If you like crime fiction, a couple of great US crime writers are James Lee Burke, and Robert Crais. Burke's novels are set in the deep south, and the way he describes the area, the sights, sounds and smells is amazing, you feel as if you're totally immersed in the place. He's won many awards through his career (he's in his 70's now). I'd put him up there with the greats - Chandler, Hammett etc.
Crais isn't far behind either - if you saw the excellent Bruce Willis movie Hostage a couple of years back, that was one of his novels. His main series character is Elvis Cole, a former US Army Ranger, and his partner Joe Pike, a less than talkative ex Marine and LAPD officer. The interplay between these two is great and the stories really scoot along at quite a pace.
My keyboard's running out of ink....