Thursday, December 10, 2020

Some Really Great Reads 2020 (from James W. Ziskin)


It’s becoming a tradition for me to put together an end-of-the-year list of books I recommend. This is not a best-of list. I’m not a fan of those since there’s no way people can read everything. So how can they declare some books the best? Not that I don’t admire the books that make those lists. I do. It’s simply that those big names and big successes get plenty of ink elsewhere, so I try to shine a light on excellent books and fine authors I enjoy instead. They may not be household names yet, and their books might not be on the New York Times bestsellers list—yet—but these are wonderful novels. I highly recommend them. Go on. Give them a chance.

Happy holidays!

First, my dear friend Lynne Raimondo passed away suddenly a few weeks ago. I’m heartbroken over her loss. But I cherish her memory and her books. You can’t go wrong with this fiercely complex and intelligent series, featuring blind psychiatrist Mark Angelotti.











And here are some great books I’ve read in the past year. You can’t go wrong with these. I loved them all. Click on the covers for links to buy.

Alice Henderson’s A Solitude of Wolverines













Daco Auffenorde’s Cover Your Tracks













Liz Milliron’s The Enemy We Don’t Know













Alexia Gordon’s Execution in E













Keenan Powell’s Hell and High Water













Erica Miner’s Staged for Murder













Mark Pryor’s The French Widow













Steve Goble’s Pieces of Eight













Brian Thornton’s Suicide Blonde













And, of course, here are the latest books from my fellow 7 Criminal Minds. I’m so proud to be one of them.

Cathy Ace’s Corpse with The Crystal Skull (Cait Morgan)













Brenda Chapman’s Closing Time













Dietrich Kalteis’s Cradle of the Deep













Paul D. Marks’s The Blues Don’t Care













Catriona McPherson’s The Turning Tide (Dandy Gilver #14)













Abir Mukherjee’s Death in the East











 


Terry Shames’s A Risky Undertaking for Loretta Singletary (Samuel Craddock)











 


Susan C. Shea’s Dressed for Death in Burgundy





















Frank Zafiro and Colin Conway’s Code Four 




4 comments:

Dietrich Kalteis said...

Some of these are already on my list, and others I've made a note of — and thanks very much for the nod, Jim.

All the very best to you and yours for the holidays.

Susan C Shea said...

Lynne's death has been a shock. I read her first two, but not the third. Will check it out in the new year, thanks. A way to hear her distinctive voice one more time. I've read some of the books on your list and have others stacked in the TBR section of my work space. The Minds authors - and that includes you - are a pretty impressive bunch. Thanks for the recommendations.

Catriona McPherson said...

I'm reading Liz Milliron's book 2 in the Home Front mysteries right now - as an ARC, to blurb - and have asked for the first one from Santa. So good!

Brenda Chapman said...

thanks Jim - some good recommendations for future reading. Happy Holidays!