Margaret Peterson Haddix

I'm going to start reading Margaret Peterson Haddix's series.  I think I'll start with the Shadow Children series so I get a feel for her writing.  I noticed if the middle schoolers were not checking out her books, they were into James Patterson.  I have to admit, as an adult writer, Patterson is one of my favorites. 

So, I guess that means his YA books are next on the list.  I have quite a reading list to work.  I also have the last Last Apprentice to read.  I'm waiting on PC Cast's last two books in the teen vamp series to come out in paperback.  I also have to read Sorceress and Necromancer in the Immortal Secrets of Nicholas Flamel series.

I'm also going to add Copper Elephant to the list.  Saw that one in the library today at the high school.

MN Authors & More

Some of my favorite authors write mysteries. In college (undergrad) I discovered Sara Paretsky. GO V.I.!! (She's a lady detective with a 'tude) After college I found many, many other authors--Connelly, Sandford, Patterson, Cook, etc. My mother goes to the bookstore more often than I do, so she's passed along most of the recent authors. Kent Krueger, Sanders, Reichs, and others.

I really prefer the ones that give details on the things behind the scenes. I also like the local authors. Krueger and Sandford are two local authors. I have read John Sanford novels since undergrad. One of his main characters is Lucas Davenport, a Minneapolis cop and eventually a BCA agent. Lucas, unlike most mystery protagonists, has a human side and is less likely to get even. He can swear like a sailor though! Krueger's main character is Corcoran O'Connor, part Anishinaabe, part Irish. He is full of spit and fire, but also has a human side. The humanism in both is integral to the stories, as both men are family oriented, married with children.

This is not to say the other authors are less exciting. Sanders has written since the 1960's. One of his main characters is Edward X. Delaney, Chief of Police NYPD. He is an old time cop, always dressed in full uniform or a formal 3 piece suit. For those that don't know what 3 piece is, it's a matching trouser, suit coat and vest. He also added a pocket watch with fob. Delaney knew his NY and knew the people. He was a thinker and would often put himself in the mind of the criminal to recreate the events and the motives. Paretsky decided on a lady investigator--V.I. Warshawksi, aka Victoria to her family. V.I. worked in Chicago and readers enjoyed her many trips around the Loop.

The appeal of these characters is the place setting and the idea that they could logically deduce the crimes. They knew the people and the cities they worked within. Many of the protagonists are highly intelligent and, like Sherlock Holmes, THINK their way to the conclusion. There are clues and there are coincidences that aid in the solution, but inherent in these characters is the thought process.

Check out some good mystery authors this weekend:
William Kent Krueger's Iron Lake
Lawrence Sander's The First Deady Sin
John Sanford's Rules of Prey