Crime present and crime past: A new beat ; Crime past: Poe, Doyle, Christie ; American style: Hammett, Cain, Chandler ; Tough guys: Spillane, MacDonald, McBain, Macdonald, Willeford -- Changing crimes: The birth of the thriller ; Tom Clancy's literary offenses ; Dangerous women: Grafton, Paretsky, Highsmith ; Lawyers at large: Turow, Grisham, Lescroart ; Spy masters: McCarry, Littell, Silva, Furst ; Literary thrillers, killer clowns, barroom poets, drunken detectives, time travel, and related curiosities -- Four modern masters: Thomas Harris: learning to love the doctor ; George Pelecanos: bulletins from the front ; Michael Connelly: death is my beat ; Dennis Lehane: no turning back -- Talent, talent everywhere: Favorites ; More favorites: Brits ; Three young writers: Karin Slaughter, Peter Craig, Charlie Huston ; No more Mr. Nice Guy ; The question of the series ; Parting shots -- Personal favorites.