Back in early December I decided to read all the winners of the Edgar Award's Best First Mystery Novel category. I've made good progress having read most of the winners from 2002 back to 1966.

Other than the fact that I'm kind of sick of reading mysteries and have decided to take a break before tackling the remaining 20 years worth of books, there are two things to note: Besides Patricia Cornwell, I wasn't able to finish any of the Best Firsts written by women. I'm not trying to be sexist here, but the few winners that were written by women bored me to tears.

Also, out of the 20-some books I've finished to date, I only liked two well enough to look for other books by the same author. As usual, I have to post a list of these two authors' books to satisfy my list-making cravings.

When I discover a writer that I like, I try to read his books chronologically from earliest to latest, so I've listed them that way here. Michael Collins is the pen name of Dennis Lynds. Lynds has written a lot of books, but the ones I've listed below are the ones he wrote using the pen name Michael Collins which feature the detective, Dan Fortune.

Walter Kirn wrote: "...most superior crime novels do not propose to change society or even advance the art of fiction. Those are the side effects. Crime novels tell stories. They are guilty pleasures for the guilty minded." Yes, indeed!

Other authors I like include Charles Willeford, early Elmore Leonard, early Ed McBain, James Crumley, and John D. MacDonald (his Travis McGee series).

Novels by Joe Gores (1931 - )

• A Time of Predators (1969)
• Dead Skip (1972)
• Final Notice (1973)
• Interface (1974)
• Hammett (1975)
• Gone, No Forwarding (1978)
• Come Morning (1986)
• Wolf Time (1989)
• 32 Cadillacs (1992)
• Dead Man (1993)
• Menaced Assassin (1994)
• Contract Null and Void (1996)
• Cases (1998)
• Speak of the Devil (1999)
• Stakeout on Page Street (2000)
• Cons, Scams & Grifts (2001)

Novels by Michael Collins (1924 - )

• Act of Fear (1967)
• The Brass Rainbow (1969)
• Night of the Toads (1970)
• Walk a Black Wind (1971)
• Shadow of a Tiger (1972)
• The Silent Scream (1973)
• Blue Death (1975)
• The Blood-Red Dream (1976)
• The Nightrunners (1978)
• The Slasher (1980)
• Freak (1983)
• Minnesota Strip (1987)
• Red Rosa (1988)
• Castrato (1989)
• Chasing Eights (1990)
• The Irishman's Horse (1991)
• Cassandra in Red (1992)
• Resurrection (1992)

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