Alright, I know I'm a bit late on this one. It's been a busy week with Ngaios, McIlvanneys, stay-at-home-Dadhood and others things. So apologies for tardiness. 26 writer recommendations (many of them crime) with no women? By the Book: George Pelecanos nyti.ms/2BDvKah
That's certainly an 'interesting' take from a guy widely admired for his writing. I ain't a fraction of the writer GP is, but just for fun, here's 26 amazing crime writers I've read, loved and would highly recommend. Rules: living authors; 3+ books; I'd read anything they wrote
1. Let's start with the Queen of Crime, @valmcdermid. Whether it's her Tony & Carol series, Karen Pirie series, or her standalones, she hits home run after home run. Actually, maybe the Babe Ruth of crime then? Decent picture book writer too. Try: A PLACE OF EXECUTION. 
2. Next, you can't go wrong with @LauraMLippman. Superb writer, from her journo-turned-PI Tess Monaghan series to some stunning standalones. WILDE LAKE was one of my Best Books of 2016, and her latest SUNBURN may be even better. Cracking good interview too. Try: WILDE LAKE
3. Twenty years ago, @DameDeniseMina hit the crime scene, having used her PhD grant to write what became GARNETHILL. We're fkn lucky she did. Three superb series and some fab standalones later, she's the Crown Princess of #TartanNoir, bedazzled by many awards. Try: THE LONG DROP
4. A newer-to-me author who I just 'discovered' this year, @christine_carbo. Fantastic rural crime novels set around Glacier National Park in Montana. Loved her 2018 release A SHARP SOLITUDE so much that I went online that day and ordered her entire backlist. Try: THE WILD INSIDE
5. Singapore author @ShaminiFlint's books may have brightly coloured covers and a portly, near-comedic sleuth, but there's plenty of darkness and serious real-life issues entwined within. Really good stuff. Try: INSPECTOR SINGH INVESTIGATES: A BALI CONSPIRACY MOST FOUL
6. Years ago a debut, BLACKLANDS, was one of my best reads of the year. This year SNAP is one of my top reads. Both, along with other very fine tales, are by @BelindaBauer. Oops, the @ManBookerPrize listed Belinda Bauer, I mean. Just a brilliant, sublime writer. Try: SNAP
7. Uber-bestseller @SlaughterKarin made her name with some excellent, dark and twisted series tales (Grant County & Will Trent), and lately she's shown a dab hand for excellent standalones. Her 1970s-era tale COP TOWN may be one of my top reads of the past five years. Try it.
8. Down in New Zealand we've known about @vandasymon's terrific crime storytelling for a while, but the rest of the world is now getting its chance. Sam Shephard is a refreshing heroine who gets herself into all sorts of trouble and is a whole lot of fun to follow. Try: OVERKILL
9. The superb @atticalocke. Need I say more? I first tried her work several years back with BLACK WATER RISING, her fan-bloody-tastic debut. Talk about laying down a marker. Rich, layered, literary crime. Arguably she's got even better since. Just fab. Try: BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD
10. Let's look at a British author who's raising the game over here when it comes to socially conscious crime writing, @eva_dolan. Her DI Zigic & DS Ferreira duo investigate hate crimes and the nasty results of horrifying prejudice. Bold and brilliant. Try: WATCH HER DISAPPEAR
11. California author @gasagasagirl must have created one of the most unique sleuths in her @EdgarAwards-winning series. Mas Arai is a curmudgeonly, elderly Japanese gardener. Think grumpier Mr Miyagi. Great reads. Fingers crossed for a screen adaptation. Try: SNAKESKIN SHAMISEN
12. Okay, I know there's plenty of Nordic Noir/ScandiKrimi fans out there, so here's an absolute must-read author for you: Liza Marklund. Don't let her JP co-write skew your view, Marklund writes layered, politically charged crime. Really good stuff. Try: THE RED WOLF
13. Not every big bestseller is brilliant, but sheesh @TheGillianFlynn can write. I know, I know, everyone knows GONE GIRL. But for me her other novels, SHARP OBJECTS & DARK PLACES, are even better. Just superb stuff. TV audiences are finding that out now too. Try: DARK PLACES
14. Another 2018 discovery for me (though I'd met her at writers festivals before that): @KarinSalvala. She writes the terrific Macy Greeley series set in small-town Montana. Just cracking good reads. Another 'read one, buy them all' experience for me. Try: BONE DUST WHITE
15. If you're rejigging the four Queens of Crime for modern times, or doing a Mt Rushmore, one name that's an automatic choice is the legendary @SaraParetsky. It's easy to overlook now how groundbreaking her VI Warshawski series was & she's still going strong. Try: INDEMNITY ONLY
16. Another superb crime writer you really don't want to overlook is Mo Hayder, who writes absolutely chilling, dark tales that combine page-whirring plots with plenty of style and depth. She's terrifyingly brilliant. Try: GONE
17. A foundation stone of modern Irish crime writing, #JulieParsons was writing psychologically incisive crime years before current trends. Recently she returned after a decade away with THE THERAPY HOUSE, which won 2017 Irish Crime Novel of the Year. Try: THE GUILTY HEART
18. Speaking of the Emerald Isle, one of my faves of recent years is @inkstainsclaire's, terrific Paula Maguire series. Just ticks all the boxes: propulsive plots, great characters, strong setting, strong narrative voice, interesting issues woven in. Try: THE SILENT DEAD
19. Journo-turned-crime novelist @juliathrillers has leapt to the top shelf in recent years with some outstanding standalone tales. Her prose just has an X factor to it; great tales in well-evoked Texas settings (sorry @AliChemist couldn't resist this pic). Try: BLACK EYED SUSANS
20. Heading north across the border, another crime writer you want on your shelves is #LouisePenny, whose Quebec-set Armand Gamache tales are like a modern take on classic mysteries, interwoven with contemporary issues. A great, long-running series. Try: GLASS HOUSES
21. Another Canadian worthy trying is @ChevyStevens, who writes some really startling standalone crime thrillers entwined with family and personal relationships. Well-written, twisting, and full of personal travails. Stories with plenty of emotional impact. Try: STILL MISSING
22. Sticking with the 'Nord' theme but switching continents, you really want to read @YrsaSig's tales. Whether her Thóra Guðmundsdóttir series or her creepily fantastic standalones and new series, the Queen of Icelandic crime writing should be in your TBR pile. Try: THE LEGACY
23. A hugely popular @nytimes #1 bestseller who provides plenty of character oomph to go with her ripsnorting, twist-filled storylines, @LisaGardnerBks is one of several top US crime writers who began as romance authors. We're glad she turned to the dark side. Try: CRASH & BURN
24. Speaking of character depth, you want to give @stellduffy a go. Back in the mid 1990s-early 2000s she penned a pioneering series starring a lesbian PI, and won 2 @the_cwa Daggers. After a crime hiatus she's now back with two great awards-listed tales. Try: MONEY IN THE MORGUE
25. Our Scottish pals are overflowing with crime writing talent. If you like super-solid, long-running series with engaging characters who evolve over many books, check out @Lin_Anderson's Rhona MacLeod tales. Superbly evoked Scottish settings. Try: PATHS OF THE DEAD #tartannoir
26. The bestselling Argentine crime writer and one of that country's most-translated authors, @claudiapineiro writes edgy, non-traditional tales more in the vein of Highsmith than Christie. Thanks to Miranda France, Anglophiles can enjoy them too. Try: A CRACK IN THE WALL
So there you have it, 26 fantastic crime writers, from 10 countries, who are all well worth reading and recommending. The kind of writers that provide great entertainment, spark thought and debate, and inspire their peers & next generations. Pretty damned influential in my book.
Epilogue. I know I've left off so many fantastic authors: some who are sublime but I haven't read as much of yet (eg @meganeabbott), some who have a brilliant book or two (eg @janeharperautho, @EmmaViskic), and others I have still to get to. Lucky me, so much magnificence to come
