SALTY
by Mark Haskell Smith

How can a novel with no detective character be included in a recommended reading list of detective novels? Ah, that's the mystery. You, the reader, have to unravel the enigma yourself. Is it shameless self-promotion? Or is a darker game afoot?

Our hero is a pampered and overindulged rock star. While vacationing in Thailand, his wife is kidnapped by Thai bandits. Although he has the money, international politics conspire to frustrate his attempt at paying the ransom. As our hero negotiates the back streets of Bangkok and the jungles of southern Thailand to save his marriage, his world is turned upside down.

"Graham Greene meets the Marx Bros." - Tom Drury, author of The Driftless Area

GUN MONKEYS
by Victor Gischler

Not really a detective novel, but about as hard-boiled and hilarious as they come, this is the story of a hired killer, the body in the trunk of his rental car, and their dysfunctional relationship.

THE DARKEST PLACE
by Daniel Judson.

An apparently accidental drowning leads detective "Mac" MacManus on a dark and brooding journey to find a serial killer lurking in the seaside communities on the outer edges of Long Island. Judson is a hip, soulful, and engaging writer and winner of the Shamus Award for best detective fiction.

LET IT BLEED
by Ian Rankin

Inspector Rebus prowls the back alleys and housing projects of Edinburgh, Scotland, trying to solve the mysterious deaths of two boys who jumped off a bridge. Rankin is considered the "king of tartan noir."

DIRTY LAUNDRY
by Paula Woods

Woods' obsessive, hot-headed LAPD Detective Charlotte Justice more than lives up to her name in this sample from her series of sun-drenched thrillers.

PRISONER OF MEMORY
by Denise Hamilton

Hamilton is a Fulbright scholar and a former metro reporter for the Los Angeles Times, and her series of novels about ace reporter Eve Diamond rings with authenticity. Hamilton reveals the underside of Los Angeles as she explores the various cultures and communities that make the city so vibrant.

THE NARROWS
by Michael Connolly

A former crime-beat reporter for the Los Angeles Times, Connelly is the author of the Harry Bosch series, a perennial best-seller. Be careful: These books are so addictive they should come with a warning from the surgeon general.

THE CHILL
by Ross MacDonald

Lew Archer is the archetypal private investigator, and Ross MacDonald is, in my opinion, the best detective-story writer ever. In The Chill, a woman vanishes on her honeymoon, and murder, deceit, sex, and blackmail follow close behind.

MIAMI BLUES
by Charles Willeford

Willeford's hero, Hoke Moseley, may be the most laconic of detective heroes, but Willeford's sly, witty writing makes his books some of the most entertaining crime stories ever written.

THE THIN MAN
by Dashiell Hammett.

C'mon, everybody loves Nick and Nora Charles!