author I encourage to do so. Check the Amazon website which Stephen King's books are available today!

Review: Between by Jessica Warman - great mystery book for teens

Jessica Warman is an author of Breathless (2010 Best Book for Young Adults) and Where the Truth Lies. Between is her third well written novel for teenagers.

Some writers begin to write their books by asking "what if". Others reach for the memories of their childhood – and that's what Jessica Warman has done. In the description of her biography (e.g. on the Amazon) we can find the information that "The idea for Between came from an incident in her childhood, when a local boy went missing after a party on a yacht (Eventually he was found, alive)."

But the plot of the novel is quite different. The main character Elizabeth Valchar - very pretty and popular girl - wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday party on her family's yacht, where she'd been celebrating with her friends. Elizabeth quickly realized that no one sees nor hears her. Why? Because she is dead and now a ghost.

From publisher's description: "Critically acclaimed author Jessica Warman displayed brings readers along on a roller-coaster ride of a mystery, they also that is a heartbreaking character study, a touching romance, and ultimately a hopeful tale of redemption, love, and letting go."

We are dealing with a major mystery (what happened in the night, whether it was an accident or not?), but as we read the book there are more unknowns, secrets come to light and it turns out that everyone had something on their conscience.

It's not an outstanding book, nor especially surprising (fairly easy to guess the ending). This said, I think that Between is a good book, well written and with interesting plot. Especially for teens, but not only. I finished high school ages ago ;-), but also I like it.

The author skillfully shows how Eliza is evolving under the influence of new events, how from the spoiled child she becomes mature and wiser. There are also some touching moments :). But - in my opinion - the main advantage of the book is that it forces us to reflect on how we ourselves treat others in school, family, work, etc.

Therefore, if you are wondering what to buy for some young adult (close friend, aunt's daughter, etc.) - you should definitely look up this novel.

Reviews on Amazon also confirm that this is an interesting book. On 35 reviews 16 people gave it 5 stars, and 17 gave 4. So I encourage you to read Between by Jessica Warman! :)

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!