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After

Man overboard

J. A. Jance2017

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

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  • Eyes of prey

    John Sandford1991

    Detective Lucas Davenport tracks a drug-addicted pathologist who is collaborating with a scarred killer. The two villains trade murders.

    Same propulsive register, still police procedural

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Blood on the dining-room floor

    Gertrude Stein1948

    A repetitive, circular narrative about a death in a country house. It uses experimental prose to obscure the facts of a traditional mystery.

    propulsive → playful

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • 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.

    propulsive → dreamlike

    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.

    propulsive → cold

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+2

To recover

Same propulsive register, still police procedural

3 more ↓

  • Ghost Ship

    Clive Cussler2014

    Kurt Austin survives a yacht sinking but suffers from conflicting memories. He investigates a global cybercrime conspiracy to find the truth.

    Same propulsive register

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Killer Blonde

    Laura Levine2004

    A freelance writer investigates a murder in the Hamptons after a socialite is killed. She balances the case with her work for a demanding boss.

    propulsive → playful, still amateur sleuth

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Heat wave

    Richard Castle2009

    A New York homicide detective investigates a real estate mogul's death while a magazine journalist shadows her. It is a police procedural.

    propulsive → playful, still police procedural

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

Faster

Same propulsive register, still police procedural

3 more ↓

  • 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

  • Memory Man

    David Baldacci2015

    A detective with a brain injury that prevents him from forgetting anything hunts for the person who murdered his family.

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1

  • Little boy blue

    M. J. Arlidge2016

    Detective Helen Grace investigates a murder in a BDSM club. Her own presence at the scene as a regular client complicates the search for the killer.

    propulsive → tense, still police procedural

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+1

Slower

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    propulsive → 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.

    propulsive → playful

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • A maça no escuro

    Clarice Lispector1961

    A man flees into the Brazilian interior believing he killed his wife. He works on a remote farm while navigating his own internal monologue.

    propulsive → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

Heavier

propulsive → 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.

    propulsive → 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