the must-reads...

[Toni McGee Causey]

Okay, say someone hasn't read a lot in the mystery/thriller/noir genre(s) and has asked you for recommendations? Who are the must-reads in each of those sub-genres and why? If they're "classic masters" that's fine, but I'd love to see a list of who you all think are the contemporary best-of-the-genre as well.

[JackBludis]

Noir--
DOMINICK STANSBERRY & VICKI HENDRICKS, both for the sheer grittiness, and the twists

Hardboied PI--
REED FARREL COLEMAN, for moving the story along with ultra-smooth prose
JAMES LEE BURKE--a little more flowery than I usually like, but he makes up for it with a hard story. He could do with less poetry late in the book when things are really happening at a break-neck pace.

Suspense--
CORMACK MCCARTHY Just one book, I haven't read his others, but THE ROAD, is the best book I've read in years.

Cozy--
Only one, and he's a puzzle classic, REX STOUT