If you enjoy reading books by Max Allan Collins then you might also like the following authors:
If you like the tough, straightforward style of Max Allan Collins, you'll probably enjoy Mickey Spillane. Spillane's writing is direct and packed with action, violence, and tough-guy attitude.
His main character, Mike Hammer, is a private detective who handles cases with a gritty determination. A great book to start with is I, the Jury, Spillane's gripping introduction to Mike Hammer, full of no-nonsense storytelling and hard-boiled adventure.
Hammett delivers crime stories with crisp, realistic dialogue and distinctively gritty settings. He writes clear, concise prose and creates believable characters who behave in morally complex ways.
Similar to Collins, Hammett focuses on detectives who navigate corrupt worlds with humor and a sense of realism. His novel The Maltese Falcon features Sam Spade, a hard-boiled detective drawn into an intricate case involving corruption and betrayal.
Chandler writes with sharp wit, memorable dialogue, and a poetic twist that complements his crime plots. His detective, Philip Marlowe, is tough yet principled, solving mysteries in a dark and corrupt Los Angeles setting.
Chandler captures the grit and cynicism favored by Collins, and you'll likely enjoy The Big Sleep, Chandler's classic novel featuring Marlowe, which blends mystery with thoughtful observations about society.
Macdonald explores psychological depth and moral ambiguity in his fiction, using the detective genre to probe family secrets and past traumas. His private investigator, Lew Archer, investigates complex mysteries layered with emotional family tensions and hidden motives.
If you enjoy Collins' insightful but grounded approach to crime drama, give Macdonald's The Galton Case a try for its thoughtful insights and intriguing plot twists.
Cain offers lean, powerful storytelling centered on characters led astray by uncontrollable desires and desperate situations. He writes with blunt honesty about greed, passion, and betrayal, diving into the dark side of human motivations.
Fans who appreciate Collins' direct style and tense plots will enjoy Cain’s gripping tale, The Postman Always Rings Twice, a riveting story of illicit love and violence in small-town America.
Donald E. Westlake writes smart, clever crime novels filled with wit and entertaining plots. Readers who appreciate Collins's engaging storytelling will enjoy Westlake's skillful blend of suspense and humor, especially in his book The Hot Rock.
This story features charming criminals and a series of hilarious heists that repeatedly go wrong.
Lawrence Block creates gritty, character-driven mysteries set in realistic urban settings. His detective characters are complex individuals who struggle with their pasts and moral choices, much like Collins's protagonists.
Eight Million Ways to Die showcases Block's skill in crafting suspenseful narratives with deeply human characters navigating tough situations.
Elmore Leonard's crime fiction stands out for its tight dialogue, memorable characters, and clever plotting. His books often feature criminals and law enforcement in witty, unpredictable conflicts.
In Get Shorty, Leonard blends sharp humor and crime drama, which should appeal to fans of Collins looking for vibrant, engaging storytelling.
Ed McBain expertly portrays police investigations through realistic narrative and sharp characterization. His series following the detectives of the 87th Precinct combines gripping drama with authentic detail.
Readers who enjoy the procedural elements of Collins's work will appreciate McBain's Cop Hater, a suspenseful look into police life.
Jim Thompson explores darker crime stories that reveal the complexity and conflict hidden within his characters' lives. His novel The Killer Inside Me portrays a chilling psychological portrait of a small-town deputy sheriff harboring dangerous secrets.
Those who enjoy Collins's examination of criminal psychology will find Thompson's unsettling, intense approach fascinating.
Chester Himes writes intense, gritty crime stories set in vivid urban landscapes. His work often tackles issues of race and social injustice, wrapped in hard-hitting detective plots.
If you like Max Allan Collins' punchy crime style, you'd enjoy Cotton Comes to Harlem, a notable novel following Harlem detectives Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson as they navigate a chaotic underworld filled with colorful characters.
Walter Mosley is known for atmospheric detective stories that combine crime-solving with reflections on race, morality, and society. His characters are deeply human and struggle with personal dilemmas as compelling as the crimes they solve.
Fans of Max Allan Collins may appreciate Mosley's Devil in a Blue Dress, a gripping story introducing Easy Rawlins, a relatable private investigator navigating complex racial tensions in post-war Los Angeles.
Dennis Lehane creates suspense-filled stories exploring unsettling moral questions and gritty criminal worlds. He's great at creating flawed characters you can't help but connect with.
Readers who like Max Allan Collins' realistic character portrayals will likely enjoy Lehane's novel Mystic River, a powerful story about friendship, loss, and dark secrets from the past resurfacing in unexpected ways.
George Pelecanos offers crime fiction with a strong sense of place, often set in his hometown of Washington D.C. His novels blend crime plots with authentic portrayals of urban life and issues like inequality and redemption.
If the storytelling of Max Allan Collins appeals to you, try Pelecanos' The Night Gardener, a standout thriller centered on a decades-old murder investigation affecting multiple generations and personal lives.
Robert B. Parker crafts tightly paced and character-driven detective stories. He is famous for sharp dialogue, wit, and memorable private investigators.
Fans of Max Allan Collins' approachable narrative style will probably like Parker's novel The Godwulf Manuscript, which introduces the iconic detective Spenser, whose quick wit and tough demeanor feature prominently across Parker's series.