Books

[Scully]

I know there are some avid readers on here, and not just those concerning the natural world or shooting related. 
I will and do read books concerning most topics, but for those who like a good detective/thriller type novel, I can most firmly recommend the fiction and non-fiction books of Joseph Wambaugh. 
He is a former LAPD Detective Sergeant and many of his books were made into feature films starring some pretty major actors back in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Actors such as William Holden, James Garner, James Woods, John Savage and the iconic Harry Dean Stanton! Movies include The Choirboys, The Onion Field, The Glitterdome, Black Marble and Blue Knight plus many others. 
I read all his books, most of which were stupidly binned ( along with many others believing I’d never read them again….have read most of them at least twice ) in a pique of annoyance when emptying the house following the split of a long term relationship with the mother of my kids. 
Anyhow, almost a decade later, and assuming he’d be gone by now ( in my defence he was a rookie during the Watts Riots in the 1960’s ) I went to my local bookshop to order a couple I fancied reading again, and lo and behold, not only is he still alive but still writing! 
Ordered everything I could which I haven’t read and it’s like being reunited with an old friend!🙂

Most are set in and around the West coast of America for obvious reasons, but if you’re into this genre you won’t find any better in my opinion. They are full of real life grit, hard bitten cynical cops who whilst having to deal with all the down in the gutter death and destruction of their daily jobs, are also effected by their own domestic circumstances of divorce, embittered relationships, alcoholism, self doubt and egos, plus generous helpings of laugh out loud black humour and sarcasm. They are an absolute delight, superbly well written with characters entirely believable and humanly flawed by someone who really really knows his subject.  I can’t recommend them enough. Some are obviously dated ( by their setting ) but still hugely readable. 
His best non-fiction work in my opinion is one titled The Blooding, which was made into a UK tv movie or series, which was about two murders in Leicestershire which had the UK police beaten, until they got wind of an at that time embryonic UK scientific discovery known as DNA fingerprinting and how it was used ( for the first time in history ) to catch the culprit. It is a fascinating read, and worth noting the murderer was recently ( within the last couple of years I think  )and  fortunately recalled back to prison soon after having been stupidly released back into society under license. 
Anyhow, sorry for the novel 😄 but I just thought some may be interested. 
 

Edited April 9 by Scully

[amateur]

I, too, enjoy a good crime read.

My go to authors, both available on Kindle, are Peter James (Roy Grace stories, set mainly in Brighton) and KE Cullen, both very authentic police procedurals.

[London Best]

I don’t like to read fiction. 
I always think somebody’s made it all up.

[Mice!]

I've just finished a Lynda Le Plante book, it was book 2, the Jack Warr series, for some reason I'm not normally a fan of female authors,  I guess it's the style of writing but this was very good, good enough that I now want book 1 😁

Edited April 9 by Mice!

[Scully]

2 hours ago, London Best said:

I don’t like to read fiction. 
I always think somebody’s made it all up.

👍

[bruno22rf]

I can only find solace in books by Tom Sharpe, reading them for years and never got bored.

[Penelope]

20 hours ago, Scully said:

I know there are some avid readers on here, and not just those concerning the natural world or shooting related. 
I will and do read books concerning most topics, but for those who like a good detective/thriller type novel, I can most firmly recommend the fiction and non-fiction books of Joseph Wambaugh. 
He is a former LAPD Detective Sergeant and many of his books were made into feature films starring some pretty major actors back in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Actors such as William Holden, James Garner, James Woods, John Savage and the iconic Harry Dean Stanton! Movies include The Choirboys, The Onion Field, The Glitterdome, Black Marble and Blue Knight plus many others. 
I read all his books, most of which were stupidly binned ( along with many others believing I’d never read them again….have read most of them at least twice ) in a pique of annoyance when emptying the house following the split of a long term relationship with the mother of my kids. 
Anyhow, almost a decade later, and assuming he’d be gone by now ( in my defence he was a rookie during the Watts Riots in the 1960’s ) I went to my local bookshop to order a couple I fancied reading again, and lo and behold, not only is he still alive but still writing! 
Ordered everything I could which I haven’t read and it’s like being reunited with an old friend!🙂

Most are set in and around the West coast of America for obvious reasons, but if you’re into this genre you won’t find any better in my opinion. They are full of real life grit, hard bitten cynical cops who whilst having to deal with all the down in the gutter death and destruction of their daily jobs, are also effected by their own domestic circumstances of divorce, embittered relationships, alcoholism, self doubt and egos, plus generous helpings of laugh out loud black humour and sarcasm. They are an absolute delight, superbly well written with characters entirely believable and humanly flawed by someone who really really knows his subject.  I can’t recommend them enough. Some are obviously dated ( by their setting ) but still hugely readable. 
His best non-fiction work in my opinion is one titled The Blooding, which was made into a UK tv movie or series, which was about two murders in Leicestershire which had the UK police beaten, until they got wind of an at that time embryonic UK scientific discovery known as DNA fingerprinting and how it was used ( for the first time in history ) to catch the culprit. It is a fascinating read, and worth noting the murderer was recently ( within the last couple of years I think  )and  fortunately recalled back to prison soon after having been stupidly released back into society under license. 
Anyhow, sorry for the novel 😄 but I just thought some may be interested. 
 

I get through a paperback a week or week and a half on average.

If you like a crime/detective novel with a bit of history mixed in, the Matthew Shardlake series by C.J Sansom, set under the Tudor reign of Henry VIII are are good read.

Dissolution.

Dark Fire.

Sovereign.

17 hours ago, bruno22rf said:

I can only find solace in books by Tom Sharpe, reading them for years and never got bored.

Read them all. Love Tom Sharpe. Kaffir Killer Konstable Els 🤣

19 hours ago, London Best said:

I don’t like to read fiction. 
I always think somebody’s made it all up.

Boom boom!!

[Scully]

17 hours ago, bruno22rf said:

I can only find solace in books by Tom Sharpe, reading them for years and never got bored.

Yes, cracking reads. Have read most of them if not all. 

20 minutes ago, Penelope said:

I get through a paperback a week or week and a half on average.

If you like a crime/detective novel with a bit of history mixed in, the Matthew Shardlake series by C.J Sansom, set under the Tudor reign of Henry VIII are are good read.

Dissolution.

Dark Fire.

Sovereign.

Read them all. Love Tom Sharpe. Kaffir Killer Konstable Els 🤣

Boom boom!!

Same here. Will give them a gander. 
The 87th Precinct novels of Ed McBain are well worth a read too. 

[Bigbob]

I read about 50 pages minimum a night . Stephen Leather , Peter May and a few others but i have about 300 James Patterson books as i always seem to return to him i bought them to read in order but it seems he is a ghost writer with loads of other less well know writers