Jeff Abbott

Jeff Abbott is the international-bestselling, award-winning author of over a dozen mystery and suspense novels.

His latest novel is Adrenaline.

Abbott's response to my recent query about what he's been reading:

Right now I’m reading Helen MacInnes’ The Double Image. This is a novel from 1965; MacInnes was the queen of Cold War fiction and she wrote intelligent thrillers centering on ordinary men and women who were swept up in the political machinations of the time. She excels at both setting and characterization and one must wonder why she’s fallen out of print: a situation that hopefully will soon be remedied.

I just finished Ross Thomas’s classic The Fools In Town Are On Our Side. Ross Thomas was called by The New York Times Book Review “America’s Best Storyteller,” and it’s a title for which he has a serious claim. He’s a writer of insight and bravery, and helped define the modern thriller. In this classic novel, a former CIA operative is hired by a social analyst to “ruin a town”—to destroy both its corrupt law enforcement and its most treacherous citizens. Brilliant and engaging, it’s a terrific point to start exploring Thomas’s work.

I’ve also just finished A Clash Of Kings by George R. R. Martin. Many people are coming to Martin’s work because of the HBO series Game of Thrones. Reading Martin is like a masterclass in commercial fiction. He seamlessly blends politics, intrigue, romance, action, deep character insight, and fantasy. He makes what is quite difficult look very easy.

My final recent read is by one of my favorite authors: Kate Atkinson. Her newest novel is Started Early, Took My Dog. Atkinson has made a reputation by delving deep into fascinating characters (who manage to be both entirely unusual and as ordinary as the person next to you on a London train) and clever plotting. Her investigator, Jackson Brodie, is one of my favorite protagonists in current crime fiction. There is very little violence in these books, yet you find yourself on the edge of your seat the entire time you read.

Visit Jeff Abbott's website and blog.

The Page 69 Test: Trust Me.

The Page 69 Test: Adrenaline.

--Marshal Zeringue