This year was a slow burn – sometimes I find a book early in the year that I’m completely passionate about. This year I didn’t find “the one” until November, when I devoured Christina Lynch’s utterly original Pony Confidential. I read lots of other great books along the way though, some by tried and true writers – Elly Griffiths, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Ann Cleeves, Anthony Horowitz, Deanna Raybourn and Ragnor Jonasson – and particularly in the historical novel category, lots of wonderful debuts that give us lots to look forward to. These recommendations are divided into categories. Full reviews for all of these can be found on this website, just search by title or author.
Best Cozies
Some nice debuts here: a debut from Scott Lyerly, The Last Line, and series debuts from Nicholas George, Kat Ailes, and Ann Claire. Old hands and newish hands round out the list – Kemper Donovan, Benjamin Stevenson, M.E. Hilliard, E.J. Copperman, Ellen Byron and Simon Brett. Honorable mention: Leslie Budewitz’ To Err is Cumin and Frank Anthony Polito’s fun series installment, Haunted to Death.
Kat Ailes’ debut, The Expectant Detectives, follows a group of pregnant women as they hilariously solve a crime in a quaint English village. Perhaps most hilarious is the main character’s dog, Helen, an Afghan who is beautiful but dumb. A fun, light read.
Old hand Simon Brett turns in A Messy Murder, the fourth in his series featuring decluttering expert Ellen Curtis, a widowed Englishwoman with two problematic children and a business to run. Brett packs in character, emotion, plot, and a look at the way decluttering is a form of purging. Ellen is almost a social worker. This is the work of a practiced master.
Another old hand, Ellen Byron, kicks off a new series with A Very Woodsy Murder, where exhausted TV writer Dee decides to sink her savings into a vintage hotel in the California woods. There are bears, people. Fun is to be had.
Ann Claire kicks off a series with A Cyclist’s Guide to Croissants and Murder, where an American ex-pat has decided her dream job is running bike tours of the French countryside. There’s a beautiful setting, cycling, and some pretty devious customers at owner Sadie Greene’s new venture, Oui Cycle. Claire fleshes out Sadie’s character with folks from her past showing up for the first tour. Enjoy the pastries!
Another witty veteran, E.J. Copperman, turns in a poignantly funny novel, Same Difference. Investigators Fran and Ken Stein look into the missing trans daughter of a worried Dad. The plot, as always, is a thing of complicated yet simple perfection. Copperman is simply one of the best in the biz.
I loved Kemper Donvan’s clever novel, The Busy Body, about a ghostwriter working for a Hilary Clinton-esque character who has heartbreakingly lost an election. The book is funny, and the intelligent Hilary – I mean “Dorothy” – solves a tricky murder in full on golden age style. This author is the genius behind the All About Agatha podcast, and there are plenty of golden age references throughout. He lives up to them with this enjoyable & witty novel.
Nicholas George’s sweet series debut, A Deadly Walk in Devon, follows newly bereaved Chase. The loss of his husband has caused him to rethink his life, though when there’s a death and people on the walking tour find he’s a police detective, he can’t hide. The scenery is lovely (you’ll want to book your own tour) and Chase is such a charmer you’ll be totally captivated.
I’m a long time fan of M.E. Hilliard’s series following widowed librarian Greer Hogan, who has been trying to figure out the mystery of her husband’s death since book one. In this outing, when she’s archiving the library and artifacts of a magician in New York City (the gig comes with it’s own nifty apartment across the street), she finally solves the case, as well as the murder that occurs during the course of this book. Hilliard’s lovely prose and her way with setting and character will leave you entranced. You might actually want to start with book one, The Unkindness of Ravens.
The only true debut on this list comes from Scott Lyerly, whose theater set novel, The Last Line, follows a detective with Tourette’s who is also the director of the play. The Tourette’s is only one aspect of theater loving Ellie’s character, and Lyerly provides a well paced and written mystery in a setting that has a long tradition in mystery fiction (one of my favorites, in fact). Lyerly himself has Tourette’s and provides a note at the end for the curious reader, but I liked the matter of fact way it’s portrayed. Ellie is simply a delight –and a good detective.
Finally, of the two books Benjamin Stevenson provided for readers this year, I preferred his Christmas amuse-bouche, Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret. Stevenson is both an intelligent and funny writer, and he takes his series character, Ernest Cunningham, to a small playhouse in Katoomba, Australia, where his ex has been accused of murder. The exceedingly clever mystery can thank Christmas for it’s story structure, but the wit is all Stevenson, who after just three books has established himself as a force in the traditional mystery universe.
Historical Mysteries
Some wonderful debuts and series kick-offs this year. Elizabeth Hobbs (who also writes romances as Elizabeth Essex) gives us an original look at the U.S. East coast at the turn of the century; debuts from Patrice McDonough, Jenny Adams, and Katie Tietjen are some fresh takes on different historical eras; and old hands Susan Elia MacNeal, Tasha Alexander, Allison Montclair, Ashley Weaver, Harini Negendra and Deanna Raybourn round out the list. Honorable mention: Mariah Fredericks’ The Wharton Plot; A Jewel in the Crown, David Lewis’ fun debut; the second book from Julia Kelly, Betrayal at Blackthorn Park; and another installment in Jennifer Ashley’s insanely enjoyable Victorian series, Speculations in Sin.
Jenny Adams’ debut, A Deadly Endeavor, is set in 1921 and features heiress Edie Shippen, who has returned home after a bout of influenze (it was a pandemic at the time), just in time for her sister’s engagement party. Adams creates a lovely matrix of characters and situations – the other central character, a doctor, is suffering from wartime PTSD though the condition was unknown at the time. This novel is not a heavy read but it’s not light, either. It is completely enjoyable, however.
Favorite Tasha Alexander returns with Lady Emily in her latest, A Death by Misadventure. Though these books are well structured traditional mysteries, they also are an often delicious look at the Victorians, foibles and all. This installment is set in 1906 Bavaria and has a past thread featuring “mad” King Ludwig (1866) and his obsession, castle Neuschwanstein, which is the model for Disney’s Cinderella castle. Simply and utterly a joy.
Elizabeth Hobbs’ series debut, Misery Hates Company, features Miss Marigold Manners, an 1890’s Boston socialite who has lost both parents to the flu pandemic. They have also left her destitute, and she’s forced to accept on offer from a distant cousin to live with the family on Misery Island. “Misery” lives up to it’s name, and the resulting mystery and family complications are utterly compelling. A crisp, memorable mystery debut.
Susan Elia MacNeal’s wrap up to her now classic (in my opinion) Maggie Hope series is a worthy end to a thoroughly enjoyable and lovely series. Maggie heads to Madrid in this outing, tasked with assassinating Heisenberg, as well as meeting up with Coco Chanel who has an offer for Churchill. This is just as great a read as every other book in the series, and my consolation is that these are going to be wonderful re-reads. I can’t wait to see what the talented MacNeal comes up with next (spoiler: it’s another historical novel). Bravo, Ms. MacNeal, and thanks for many, many happy reading hours.
Patrice McDonough’s debut, Murder by Lamplight, follows Dr. Julia Lewis in 1866 London. While it was extremely unusual for a woman to be a doctor at the time (and the only school to admit women was in the U.S.), it was possible, and Julia is often called to crime scenes. She ends up involved in a serial murder case that looks at cholera, workhouses and abandoned children. McDonough has a wonderful way with character and setting and Dr. Julia is a wonderful series mainstay. If you are missing Victoria Thompson (and who is not) you’ll find this series is a good addition to the crowded Victorian mystery field. A really wonderful debut.
Allison Montclair – a.k.a. Alan Gordon – can do no wrong, and he turns in another wonderful outing with Murder at the White Palace. Matchmakers Iris and Gwen, who operate in post WWII London, are searching for a location for a New Year’s Eve ball. Of course a dead body turns up during the course of the hunt. Very delicious is Iris introducing her MP mother to her boyfriend, the “spiv” Archie. Gwen is on her own journey, one where snooker and an unlikely admirer play a large part. Great characters, great plot, wonderful setting. This series is tops.
Harini Negendra’s series set in 1920’s Bangalore, India, and features new bride (and detective) Kaveri Murthy. She and her husband have fallen in love since being married, and their relationship is a strong thread at the center of the novels. Each one features a complex mystery, but always the central portion involves a relationship. This one involves Kaveri and her friend Anandi, who is not only accused of murder, but it shutting Kaveri out. In each novel, Kaveri grows a bit as a person, and here she’s learning to live without the constant presence of her mother in law, who she made peace with in the previous book. This is an absolutely wonderful new series. If you aren’t reading it, you are really missing out.
Deanna Raybourn, whether writing historical novels or contemporary ones, is always worth a look. Her new novel, A Grave Robbery, the latest in her Veronica Speedwell series, finds Veronica and her hunky Stoker trying to solve the mystery of a “breathing” life size wax figure of a woman that’s been delivered to the daughter of the man who owns the estate where they live. On closer inspection, it’s discovered she’s an “anatomical beauty,” which were used to teach anatomy and contained a complete set of organs. There’s also a trip to the Necropolis Railway. Enjoy your visit to 1900’s London, along with a very clever mystery.
The spectacular debut from Katie Tietjen, Death in the Details, finds Maple Bishop in WWII Vermont. She’s lost her brother, mother and husband, as well as most of her money. To make ends meet, she creates and sells dollhouses, but she doesn’t find much joy in them. Where she does find joy is when, encountering a crime scene, she recreates it in miniature and helps to solve a crime. Her mantra: “find what’s big in what’s small.” Maple is based on the real Frances Glessner Lee, the mother of crime scene investigation, but Maple’s story is all her own. The characters and setting are unusual and lovely, as is the premise. This a delightful and surprising first novel, and I can’t wait for the next book.
In Locked in Pursuit, the latest in Ashley Weaver’s series following safecracker extraordinaire Electra McDonnell, we find Electra heading to a swanky party to swap out a forged map created by her friend and possible lover, Felix. This series is a nice mix of history – they’re set during the blitz – adventure, and romance, and they are insanely readable. Electra is a completely interesting character and I highly recommend making her acquaintance. You might as well begin with book one, A Peculiar Combination. They are fast, fun reads and usually end with a bit of a cliffhanger. There’s no way Weaver didn’t grow up reading Nancy Drew! She’s writing the grown up version.
Best of 2024
My overall best list is always so difficult. I give myself leeway by selecting favorite cozies & historicals, and some of those might belong on the overall list, but I like to shout out to as many books as possible. I read about 100 books in a year, not counting re-reads, and these thirty are my favorites of that bunch. I do tend to prefer traditional mysteries overall, so if you’re looking for great thrillers or a wonderful dark read, this is not your list. I felt all of these had that something extra that made them standouts. Veterans Ann Cleeves, Elly Griiffiths, Anthony Horowitz, Ragnor Jonasson, Sarah Stewart-Taylor, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Margaret Mizushima and Connie Berry all turned in wonderful reads. Two exciting newcomers to mysteries, Christina Lynch and Elise Bryant, wrote two of the more original books of the year. Honorable mention: Louise Penny’s latest Gamache book, The Grey Wolf; and the third book in Carlene O’Connor’s strong Irish set series, You Have Gone Too Far.
I was so smitten with Connie Berry’s A Collection of Lies, the 5th in her yummy Kate Hamilton series, that I went back and read them all. Kate is a widow, an antique dealer from Ohio, whose ties to the U.K. were cemented by her first husband, a Scot. In this one she’s just married a Brit encountered in the first book. Each book has a fascinating historical artifact – in this one, it’s a bloody antique dress. There’s all sorts of fascinating detail about lace making. The mysteries are nicely structured traditional detective novels, and the settings are to die for. My favorite binge of the year, by far.
Elise Bryant’s It’s Elementary was a funny burst of fresh air. It’s the story of single mom, Mavis, who is late getting the adorable Pearl to school every day. She gets ensnared by the PTA president in the school parking lot, who wants her (one of only two African American moms at the school) to be the DEI representative. Seeing no way out, she agrees, and the social details of suburban social behaviors, as seen at a PTA meeting and a school parking lot, could not be more acutely observed. This is a fun read with wonderful characters, but it’s that socially observant (and funny) eye that really makes this book sparkle.
Ann Cleeves is almost always on this list, she’s just so good, and really one of the very best at the traditional detective novel working at the moment. Her latest Vera Stanhope novel, The Dark Wives, in another excellent, tightly written, and compelling mystery. Nature is always part of the story and in this one it’s the Dark Wives of the title, three enormous rocks that have a legend behind them. Vera is called to a local care home where one of the workers has been killed, and a 14 year old resident has vanished. The search for a missing child amps up the ticking clock nature of the search. A great, atmospheric read.
Elly Griffiths has retired her beloved Ruth Galloway, but happily she’s written a second novel featuring the cast of The Postscript Murders. In The Last Word Benedict, Edwin and Natalka are asked by two sisters to investigate the death of their mother, who they feel was murdered by their stepfather (who also gets the house and the money). Happily, the investigation requires Edwin and Benedict to go undercover at a writer’s retreat. This glorious word centered story is the work of a master at the top of her game.
Anthony Horowitz is just the best. I’m not sure he could write a bad book. In the seriously yummy Close to Death, an installment in his Horowitz and Hawthorne series, where Horowitz, the character, in very meta fashion, is a writer who follows detective Hawthorne around and writes up what happens. Sadly, Hawthorne hasn’t had a juicy case in awhile, so Hawthorne gives Horowitz an old case, daring him to solve it. It’s set in a “close,” or a tight community of houses, where neighbors argue over things like parking and views. With meticulous detail we meet everyone in the close, and an insanely clever mystery is the result. Unlike old fashioned puzzle books which (horrors) I sometimes find to be a slog, Horowitz gives the reader a gift: these are fun books to read. This one is no exception to his long tradition of absolute excellence.
This book is a standout, even from a writer as good as Ragnar Jonasson. Death at the Sanitorium opens in the past and threads forward into the future, with the long ago murder of the supervisor at the sanitorium. Her body was discovered by a nurse, who found working in the mostly abandoned building in 1983 (it has been used for TB patients) a bit creepy. In 2012 a young man named Helgi is looking into the crime for a master’s thesis. Helgi is a fan of Agatha Christie and the plot is structured in a very golden age style, with Helgi tracking down living suspects. The pool is a small one and Helgi attempts to find the solution to the crime that he feels was wrongly concluded in the 80’s. This is a beautifully structured and absolutely compelling read. The last page is a jaw dropper.
Loved, loved, loved this book. Pony Confidential, Christina Lynch’s first foray into the mystery universe, is an utter joy. Narrated by both Penny, a human who is presently wrongly incarcerated, and the Pony, we get a dual perspective. Penny was heartbroken when her parents long ago sold her pony; the Pony himself has never gotten over it, and has nothing in his heart but seeking revenge on Penny. On his quest – Odyssey is actually the correct word – to find Penny, he finds that he was wrong in his assumption and the quest becomes one to save Penny instead. The dual narrative illuminates Penny’s life, as well as the Pony’s. While this book is funny and at times profound, it’s also a pretty disturbing look at the way animals are treated, not to mention the wrongly incarcerated. To say much more would to be reveal things better discovered by the (lucky) reader. All I can say is – it’s a magnificent achievement. I envision re-reading many, many times.
Margaret Mizushima’s Gathering Mist is basically a perfect thriller. It’s the ninth book in her K-9 series, but sometimes in a series the author just hits every mark. It’s like a perfect performance. In this very simply structured novel, heroine Mattie Cobb and her rescue dog, Robo, are called out of state (they live in Colorado) to aid in the search for a missing child. Robo will be especially helpful as he’s trained as an air scent dog, as in he can track scent in the air rather than the ground. As the ground in Oregon, where they are headed, has been soaked with rain, he’s one of the best hopes the team has to find the missing child. That’s it. That’s the story. It’s just perfectly rendered. Mizushima includes the grieving parents, the squabbles that develop under pressure between the search teams, and the fact that Mattie is due to marry in a few short days and is taking time away from her wedding to search. Just inhale this great read.
Another perfect performance comes from Hank Phillippi Ryan, deep into her thriller career. One Wrong Word is the story of Arden, who is just being fired from her job as the novel opens. Her boss promises her one last client, as well as a recommendation. The recommendation is a doozy: Arden is to rehab the image of a man who killed someone in a hit and run accident. He’s been exonerated, but the lives of his family are still untenable. Arden convinces the reluctant husband to take her on. As in any Ryan novel, assume anything that you think is true probably isn’t. With the combined skillset of a golden age mystery writer and a writer of contemporary thrillers, Ryan can tell a story like no one else. This one, set in her hometown of Boston, and hinging on the use of words themselves, is a storytelling triumph.
Sarah Stewart-Taylor turns in a melancholy look back to the 1960’s with her masterful Agony Hill. The book follows the story of newly appointed Vermont State Police detective Franklin Warren, who has moved to Bethany, Vermont, from his police job in Boston after a personal tragedy. He’s immediately called to the scene of a fire, and charged to discover the cause of the fire and if the man inside died by suicide or some other means. It’s the story of the dead man’s family, as well as the story of the hardscrabble life in a small town in Vermont. This is an immersive reading experience and an all-encompassing human story.
