Who do people consider to be the greatest living British crime author?
Who do people consider to be the greatest living British crime author?
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Who do people consider to be the greatest living British crime author?
Ian Rankin
Simon Kernick
Lee Child
Mark Billingham
Val McDiarmuid
Ian Rankin
This is a tough question as haven’t read all of them but from who I have read for consistency I have to say Mark Billingham
Peter James
MACBRIDE!!!!!!!!!! Or Val McDermid 🙂
Peter James and Ann Cleeves
Mick Herron
Ian Rankin.
You guys are killing my wallet lol!
@Val
Ian Rankin
Agatha Christie
@Kelly She’s not living!
Ooops I missed the living bit!?
lesley krier titherx
Oh wow, thank you so much for that, it’s quite made my day 🙂
Peter James and Val McDermid
Tana French
She’s born in the U.S., lives in Dublin.
@Sheila I did not know that!
But she does have dual nationality
Ian Rankin
Stuart Mcbride xxx
Peter Robinson
Ian Rankin
Stuart mc Bride
Elly Griffiths
Ian Rankin by a mile
Peter James and Val McDermid
For me it’s Lynda La Plante
Elly Griffiths
Adrian Mckinty.
Too hard to choose one
For me there is definitely more than one!
@Alyson I agree
Loads of them, plus lots of them are my friends so there’s no way I’m choosing one
@Wendy quite right see my answer
Can’t pin it down we are all different but as age goes maybe John Harvey. Quintin Jardine. Val Mcdermid. Ian Rankin . Hey bad Q? We all have our faves.
Jason Kelly hi
Loads but Elly Griffiths (@Domenica) would have to be in there and so would @Mike
@Kath – thank you! And Elly’s awesome isn’t she?
@Mike You both are.
Yes she is, you both are.
? You guys
Agatha Christie, because she is still the most read author in the world. Whatever you think of her books, her legacy is incredible.
Not exactly living.
Rankin and James and McDermid
@David oops, sorry!! That’s tricky, because it rules out Ruth Rendell and PD James. I’ll need to chew over that for quite some time!
Couldn’t possibly pick one !
Definitely not one of the big names. Indie authors and small publishers produce far better books than the usual bland mass market stuff
@Craig, agreed. I only ever read Indie authors now. ?❤️
Tess gerritsen…Sharon bolton
Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie.
Neither living.
@David only in memory ?
Couldn’t begin to give that honour to one author
Agatha Christie
@Scott it says living author
@Michael. Ah sorry. A lot to choose from now.
Mick Herron for me
I don’t think she is still living.
John le Carre
I know who my choice is. Nobody has mentioned this person yet
@Jason come on spill the beans !
Come on @Jason, the suspenders are killing me, spill
Peter Lovesey
Val McDermid for me
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
@Sharon it says living author
@Michael oh sorry Agatha Christie then
@Sharon She died in the 1970s…
@Anne Oh did she, Dorothy L Sayers then
@Sharon me and you went straight to authors who have passed away! Interesting I didn’t see the word ‘living’…
@Sharon don’t know if your messing around but she is dead as well
@Susan they were good authors ?
@Sharon they were and set the bar high for those that followed
@Sharon Anthony Horowitz replicated him beautifully in his Moriarty novel recently
@Susan I have that to read. I am looking forward to it. I have read House of Silk and thought he did a brilliant job.
@Sharon in that case I will read that. Thank you for the recommendation!
P D James
No longer with us.
@David I know! I just realised I didn’t see the word ‘living’ !
Ian Rankin
Elizabeth George
She is a very underrated author
@Jason that’s a shame. She’s superb in my view
And is also American, I believe (though at least still alive)
@Nick she understands the English class system well
Yes, she doesn’t make too many slips – the occasional yellow legal pad in place of an A4 pad. But still not a British crime author.
@Nick can she be honorary Briton??
I always forget she’s American, too. Her books seem to be so grounded in their UK locations.
@Will absolutely yes! I assumed she was Briton until I was told otherwise in this forum. That really surprised me. Lynley is so perfect he is clearly a descendant of the Conqueror!?❤
Living, bloody living!
Patricia Cornwell and Stuart MacBride.
PC is American
Whatever – it is my opinion.
Ian Rankin
Quite surprised no one mentions Lynda La Plante
Someone did mention her
@David never actually read her
@David I mentioned her ?
@Michael My wife Joan’s second favourite author.
Forgot about Linda . She does write a good book. Who else have we forgot x
Nobody has mentioned John Harvey
@Jason coughs I did
Ann Cleeves
Chris Longmuir, Rob Ashdown and Patrica Gibney all gripping writers!
I’ve heard good things about this book DB
Reginald Hill used to be one of my favourite authors. But he passed away a few years ago
Mines dead? Agatha christie, for ‘gentler’ murder has to be agatha raisin series by (?) Ac Beaton, not British but loved the ‘beck’ series by per waloo, probably be Val mcdermid?
Val is great
Colin Dexter.
Dead.
@Mandy Who did it?
@Mandy I obviously miss read it. SO NOW IT’S PETER JAMES.
Agatha Christie
Deceased
Karin Slaughter
KS is American
I know dont really go location tbh I like a good book
But she is a very good author
Wilkie Collins ❤️
@Rachel you made the same mistake I did…the question asks about authors that are alive! Interesting that some of us went to deceased authors
Michael connelly
he’s American
Peter James.
@Leigh
Thank you @Victoria… not sure I can claim to be the “greatest living British crime author” but I’m thrilled to accept the compliment ?
@Leigh a compliment you really deserve your books are amazing x
@Victoria Thank you! ?
@Leigh you are certainly one of them! ?
Thank you so much @Catarina ?
So many incl Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Peter James, @Leigh, Lynda La Plante, I could go on. They are all fabulous authors in different ways.
@Lisa Thank you so much ?
@Michael That is such a subjective question. Several British authors are very popular, but ‘great’ is pushing the boat out. Most books I read are okay, and some are very good, but not in what I would consider a great category. Books that linger in the mind for a long time and demand to be revisited are great to me. To each his own 🙂
@Michael Thanks for the likes, Jackie, J.F., Jason and David.
To many to list love them all
Crimes a big subject to you have historical crimes on humanity. I like irish history particulary nuns and workhouses and midwives.Also one my favorite books is the little coffee shop of karbul
Khaled Hosseini is my all time favourite though hes better at non fiction
Ian rankin. Elizabeth George. Stuart McBride. Reginald hill. P.d james. Co!I’m Dexter. Xxx
@Chris all of the above!
Half of those are dead and Elizabeth George is American!
M j aldridge and lynda la plante
Ruth Rendell
@Eileen deceased
@Eileen ,I loved herx
@Elaine the wexford books are still very readable loved when it was on television xx
I don’t remember them being televised. When was this? Can you remember who played Wexford?
@Jason it was George someone.Have to Google it.Think it was in the nineties.Sometimes repeated on itv3
Rachel Abbott is one of my faves
Anne Cleeve’s, Ruth Ware and Clare Mackintosh
Ian Rankin
Ian Rankin
Val mcdermid and mark Billingham
Val McDermid
Peter James
Peter May, of course.
Val McDermid (f) Ian Rankin (m)
Non fiction, Steve Fielding. Fiction, Peter James
Ann Cleeves
It’s got to be Agatha Christie for me. I think the diversity of her plots is second to none
Ahh, should have read some of the earlier comments – realise now, it’s supposed to be living authors. I think it’s hard to pinpoint who is the greatest. There are some fantastic contemporary crime writers, most have been already mentioned, although I’m surprised not to see Mark Billingham in the list. Another that hasn’t (I don’t think) whose books have given me a great deal of enjoyment is Robert Goddard. A bit left of field but hey ho, I dare to be different ?
Val McDermid Mari Hannah Ann Cleese’s (m) Peter May .
Perhaps what a lot of responses show here is that it’s easier to distinguish an author as ‘great’ when they’re dead – the whole work and influence is easier to assess then.
I think crime covers such a broad spectrum it’s impossible to say! If you love golden age-type crime, for me, it’s probably Gladys Mitchell. If you like forensics-type it’ll be someone else. If you like thriller, again, someone else.
I like Louise Doughty. Her Apple Tree Yard stayed in my mind.
Nobody has mentioned Lee Child. Yes, Reacher is set in the US, but Lee is British. Other contenders: Ian Rankin, Stuart MacBride, Ann Cleeves, Peter Robinson, Val McDermid, Mark Billingham, Mo Hayder. Where do I stop ? So many good writers to choose from; aren’t we blessed ?
@Paul I didn’t realise Lee Child was English!
Born in Coventry I think.
Yes, born in Coventry, worked for Granada TV before he became an author.
I appreciate all that Paul Harvey has said above and there are many sub-genres of crime fiction but, for me, one of the best overall is @Marnie. The depth of her characterisation is second to none. (Said as a crime fiction author myself, writing as Jack Slater.)
@Julian WOW. What a wonderful thing to say! Thanks so much. Glad you’ve enjoyed the books. 🙂
But people are different what appeals to one is another’s turn off.
Exactly
Interesting that no one mentioned Martina Cole!
One of my wifes favourites.
Sarah Waters – every book is absolutely brilliant!
Anyone mentioned Mo Hayder…?
You may have been the first 😉
@Sarah love Mo Hayder
@Kerry yes, me too ?
ian rankin
I think, for me, my top three are Peter May, ALEX MARWOOD and Mo Hayder.
Christopher Fowler
Peter Robinson or Ian Rankin
Peter Robinson and Elly Griffiths x
Agatha Christie ,
@Elaine em it says living
for me it has to be Agatha Christie
Deceased
yes I know but still a classic
@Christine Indeed so.
all of her books are fab, keep reading
I like James Oswald