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The 'Old Men' book convinced me that:

McCarthy has never hunted or even hiked very far in the desert. His initial main protagonist embarks on an all-day hike/hunt without water. What a crock! I always carry a canteen to wash my hands and the body cavity but apparently McCarthy isn't a hunter or else he ignored logic and good sense for the sake of the plot. (IMO a certain-sure mark of an amateur)

Again, his protagonist actually GOES BACK to the site instead of calling the SO! Talk about a death wish!?! No logic there, but it enables the plot line to advance so.....

Again, the wife immediately relocates to the very first place where the killer will be certain to check. Does McCarthy think folks are THAT stupid? Oh pardon me I forgot (sarcastic grin), judging by the way he writes, he obviously thinks his readers are QUITE dumb.

The ending almost seems like he got tired of writing and just dogged it off. No exposition of VERY interesting occurrences and little exposition of some of the characters' emotions and reasoning. Makes me think that he knew it would sell so why try any harder?

Maybe some folks consider him a good writer but I'm definitely NOT one of 'em. Bottom line for me, NO 'willing suspension of disbelief' so therefore no interest. I won't be buying any more of his stuff, at all at all, ever.
Regards, Joe

I like "The Crossing" the best of McCarthy's novels. "The Road" is the most depressing "after the fall" novel I've read. And I've read a bunch. Kinda wish I'd skipped it, but literally couldn't put it down. Horrified fascination.

I've probably mentioned Allen Furst's pre-and-WWII spy novels before, but I really like them. His latest isn't the best; either he's running out of gas or I am. My favorites are "The Polish Officer" which really gets at the "glories of war," and "The Foriegn Correspondent" which would make a decent textbook on how fascists operate. Some of his earlier books make it clear how communists operate. Same ways.

The Ludlum estate is merely milking a cash cow. Some of the 'ghost written' Bourne novels are OK, some are trash. I have given up on them.

I gave up on Parker long before he died, he had become the very definition of 'formulaic'. It's the rare writer who can turn out multiple books based on the same character and premise and still keep each one fresh and entertaining. Those who can and do pull it off are Child, Burke, and Sanderson, to name a few at the top of their game. With those guys, I await each new volume with keen anticipation, savor each page, and regret it has to end.

I find myself really liking George Pelicanos too, for his gritty portrayal of the streets of Washington, D.C.- 20 minutes and a whole lifetime from where I live.

Unfortunately I don't know Sanderson, could you possibly mean Sandford instead?

Some more now-deceased writers who pulled it off are IMO Patrick O'Brian, Arthur Upfield, John Norman (!?!) and John D. Madonald (not the best but not bad either). Living ones IMO include Andrew Vachss, Tony Hillerman (is he still alive?) and Richard Stark (pseud.).
Regards, Joe

Vachss is brutal. I'll read a couple and have to give him a rest.

Some one not mentioned is Ken Bruen, especially his Inspector Brant series.

Art

Yes, my fingers outpaced my brain (yet again)!

One time Andrew Vachss had a reading, book-signing here in Anchorage, my daughter and I went. He ask the audience of mostly females how many had ever fired a handgun. Around 99% raised their hand, he thought we had misunderstood the question. I told him he has misunderstood where he was ;-).

I was impress by the man, he is very knowledgeable and articulate and has educated a lot of folks about the need for child protection.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Vachss

I was on a river cruise in France last month and happened on one of the Detective Inspector Frost series by R.D. Wingfield,
neither of whom I had ever heard of before. Frost, as one of the reviewers notes, is sort of a cross between Rumpold of the Bailey and Columbo, but actually that comparison does not do him justice.

As soon as I got home I ordered all six of the series and have been avidly working through them (four down, two to go) ever since.

The books, in order of publication are Frost at Christmas, A Touch of Frost, Night Frost, Hard Frost, Winter Frost, and A Killing Frost. I find myself reluctant to start the last book with the realization that there will be no more.

Another deceased author I was entranced by is Patrick O'Brian, whose Napoleonic War sea novel series featuring Captain Jack Aubrey, is one I approached cautiously after seeing the film "Master and Commander" based more or less on his books.

As a lifelong fan of C.S. Forester and his hero Captain Horatio Hornblower, I was dubious that anyone else could approach his standards of authenticity. I was therefore amazed to discover that O'Brian leaves Forester in the dust. His books are far superior in every way, and I doubt that I will ever be able to read a Forester book again without making unfavorable comparisons.

There are 22 books to this series and the stories pretty much meld chronologically.

I second this, most emphatically.

Also of note is O'Brian's pair of books about Commodore Anson's earlier expedition to the Pacific to attack either the Manila or Acapulco Galleon, depending. Superb! Plus, he has written a few more outliers of various types and I look forward to reading them in time. His character development through dialogue is unmatched in my experience, as is his authentic details, e.g. his descriptions of the details of life at sea. His Aubrey/Maturin novels are available in a 4-volume set and they make a super gift for a reader.
Regards, Joe

Speaking as one who was trained and educated for many years to be an English teacher, I find this prospect to be sad, very sad. His turn of phrase and use of the language are both quite good but IMO no better than many others, and apparently his plot development and details are not pleasing to some folks for various reasons.

Literary criticism sometimes reminds me of oenophiles and art critics. The cognoscenti have a language all their own with all sorts of obfuscations and oh-so-obscure cutesy-pie references and if the rest of us ordinary mortals don't automatically appreciate and immediately embrace their overwhelming brilliance, well, then, we must be ignoramuses!

My yardstick is simple and easy to read. If the story is interesting TO ME then I'm interested even if the writing isn't the best. If the story isn't interesting TO ME then I'm not interested no matter how 'good' the writing may be according to someone else's yardstick.
I'll get down off my soapbox now, regards, Joe