Peter James was voted the Best Crime Writer of all time by WH Smith readers on Wednesday- and I’m really pleased to hear it! As a massive crime writing fan, there are loads of great novelists from this genre that I really enjoy reading and many of them made the top 20- but I am really pleased that Peter James topped the list!
Here’s the Top 20:
- Peter James
- James Patterson
- Val McDermid
- Ian Rankin
- Agatha Christie
- Martina Cole
- Sheila Quigley
- R. C. Bridgestock
- Karin Slaughter
- Tess Gerritsen
- Mark Billingham
- Patricia Cornwell
- Ruth Rendell
- Karen Rose
- Chris Carter
- Lee Child
- Simon Kernick
- P. D. James
- Thomas Harris
- Stuart MacBride
I’ve read a lot of Peter’s books but there are still plenty more on my ‘to-read’ list which I am very glad about- he’s written many stand-alone novels but my favourites by far are all part of the fantastic Roy Grace series; full list below:
- Dead Simple (2005)
- Looking Good Dead (2006)
- Not Dead Enough (2007)
- Dead Man’s Footsteps (2008)
- Dead Tomorrow (2009)
- Dead Like You (2010)
- Dead Man’s Grip (2011)
- Not Dead Yet (2012)
- Dead Man’s Time (2013)
- Want You Dead (2014)
- You Are Dead (2015)
The WH Smith page includes a top 100 list too, and some of the authors on there seem a little strange to be included (Cecelia Ahern? Sophie Kinsella? Nothing against their books but I wouldn’t imagine any of them as fitting in the crime category!)
I am quite disappointed that Robert Galbraith (J.K Rowling) didn’t make it into the Top 20 as the Cormoran Strike novels are, in my opinion, fantastic- but I suppose compared to the majority of others on the list Galbraith hasn’t released many books at all. Maybe in a few years’ time though!
Most of all I was incredibly surprised to see no mention anywhere in the top 100 of Peter Robinson? I think he’s a brilliant crime writer and his DCI Banks novels certainly deserve a place on the list. I suppose that, as this is voted by readers, it is what it is- but I am very surprised nonetheless!
- See the article here: http://blog.whsmith.co.uk/best-crime-authors-time-voted/
Who is your favourite crime writer? Is there anyone you were pleased to see had made the list, or surprised that didn’t?
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