The ability to keep the reader reading is not the same as the ability to entertain the reader. Crichton was really good at putting "hooks" in his stories, so that the reader is forced to keep reading.
My favorite writer, and I say this because I have read everything he has written, was James Michener. He always told a great story, he kept your interest through sometimes a thousand pages, and he made you understand the particular historical period better.
My second favorites, and I really can't choose between them, are Mark Twain and Kurt Vonnegut, because they are funny and change your perspective on life to a point where you can see the humor and irony in it.
I liked Crichton okay, but he wasn't my favorite. Still, I am sorry he died.