Authors you want to shout about

Books

Another Barbara Pym fan here (I think I am a character in one of her novels, but I won't say which one!)
Her best friend (and biographer) Hazel Holt wrote a detective series (in which some of BP's locations pop up!). From a detection point of view, they sit in the 'cozy' genre, but the quality of the writing and acute observation makes her one of the very best. And she follows 'Detective Club' rules - the reader must be able to work out the murderer.

A lovely author called Patricia Dixon! She lives in Manchester and started self-publishing on Amazon about 8 years ago, and I fell in love with her writing. At that time, she mainly wrote about friendships and relationship with locations in Manchester and the Loire Valley where she has a second home. In 2018 she got picked up by Bloodhound Books and started writing psychological thrillers, and recently a wonderful book about the French Resistance, called Resistance. She also has a book out today on Kindle titled Blame, described as a 'gripping romantic psychological suspense.' I highly recommend her. (She is also a really lovely lady to invited me to her home back before she became 'famous' )

I'd second a lot of these suggestions and will look at the ones I'm unfamiliar with so I think this is a really useful thread. No doubt I'll eventually remember some of my recommendations but just now 'Eleanor Oliphant is completely Fine' by Gail Honeyman comes to mind. Happy reading, everyone!

Miss Read. The Thrush Green series and the Fairacre series.
Based at least 40 years ago and set in the Cotswolds. School life and country life Intermixed. The descriptions of the surrounding flora and fauna are wonderful. I’ve read and reread them countless times

Great thread, lots to get my teeth into. I love all the Elly Griffiths books, I think she has been mentioned by someone earlier on.

No one has mentioned Ken Follett, Pillars of the Earth,I love all his historical books

If you like physiological fiction Ruth Dugdall is a recent find.
Living near the Humber Bridge I was curious to read ‘Humber Boy B’
I enjoyed Ruth’s style of writing so I then read ‘The Woman Before Me’ and found it to be another good read
I have just ordered 2 more ‘The Sacrificial Man’ and ‘Nowhere Girl’

*Psychological
Bluddy auto correct eh??? ?

Oh yes Anniepea Fannie Flagg is great!
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Patrick Gale. I have read all his books and can never wait for the next one.
Although I don't think being a celebrity makes you a good writer i do enjoy Jennie Eclair's books. I've also read quite a few of Ben Elton's novels and have mostly enjoyed them.
I also like Victoria Hislop, Rose Tremain, Tracy Chevalier, Judith Lennox, Victoria Connelly, Rachel Hore and Sarah Winman. Not forgetting "the boys" lovely Brummie, Mike Gayle and slightly off-beat John Marrs.
Another writer that I love, and no one seems to have heard of, is Scottish author Catherine Czerkawska. She writes mainly historical novels set in Scotland. Recommended!

Another highly recommended writer is Marina Lewycka - hilarious and also quite sad - 'We are all made of Glue' (wonderful) also 'Two Caravans' and 'A short history of Tractors in Ukranian' (I know!)

Lesley Pearce books are fantastic. Also love Rosie Goodwin, Kerry Barnes and Rachael Abbott. All different.

Mrswoo
Patrick Gale is a wonderful writer.

I have read a lot of books in the past and still read but most of these authors were completely unknown to me.
A sad reflection on my reading material perhaps.

Robert Goddard early books are fabulous. His first, Past Caring, is brilliant. It is currently on Kindle Unlimited for free.

Harlan Coban and Linwood Barclay and John Grisham

@TerriBull I agree with you about The Thursday Murder Club . I downloaded it onto my kindle for about £10 . I deleted it halfway through reading it . It was rubbish !
I usually only read cheap or free books So I won’t waste my money in future

Roasalyn69 Not at all, it's why I started the thread - to expand everyone's knowledge of authors they might like to try. It's all too easy to stick with what we know I think. Books can be expensive, so having recommendations by people who like similar books/authors can introduce a whole new experience less likely to be fraught with disappointment. I can't remember how many books I've started and not got past the first 50 pages in recent times. So it's good to have ideas from others who read differently/more widely etc.

Really liked anything by Helen Dunmore till she died prematurely. Also a big fan of William Boyd. Others authors I like are Belinda Bauer, Lisa Jewell, Nicki French and Lucy Foley. Some Ian McKewan I’ve liked but not all. Just finishing the last in an Icelandic crime trilogy by Ragnor Johanson.

Thanks everyone it will be great to try some of the authors mentioned above. I enjoy Kate Atkinson, Anne Cleeves, Ian Rankin.
If you like good, well written detective novel writers then here are two more Tana French, her books are set in Ireland, well drawn characters and plenty of suspense.
Another is Louise Penny, she is Canadian. Set in Quebec, they are serious, witty and gripping.
I also love the Diana Gabaldon Outlander series. They are infinitely better than the TV series, Diana is a great story teller a mix of fantasy and eighteenth century.

Anyone remember Jean Plaidy? Pretty sure my mother was never far from one of her books. The mentions of Diana Gabaldon reminded me, story mixed with history.

I loved Jean Plaidy when I was younger, I think it got me interested in Tudor History. Another blast from the past, does any remember the Herris books by Hugh Walpole. Judith Paris was my favourite.

one of my favourite authors is Nicci French, she writes thrillers but with a difference

My mother loved Jean Plaidy. I'm ashamed to say that, for that very reason, I refused to read them! I still haven't
I'd like to recommend Martin Walker's crime series set in the Dordogne. The main character is Bruno, police chief in a small town, also rugby trainer and tennis coach. The first book in the series is Death in the Dordogne. Great characters and excellent 'sense of place'.

This is a really interesting thread! I have read many already mentioned. I really enjoyed The Shipping News by Annie Proulx. I like Alice Munro as well. They are similar to Ann Tyler. Jasper Fforde writes very quirky stuff. Christopher Brookmyre writes detective books with a distinctive voice. I loved The Miniaturist. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier I loved too.