Cuddy's great. I like The Gallows Pole a lot too.
Recommendations for someone trying to get into reading?
John Steinbeck's short fiction is great - try Cannery Row.
All Graham Greene is good.
Iain Banks - I'd suggest reading Espedair Street before any of his more famous ones, but you can't really go wrong.
Of current authors, Sarah Hall and Elif Shafak don't put many feet wrong. Ditto Maggie O'Farrell.
If you want something a bit less 'literary' but really well done, approachable and funny, Nick Hornby and David Nicholls are both great.
Oh, and if you want something insanely literary, somewhat unapproachable, and often quite hard work, but also really brilliant, try some David Mitchell (no, not the Peep Show one!).