LitQueuelitqueue

After

Deadline

John Sandford2014

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more ↓

  • Dark of the moon

    John Sandford2007

    Investigator Virgil Flowers travels to a small town to solve a series of murders involving a house explosion and a local doctor.

    wry → sardonic, still police procedural

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • The Doves Necklace

    Raja Alem2014

    A detective investigates an unidentified woman's body found in a Mecca alleyway. The city itself narrates parts of the story.

    wry → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1

  • Amberes

    Roberto Bolaño2002

    A fragmented series of fifty-six short sections follows a police officer, a redhead, and a hunchback through a series of loosely linked crimes.

    wry → cold

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1

  • American Psycho

    Bret Easton Ellis1991

    A wealthy investment banker details his daily routines, consumer habits, and graphic murders. The narrative is cold and repetitive.

    wry → cold

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+2

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Two-Dollar bill

    Stuart Woods2005

    Attorney Stone Barrington deals with a flamboyant Texas con man who is being pursued by the CIA.

    Same wry register, still mystery

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Thraxas

    Martin Millar

    An overweight, beer-drinking private investigator with minor magical abilities solves crimes in a corrupt fantasy city.

    Same wry register

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Secrets in Death

    J.D. Robb2017

    Lt. Eve Dallas investigates the murder of a professional gossip columnist in a futuristic New York City.

    wry → propulsive, still police procedural

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

Faster

wry → propulsive, still police procedural

3 more ↓

  • Angels & Demons

    Dan Brown2000

    A symbologist and a scientist race through Rome to stop an ancient secret society from destroying the Vatican. It takes place over 24 hours.

    wry → propulsive, still mystery

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

  • Tell No One

    Harlan Coben2000

    A widower receives an email from his wife eight years after her murder. He flees the FBI to discover if she is still alive.

    wry → propulsive, still mystery

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

  • The Crucifix Killer

    Chris Carter2010

    An LA detective finds a signature mark on a victim that suggests a previously executed serial killer is still active or has a copycat.

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Bury Your Dead

    Louise Penny2010

    Chief Inspector Armand Gamache investigates a murder at a Quebec library while recovering from a traumatic police raid.

    wry → elegiac, still police procedural

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

  • Gödel, Escher, Bach

    Douglas R. Hofstadter1979

    An exploration of how cognition emerges from hidden neurological patterns. It uses math, art, and music to explain self-referential systems.

    wry → playful

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

  • Ulysses

    James Joyce1914

    Three characters wander through Dublin on a single day in 1904. Each chapter uses a different literary style to mimic thoughts and sensations.

    wry → playful

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

Heavier

wry → bleak, still police procedural

3 more ↓

  • Broken Harbor

    Tana French2012

    A detective investigates a family murdered in a failed housing development. The story focuses on the investigator's mental unraveling.

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+2

  • Shadow Man

    Cody McFadyen2006

    An FBI agent with a traumatic past tracks a serial killer who targets families. The narrative details extreme physical and psychological torture.

    wry → tense, still police procedural

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2

  • Phantom

    Jo Nesbø

    Harry Hole returns to Oslo to clear his stepson of a murder charge. He descends into the city's drug scene to find the real killer.

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2