I love everything that Les Roberts writes but I especially love his Milan Jacovich series. These mysteries take place in Cleveland and Roberts writes in a way that makes you feel like you live in the neighborhood. Many of these authors write a series of books with intriguing characters that become like "old friends." As with all the series I'll be recommending, it's not imperative to read them in order, but it does make them a little more interesting so that you can watch the characters evolve...

J.A. Konrath has a series of five mysteries published that all feature the same main characters. The books have fun names like Bloody Mary, Dirty Martini, and the latest, Fuzzy Navel. While the names may be silly, the books are not. You won't want to put them down!

By now, most people have heard of Gone, Baby, Gone, the movie directed by Ben Affleck. What many people don't realize is that Gone, Baby, Gone is the third in a series of five books with the same main characters. Dennis Lehane is best known for Mystic River and some of this other great books, but this series is tough to beat! I would definitely try to read them in order.

With titles like Air Dance Iguana, The Mango Opera, and Bone Island Mambo, it won't surprise you that the setting for this mystery series is Key West. Don your ball cap, your Ray Bans, and your suntan lotion and get ready to lose yourself in the Florida sun!

Chuck Logan writes gripping, page-turning mysteries. The titles of his books, such as Vapor Trail and Absolute Zero tease you in wanting more. My only complaint is that there isn't one published and waiting for me when I finish the last one!

So there you have it! Don't waste any time. Head to the library, the bookstore, or Amazon.com and load up on the works of these 12--no, wait, 5 fabulous authors. The others are Sue Grafton, Robert Crais, James Lee Burke, Les Child, Robert B. Parker, Nelson DeMille, and John Sandford. Stay tuned to learn more about these writers as well as my favorite all-time book EVER!! I promise you that you won't be disappointed...