Best of 2023
I was unable to limit my list to ten and present twelve titles this year, and the “also notables” at the end are excellent too. My criteria is always a book that stayed with me and moved me throughout the year. When I cast my mind back to reading these books the feeling of being captured by prose returns to my mind. It’s such a magical experience – I think one hoped for by every reader – and sharing the books that provide that kind of reading experience is a real joy. As will be obvious I have a real love for traditional detective work (Crombie, Cleeves, Griffiths, Stewart Taylor). I also love the odd and memorable (Cotterill, Bennett) and I have a fondness for kick ass women (Allen, Lillie, Khan). I love a good gothic mystery (Goodman) and there are a couple of outstanding debuts: Danielle Arceneaux’s Glory Be and Michael Bennett’s Better the Blood. Mysteries are finding a glorious diversity lately as illustrated here, with Muslim, Cherokee, African American and Maori sleuths finding a voice. Full reviews can be found by searching the site, though with a few exceptions they are only to be found at Deadly Pleasures.
