I admit it -- setting, plot, characters: they're all with their hurdles. Dialogue downright intimidates me.
So, imagine my surprise when I'm reading Sue Grafton's latest, U is for Undertow, and realize just how much of the story is (you guessed it) dialogue. Great stuff, too. I surf around on Grafton as a writer, seeking to learn more about her writing - besides the ABC series, I've read all of them just like you.
Voila. Grafton worked in Hollywood, writing screenplays before she decided to write mysteries as a way to escape the Hollywood system. Good for her, great for us.
So, in addition to those authors that I listed in September 2008 as authors who have mastered the art of writing dialogue, I must add Sue Grafton. Wow, she's great at it.
(And Sue Grafton's got a really cool web site to explore, too, if you're interested.)
UPDATE: I've finished U is for Undertow, and I think it's the best yet in Grafton's series. If you're interested in my take on why U is worth the read (very), check out my review at Amazon.