who here has heard of Louise L'Amour
he is great.

and also Dale Brown, but i enjoy he earlier novels like Flight of the Old Dog, and Day of the Cheetah.

Robert Ludlum is great, especially the Bourne Series.

the Bourne Identity
The Bourne Supremacy
the Bourne Ultumatum

Dean Koontz
have you seen Mr Murder

Camara Laye

Chinu Achebe

hi,
anybody here knows who wrote "Asset in Black"

How come no one mentioned John Sandford, ouch

Devil's Code is my favourite from Jon Sandford. His Prey series is an appertizer!

i'm loving the gathering of like minds in here.

I'm feeling the novelists here, let me see

1. John Grisham - ( i love all his books and have read all of them, i had to pick one it would be A Time to Kill)
2. Sidney Sheldon
3. James H Chase - good, but i read his works at a very early age
4. Karyn Slaughter
5. Catherine Cookson
7. Barbara T. Bradford
8. Danielle Steel
9. Morris West - 'Clowns of God' ( a must read)
10. Lee Child

these authors, have not disappointed me yet, to date!!

it would be hard for me to mention just one writer.
there was a time it was harold robins, then it became sidney sheldon and then grisham, later it was chase, not forgeting my romance writers like elizabeth lowell(so many of them). they are far too numerous.
let me just say that i enjoy good novels by great story tellers(authors).

Robert Ludlum would be my best with The Bourne series. Hoever some crdits still go to James Hadley Chase, i grew up on him and he did stir my imagination those years. The writer of The Notebook seems to be a great writer. Frank Peretti would be another ,

@ easimoni
You just have to read " Murder of Roger Akroyd " it is an awesome book, you might also consider reading " The secret adversary".Both books are by Agatha Christy,while one is a Hercule Poirot mystery the other is of this two young detectives,if I may say so,Turpence and another guy ( I have forgotten the name).

@ 3d hunter
Do you know there is a forth Bourne in the series

Sandra brown

john grisham

Robert ludlum

Sydney Sheldon - (Is he dead?) Master of the Game, Bloodline
Dan Brown
Jackie Collins
Stephen Martini
John Grisham - The firm
Jeffery Archer

Writers of all time ( the are simply the Best)
personally Danielle steel has issues

hey!has anybdy read any of james paterson novel?pop goes the weasel,the big bad wolf,roses are red,

sidney is dead but have u read are u afraid of the dark?

my best novelists are Mario Puzo and John Grisham. Mario is a master of the game, and as for John Grisham, the twist in his books and the court room brawls are just too much to ignore. Somebody please read "THE PARTNER" by Grisham.

I have read the 'partner' to me the 'Firm and a time to kill' are more intriguing in fact those are my best Grisham novels (considering the fact i have read like eight of his novels and still counting ) enuff suspense and drama
list of Grishams i have read
1. The Partner
2. The Firm
3. The summon
4. the Client
5. Street Lawyer
6. The brethren
7. A time to Kill
8. the rainmaker

i dont like the way u guys attack the question, u should distinguish between african writers  and western writers.how could u put wole soyinka and shidney sheldon on the same level.u av to clarify.i think the question should av gone this way'who is you best african writer or best european writers. talking about european writers,i believe dean koontz top the list and about african writers, chinua achebe and wole soyinka are the leading figures.dont just look at the entertainment aspect of the book but look at its effect on the society at large.

I agree concentrate on African Writers

Elechi Amadi
Chinua Achebe
wole soyinka
i also like this new nigerian write Chimamanda Adichie

my best novelist is hmmmmm
shakespeare n christopher marlowe

Barbara Taylor Bradford, Jackie Collins, Danielle Steele, Sidney Sheldon

@ vitastraka
why [sub]the Bleep[/sub] should i restrict myself like that?

@ Topic
I feel you because Hadley chase happens to be my favourite novelist as well
he just knows how to keep it simple and interesting intead of baboozling us with
big grammar and boring details.
others are

Dean Koontz
Ben Okri
Arthur Hailey

can any one beat jeffrey archer and james hardeley chase?

Remember this name: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Look for her two novels; Purple Hibiscus, and Half of a Yellow Sun. She is wise beyond her years and even Chinua Achebe acknowledged her as an emergent force in contemporary literature in the world.

Helen Oyeyemi was paid $960,000 as publishing rights for her psychological horror novel, The Icarus Girl. it's a breathtaking novel indeed. Seek it out and read it.

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings, the greatest adventure story ever written. if you haven't read this event (can't bring myself to call it a book) you haven't started reading. But i must warn: Tolkien is an acquired taste. Not everyone will like it. But if you like it, i guarantee, it will completely possess you.

@ Misright

James Hardly Chase is my best novelist, I see myself as intelligent, not just because I'm bright, but because I like to learn alot, read, listen, observation e.t.c, reading James Hardly Chase novels helped me alot in being who I am today, I dnt get fooled easily, my brain is always at alert, thanks James, n may your soul rest in peace.

Most of James' novels where staged in the United states but he didn't live there, he read books about the country n only visited the country to supplement his studying, what a great man!

@omotee4u - I've read Fools Die by Mario Puzo (twice). It has more depth in characterisation than the Godfather. Partly set amid the gamblers - winners and losers in Las Vegas. My favourite novel of recent years is "Underworld" by Don DeLillo. The first 50 pages - astonishing writing - an account of an actual baseball game which took place in the 50's. I defy you not to read on.

An interesting thread - from potboilers to literature. I read them all myself. Several Ludlum fans, I see. He's been dead several years and the books keep coming out! The publishers would have us believe that he had several manuscripts lying about.

best courtroom thriller writer - John Grisham
best crime thriller writer - david morell
best family/relationship writer - Daniel steel
best all over (lol) writer - sidney sheldon
best powerplay/submarine/moneyplay writer - tom clancy

I can go on and on and on, u cant just name a writer the best, he can only be best in his field!

Robert Ludlum remains my master thriller writer.Clancy,Archer and Cussler are gud but Ludlum remains the master

Check these books out.

Scorpio Illusion
Matarese Connection
Matlock Papers
Chancellors Manuscript
Road to Gandolfo
These r to mention but a few.Ludlum is a phenomenon

spoilt poet:

hands down buchi emecheta.

yes o, I love Buchi's books, also Flora Nwapa, and Z.  Alkali, I still read The Stillborn uptill today.

lawyerchap:

Remember this name: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Look for her two novels; Purple Hibiscus, and Half of a Yellow Sun. She is wise beyond her years and even Chinua Achebe acknowledged her as an emergent force in contemporary literature in the world.

Helen Oyeyemi was paid $960,000 as publishing rights for her psychological horror novel, The Icarus Girl. it's a breathtaking novel indeed. Seek it out and read it.

I read Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun, the book was really interesting and a page turner.  I didnt care much for Oyeyemi's book, ppl have been praising it and encouraging me to read it, i read about 4 pages and put it back down.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sidney Sheldon & John Grisham. But Sidney is the BOMB!!

I've read  lot of Novels and and I know most of the works of other writers put on these thread but very few writers come close to Robert Ludlum (RIP)

Robert Ludlum was the author of twenty-one novels, each one a New York Times bestseller. There are more than 210 million of his books in print, and they have been translated into thirty-two languages. He is the author of The Scarlatti Inheritance, The Chancellor Manuscript, and the Jason Bourne series--The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum--among others. Ludlum passed away in March, 2001.   ----
Dare

Robert Ludlum (May 25, 1927 New York City – March 12, 2001 Naples, Florida) was an American author of 29 thriller novels. There are more than 210 million copies of his books in print, and they have been translated into 32 languages. He died in 2001, reportedly leaving behind several unpublished manuscripts and rough outlines, which continue to be dusted off and published with the help of ghostwriters. Ludlum also published books under the pseudonyms Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd  ----------- Wikipedia

I also enjoyed the works of Toni Morrison, Anthony Powell and Zadie Smith I enjoyed her novel White Teeth.