{"id":4250,"date":"2021-11-19T06:07:06","date_gmt":"2021-11-19T14:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/?p=4250"},"modified":"2021-11-19T06:42:41","modified_gmt":"2021-11-19T14:42:41","slug":"best-of-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/best-of-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Best of 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are two authors whose work is so consistently excellent I don\u2019t add them to my best of lists anymore, but I can tell you that William Kent Krueger\u2019s prequel to his Cork O\u2019Connor series, Lightning Strike, <\/strong>is beautifully written, felt and told; and Louise Penny\u2019s The Madness of Crowds<\/strong>, a sly look at devotees of a flawed charismatic leader, is a beautiful read.\u00a0 Both writers have a quality of heart and spirit that give their books an extra something, and their main characters, Cork O\u2019Connor and Armand Gamache, are beloved by readers. Soon to join these two are Elly Griffiths and Ann Cleeves, both of whom turned in stellar reads this year (see below). \u00a0I invite readers to cast their reading nets a bit wider and consider some of these other fine titles.\u00a0 These are all books that stayed with me and left me thinking after I finished them.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Windsor Knot, <\/em>SJ Bennett. This book is adorable in the best possible way.\u00a0 I usually hate it when real people are used as the detective, and in the case of this novel \u201cthe detective\u201d is one of the most famous people on the planet, Queen Elizabeth II.\u00a0 But SJ Bennett has real affection and reverence \u2013 in the nicest way \u2013 for her majesty and the actual detecting is mostly done by the Queen\u2019s Assistant Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, a British Nigerian who shares the Queen\u2019s affection for horses and would do anything for the \u201cboss.\u201d When a murder occurs at Windsor, Rozie is assigned to the awkward task of investigating a crime at the Queen\u2019s home.\u00a0 The detective skills of both women are a nice yin and yang.\u00a0 The slight grittiness of the story is balanced by the witty storytelling and wonderful characterizations of both Rozie and the Queen.\u00a0 Simply delightful.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Killing Kind, <\/em>Jane Casey. This outing from Jane Casey is whip smart and terrifying.\u00a0 In this standalone, the central character is a barrister, youngish Ingrid Lewis, happily involved with Mark.\u00a0 As Ingrid goes through her court routine in the opening scene, which sets up not only the legal surround but some of the relationships and events that carry through the book, she lends a colleague her umbrella.\u00a0 As she\u2019s hurrying out later to another case, she sees that the umbrella borrower has been a victim of a hit and run.\u00a0 As she is interviewed by a police officer about her colleague, she mentions a stalker from her past.\u00a0 She\u2019s afraid the man saw her umbrella and pushed the wrong woman under a bus. From there, Casey expertly dips between timelines to delineate Ingrid\u2019s involvement with the stalker, her breakup, and her own detection skills, in which she uses her barrister skill set to help resolve her situation.\u00a0 Tense, well written, beautifully imagined and written, this is a thriller that leaves you thinking after you finish the last page.\u00a0 Read my interview with Jane Casey here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Fallen, <\/em>Linda Castillo. It\u2019s amazing to me that Linda Castillo can work within such a tight construct and still, every time, \"\"<\/a>produce an original and thoughtful book.\u00a0 Her set up: Chief of Police Kate Burkholder, who has grown up Amish, is the insider\/outsider head of law enforcement in tiny, Amish centric Painter\u2019s Mill, Ohio.\u00a0 She has connections with the Amish but they don\u2019t fully trust her as she\u2019s left the faith, but she still has insider knowledge of the culture that help her to solve the crimes that occur in her community. The book opens with the truly horrific murder of Rachael Schwartz, a \u201cfallen\u201d Amish girl \u2013 her acts are so far outside the boundaries of Amish culture that she\u2019s viewed as unsavable.\u00a0 When she\u2019s discovered beaten to death in a Painter\u2019s Mill hotel room, however, Kate, who knew her as a child, is outraged and determined to find out who did this to her.<\/p>\n

Castillo is a top notch thriller writer.\u00a0 She creates suspense, she provides clues and an interesting investigative process, and she always includes a good twist.\u00a0 Her books are insanely readable.\u00a0 I was especially taken with this one.\u00a0 Rachael is a fascinating character and Castillo\u2019s musing at one point \u2013 about the foundation a parent can instill, for good or ill \u2013 is interesting as Kate speculates that Rachael\u2019s parental foundation was too strict and unyielding. A thriller writer who gives the reader something to ponder as they read really can\u2019t be beat.\u00a0 I was annoyed to have to leave for work as I got to the end of the book, because I did not want to put it down until I finished it.\u00a0 Is there a better reader endorsement?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Heron\u2019s Cry, <\/em>Ann Cleeves. The second in Ann Cleeves\u2019 Detective Mathew Venn series finds Matthew investigating a case on the grounds of an artist\u2019s colony and farm.\u00a0 The book opens with a party attended by a very drunk Detective Jen Rafferty, who meets the victim at the party, but didn\u2019t talk to him for long because of her condition \u2013 something she comes to regret. The dead man, Nigel Yeo, was a doctor who worked with people who had complaints about National Health.\u00a0 He is discovered with a huge shard of glass in his neck, glass created by his glassblower daughter, Eve. The deaths include a mysterious string of suicides, one specifically being investigated by Dr. Yeo before he was murdered, and the death of a charming never do well artist who everyone tolerated but grudgingly loved. Cleeves creates an entire community around Matthew and it\u2019s a true strength of the novel. Cleeves\u2019 books are a slow burn as she builds her stories brick by careful brick.\u00a0 With this kind of approach, the ending needs to be bangin\u2019 to carry it off, and Cleeves achieves this in spades as she wraps up her story in a heartbreaking fashion.\u00a0 The detective work that brings a result is meticulous but illuminated \u2013 as all good detective novels are \u2013 by flashes of brilliant insight and connections on the part of the detective. A wonderful new series.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Stranger Behind You, <\/em>Carol Goodman. I loved Goodman\u2019s novel last year, The Sea of Lost Girls, <\/em>and I love this one even more.\u00a0 It\u2019s very of the moment, as it involves a powerful newspaper magnate who has been sexually harassing his female employees.\u00a0 Like last year\u2019s novel, Goodman\u2019s concern is the shame the women feel for something that is not their fault. The book is told in alternating narratives.\u00a0 One narrative comes from Joan, the reporter who breaks the story; the other comes from Melissa, the wife and ultimately widow (shades of Jeffrey Epstein) of the accused man, who has left his widow not only covered in shame, but more or less broke. Joan, who returns to her apartment after a night of celebrating her big story, is attacked.\u00a0 While a book deal gives her the financial means to move out of her sketchy apartment and into a much nicer building, one with excellent security, it also leaves her both afraid to leave her new place and unable to work on the book that\u2019s garnered her a windfall.<\/p>\n

Goodman also has a touch of the gothic to her storytelling.\u00a0 The building where the two women end up, The Refuge, sits atop a cliff with deadly rocks below.\u00a0 In the past it was the home of an infamous Magdalen laundry type operation, where the women who stayed were not in a refuge, but in more or less a prison. The ghosts of these long-gone women seem to haunt the place. The story is told in such a propulsive manner, illuminating the lives and thought processes of the two women as they inevitably draw closer to one another.\u00a0 Goodman has layered her character study on top of an excellent thriller.\u00a0 The gothic, atmospheric touches only serve to make the book more memorable and harder to forget after you turn the last page.\u00a0 This is one of the reads of the year.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Postscript Murders, <\/em>Elly Griffiths. I\u2019m an unabashed Elly Griffiths fan, but this book was so much fun, so delicious, so cleverly assembled, that it\u2019s a standout in her now lengthy career.\u00a0 As the book opens, the very elderly Peggy is discovered dead in her favorite chair at the window by her caregiver, Natalka.\u00a0 As Natalka waits for both her boss and the undertaker, she notices a book Peggy had been reading.\u00a0 Out of it falls a card: it says Mrs M Smith, Murder Consultant. <\/em>When Natalka is asked by Peggy\u2019s son to help close up her apartment Natalka notices that first of all, most of Peggy\u2019s books were crime novels; and secondly, that all of them are dedicated to Peggy, or thank her in the acknowledgements.\u00a0 Natalka thinks this is so odd she consults DS Harbinder Kaur (The Stranger <\/em>Diaries) about it. This is the thinnest of premises, really, but somehow the charm and magical qualities of this story make it sing.<\/p>\n

The pace of the narrative is relentless, but perfect.\u00a0 The tone is not too light and not too heavy.\u00a0 The language and the storytelling are intelligent and witty. There\u2019s a poignancy to this novel that never veers into cheesy sweetness.\u00a0 Some writers have \u201cthe touch\u201d \u2013 while the stories they tell might technically be unbelievable, the way they tell them make them absolutely right.\u00a0 This many books on, Griffiths\u2019 sure hand and confidence as a writer \u2013 as well as the sheer joy she obviously has in writing her books \u2013 makes reading them nothing but pure pleasure.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Survivors, <\/em>Jane Harper. Jane Harper uses nature to deepen and further her stories more than almost any writer I can think of.\u00a0 In this novel, set in Tasmania, an island off the coast of Australia, the story takes place in a tiny seaside resort town, and the ocean and the caves surrounding the town are as much a character as any of the humans populating the book. This is a story of long held grief, secrets, and family dysfunction. \u00a0Kieran Elliott has brought his partner Mia and his baby daughter Audrey home to help his mother pack.\u00a0 His father has dementia and he\u2019s moving to a home, while his mother is moving to an apartment near him.\u00a0 The house is chaotic and full of boxes, and often all Kieran and Mia want to do it escape.<\/p>\n

After a reunion with their friends at the local bar the first evening, the peace of the town is shattered when the body of a young woman, a seasonal worker, is discovered on the beach.\u00a0 For the town, this dredges up memories of a terrible storm a decade ago, one that claimed the lives of three townspeople, including Kieran\u2019s older brother, Finn. While there may be other books written about long buried secrets and long held grief, Harper brings to the table a real skill with plot.\u00a0 She is an original thinker and a brilliant narrative storyteller.\u00a0 This is a book about dealing with the past, uncovering a killer, and looking forward.\u00a0 It\u2019s beautifully written and emotionally true.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Clark and Division, <\/em>Naomi Hirahara. This book is a knockout.\u00a0 Hirahara, author of three different series set in contemporary Los Angeles and Hawaii, has turned her eye to 1944 and the plight of American born Japanese, as well as first generation immigrants, right after Pearl Harbor.\u00a0 It is still shocking to me that we created internment camps for Japanese citizens who were simply going about their daily lives.\u00a0 Hirahara brings it home by focusing intimately on one family, the Itos. The Itos \u2013 parents and daughters Rose and Aki \u2013 are hardworking, successful citizens.\u00a0 One day the Itos are ordered to report to a camp where they will spend the next two years, sharing a room and a communal toilet that offers no privacy.\u00a0 After a few years, the government begins to resettle Japanese all over the country, taking them from their familiar homes and plunging them into completely unfamiliar environments. Rose, the beautiful star of the family, goes on ahead to Chicago, and eventually, the rest of the family will be able to follow her. The day finally comes and the Itos head to Chicago, relishing the freedom of the train after being in camp for so long.\u00a0 When they get to Chicago, it\u2019s dirty, noisy and confusing, and worst of all, when they arrive at the apartment Rose has found for them, they discover that she has died in a subway accident the night before.<\/p>\n

Aki\u2019s journey to find out what happened to Rose mirrors her journey of growth as she becomes more confident and stronger, forcing herself into situations she would otherwise have avoided.\u00a0 While the main part of the story \u2013 and it\u2019s beautifully told and rendered, and utterly heartbreaking \u2013 is the story of the family being sent to the internment camp and then resettled in a foreign place, it\u2019s also the story of Aki. This is a completely immersive reading experience and a completely unforgettable one. This is a shameful part of our history which Hirahara has turned a light on, but by giving the reader the gift of the Ito family, she provides some light and hope in the darkness.\u00a0 This is a beautiful book, one of the reads of the year. Read my interview with Naomi Hirahara here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Thief of Souls, <\/em>Brian Klingborg. This is a really solid start to a new series, one that reminded me of Stuart Kaminsky\u2019s classic Inspector Rostnikov series.\u00a0 This new series is set in China, rather than Russia, but many of the societal and economic restrictions are similar.\u00a0 Klingborg\u2019s Inspector Lu Fei is as bemused and practical a thinker as Rostnikov.\u00a0 Lu Fei lives near Harbin, in northern China, but not in Harbin itself – he basically lives out in the sticks.\u00a0 He prefers the steadiness of country policing and doesn\u2019t have a huge desire to move up. As the book opens, a young woman has been discovered dead by the neighbors. As Lu examines the scene and it appears they\u2019ll need more forensics help than their back water can provide, they send for the experts.\u00a0 (I think in the US it\u2019s probably the equivalent of calling in the FBI.)\u00a0 The experts quickly discover the woman\u2019s body has been cut open, and on further examination, that several of her organs have been removed.<\/p>\n

Klingborg\u2019s real strength here is in portraying Chinese culture and life as it\u2019s lived by ordinary people.\u00a0 Lu\u2019s small town life is enlivened by visits to a local dive bar \u2013 snacks are served but people are there to drink and admire the young widow who owns it, including Lu.\u00a0 A portrait of his life – work, drinking, investigation, is incised on the reader\u2019s mind as though you\u2019re living it yourself.\u00a0 To a western eye, it might seem a spare life, but Inpector Lu seems both satisfied and to expect nothing more \u2013 except to marry for love at some point. I love the character of Inspector Lu.\u00a0 I think he is both sturdy enough and interesting enough to provide a strong backbone for a long series, and I would be delighted to spend more time with him.\u00a0 This is a well written, thoughtful book.\u00a0 Read my interview with Brian Klingborg here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Sleep Well, My Lady, <\/em>Kwei Quartey.\u00a0 This is the follow up to Quartey\u2019s series debut,\u00a0The Missing American.\u00a0<\/em> The star of the book in every way is Emma\u00a0Djan, who lives in Ghana and has left the police force to work at a private investigation firm.\u00a0 She\u2019s a fully realized, complex, nuanced and charming character,\u00a0and as a reader you are with her at every plot turn.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> Set in Accra, Ghana, the\u00a0Ghanaian\u00a0culture is a character in the book as much as any of the people in the story.\u00a0 Ghana sounds like an incredibly lively and vital place with a police department\u00a0that\u2019s more interested in solving cases than finding the actual perpetrators of the crime.\u00a0 Emma\u2019s boss, Mr.\u00a0Sowah, is also a former cop, and he is excellent at working the system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the book opens the beautiful Lady Araba, a fashion designer, is missed from her fashion show at the opening of Accra fashion week.\u00a0<\/span>Unfortunately, Lady Araba\u2019s gardener has just discovered her dead in her bedroom.\u00a0 Quartey skillfully illuminates Araba\u2019s backstory, as well as her relationship with Augustus\u00a0Seeza, a well-known talk show host (known for asking penetrating and difficult questions of his subjects).\u00a0 Augustus, unfortunately, is also a raging alcoholic, and\u00a0Kwartey\u2019s\u00a0explication of his life and the toll it takes on those around him, from his parents to his\u00a0ex wife\u00a0to Lady Araba, is heartbreakingly and realistically depicted.\u00a0<\/span>Like any golden age writer,\u00a0Kwartey\u2019s\u00a0suspect pool is tight, and he deflects suspicion from one to another with ease and skill.\u00a0 It\u2019s easy to suspect each one in turn as you try and figure out who really killed Lady Araba.\u00a0<\/span>Kwartey\u00a0has a spectacular voice and his\u00a0Ghanaian\u00a0setting is not only unusual, it gives him plenty of scope.\u00a0I think the sky is the limit for future installments as he has a wide canvas, a deft hand with a plot, and a real genius with character.\u00a0 Emma\u00a0Djan\u00a0is someone to treasure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Also notable: A Distant Grave, <\/em>Sarah Stewart Taylor; Her Perfect Life, <\/em>Hank Phillippi Ryan; The Night Hawks<\/em>, Elly Griffiths; Dead of Winter, <\/em>Stephen Mack Jones; The Hiding Place, <\/em>Paula Munier and Paige Shelton’s\u00a0Dark Night.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em> All are reviewed here.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are two authors whose work is so consistently excellent I don\u2019t add them to my best of lists anymore, but I can tell you that William Kent Krueger\u2019s prequel to his Cork O\u2019Connor series, Lightning Strike, is beautifully written, felt and told; and Louise Penny\u2019s The Madness of Crowds, a sly look at devotees … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[197,558,330,80,44,672,265,462,621,637,472,252,714,356,165],"class_list":["post-4250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-of","tag-ann-cleeves","tag-brian-klingborg","tag-carol-goodman","tag-elly-griffiths","tag-hank-phillippi-ryan","tag-jane-casey","tag-jane-harper","tag-kwei-quartey","tag-linda-castillo","tag-naomi-hirahara","tag-paige-shelton","tag-paula-munier","tag-s-j-bennett","tag-sarah-stewart-taylor","tag-stephen-mack-jones"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4250"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4272,"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4250\/revisions\/4272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}