Well, it's Super Bowl Sunday, so before everyone leaves the Internet to park themselves in front of a big screen TV, here's one more tidbit from my all-time favorite book of lists, J. Peder Zane's The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books. You really need to grab this book - it's that fascinating, if you keep in mind that it's sample is limited to 125 authors.
Top Ten Mysteries and Thrillers
- The Long Goodbye - by Raymond Chandler
- The Killer Inside - by Jim Thompson
- Red Dragon - by Thomas Harris
- The Big Sleep - by Raymond Chandler
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - John LeCarre
- The Postman Always Rings Twice - by James M. Cain
- The Maltese Falcon - Dashiell Hammett
- Mildred Pierce - by James M. Cain
- The Silence of the Lambs - by Thomas Harris
- Everybody Pays - by Andrew Vachss
I have read eight of these and am also very familiar with Jim Thompson and Andrew Vachss, authors of the two books I've yet to experience. Two or three of these would probably end up on my own Mystery Top Ten list, but I am surprised at the double-appearance of Thomas Harris. Too, I suppose it is because I find John LeCarre's writing style to be so boring that I find his showing at number five to be the biggest surprise of all.
It's always interesting to hear what other authors like to read.
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