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After

Cold killing

Luke Delaney2013

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

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  • Buried

    Mark Billingham2007

    Detective Tom Thorne investigates the disappearance of a former policeman's son after a ransom video arrives.

    cold → tense, still police procedural

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Blood on the dining-room floor

    Gertrude Stein1948

    A repetitive, circular narrative about a death in a country house. It uses experimental prose to obscure the facts of a traditional mystery.

    cold → playful

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

  • The Doves Necklace

    Raja Alem2014

    A detective investigates an unidentified woman's body found in a Mecca alleyway. The city itself narrates parts of the story.

    cold → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

  • The Chalk Girl (A Mallory Novel, #10)

    Carol O'Connell2011

    Detective Kathy Mallory investigates a series of murders after a child is found in Central Park. The case spans fifteen years of crimes.

    Same cold register, still police procedural

    pace0·prose+1·bleak0

To recover

3 more ↓

  • The Chef

    James Patterson2019

    A New Orleans police detective who moonlights as a food truck chef is framed for murder. He must clear his name while uncovering a conspiracy.

    cold → propulsive, still police procedural

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Noble Prince

    Devney Perry2020

    A police chief takes a witness into his home to protect her from a motorcycle gang. She refuses to follow his rules despite the danger.

    cold → earnest

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Festive in Death

    J.D. Robb2014

    Detective Eve Dallas investigates the murder of a personal trainer in a futuristic New York during the Christmas season.

    cold → propulsive, still police procedural

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

Faster

cold → propulsive, still police procedural

3 more ↓

  • The Crucifix Killer

    Chris Carter2010

    An LA detective finds a signature mark on a victim that suggests a previously executed serial killer is still active or has a copycat.

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

  • Memory Man

    David Baldacci2015

    A detective with a brain injury that prevents him from forgetting anything hunts for the person who murdered his family.

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

  • Run Away

    Harlan Coben2019

    A father searches for his estranged, drug-addicted daughter in New York. The search uncovers a conspiracy involving a cult and multiple murders.

    cold → propulsive, still crime

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Gödel, Escher, Bach

    Douglas R. Hofstadter1979

    An exploration of how cognition emerges from hidden neurological patterns. It uses math, art, and music to explain self-referential systems.

    cold → playful

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

  • Ulysses

    James Joyce1914

    Three characters wander through Dublin on a single day in 1904. Each chapter uses a different literary style to mimic thoughts and sensations.

    cold → playful

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

  • A maça no escuro

    Clarice Lispector1961

    A man flees into the Brazilian interior believing he killed his wife. He works on a remote farm while navigating his own internal monologue.

    cold → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

Heavier

cold → bleak, still police procedural

3 more ↓

  • 2666

    Roberto Bolaño2004

    Five interconnected stories center on a series of unsolved murders in a Mexican border town and a reclusive German author.

    cold → bleak, still crime

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

  • Broken Harbor

    Tana French2012

    A detective investigates a family murdered in a failed housing development. The story focuses on the investigator's mental unraveling.

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

  • Shadow Man

    Cody McFadyen2006

    An FBI agent with a traumatic past tracks a serial killer who targets families. The narrative details extreme physical and psychological torture.

    cold → tense, still police procedural

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1