Criminal Minds

 

Terry here, on an unexpected day. I’m so thrilled that I got a second chance to connect with readers, after I let my Tuesday post slip by without me. I love year-end reading lists. For mine, I’m breaking them down into non-mystery and mystery. And I know at this time of year readers may not have a lot of time to digest long descriptions, so I’ve kept them short and sweet. I read many, many books this year and these swam to the top for one reason or another. I recommend them all. 

 Here are my favorite non-mysteries of the year. 

  Let Us Descend, Jesamyn Ward—Brilliant book reminiscent of Beloved by Toni Morrison. About slavery and freedom, written it Ward’s typical beautiful prose.

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store—if you want a good backyard gossip, this is the book for you. It started a little slow—like gossip sometimes does, but eventually it all gelled into one joyous read. 

 North Woods, Daniel Mason. Wonderful book. About a house in the woods that is inhabited over the years by various people. It reveals the lives of many years of inhabitants, and what happens to the house over time. Great story-telling. 

 Demon Copperhead—Barbara Kingsolver—brilliant and heart-breaking. About people deep in Apalachia and how their lives get blighted. Demon is marked for a bad life and he seems about to get out of it when he becomes a football star. But then he is injured and becomes addicted to painkillers.One of the revelations is how people in these awful situations feel bad about being looked down on.They are doing the best they can. 

 James, Percival Everett—Winner of the National Book Award. A retelling of the story of Jim in Huckleberry Finn. The book lives up to its hype. His writing is pure gold. 

Trees, Percival Everett—I was so taken by James that I decided to read another Everett book. It was stunning. I don’t remember when I understood what the song “Strange Fruit” meant, but this book explores its meaning. I don’t know why it took so long for this man to be widely recognized for his extraordinary writing. I highly recommend him. 

 The Sun Walks Down, Fiona McFarlane—lovely book set in 1883 Australia. A 6-yr-old boy goes missing and the book is about the people who search for him (or don’t), and why. And their adventures on the way. it’s a treasure of a book. Unexpectedly funny and poetic, and each character stands out. 

Mysteries (including all kinds of sub-genres) Dead Ex, Harley Jane Kozak—This book is not new, but I just got around to reading it. It’s so funny and sly. So well-written. A joy to read. 

Fixit—Joe Ide. Really good book. Every character comes to life. Grace is kidnapped by a crazy man and Isaiah Quintabe will do anything to get her back. Has to fight criminals. Gets of out scrapes. IQ is a “fixer” always helping people. In this book they help him back,scraping together ransom money. Complicated by Winie Hando, a detective who wants to investigate and thinks IQ is hindering her. 

The Jossing Affair, Janet Oakley—Anybody who has been paying attention knows this is one of my all-time favorite books. It’s a historical novel about the resistance in Norway during WWII. Beautiful writing, historically significant, heart-stopping action. I would probably never have picked it up had Oakley not been on a panel I was moderating. I’m so glad she was!

The Last Few Miles of Road, Eric Beetner—Loved this book! It’s about a dying man who settles some scores, one intentionally and the others dragged into by Bree and Katy. Elmore Leonard would have been proud to write it. 

Murder and the Missing Dog, Susan Shea—great for those dark, cold winter nights. A good cozy, set in a tiny French village. Ariel is a solid protagonist. 

Three Weeks in Winter, Joseph LeValley—100% thriller. Ticking clock, big payoff, smart adversaries, high stakes, lots of action, and lots of quick thinking that gets people out of scrapes. Very good! 

Where the Dead Sleep, Joshua Moehling—excellent book, a police procedural with lots of suspects and good investigation. Ben Packard, acting sheriff. Sheriff Bill Sanderson was shot in his bed, and Packard has to investigate. Larger question of Packard running for sheriff 

Bad Men, Julie Mae Cohen--couldn’t put it down. Dark and funny, and some places poignant (Girl, the dog) Every character stood out. A serial killer novel, which I usually don’t like, but loved this. 

The Death of Mrs. Westaway, Ruth Ware—I buy Ware’s novels as soon as they come out. This one was wonderful and twisty as always. 

Spook Street, Mick Herron. Top notch, as usual. What more can be said about Herron? He writes with such spark. Wry humor, characters that rush off the page and sit with you while you read. I love the TV series based on the Slough House novels, but the books have more depth and even more humor.

The Serial Killers Guide to San Francisco, Michelle Chouinard—Have you ever heard a better title? It's terrific book, really engaging, well written. Woman with a grandfather in prison for murder, but she believes he is innocent. When a copycat murder occurs, suspicion falls on her. Not your usual “cozy” amateur detective. Very sharp. 

Mystery Writer, Vinnie Hansen--very good thriller, satisfying from beginning to end. A writer who lives in the middle of nowhere does a cop ride along and is witness to his murder. There’s a question of how she obtained the ride-along.Mayhem ensues. 

 Sci-fi: 

Big Time, Ben H. Winters—I'm a big fan of Winters' and this is a fascinating book. A philosophical sci-fi about time and about a deep betrayal The cynical view of the mother at the end, that time will become a commercial asset, with poor people selling their time to make ends meet was clever. 

And finally: 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention my two books that came out this fall:

The Troubling Death of Maddy Benson, eleventh in the Samuel Craddock series (an Amazon Editor's Pick)

and Out of Control, a domestic suspense novel. 

Happy Holidays everyone, and happy reading!

Terry