Lee Child is the master of action and suspense. If you're a writer and you're stuck on pacing, read one of Child's Reacher novels. His novels are captivating.

His damaged hero (from 61 Hours) is an ex-Army specialist who ends up in a little Nebraska town in the dead of winter. The setting is as bleak and barren as the inhabitants. Reacher uncovers a dirty secret that the town bullies want to keep hidden. His protagonist arrives in town as a drifter with no weaponry, but he uses his wits and skills to neutralize the enemies and solve the 25-year old crime.