77 books like Crude Ambition

My mother was a very troubled young woman. The age difference between us was only 17 years, which meant that by the time I was a teenager, she was still young. Her alcoholism, broken marriages, and difficult relationships with her own family, including my Irish grandmother who effectively raised me and her two husbands, first my biological father and then my step-father, all made for a very challenging emotional landscape for a sensitive only child.

This seminal debut novel in what is now considered one of the finest crime series of all time. It features the series detective Harry Bosch who had a similar, troubled relationship with his own mother. Her death haunts Harry and influences his entire life and career, as the death of my mother does mine.

A Time to Kill is the first book of a four-book fiction series written by world-renowned author John Grisham featuring Clanton, Mississippi, lawyer Jake Brigance. Grisham is one of my favorite authors, and although the titles in this series may not be as well known as many of his other books, A Time to Kill is an exciting introduction to this young lawyer. Set in a  time in the South that endured blatant racial injustice, Jake fights tirelessly for his client accused of avenging the rape of his daughter. Grisham's extraordinary storytelling shines through and takes you on a journey that defines his main character in this first book, which you'll enjoy reading in his subsequent books. I highly recommend A Time to Kill.

I'm a big fan of David Baldacci, especially his incredible first book, Absolute Power. The book begins with the main character Luther Whitney, portrayed by Clint Eastwood in the movie version, burglarizing a mansion outside of Washington, D.C. Suddenly, as the burglary is interrupted, events spiral out of control, and a murder takes place right in front of Luther. The book is a thriller that keeps you fully engaged as a reader. Unfortunately, countless missteps are made by those attempting to protect the murderer as they strive to keep their involvement with the murder secret. Luther is considered a suspect, but he continues to evade police and the murderer's protectors. Baldacci masterfully guides readers through a story of redemption and justice. Absolute Power is thoroughly entertaining. 

I can never understand why so many critics and readers are snooty about Dan Brown. For me, he does what every good storyteller should do: takes you on a page-turning journey. And his style is both readable and erudite, whatever the snobs might say.

Although this could technically be described as a crime thriller, it remains perhaps Brown’s best action-adventure so far, and regardless of whether Tom Hanks is your idea of Professor Robert Langdon or not, the thrills just keep on coming as you follow breathlessly through the streets and landmarks of Paris, London and beyond. Stylish and swaggering.

It’s been a long time since I’ve cried at the end of a book. But I did with this one.

Gail Kittleson weaves a tapestry of characters, plot, and historical events like no other book I’ve ever read. The realistic and down-to-earth characters bring this story to life amidst the alluring backdrop of WWII, Great Britain, and Texas. The author’s unique literary style and judicious research are compelling.

I found myself so entrenched with Everett, Donnie, William, and Lillian that every time I picked up this book to read, my heart reverberated with them with every turn of the page. The twist at the end of the book is captivating for sure.

Lone Star Sanctuary is one of those books that stirs up emotions and leaves you thinking about the characters and storyline for years. The Bluebird ranch in Texas Hill country is a place I’d love to live, and Allie Siders and Rick Bailey are folks I’d love to sit down with on a cool summer evening and swap stories. Infuse the plot with a daughter who won’t speak due to a traumatic event, and you have a tale of folks who want safety first and foremost, then they make a plan to help heal broken hearts. 

If you want to understand the Ozarks, you need to understand the generations of people who leapfrogged from Appalachia to the Ozarks – and sometimes on to the Texas hill country. This underappreciated little book by a top-notch geographer uses a variety of cultural markers to explore the roots and branches of Upland Southerners. It’s a rare thing for a scholar to do, and Jordan-Bychkov did it efficiently and expertly.

In my view, fellow Texan Tommy Thompson is the best true crime writer around.

That’s why I recommend Blood and Money, which paints a vivid picture of boom and bust Houston, Texas café society with all of its charity balls, gossip columns, infidelities, and murders.

Dr. John Hill, a social-climbing but not particularly hard-working plastic surgeon, was accused of killing his stunning wife, Joan Robinson, renowned for her show horsemanship and platinum blonde ponytail. Joan was also the daddy’s girl of oil baron Ash Robinson, who had a conniving history of breaking the law.

So when Ash’s freeloading son-in-law was set free, thanks to a hung jury and the slick work of famed attorney Richard “Racehorse” Haynes, the city’s headlines were quickly filled with another murder—that of Dr. John Hill.

Blood Will Tell is the Fort Worth version of Blood and Money.

In fact, the accused killer, T. Cullen Davis, the middle son of prominent oil and gas multi-millionaire “Stinky” Davis, went to high school with Tommy Thompson and had read his book.

So when Cullen was in a frustratingly long divorce battle with his wife Priscilla, a buxom blonde bombshell who was everything the oil and cowtown society hated—sexy, flashy, vulgar, and obviously after Cullen’s cash—Cullen supposedly tried to off her.

Priscilla was merely wounded, but her boyfriend and her 12-year-old daughter were killed.

Over the course of two trials, Cullen’s attorney, Richard “Racehorse” Raines, put Priscilla and her trashiness on trial, so much so that her murdered daughter was seemingly forgotten, but the juries didn’t forget Priscilla. 

If you think this book is just about the trash can-banging Houston Astros and how they stole signs on the way to winning the 2017 World Series, you’re wrong. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Drellich was covering the Astros long before all of that started, so he gives you a deep look at the organizational culture that led to the scandal.