Booklist's Year's Best Crime Novels

Booklist, a journal that I read monthly, has recently published a list of what they consider the year's best crime novels.  The list is pulled from crime novels reviewed from May 1, 2012 until April 15, 2013. It is a interesting selection of titles and I agree with most and many I've previously mentioned here. Alphabetically by title they are:

The Andalucian Friend by Alexander Soderberg. This is the first of a Scandinavian crime trilogy. Do you watch Dexter or Breaking Bad? Do you find yourself sometimes routing for the supposed 'bad' guy? This tale will sweep you along at a fast pace. Sophie Brinkmann, a nurse and single mother, finds herself falling for a patient in the hospital. Only after he is out does she discovers that he is the head of a crime ring and she is in the middle of a gang war.

The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny. The winner of  the Agatha for best novel appears on this list too. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache looking for the killer among a group of silent monks. Those who like Penny, LOVE Penny. Plot is good and characters are usually complex. There is less action but more thinking in my opinion.

Ghostman by Roger Hobbs. Jack White lives off the grid but specializes in cleaning up messes and evidences of heists. When one heist goes awry, the organizer wants Jack dead and he finds himself in the middle of a deadly mess. Hobbs is a debut author who sold this novel to a publisher on the first 50 pages when he was 22 and right out of college.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Once again, the title has been talked about too much this year. It was really good - really, really good but let's get on to the next best thing. A story of a dysfunctional couple. If you haven't read it yet, you probably won't.

Live by Night by Dennis Lehane. This one won the Edgar for Best Novel for 2012. This is Lehane's tale of gangsters in the 1920 and the son of  a prominent police captain. It has some weighty things to say about violence and fathers and sons.

The Rage by Gene Kerrigan. Kerrigan is an Irish author and generally writes of Dublin, corruption, crime and the economy. this title won the Crime Writer's Association Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel of the Year. It is a police procedural that follows Detective Sergeant Bob Tidey in his investigation of ' the perfect crime' which turns out to be less than perfect. Dark and violent, Kerrigan is sometimes compared to Lee Child.

Shatter the Bones by Stuart MacBride. . This title is the 7th in the Scottish Logan McRae series. The mother and daughter singing duo who are about to win 'Britian's Next Big Star' are kidnapped and a public demand is made by the kidnappers that everyone needs to contribute if they want to see the duo alive. Violent and dark but with humor. Recommended for those who like British mysteries.


Suspect by Robert Crais. LAPD officer Scott James is experiencing PTSD after a brutal attack that killed his partner and seriously injured him. Back at work, he requests K-9 duty because he doesn't want to be paired with another person. His new partner, Maggie is a military working dog who is also experiencing a dog form of PTSD after the death of her person. Together, they go on the hunt for  James' partner's killer. A stand alone and some people think it is one of his best.

What Comes Next by John Katzenbach. A retired college professor attempts to find a young woman he witnessed being kidnapped after the police come up empty. The couple who kidnapped her are putting their torture of her up on the Internet for public display. Not for the squeamish but an interesting take on today's digital society.

All titles are available at you Chattahoochee Library.

Summer Thrillers

Do you like to spend the summer reading books that give you that shot of adrenaline? There are several big names that are coming out with titles this summer that will fulfill that need. There are some by less known ones that also do so. Take a look at these and see what you think.

C.J. Box gives us The Highway on July 30th. Two sisters who are suppose to be driving to visit their father for Thanksgiving, instead decide to drive to Montana to visit a boyfriend. Along the way, they vanish. Cody Hoyt, is a fired sheriff investigator who planted evidence and has a fondness for the bottle. The sisters were suppose to be visiting his son. When his son convinces him to try to find them, he vanishes also. The only one left to rescue them is Hoyt's rookie partner - Cassandra Dewell. This book has been described as 'dark and creepy' and ' with vivid imagery and suspense.' If those things appeal to you, give this a try. Although some of the characters were in Back of Beyond (Cody Hoyt), it is really a stand alone.

On June 18th, Jonathan Holt gives us Book 1 from the Carnivia Trilogy, The Abomination. The book takes place in Venice and almost every review I've read talks about it's description of Italy and Italian food. In addition, it is compared to Dan Brown's fiction but without the secret codes and well written. Two strong female leads - Carabiniere captain Kat Tapo and U.S. Army second lieutenant Holly Boland become involved in investigating a women's death, a website and NATO involvement with the Yugoslavian war. Described as an intelligent thriller with political and international conspiracies. There will be 2 more coming so if it sounds like your cup of tea, pick up this 400 page treat.

Jeffery Deaver is back with a Lincoln Rhyme's novel on June 4th, The Kill Room. If you haven't read any of bestselling author Deaver's books yet - you probably don't want to read this one either. If you are a Deaver fan - as many are - this is a must read. Lincoln Rhyme's, the quadriplegic detective, 10th story. This time Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are asked to investigate a shooting of an American who is very vocal about his dislike of the government's foreign policy. The shooting was reportedly ordered by CIA-style government agency. Ethical issues abound about the rights of the individual vs the safety of many. Perhaps the ethical issues are not resolved in this book but the plot is fast paced and intelligent.

Stephen King has referred to Meg Gardiner as "the next suspense superstar". I've written about this title in the past I believe because it has an interesting premise. Gardiner's stories always stay with you. In this one, a skip tracer (someone who track people who have gone missing), is forced to go missing herself. Sarah Keller is living quietly with her 5 year old daughter. A school bus accident sends the daughter, Zoe, to the ER and tests confirm that Zoe is not really Sarah's child but the daughter of her sister, who was murdered shortly after the birth. Sarah goes on the run, chased by federal agents AND those who actually killed her sister. Good characterization and heart stopping suspense.

This one sounds VERY interesting to me - penned by Mary Louise Kelly, an NPR journalist, Anonymous Sources will be out June 18th. Alexandra James, a journalist, is sent to investigate when Thom Carlyle, son of one of the most powerful men in Washington, falls from the top of a Harvard bell tower. Her investigation takes her from Harvard to Cambridge to London and leads to a terrorist network. When she arrives in Washington, D.C. for a final interview that she expects to tie together the facts she has uncovered, Alex James finds she has become the hunted. The fear and anxiety is transmitted to the reader. A true page turner.

Hopefully one of these will get you started with thrillers this summer.

Agatha Award Winners and Anthony Award Nominees

The Agatha Awards were announced at the Malice Domestic Conference on May 3rd in Bethesda, MD. Agatha's are given to 'cozy' mysteries - tales without a bunch of violence and sex.

The winner Best Novel goes to a perennial award recipient, Louise Penny for A Beautiful Mystery. Chief Inspector Gamache is introspective as usual while investigating a murder at a Quebec monastery.

The winner of the Best First Novel went to Susan M. Boyer for Lowcountry Boil. Private Investigator Liz Talbot goes home to a South Carolina island when her grandmother is killed. Her brother is the chief of police but he wants her out of the investigation. A real southern feel to this one. I liked this one and am happy that there are to be more in this series.

Finally for the Agatha's, the winner of Best Historical Novel went to Catriona McPherson for Dandy Gilver and an Unsuitable Day for Murder. Witty, amateur sleuth Dandy, is caught between two rival department store families. A delightful followup to Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Bloodstains.

Bouchercon will be in Albany, NY September 19th through the 22nd. They announce the Anthony Awards at that time. Anthony nominees tend to be harder than cozies but as you will see, that doesn't mean that the same book won't be up for both awards.

The nominees for the Anthonys this year are:

BEST NOVEL
 Dare Me by Megan Abbott - 2 cheerleaders with a new coach and a suicide that causes uncertainties. What is actually going on at this high school.
The Trinity Game by Sean Chercover - Daniel Byrne is an investigator for the Vatican’s secretive Office of the Devil’s Advocate—the department that scrutinizes miracle claims. Over ten years and 721 cases, not one miracle he tested has proved true. But case #722 is different; Daniel’s estranged uncle, a crooked TV evangelist, has started speaking in tongues—and accurately predicting the future. Daniel knows Reverend Tim Trinity is a con man. Could Trinity also be something more?
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - Gillian Flynn's breakthrough novel about a REALLY dysfunctional relationship. If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for?
The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny - this is the title that won the Agatha last week. Could it win both of them? The continuing saga of Chief Inspector Gamache follows the murder at a cloistered monastery.
The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan - this title won the Mary Higgins Clark award at the Edgar Awards. A telejournalist who refused to release her source is relegated to puff newspaper pieces. She gets involved tracking down a politician's secret mistress and somehow it is tied to murdered women. Dirty politics..... 

BEST FIRST NOVEL
Don't Ever Get Old by Daniel Friedman - a retired policeman decides to track down an old adversary with a fortune in stolen gold.
The Professionals by Owen Laukkanen - 4 college friends turn to kidnapping in the down job market. Everything appears to be going well until they kidnap the wrong man and find not only the law but organized crime are after them.
The Expats by Chris Pavone - also won the Edgar for best first novel. The story of an ex-CIA wife who moves to Luxembourg with her husband and finds herself questioning what is really happening.
The 500 by Matthew Quirk -  A year ago, fresh out of Harvard Law School, Mike Ford landed his dream job at the Davies Group, Washington's most powerful consulting firm. Now, he's staring down the barrel of a gun, pursued by two of the world's most dangerous men. To get out, he'll have to do all the things he thought he'd never do again: lie, cheat, steal-and this time, maybe even kill.
Black Fridays by Michael Sears - Jason Stafford is a former Wall Street hotshot who made some bad moves, paid the price with two years in prison, and is now trying to put his life back together. He’s unemployable, until an investment firm asks him to look into possible problems left by a junior trader who died recently in an accident. What he discovers is big – there are problems, all right, the kind that get you killed.
Check out these to see which you think should win. All are available at the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries.

Edgar Winners Announced Last Night

The winners of Edgar Awards, presented by the Mystery Writers of America were announced last night in New York City. They are all available at the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries if you want to take a look.

Winner of Beat Novel: Live by Night by Dennis Lehane. This is Lehane's tale of gangsters in the 1920 and the son of  a prominent police captain. It has some weighty things to say about violence and fathers and sons.

Best First Novel is Chris Pavone's The Expats. The story of an ex-CIA operative who travels to Luxembourg with her husband when he gets a lucrative job offer. Soon she starts to question everything - her neighbors and even her husband.

Best Fact Crime is Midnight in Peking by Paul French. A true crime tale that takes place in 1937 Peking which reads like suspenseful fiction.



Best Paperback Original is The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters. If the world was going to be destroyed by a comet in six months, would you care about finding a murderer?  The newest detective in Concord, New Hampshire, is Hank Palace and it makes a difference to him. A noir pre-apocalyptic mystery that is the first of a planned trilogy.

The Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award was won by The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan. I have blogged about this one before. Jane Ryland, a disgraced journalist, is trying to track down a secret mistress of a Senate candidate. Jake Brogan, a detective, is looking into the serial murder of young women. Somehow, these two cases are linked.

Congratulations to all the winner. It is interesting that Gone Girl didn't win the big prize but perhaps they were looking for something weightier. I'll have to read Lehane's work and compare. Give one of these a try and let me know what you think.

The Interestings

I am going to be gone the rest of the week and was looking around trying to find something of interest for a quick post. While reading the New York Times Book Review, I came across the review for Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings written by Liesl Schillinger. Perhaps because I can identify somewhat with the subject matter, this book which is already on the shelf fascinates me. Read some parts of the review below and see if you want to pick it up.

‘The Interestings,’ by Meg Wolitzer

By LIESL SCHILLINGER

That misanthropic wag H. L. Mencken once wrote that his definition of happiness included “a comfortable feeling of superiority to the masses of one’s fellow men” — something he suggested was more easily achieved in this country than elsewhere. And yet his quest to be exceptional (in which he inarguably succeeded) didn’t appear to make him all that happy, judging from his prodigious, grumbling output. But does the compulsion to excel make anybody happy? Or is it, rather, a prescription for disappointment in oneself and in the “circumscribed world”?

That’s the question that comes to preoccupy Jules Jacobson, the ambitious protagonist of Meg Wolitzer’s remarkable ninth novel, “The Interestings,” whose inclusive vision and generous sweep place it among the ranks of books like Jonathan Franzen’s “Freedom” and Jeffrey Eugenides’s “Marriage Plot.” “The Interestings” is warm, all-American and acutely perceptive about the feelings and motivations of its characters, male and female, young and old, gay and straight; but it’s also stealthily, unassumingly and undeniably a novel of ideas. Wolitzer has been writing excellent fiction for 30 years, and it has always been this astute. From the start, her subject has been the practical, emotional and sexual fallout of women’s liberation, particularly as it affects mothers and children. But here she has written a novel that speaks as directly to men as to women. With this book, she has surpassed herself. Just don’t call her exceptional.

Wolitzer’s heroines are typically daughters of the American sexual revolution who, like the author, were conceived around the same time as the birth control pill and who approached adolescence at a cultural moment that forced them to reckon not only with their own growing pains but with those of their mothers, who returned flush-cheeked from consciousness-raising groups to exhort their daughters: “You girls will be able to do just about anything you want.” Watching their mothers set about fulfilling their long-deferred dreams, these daughters didn’t necessarily rejoice in such parental empowerment, as Wolitzer observed in her 1988 novel, “This Is Your Life.” There the daughters sulked when their mother’s success kept her far from the home front. “My girls,” she implores them, “have I really hurt you so much? Don’t you know that I only try to do what I can?”

In “The Interestings,” Jules Jacobson poses a broader question, asking herself what the boys (now men) and girls (now women) she has lionized since her teens, and emulated throughout her adult life, have lost through their persistent, rarely rewarded efforts to opt in. She wonders, in short, if all of them, male and female, have inaccurately defined success, believing they would only fit in once they stood out, would only matter if they were extraordinary. It’s Jules’s husband, Dennis, a man unafraid to call himself ordinary, who brings her to this realization. “Specialness — everyone wants it,” he tells her in frustration, fed up with her invidious comparisons to her childhood pals. “Most people aren’t talented. So what are they supposed to do — kill themselves?” Dennis’s heartfelt, exasperated cry snaps Jules out of the millstone mind-set she’s clung to for so long. Belatedly, she understands that she badly needs a new attitude........

Wolitzer's work describes how Jules developed this need to strive for more and how she convinces herself that happiness is not getting what you want, it is wanting what you get.

It's Never Too Early for Beach Books

As the weather gets hotter, we all need some ‘beach read’ titles to take with us on vacation. I am going to prepare you for those days on the beach by mentioning some of this summer’s ‘hot’ titles.

Let’s face it, everyone is going to be reading Dan Brown’s new book, Inferno. It comes out in May – just in time to take to the beach with you. Talk about ‘hot’ books – one of the things I’ve read about it says that it’s sale date – 5/14/13 was chosen because it is the reverse of ‘pi’ 3.1415.   Wonder what else he has hidden in there?

Another book that seems to be meant for beach reading is Island Girls by Nancy Thayer. This comes out on June 18th. On the death of their father three stepsisters learn they must spend the summer at the family beach home on Nantucket before they can sell the home and split the money. This novel is more about family in all it's forms and relationships between the family members but it begs for a beach on which to read it.

Mary Kay Andrews comes out with Ladies Night on June 4th. This one takes place ultimately in a fictional place near Bradenton Florida. After a particularly spectacular outburst when she finds her husband has been cheating, Grace is forced to move in with her mother and help her to run a small beach bar called The Sand Pit. Can't you picture yourself on the beach with this one? Sink your feet in the sand and get ready to be entertained.

Barbara Delinsky gives us Sweet Salt Air which comes out on June 18th. Two friends have been estranged for 10 years but come back together on a small island off the coast of Maine for a summer to work on a cookbook project. If you like Delinsky, you kind of know what to expect. There are secrets in their past and basically, one of them has to decide what is more important - friendship or truth. Another warm, vacation story.

OK folks - how many of you know that Janet Evanovich is starting a new series???? She actually is writing it with Lee Goldberg, the script writer who came up with the idea for Monk. The idea behind it is interesting and you can kind of see why it might have appeal for Evanovich. The Heist comes out on June 18th. It features a disciplined female FBI agent who always gets her mane and a handsome con artist who maneuvers the FBI into offering him a job. Ought to be a quick read and just what you need on vacation.

Lastly, James Patterson is coming out with the 2nd in his Honeymoon series, Second Honeymoon, on June 24th. Someone is picking off honeymoon couples. No one knows who is next. FBI Agent John O'Hara and Special Agent Sarah Brubaker are on the case. Patterson's titles are always quick beach reads.

I hope you can envision yourself spending some times with one of these. Get your name on the lists!

July Titles That Are Interesting For Different Reasons

There are lots of books coming out in July. Sometimes, there is something in the title or brief summary that catches the eye and makes you pick it up. These are all which attracted my attention for various reasons. See if any of them attract your's.

On July 2nd, Matt Haig comes out with The Humans. Haig is a British author who has also dabbled in screen writing; journalism and children's works. He has been nominated for many awards and won quite a fiew for his efforts. This title is really a blending of genres and sounds like it will be funny and warm. A Cambridge professor and mathematician solves the world's greatest mathmatical riddle and an alien from a wiser planet takes over his body to remove all evidence of the world changing result. The alien is disgusted by the world and humans in general until wine, Emily Dickinson and family life start to win him over and he finds his mission difficult to complete. I'm excited about this one. It sound like my type of book.

Here is one that should appeal to those who loved Gone Girl. High suspense!!! Sophie McKenzie is another British author who up to this point, has written for teens. Close My Eyes, out on July 9th, is her first adult psychological suspense novel. Gen had never gotten over the loss of her baby from 8 years ago. It would have been a stillborn, Dr. Rodriguez had informed her. Even after many attempts at invitro, she had failed to conceive again. Her husband was engrossed with his work; her depression was worsening, and a therapist had not been of any help. Then a strange woman appeared at her door one day, telling her her baby was ALIVE. Dr. Rodriguez had taken the live baby - and her husband KNEW! Now Rodriguez is nowhere to be found. Of course her husband denies the whole thing.....and people start turning up dead. Sounds like it would be hard to put down, doesn't it?

Finally, here is one by Stephanie Evanovich, a former actress/comedienne. Big Girl Panties comes out on July 9th. This really is a chick lit book in the way of Bridget Jone's Diary. Holly Brennan has been putting on some weight after the illness and death of her husband when she finds herself on a plane, sitted next to Logan, the personal trainer to the stars. Logan finds her intriguing and offers to help her get back into shape. She takes him up on his offer and they develop a 'relationship'. But really, after this ....what come's next? If you like this type of humorous women's story, give it a try.