guardian book reviews crime fiction

Crime fiction

September 2024.

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The best recent crime and thrillers – review roundup

Blacktop Wasteland by SA Cosby; The Boy’s Club by Erica Katz; True Story by Kate Reed Petty; The Silence by Susan Allott; Ash Mountain by Helen Fitzgerald

A superb character study wrapped up in a high-octane heist novel, SA Cosby’s Blacktop Wasteland (Headline, £16.99) is the story of Beauregard “Bug” Montage, a black Virginian with a criminal past as a getaway driver. Now he’s trying to stay on the right side of the law for the sake of his family, despite a failing business and ever-increasing debts. Bug is reluctant to sell the car left to him by father Anthony, another wheelman, who disappeared leaving his son to do time for a crime committed on his behalf. Instead, he consents to help a former associate rob a jeweller’s shop, even though the plan is dodgy in every sense. Things go predictably wrong, Bug’s family end up in danger, and it looks as if history will repeat itself … A complex and moving take on racial tension and self-destructive masculinity, with blistering action sequences and car chases that fairly roar off the page, this is undoubtedly one of the summer’s stand-out reads.

Erica Katz’s first novel, The Boys’ Club (Trapeze, £18.99), is a legal thriller with a difference – not a lone man fighting an injustice, but a young female associate caught up in systemic sexism at a Manhattan law firm. It’s an honour for high achiever Alex Vogel to be selected to work at Klasko & Fitch, especially among the egos in the Mergers & Acquisitions department. The salary is fantastic and her new colleagues – all male – are glamorous and dangerously appealing, but the work hard play hard culture soon takes its toll on Alex’s relationship, and her life begins to spin out of control. There’s also the question of how far she is prepared to overlook the misogyny and entitlement of the firm’s biggest client, and the lengths to which her bosses will go in order to protect their own interests. Written by a Big Law insider under a pseudonym, The Boys’ Club is a perceptive and sympathetic portrait of an ambitious woman’s attempt to steer a course through workplace bullying, discrimination and harassment.

Even without legal obfuscation, the truth can be hard to establish. Its slippery nature, together with the ways in which we reframe the experiences of others to serve our own ends, is the theme of Kate Reed Petty’s disturbing debut. Genre-defying, with a structure that utilises film scripts, college admission essays and emails as well as conventional narrative, True Story (Riverrun, £14.99) is the tale of an alleged assault at an American high school sports team’s party in 1999. Afterwards, two of the jocks boast about what they did to a drunk girl. Alice was too out of it to remember what – if anything – actually happened, but the rumour blights the remainder of her school days and her life thereafter. She is unable to be the author of her own story, which is changed, by both her attackers and the authorities, into a cautionary tale about how her reckless behaviour could have threatened the futures of promising young men. Alice’s friend Haley, a documentary maker, wants a piece of the story too, as an “inspirational victim” narrative. This tussle over disputed territory may not make for gasp-inducing revelations or last-minute twists, but the book is a powerful and thought provoking examination of how the manipulation of stories can shape whole lives.

The title of Susan Allott’s debut, The Silence (Borough, £14.99), refers to a truth buried by a nation brought up on the heroic colonial settler narrative of Australian history: that indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and placed in institutions in order that they might be integrated into white society. The book begins in 1997 with a 2am phone call. Isla Green is asleep in London when her father calls from Sydney to say that the police have been questioning him about the disappearance, 30 years ago, of the family’s next-door neighbour Mandy. The story alternates between the adult Isla’s return to her parents in Australia and her childhood there in the 1960s, with narratives from Mandy and her husband Steve, a police officer uneasy about a job that effectively involves the kidnapping of babies. This is an atmospheric, convincing portrayal of the way that the decisions we make, both individually and collectively, reverberate down the years.

There’s another return to an Australian childhood home in Ash Mountain (Orenda, £8.99), the latest novel from the versatile Helen Fitzgerald. The focus is on acerbic 44-year-old Fran Collins; returning to the eponymous small town to look after her sick father, she must face the traumas of the past, including the fumbled teenage sexual encounter that resulted in her first child and the Catholic church’s abuses of power. Right from the start we know that the entire place will be engulfed in flames; although the timeline, which moves between various points before the fire in a kaleidoscope of different perspectives, can be disconcerting, the jigsaw of information forms a shocking picture just in time for the inevitable, superbly rendered immolation.

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Deadly Pleasures

Mystery magazine, the guardian’s best crime fiction 2021 by laura wilson.

Renowned crime fiction author and critic Laura Wilson has come out with her short list of Best Crime Fiction of 2021. Her list last year was much longer, so this may not be her final list. One of the titles, WINTER COUNTS by David Heska Wanbli Weiden, is a 2021 title in the U.K., but was highly praised and won several awards as a 2020 title in the U.S.

SILVERVIEW, John le Carre’ GIRL A, Abigail Dean THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING, Nancy Tucker RICCARDINO, Andrea Camilleri WINTER COUNTS, David Heska Wanbli Weiden

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Crime, thrillers & true crime.

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The Best Reviewed Mystery and Crime Books of 2022

Featuring fernanda melchor, robert harris, john darnielle, don winslow, and more.

We’ve come to the end of another bountiful literary year, and for all of us review rabbits here at Book Marks, that can mean only one thing: basic math, and lots of it.

Yes, using reviews drawn from more than 150 publications, over the next two weeks we’ll be calculating and revealing the most critically-acclaimed books of 2022, in the categories of (deep breath): Fiction ; Nonfiction ; Memoir and Biography ; Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror ; Short Story Collections ; Essay Collections; Poetry; Mystery and Crime; Graphic Literature ; and Literature in Translation .

Today’s installment: Mystery and Crime .

Brought to you by Book Marks , Lit Hub’s “Rotten Tomatoes for books.”

1. Paradais by Fernanda Melchor, trans. by Sophie Hughes (New Directions)

18 Rave • 6 Positive

“ Paradais is both more compact and more cogent [than Hurricane Season ]. Rhythm and lexis work in tandem to produce a savage lyricism. The translator Sophie Hughes marvellously matches the author in her pursuit of a new cadence … From its first sentence, in fact, Paradais feels rhythmically propelled towards a violent climax. Full stops occur rarely enough to seem meaningful, Melchor using long lines of unbroken narrative to reel in her terrible ending … The author wants to understand the violence, not merely condemn it … The novel’s language, meanwhile, is both high-flown and street-smart, strewn with Veracruzian slang, the odd made-up word and many eye-watering expletives … Pressure builds remorselessly to a dreadful climax. It is an extraordinary feat of control, making Fernanda Melchor’s exceptional novel into a contemporary masterpiece.”

–Miranda France ( Times Literary Supplement )

2. Devil House by John Darnielle (MCD)

14 Rave • 8 Positive • 2 Mixed Listen to a conversation with John Darnielle here

“… terrific: confident, creepy, a powerful and soulful page-turner. I had no idea where it was going, in the best possible sense … The thing about Darnielle’s writing, in all its forms, is this: If you’re that dorky outcast kid drawing a pentagram on the back page of your three-ring binder in algebra class, not because you want to drink anyone’s blood but because you think it’s cool, he sees you. His novels are in close contact with the alternative cultural universes of fantasy and the occult and science fiction, yet they don’t resemble genre fiction. They’re earthy and fly low to the ground. They are plain-spoken and in no hurry … Devil House …[is] never quite the book you think it is. It’s better.”

–Dwight Garner ( The New York Times )

3. Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris (Harper)

14 Rave • 5 Positive

“Gripping … A belter of a thriller. It will be compulsive reading for those who loved An Officer and a Spy , Harris’s book about the Dreyfus affair. Like that novel, the research is immaculate. A chewy, morally murky slice of history is made into a tale that twists and surprises. The characters are strong and we care about their predicament. The story stretches over continents and years, but the suspense feels as taut as if the three main characters were locked in a room with a gun.”

–Antonia Senior ( AirMail )

4. City on Fire by Don Winslow (William Morrow)

14 Rave • 4 Positive Read an interview with Don Winslow here

“Winslow…brings his sharp interpretive skills to Virgil’s Aeneid, and makes the events at Troy and the founding of Rome into a riveting gangster tale. He makes me wonder why I had never before seen the Trojan War as the obvious fight between rival criminal gangs … In City of Fire, he returns to his New England roots for this new classic he says took him decades to write … Winslow is a master of pacing. Action and erotic sequences fire the adrenaline, while tender scenes feel languid and warm. He shades the relationship between men and women in noir tones. Tough guys don’t always get their way. Noir women are wicked smart, and press their advantages against how men’s low assumptions of women make them weak … Winslow has been lauded for the ways that his previous crime novels confront social issues. He has interrogated the ways that borders work between us, that we’re weak at the border when we build insurmountable walls to shore them up. One that runs under the surface of Winslow’s novel is that it’s not just the faults of individuals that cause these men to fail. But here, rigid definitions of who gets to belong in ‘our thing’ create fatal weaknesses among them. The refusal to think outside their constricted notions of masculinity and honor hobbles them.”

–Lorraine Berry ( The Boston Globe )

5. Bad Actors by Mick Herron (Soho Crime)

9 Rave • 4 Positive Listen to an excerpt from Bad Actors here

“Herron’s plots are masterpieces of convolution and elegant wrong-footing. Beyond that, his action scenes are fast-paced and thrilling—there are a couple of high-octane doozies in this installment. But the real draw of the series is its dark, dark humor. Much of it is interpersonal, but the most biting of all concerns the state of Britain, a country beset by Brexit, COVID and incompetent, if mercenary, leadership … If there is bad news, it is that you really should have read some of the previous Slough House novels in order to get a handle on this party of rejects, their histories and capabilities. Further, if you are a veteran of the series, you may have become a little weary of Jackson Lamb’s extravagant foulness and his habit of magicking cigarettes and even himself out of nowhere. That said, this is still one of the most enjoyable series I have ever read.”

–Katherine A. Powers ( The Star Tribune )

6. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman (Pamela Dorman Books)

9 Rave • 5 Positive • 1 Pan

“Osman concocts a satisfyingly complex whodunit full of neat twists and wrong turns. But unlike most crime novelists, he ensures his book’s strength and momentum stem not from its plot or its thrills but rather its perfectly formed characters. Once again, the quartet of friends makes for delightful company … If there is fault to be found it is a recurring one throughout the series—namely that Osman’s two men have less to do than his two women, and as a result feel like extras around the main double-act. But what a double-act … What could have been twee and uninvolving is in fact heartwarming and enthralling. ‘They carried a kind of magic, the four of them,’ a policeman muses. That magic is still there in abundance.”

–Malcolm Forbes ( The Washington Post )

7. Luckenbooth by Jenni Fagan (Pegasus)

9 Rave • 2 Positive • 1 Mixed • 1 Pan

“. deliciously weird … Fagan once again examines the way people are affected by unhealthy spaces … she writes about placement and displacement with an arresting mix of insight and passion … Fagan tests each floor of No. 10 Luckenbooth as though she’s playing a literary version of Jenga, drawing out one block after another from this unstable structure … a muffled scream—with a feral melody and a thundering bass line. Her prose has never been more cinematic. This story’s inexorable acceleration and its crafty use of suggestion and elision demonstrate the special effects that the best writers can brew up without a single line of Hollywood software—just paper, ink and ghosts.”

–Ron Charles ( The Washington Post )

8. The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont (St. Martin’s Press)

7 Rave • 2 Positive • 3 Mixed

“An ingenious new psychological suspense novel that concocts an elaborate backstory behind Christie’s disappearance … Here’s the neatest narrative trick of all: As Christie characteristically did, de Gramont hides the solution to the mystery of The Christie Affair in plain sight … The Christie Affair is richly imagined; inventive and, occasionally, poignant; and about as true-to-life as Christie’s own tales of quaint villages with their staggering murder rates. But when fabrications are this marvelous, why demand realism?”

–Maureen Corrigan ( The Washington Post )

9. Heat 2 by Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner (William Morrow)

7 Rave • 2 Positive • 2 Mixed

“It’s a pulpy, expansive crime novel that feels of a piece with Mann’s filmography, from its hypercompetent, ambitious characters to the richly detailed underworlds they operate in … At times, Mann and Gardiner use the prequel portion of the book to directly explain the origins of iconic moments from the film, but even those instances tend to feel motivated by the story rather than like cheap ploys to get readers to do the Leo pointing meme … part of the fun of Heat 2 lies in watching its authors pull ideas and tiny details from across Mann’s entire filmography … Heat 2 , though, paints complete enough portraits of its characters to allow you to imagine them separately from the stars who played them, making a film adaptation with new actors easier to imagine.”

–Chris Stanton ( Vulture )

10. An Honest Living by Dwyer Murphy (Viking)

6 Rave • 3 Positive • 2 Mixed Listen to an interview with Dwyer Murphy here

“Like the best noir practitioners, Murphy uses the mystery as scaffolding to assemble a world of fallen dreams and doom-bitten characters … Murphy’s hard-boiled rendering of the city is nothing short of exquisite. It’s a landscape of reeking garbage, of salty rain sweeping off the ocean, of Midtown towers that look ‘ghostly like a mountain range,’ … For anyone who wants a portrait of this New York, few recent books have conjured it so vividly. For those who demand a straightforward mystery without any humor, romance and ambience, well, forget it, Jake, it’s literature.”

–Christopher Bollen ( The New York Times Book Review )

Our System:

RAVE = 5 points • POSITIVE = 3 points • MIXED = 1 point • PAN = -5 points

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1000 Novels Everyone Must Read

This is one of the 343 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis

"Lucky Jim" is a comic novel that follows the life of Jim Dixon, a young and disillusioned lecturer at a provincial British university. Struggling with his job and his pretentious boss, Dixon navigates through a series of humorous and often absurd situations, including a disastrous public lecture and a chaotic weekend at his boss's house. The novel satirizes the snobbishness and hypocrisy of the academic world, and explores themes of class, ambition, and the struggle to find personal authenticity in a conformist society.

Money by Martin Amis

"Money" is a darkly humorous novel that follows the life of John Self, a hedonistic, self-destructive director of commercials, as he navigates the excesses and depravities of 1980s New York and London. His life is filled with overindulgence in food, alcohol, drugs, and women, leading to a downward spiral of self-destruction. The novel is a satire on the excesses of capitalism and the obsession with wealth and materialism, and it also explores themes of identity, self-loathing, and the destructive power of addiction.

The Information by Martin Amis

This book delves into the complexities of friendship, rivalry, and the pursuit of success within the literary world. It centers around two friends, one who has achieved fame and fortune as a novelist and the other who struggles with his own writing career, feeling overshadowed and envious. The narrative explores the darker sides of ambition, betrayal, and the quest for recognition, weaving a tale that examines the personal and professional dynamics between the two men. As the story unfolds, it reveals the lengths to which the struggling writer will go to reclaim a sense of self-worth and success, setting the stage for a compelling exploration of the human psyche and the often tumultuous world of literary fame.

The Bottle Factory Outing by Beryl Bainbridge

The novel is a darkly comic tale of two women, Brenda and Freda, who work in a wine-bottling factory in 1970s London. Their lives are filled with tedious work, petty squabbles, and dreams of romance. Brenda is a quiet, passive woman who is trying to escape from her abusive husband, while Freda is a large, boisterous woman who has an unrequited love for their boss. The story takes a twisted turn when a company outing to the countryside results in a murder, leaving the women to deal with the repercussions.

According To Queeney by Beryl Bainbridge

This novel offers a vivid portrayal of 18th-century England through the lens of an unconventional relationship between a celebrated literary figure and the Thrale family, particularly focusing on the youngest daughter, Queeney. The narrative, rich in historical detail, explores the complexities of human connections, the intricacies of family dynamics, and the poignant moments that define our understanding of love and friendship. Through Queeney's eyes, readers are invited into the intimate world of intellectual and social elites, witnessing the blend of affection, ambition, and the quest for intellectual companionship that characterizes the era. The book masterfully intertwines factual history with fiction, providing a nuanced exploration of the period's cultural and social mores.

Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes

The novel centers around a retired doctor's obsession with the life and works of Gustave Flaubert, a 19th-century French writer. The doctor's fascination leads him on a quest to find a stuffed parrot that once belonged to the writer. The novel is a blend of biography, literary criticism, and personal memoir, and it explores themes such as the nature of art and the difficulties of interpreting the past.

A History Of The World In 10 1/2 Chapters by Julian Barnes

This book presents an unconventional and imaginative exploration of world history, weaving together a series of narratives that span different epochs, from the biblical story of Noah's Ark to the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster. Through a blend of fact, fiction, and speculative thought, the chapters delve into various themes such as love, survival, and the nature of historical truth. Employing a variety of styles and perspectives, including that of a woodworm, the narrative challenges traditional historical narratives and invites readers to question the subjective nature of history and the stories we are told. This inventive approach to storytelling offers a unique and reflective look at humanity's past, present, and future.

Augustus Carp, Esq. By Himself by Henry Howarth Bashford

Being the autobiography of a really good man.

This satirical novel presents itself as the autobiography of Augustus Carp, Esq., a self-proclaimed example of moral virtue and humility, though in reality, he is anything but. The narrative humorously exposes Carp's hypocrisy and self-righteousness as he navigates through various episodes of his life, critiquing others while remaining blissfully unaware of his own glaring faults. Written under a pseudonym, the book cleverly critiques early 20th-century British society, poking fun at moral pretensions and the social mores of the time through the deluded perspective of its pompous protagonist.

Molloy by Samuel Beckett

"Molloy" is a complex and enigmatic novel that follows the journey of its eponymous character, an elderly, disabled vagabond, who is tasked with finding and killing a certain person. The narrative is split into two parts: the first is told from Molloy's perspective as he navigates his way through a strange and often hostile world, while the second follows a detective named Moran who is assigned to find Molloy. The novel is renowned for its challenging narrative structure, its bleak and absurdist humor, and its profound exploration of themes such as identity, existence, and the human condition.

Zuleika Dobson by Max Beerbohm

Or, an oxford love story.

"Zuleika Dobson" is a satirical novel set at Oxford University, where the beautiful Zuleika, a conjurer by profession, arrives and captivates the male population, including the Duke of Dorset. The Duke falls madly in love with her, but she remains indifferent to his feelings. In a tragic twist, the Duke decides to commit suicide to prove his love, starting a chain reaction among other male students. The novel is a critique of Edwardian Oxford and the foolishness of falling victim to unrequited love.

The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow

"The Adventures of Augie March" is a novel set in Chicago during the Great Depression. The story follows the life of Augie March, a poor but spirited boy growing up in a broken home, as he navigates his way through life. The narrative explores his various jobs, relationships, and adventures, as he constantly seeks his identity and place in the world. His journey is marked by a series of encounters with different people and experiences, each shaping him in unique ways.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

This charming novella explores the whimsical scenario in which the Queen of England becomes an avid reader, a hobby that begins quite by accident when she stumbles upon a mobile library parked at Buckingham Palace. Her newfound passion for books leads her on a journey of self-discovery, changing her outlook on life and her role as a monarch. As her reading list grows, so does her questioning of the status quo, much to the dismay of her courtiers. The narrative humorously and poignantly examines the transformative power of literature and its ability to inspire introspection, empathy, and an insatiable curiosity about the world.

Queen Lucia by E. F. Benson

This book is the first in a series that humorously explores the social dynamics and petty rivalries within the small English village of Riseholme. The narrative centers around Lucia Lucas, a pretentious and scheming woman who considers herself the cultural and social queen of her community. With her impeccable taste and flair for dramatics, Lucia skillfully maneuvers through village politics and social events, always aiming to assert her dominance and sophistication. However, her reign is challenged by the arrival of new residents and the shifting allegiances of her fellow villagers, leading to a series of comedic mishaps and Lucia's desperate attempts to maintain her status. The story is a delightful satire of the pretensions and idiosyncrasies of provincial English life in the early 20th century.

The Ascent Of Rum Doodle by W. E. Bowman

This book is a satirical take on mountaineering memoirs, chronicling the humorous adventures of a team of British explorers as they attempt to conquer the fictional peak of Rum Doodle in the Himalayas. Led by the inept but optimistic narrator, the expedition faces a series of absurd obstacles and challenges, from navigational blunders and bizarre illnesses to the antics of their porters and the peculiarities of their own team members. Through its parody of the overly serious and self-congratulatory nature of exploration narratives, the novel delivers a delightful blend of comedy and adventure, poking fun at the eccentricities and follies of mountaineering culture.

A Good Man In Africa by William Boyd

This novel is a darkly comedic tale set in the fictional West African country of Kinjanja, where we follow the misadventures of Morgan Leafy, a morally ambiguous British diplomat. Struggling with his own vices, bureaucratic absurdities, and the complexities of colonial politics, Leafy's life spirals out of control as he attempts to navigate a series of personal and professional crises. Through a blend of satire and tragedy, the narrative explores themes of corruption, power, and the human condition, presenting a vivid, if not always flattering, picture of life in post-colonial Africa.

The History Man by Malcolm Bradbury

The novel is a satirical portrayal of academic life in the 1970s, focusing on Howard Kirk, a radical sociology lecturer at a British university. As a self-proclaimed "history man," Kirk manipulates events and people around him to align with his progressive ideologies, all while navigating the complexities of campus politics, sexual liberation, and intellectual debates. Through Kirk's character and the vibrant cast surrounding him, the book critically examines the era's social, political, and academic climates, revealing the contradictions and challenges of living according to rigid ideological principles.

No Bed For Bacon by Caryl Brahms , S. J. Simon

Or shakespeare without tears.

This book is a comedic romp through Elizabethan England, where historical figures and fictional characters collide in a series of misadventures. At the heart of the story is the quest for a bed promised to Sir Walter Raleigh by Queen Elizabeth herself, which becomes entangled with William Shakespeare's struggle to write his plays amidst the chaos of missing manuscripts, mistaken identities, and the antics of an anachronistic swashbuckler. The narrative weaves together satire, farce, and witty dialogue, poking fun at the quirks of the time period while offering a playful take on the creation of some of the most enduring works of English literature.

Illywhacker by Peter Carey

The novel is a sprawling tale of deception, magic, and family history, narrated by a 139-year-old Australian con artist. He recounts his life's adventures, from snake handling to aircraft manufacturing, while weaving in the stories of his descendants. The narrative is a blend of historical fiction and tall tales, exploring themes of national identity, truth, and the art of storytelling itself. Through the protagonist's unreliable narration, the book challenges the reader to discern fact from fiction, all while painting a vivid picture of Australian society and its transformation over the 20th century.

A Season In Sinji by J. L. Carr

The novel unfolds in the backdrop of World War II, focusing on the life of an Englishman stationed at an airfield in Sinji, a fictional location in West Africa. Through its narrative, the book explores themes of camaraderie, isolation, and the surreal nature of war. The protagonist's experiences in this remote setting serve as a canvas for reflections on the absurdity of conflict and the enduring human spirit. As personal and collective histories intertwine, the story delves into the complexities of memory, the nuances of friendship, and the profound impact of war on individual lives, all while capturing the stark, often overlooked realities faced by those serving far from the front lines.

The Harpole Report by J. L. Carr

An account of the harpole report.

This novel humorously chronicles the life of a young, inexperienced schoolteacher who takes up a headmaster position in a small English village school. Faced with the daunting task of managing both the eccentric staff and the unique challenges of rural education, he decides to meticulously document his experiences and the daily happenings within the school in a report. This report, filled with wit and keen observations, not only captures the essence of post-war British society but also explores the complexities of human nature, the bureaucracy of educational systems, and the timeless struggles and joys of teaching. Through its satirical tone, the narrative delves into themes of innocence, ambition, and the quest for understanding in a changing world.

The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington

This novel is a surreal adventure that centers around Marian Leatherby, a 92-year-old woman who is given a hearing trumpet by her friend. The device reveals that her family is plotting to send her to a peculiar institution for the elderly. Once there, Marian becomes entangled in a bizarre narrative involving a post-apocalyptic ice age, a cult devoted to a goddess, and a plan to escape the oppressive confines of the institution. The narrative weaves together elements of fantasy, feminism, and black humor, presenting a critique of societal norms and the treatment of the elderly, all while exploring themes of transformation, liberation, and the interconnectedness of all life.

Mister Johnson by Joyce Cary

This novel is set in early 20th-century colonial Nigeria and follows the life of Mister Johnson, a young and exuberant African clerk who works for the British colonial administration. Despite the oppressive colonial system, Johnson remains irrepressibly optimistic, constantly trying to bridge the gap between his traditional African culture and the new European ways he admires but doesn't fully understand. His naivety and inability to grasp the consequences of his actions lead to a series of misadventures, ultimately culminating in tragedy. The story is a poignant exploration of cultural collision, identity, and the cost of innocence in a changing world.

The Horse's Mouth by Joyce Cary

The novel follows the life of Gulley Jimson, a boisterous, eccentric, and impoverished painter in London who is constantly in search of the perfect canvas to express his artistic vision. Despite his numerous struggles with society's norms, financial difficulties, and his own physical health, Jimson remains unflinchingly dedicated to his craft. His relentless pursuit of artistic truth and beauty, often at the expense of personal relationships and societal expectations, paints a vivid picture of the passionate, self-destructive artist archetype.

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

The ingenious gentleman don quixote of la mancha.

This classic novel follows the adventures of a man who, driven mad by reading too many chivalric romances, decides to become a knight-errant and roam the world righting wrongs under the name Don Quixote. Accompanied by his loyal squire, Sancho Panza, he battles windmills he believes to be giants and champions the virtuous lady Dulcinea, who is in reality a simple peasant girl. The book is a richly layered critique of the popular literature of Cervantes' time and a profound exploration of reality and illusion, madness and sanity.

The Case Of The Gilded Fly by Edmund Crispin

This book is a classic detective novel set in post-World War II Oxford, where a group of actors and playwrights gather to stage a new play. Amidst the theatrical setting, a complex murder mystery unfolds when a despised actress is found dead, seemingly a suicide. However, the astute and eccentric amateur detective, also a professor of English at Oxford, suspects foul play. Using his unique blend of literary knowledge and logical reasoning, he delves into the lives and secrets of the theatrical troupe, unraveling a web of jealousy, ambition, and deceit to expose the murderer. The narrative is celebrated for its witty dialogue, atmospheric setting, and the clever intertwining of literary references with a classic whodunit plot.

Just William by Richmal Crompton

In this humorous and delightful collection of stories, the mischievous and imaginative William Brown takes center stage. From his adventures with a stolen dog to his attempts at starting a zoo in his backyard, William's escapades are sure to bring laughter and joy to readers of all ages. With his boundless energy and knack for getting into trouble, William proves that life is never dull when he is around.

Diary Of A Provincial Lady by E. M. Delafield

This book is a humorous account of the daily life of an upper-middle-class English woman living in the country during the 1930s. Told through diary entries, it captures the protagonist's struggles with domestic life, social obligations, and financial difficulties, all while attempting to maintain her dignity and a sense of humor. The diary entries are filled with witty observations and interactions with a cast of characters, including her husband, children, and various members of the local society, offering a delightful and insightful critique of the social norms and expectations of her time.

Slouching Towards Kalamazoo by Peter De Vries

This novel is a comedic and satirical journey set in the American Midwest, revolving around the life of a precocious and highly intelligent teenager. Through his unconventional relationship with his teacher, the story delves into themes of love, the absurdity of the human condition, and the quest for meaning within the mundane aspects of life. The narrative is rich with witty dialogue and insightful observations, making it a humorous yet poignant exploration of adolescence, education, and the complexities of growing up.

The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

The posthumous papers of the pickwick club.

The book is a humorous and satirical depiction of English society in the 19th century, told through the travels and adventures of a group of gentlemen from London, led by a kind-hearted and naive man. Their escapades take them to various locales where they encounter a plethora of eccentric characters and find themselves in comical and sometimes absurd situations. The narrative is interspersed with tales and anecdotes told by the characters themselves, adding to the richness and diversity of the overall story.

Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens

The life and adventures of martin chuzzlewit.

The novel centers around the experiences of its namesake character, an elderly and wealthy man who becomes disillusioned by the selfishness of his family members, all of whom are eager to inherit his fortune. The story explores themes of greed, betrayal, and redemption as young Martin Chuzzlewit, the grandson, embarks on a journey of personal growth and moral enlightenment. Set against the backdrop of both England and America, the narrative satirizes the hypocrisies of society and the complexities of human nature, weaving a tale of love, adventure, and social commentary through a cast of vividly drawn characters.

Jacques the Fatalist and His Master by Denis Diderot

Histoire de jacques le fataliste et de son maître.

The novel follows the adventures of Jacques and his master, exploring their philosophical discussions on life, fate, and free will. Jacques believes that everything that happens is predestined, while his master argues for the existence of free will. Their journey is filled with comical and absurd situations, unexpected twists, and intriguing stories within stories. The narrative structure is innovative and playful, often breaking the fourth wall and questioning the nature of storytelling itself.

A Fairy Tale Of New York by J. P. Donleavy

This novel follows the journey of an Irish-American man who, after studying in Ireland, returns to New York City to claim his deceased father's ashes. The narrative weaves through his experiences and encounters in a post-war America, blending humor with melancholy as he navigates the complexities of love, ambition, and identity. Set against the backdrop of a bustling and unforgiving New York, the protagonist's quest for meaning and belonging unfolds in a series of misadventures and reflections, capturing the essence of the immigrant experience and the search for personal fulfillment in a rapidly changing world.

The Commitments by Roddy Doyle

"The Commitments" is a humorous and uplifting tale set in the working-class Northside of Dublin, Ireland. The story follows a group of young, passionate individuals who form a soul band, despite their limited musical experience. The band, managed by two ambitious music enthusiasts, navigates the highs and lows of the music industry, dealing with personal conflicts, romantic entanglements, and the challenges of finding their sound. The book offers a raw and honest perspective on music, friendship, and the pursuit of dreams.

Ennui by Maria Edgeworth

Or, memoirs of the earl of glenthorn.

This novel explores the life of Lord Glenthorn, a wealthy but disenchanted Irish peer who suffers from profound boredom and a lack of purpose. After discovering that he is not the legitimate heir to his estate, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery and redemption. Through various trials and a quest for genuine human connection, the protagonist learns the value of hard work, the importance of his Irish heritage, and the power of love. Set against the backdrop of early 19th-century Ireland, the story delves into themes of identity, societal obligation, and the search for meaning in life.

Cheese by Willem Elsschot

A business novel.

The novel revolves around a Dutchman living in Antwerp, Belgium, who is persuaded by his brother to enter the cheese business. He invests in 10,000 full-cream cheeses and sets up an office, but struggles to sell any of his stock. As he grapples with the nuances of the cheese trade, his personal life and professional relationships also begin to crumble, leading to a series of comical and tragic events. The book is a satirical commentary on business, ambition, and the absurdity of life.

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

The edge of reason.

The book is a humorous and honest portrayal of a single woman's life in London. The protagonist, a 30-something year old woman, struggles with her weight, smoking, and alcohol consumption, all while trying to navigate her love life and career. The story is told through her personal diary entries, which include her daily calorie counts, number of cigarettes smoked, and other personal anecdotes. It's a modern take on romantic relationships and self-improvement, with a healthy dose of comedy.

Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding

The history of the adventures of joseph andrews and of his friend mr. abraham adams.

This novel follows the journey of a young man named Joseph Andrews who travels across England to reunite with his true love, Fanny Goodwill. Along the way, he faces various obstacles and meets a variety of characters, including his mentor Parson Adams. The narrative satirizes various aspects of 18th-century society, including class distinctions, sexual morality, and the hypocrisy of the church. The story is both comedic and dramatic, combining elements of adventure, romance, and social commentary.

Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

The history of tom jones, a foundling.

This classic novel tells the story of Tom Jones, a charming and good-hearted but impulsive young man, who is expelled from his adoptive family home due to his wild behavior and love for the beautiful Sophia Western. His journey through 18th-century England is filled with adventures, misadventures, and a colorful cast of characters, as he struggles with his identity and seeks redemption. The narrative explores themes of class, virtue, and morality, and is known for its humor, social satire, and vivid characterization.

Caprice by Ronald Firbank

This novel is a whimsical and satirical exploration of Edwardian high society, following the adventures of its protagonist, Caprice, as she navigates the intricacies and absurdities of her social world. With its sharp wit and flamboyant characters, the story delves into themes of love, social status, and the pursuit of pleasure, all while showcasing the author's distinctive style of dialogue and narrative. The book is celebrated for its innovative use of language and its ability to critique the mores of its time through humor and irony, making it a unique and enduring piece of early 20th-century literature.

Bouvard et Pécuchet by Gustave Flaubert

"Bouvard et Pécuchet" is a satirical novel that chronicles the lives of two Parisian copy clerks, Bouvard and Pécuchet, who decide to retire in the countryside after unexpectedly inheriting a fortune. Their attempts to become gentlemen farmers are thwarted by a series of comical failures. The pair then embarks on a quest for knowledge in various fields such as medicine, literature, politics, and religion, but their efforts lead to more confusion and absurdity. The novel is a critique of intellectual pretensions and a commentary on the futility of human endeavor.

Towards The End Of The Morning by Michael Frayn

The book is a satirical glimpse into the fading world of a British newspaper in the 1960s, focusing on the misadventures of the staff working on the obscure pages dedicated to crosswords and nature notes. As they navigate the mundane and often absurd aspects of their jobs, they confront the looming changes of the industry, personal ambitions, and the comical yet poignant realities of their everyday lives. The narrative is a humorous yet bittersweet reflection on the decline of traditional journalism and the eccentricities of office life amidst the shifting tides of modernity.

The Polyglots by William Gerhardie

A novel of many tongues.

"The Polyglots" is a satirical novel that delves into the chaotic lives of a dysfunctional, multi-national family living in the Far East after World War I. Through the eyes of the young, melancholic protagonist, the narrative humorously explores themes of cultural confusion, absurdity of human nature, and the clash between Western and Eastern ideologies. The story is rich with eccentric characters and bizarre, yet insightful, interactions that reveal the deep ironies and follies of the human condition, all set against the backdrop of a world struggling to find order after the devastation of war.

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

When a young, sophisticated woman is suddenly orphaned and left penniless, she decides to live with her eccentric relatives on their rundown farm. Using her urban sensibilities and wit, she sets about bringing order to the chaos and improving the lives of her relatives. Through her efforts, she manages to transform the gloomy, grim farm into a place of happiness and productivity. This novel is a hilarious parody of romantic, pastoral novels and is filled with eccentric characters and absurd situations.

Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol

In this satirical novel, a man travels through Russia buying up the titles to deceased serfs (or "souls") from their naive landowners, under the guise of a get-rich-quick scheme. However, his real plan is to use these "dead souls" to create a phantom estate and secure a massive loan. The story explores the corruption and greed prevalent in 19th-century Russian society and provides a unique perspective on the human condition.

Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov

The book is a satirical critique of the nobility in 19th century Russia, focusing on the titular character, a lazy and apathetic nobleman who prefers to daydream and live in his own fantasies rather than engage with the real world. His indolence is contrasted with the energetic and ambitious character of his friend who tries to get him involved in societal affairs and business. The protagonist's lethargy and inability to adapt to changing times symbolize the decay and stagnation of the Russian nobility.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

"The Wind in the Willows" is a charming tale about the adventures of four anthropomorphic animal friends - Mole, Rat, Badger, and the rebellious and extravagant Toad. The story is set in the idyllic English countryside and explores themes of friendship, exploration, and respect for nature. The narrative is marked by Toad's reckless behavior, his obsession with motor cars, and his eventual redemption. The other characters, with their contrasting personalities, bring balance and depth to the story.

Brewster's Millions by Richard Greaves

The story of a young man who inherited a million dollars and had to spend it in a year.

In this classic comedic novel, the protagonist is tasked with an unusual and seemingly enviable challenge: to spend a vast fortune of one million dollars within a year in order to inherit an even greater sum of twenty million dollars. The catch is that he must do so without acquiring any tangible assets or revealing the conditions of the will to anyone else. This seemingly delightful opportunity quickly becomes a source of frustration and comedy as the protagonist navigates the pitfalls of extravagance, the complexities of human nature, and the true value of money, all while trying to maintain his sanity and integrity amidst the lavish and often absurd spending spree.

Squire Haggard's Journal by Michael Green

The unobserved life of a gentleman.

This book presents itself as the uproariously funny and bawdy diary of a dissolute Georgian rake, chronicling his daily misadventures and the various predicaments he finds himself in. Set in the 18th century, it offers a satirical glimpse into the life of the titular character, a man of many vices, as he navigates through a series of escapades involving wine, women, and debt. The narrative is rich with humor, parodying the style of contemporary diaries and memoirs of the era, and it provides a vivid, if exaggerated, portrayal of the excesses and follies of aristocratic life in Georgian England. Through its witty prose and entertaining plot, the journal not only amuses but also offers commentary on the social mores and the gap between the wealthy and the poor of the time.

Our Man In Havana by Graham Greene

An entertainment.

The book is a satirical espionage novel set in pre-revolutionary Cuba, where a hapless vacuum cleaner salesman is recruited by British intelligence to serve as their operative in Havana. Despite his lack of experience and qualifications, he fabricates intelligence reports to appease his superiors, inadvertently triggering a cascade of increasingly absurd and dangerous events. As the line between fiction and reality blurs, the protagonist finds himself entangled in a web of deception and political intrigue that satirizes the absurdities of the Cold War era and the follies of intelligence agencies.

Travels With My Aunt by Graham Greene

This novel follows the adventures of Henry Pulling, a retired bank manager, who leads a quiet life tending to his dahlias until he reunites with his eccentric Aunt Augusta at his mother's funeral. Aunt Augusta, a woman with a colorful past and an insatiable thirst for adventure, draws Henry into a series of unexpected journeys that take them from England to Paris, Istanbul, and South America. Along the way, Henry is introduced to a world of smuggling, intrigue, and characters who challenge his previously staid existence. Through these experiences, Henry discovers a zest for life he never knew he possessed, as he learns that adventure and excitement can be found at any age.

The Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith , Weedon Grossmith

"The Diary of a Nobody" is a humorous account of the daily life of Charles Pooter, a middle-class clerk living in London. The novel, written in diary format, details Pooter's experiences, social anxieties, and domestic issues with a comic touch. His encounters with tradesmen, his social gaffes, and his relationship with his son, who has a very different lifestyle, form the crux of the story. Despite the mundane nature of his life, Pooter's self-importance and serious demeanor contribute to the humor and charm of the book.

The Little World Of Don Camillo by Giovanni Guareschi

This book is a charming collection of stories set in a small village in post-World War II Italy, where the local priest, Don Camillo, and the communist mayor, Peppone, are constantly at odds. Despite their political and ideological differences, they share a deep, if grudging, respect for each other, often collaborating for the good of their community. The tales are infused with humor, warmth, and a touch of the supernatural, as Don Camillo has conversations with the crucifix in his church, seeking guidance and solace. Through these engaging narratives, the book explores themes of friendship, faith, and the importance of finding common ground amidst conflict.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

This novel follows a 15-year-old boy with autism as he tries to solve the mystery of who killed his neighbor's dog. Along the way, he uncovers other secrets about his family and must navigate the world using his unique perspective and abilities. The book offers an insightful look into the mind of a character with autism, highlighting his struggles and triumphs in a compelling and empathetic way.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

The book is a satirical critique of military bureaucracy and the illogical nature of war, set during World War II. The story follows a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier stationed in Italy, who is trying to maintain his sanity while fulfilling his service requirements so that he can go home. The novel explores the absurdity of war and military life through the experiences of the protagonist, who discovers that a bureaucratic rule, the "Catch-22", makes it impossible for him to escape his dangerous situation. The more he tries to avoid his military assignments, the deeper he gets sucked into the irrational world of military rule.

Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House by Eric Hodgkins

The classic tale of a man and his house.

This comedic novel follows the adventures of a New York advertising executive and his family as they embark on the journey of building their dream home in the countryside. Frustrated with their cramped city living conditions, they purchase a dilapidated house in Connecticut, only to find themselves entangled in a series of escalating disasters. From skyrocketing costs and construction blunders to the challenges of rural living, the family's quest for the perfect home turns into a chaotic and humorous ordeal, reflecting the timeless pursuit of the American Dream and the reality that sometimes, dreams are more complicated than they seem.

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

This novel revolves around the life of a record store owner in his mid-thirties who is obsessed with pop culture, particularly music. He has just been dumped by his long-term girlfriend and begins to question his life choices. As he revisits his top five breakups, he decides to get in touch with the exes to find out what went wrong in each relationship. Throughout this process, he learns a lot about himself, his fears, and his shortcomings while trying to make sense of his life.

I Served The King Of England by Bohumil Hrabal

"I Served The King Of England" is a captivating novel that follows the life of a young Czech waiter named Ditie, who dreams of becoming a millionaire and serving the highest-ranking clientele. Set against the backdrop of World War II and the Communist regime, the story takes readers on a journey through Ditie's experiences in various hotels and restaurants, his encounters with eccentric characters, and his pursuit of love and success. With humor, wit, and a touch of satire, the book explores themes of ambition, identity, and the impact of historical events on an individual's life.

The Lecturer's Tale by James Hynes

This novel is a darkly comedic exploration of academia, focusing on the life of a struggling adjunct lecturer at a Midwestern university. After a bizarre accident results in the loss and miraculous reattachment of his finger, the protagonist discovers he has gained a supernatural ability to influence others' thoughts and actions. As he navigates the treacherous waters of academic politics, personal ambition, and ethical dilemmas, the story delves into themes of power, identity, and the commodification of higher education. The narrative combines elements of satire and horror to critique the absurdities of academic life and the precarious nature of intellectual pursuit in the modern world.

Mr Norris Changes Trains by Christopher Isherwood

This novel follows the story of a young Englishman living in Berlin during the early 1930s, who meets and befriends the charming yet mysterious Mr. Norris. As their friendship develops, the protagonist becomes entangled in Mr. Norris's world of political intrigue, espionage, and shady business dealings. The novel is a vivid portrayal of the decadence, political tension, and looming danger of Berlin on the brink of Nazi rule.

The Mighty Walzer by Howard Jacobson

This novel is a coming-of-age story set in 1950s Manchester, revolving around the life of Oliver Walzer, a shy Jewish boy with a prodigious talent for table tennis. Growing up in a close-knit community, Oliver navigates the complexities of adolescence, family dynamics, and cultural identity, all while trying to perfect his game. His journey is filled with humor, heartache, and the pursuit of personal and athletic excellence. As he moves from the safety of his family's home to the broader world, Oliver's experiences reflect the universal challenges of growing up and finding one's place in the world.

Pictures From An Institution by Randall Jarrell

This novel offers a satirical glimpse into the lives of faculty and students at a progressive women's college in the United States during the 1950s. Through a series of vivid character sketches and witty observations, the narrative delves into the idiosyncrasies of academic life, exploring themes of art, culture, and the peculiarities of intellectual society. The story is told from the perspective of a visiting poet, who serves as both participant and observer, providing insightful and often humorous commentary on the ambitions, pretensions, and eccentricities of the college community. Through its sharp critique and affectionate portrayal of this academic microcosm, the book presents a timeless reflection on human nature and the world of academia.

Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

To say nothing of the dog.

Three Men in a Boat is a comedic account of a two-week boating holiday on the Thames River from Kingston upon Thames to Oxford and back to Kingston. The story follows three friends and a dog who decide to take a trip to cure their hypochondriac symptoms. The journey is filled with humorous incidents, historical digressions, and comical misunderstandings. Despite their initial intentions, the trio's holiday turns into a series of misadventures, providing a light-hearted commentary on the English upper-middle class at the end of the 19th century.

Finnegans Wake by James Joyce

This complex and challenging novel is renowned for its experimental style and intricate, dreamlike narrative. It explores the story of a publican in Dublin, his wife, and their three children, but the plot is not linear and often veers into surreal and abstract territory. The book is dense with linguistic games, puns, and allusions to a myriad of cultural, historical, and mythological sources. The narrative is circular, ending in the middle of a sentence that is completed at the start of the book, embodying the cyclical nature of life and history.

The Castle by Franz Kafka

This novel presents the story of a man who arrives in a village and struggles to gain access to the mysterious authorities who govern it from a castle. The protagonist, a surveyor, faces the constant frustration of his efforts to make contact with the elusive authorities and integrate into village society. The book explores themes of alienation, bureaucracy, the seemingly endless frustrations of man's attempts to stand against the system, and the futile pursuit of an unobtainable goal.

Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor

This book is a humorous and poignant reflection on small-town American life, centered around a fictional community in Minnesota known for its quirky inhabitants and their endearing, if not always graceful, navigation of everyday life. Through a series of interconnected stories and personal anecdotes, the narrative delves into the town's history, culture, and social dynamics, painting a rich tapestry of local lore and tradition. The author's wry observations and affectionate satire provide a charming and nostalgic look at the values, struggles, and triumphs of an often overlooked segment of the American heartland.

Death And The Penguin by Andrey Kurkov

The book is a darkly comic novel set in post-Soviet Ukraine, following the life of a struggling writer who lands a job penning obituaries for notable figures while they are still alive. His life takes a bizarre turn when these individuals start dying mysteriously, drawing him into a world of political intrigue and crime. Accompanied by his pet penguin, the protagonist navigates the chaos of his environment, revealing the absurdities and corruption of the society around him. As he delves deeper, his unusual occupation becomes increasingly dangerous, blurring the lines between the living and the dead.

The Debt To Pleasure by John Lanchester

This novel is a darkly comic and meticulously crafted narrative that follows the journey of Tarquin Winot, a snobbish, erudite, and deeply unreliable narrator who ostensibly aims to write a culinary memoir. As he travels from Portsmouth to his cottage in France, Tarquin intersperses his reflections on food with anecdotes from his life, gradually revealing his disturbing and sinister nature. The book is a rich blend of gastronomy, art, and intricate storytelling, where the protagonist's obsession with control and perfection in the culinary arts serves as a metaphor for his manipulative and malevolent tendencies. Through elegant prose and a masterful structure, the narrative unfolds to expose the dark undercurrents of obsession, jealousy, and revenge, all while maintaining a veneer of civility and sophistication.

The History Of Gil Blas Of Santillana by Alain-René Lesage

Or, the adventures of a young man.

This classic picaresque novel follows the adventures and misadventures of the young Spaniard, Gil Blas, as he navigates through the ups and downs of life, from poverty to wealth, from servant to nobleman, across the varied landscape of 17th-century Spain. Through a series of engaging episodes, the protagonist encounters a wide array of characters, from rogues and thieves to honest men and true friends, experiencing firsthand the vices and virtues of humanity. The narrative, rich in satire and social commentary, humorously critiques the corruption and folly of society, while also exploring themes of fate, ambition, and morality. Through Gil Blas' journey, the reader is offered a vivid and entertaining portrait of Spanish life and culture during the period.

Changing Places by David Lodge

A tale of two campuses.

The novel is a satirical tale that explores the cultural and academic exchange between two English literature professors from contrasting academic institutions, one from a prestigious university in the United States and the other from a more modest institution in England. As they swap positions for a six-month period, they find themselves confronting unfamiliar academic environments, personal challenges, and unexpected romantic entanglements. Through a series of humorous and insightful episodes, the book delves into the idiosyncrasies of university life, the transatlantic differences in higher education, and the disorienting effects of stepping into someone else's shoes.

Nice Work by David Lodge

This novel explores the unlikely intersection of two very different worlds through the story of Vic Wilcox, a pragmatic and conservative factory manager, and Robyn Penrose, a radical feminist and university lecturer in English literature. Set against the backdrop of the industrial Midlands during the 1980s, the narrative delves into themes of class conflict, the clash of ideologies, and the transformative power of unexpected relationships. As part of a "shadow scheme" that aims to bridge the gap between industry and academia, Robyn is assigned to shadow Vic at work, leading to a series of enlightening, challenging, and often humorous encounters that challenge their preconceptions and alter their lives in unforeseen ways.

The Towers Of Trebizond by Rose Macauley

A satirical journey.

"The Towers of Trebizond" is a humorous and thought-provoking novel that follows the journey of a young woman and her eccentric aunt as they embark on a trip to Turkey. Through their adventures and encounters with various characters, the book explores themes of religion, love, and the clash between tradition and modernity. With its witty narration and insightful observations, the novel offers a captivating exploration of faith and identity.

England, Their England by A. G. Macdonell

"England, Their England" is a satirical novel that follows the misadventures of Donald Cameron, a Scottish writer who moves to England to pursue his literary career. Through humorous anecdotes and witty observations, the book explores the cultural differences and eccentricities of the English society in the early 20th century. As Donald encounters various peculiar characters and navigates the complexities of English customs, the novel offers a humorous and insightful commentary on national identity, class divisions, and the idiosyncrasies of English life.

Whisky Galore by Compton Mackenzie

Set against the backdrop of the Second World War, this comedic novel unfolds on the fictional Scottish island of Great Todday, where the locals are suffering from a severe whisky shortage due to wartime rationing. The narrative takes a delightful turn when a shipwreck off the island's coast presents the islanders with a windfall of 50,000 cases of whisky. The story humorously chronicles the efforts of the islanders to salvage and hide their precious cargo from the authorities, weaving a tale of community, cunning, and the lengths to which people will go to preserve their way of life and enjoy the simple pleasures in times of hardship.

Memoirs Of A Gnostic Dwarf by David Madsen

This novel offers a vivid and provocative portrayal of the Vatican during the Renaissance, seen through the eyes of a dwarf who serves Pope Leo X. The narrative delves into the corruption, intrigue, and scandal that pervade the Holy See, presenting a stark contrast between the spiritual ideals of the Church and the worldly, often debauched behavior of its leaders. The dwarf, possessing a sharp intellect and a unique perspective, navigates this morally complex environment, exploring themes of faith, power, and the nature of truth. His journey is not only a physical one through the lavish and sometimes grotesque landscapes of the Vatican but also a spiritual and philosophical quest for understanding and redemption.

Cakes And Ale Or, The Skeleton In The Cupboard by W. Somerset Maugham

The skeleton in the cupboard.

This novel is a satirical exploration of literary society, focusing on the life and posthumous reputation of a celebrated author. Through the eyes of the narrator, a writer named Ashenden, the story delves into themes of hypocrisy, fame, and the contrast between public image and private reality. The narrative weaves together the past and present, revealing the complexities of human relationships and the often-discrepant nature of personal versus public personas. At its core, the book critiques the literary establishment's pretensions and the way it shapes legacies, all while pondering the true nature of art and integrity.

Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin

"Tales of the City" is a collection of interconnected stories set in 1970s San Francisco, focusing on the lives and experiences of a diverse group of residents living in the same apartment complex. The narrative explores various themes such as love, friendship, sexuality, and identity, providing a vivid snapshot of life in this iconic city during a transformative period of social change. The book is known for its candid portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters and issues, a groundbreaking approach at the time of its publication.

Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney

The novel follows a young man living in Manhattan as he tries to navigate his way through the fast-paced and drug-fueled world of the New York City nightlife during the 1980s. He is struggling with his job at a prestigious magazine, his estranged wife who has left him for another man, and his growing addiction to cocaine. As he spirals further into self-destruction, he must confront his problems and make choices about the person he wants to be.

Puckoon by Spike Milligan

This comedic novel is set in 1924, revolving around the fictional Irish village of Puckoon. The story unfolds in a chaotic and humorous manner when the Boundary Commission, tasked with dividing Ireland, carelessly draws the new border straight through the village, splitting it between Northern Ireland and the Republic. The absurdity of the situation is amplified by the eccentric characters, including the protagonist Dan Milligan, who find themselves grappling with the ludicrous consequences of this division. The narrative is filled with witty dialogue, slapstick humor, and satirical takes on politics and nationalism, showcasing the author's unique comedic style and critique of bureaucracy and the absurdities of geopolitical divisions.

The Restraint Of Beasts by Magnus Mills

A comedic novel of construction and destruction.

This darkly comic novel follows the misadventures of an unnamed English foreman tasked with supervising two Scottish fence builders, Tam and Richie, in rural England. The trio's mundane job of erecting high-tension fences takes a series of bizarre and increasingly grim turns, leading them on a journey across the British countryside and eventually to mainland Europe. The narrative is marked by the author's minimalist style, blending deadpan humor with an undercurrent of menace, as the mundane reality of manual labor collides with surreal and unsettling events. The story explores themes of freedom, the absurdity of modern life, and the thin veneer of civilization that masks humanity's darker impulses.

Charade by John Mortimer

This book is a captivating thriller that weaves together the lives of two very different individuals: a successful lawyer leading a seemingly perfect life and a young actress caught in the web of her own deceptions. As their paths cross, a complex narrative unfolds, revealing secrets, lies, and a dangerous game of pretense. Set against a backdrop of legal intrigue and personal drama, the story delves into themes of identity, trust, and the masks people wear to navigate the world around them. With its sharp wit and engaging plot, the novel keeps readers guessing until the very end, making it a compelling read for anyone who enjoys a good mystery with a touch of humor and psychological depth.

Titmuss Regained by John Mortimer

This novel is a satirical continuation of the life of Leslie Titmuss, a character who has risen from humble beginnings to a position of power as a Conservative Member of Parliament. Set in the idyllic English countryside, the story delves into Titmuss's personal and professional challenges as he navigates the complexities of political life, social change, and romantic entanglements. The narrative humorously critiques the social and political landscape of Britain, exploring themes of power, class, and the clash between traditional values and modern realities. Through the protagonist's endeavors to maintain his status and influence, the book offers a witty examination of ambition, morality, and the intricacies of human relationships in the context of 20th-century British society.

Under the Net by Iris Murdoch

"Under the Net" is a novel featuring a struggling writer living in London who is forced to reevaluate his life after being evicted from his flat. He embarks on a series of misadventures, meeting a variety of eccentric characters and getting involved in a dog-napping scheme. Throughout his journey, he contemplates philosophical ideas about truth, art, and personal freedom, ultimately leading to his self-discovery and transformation.

Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov

The novel is about a Russian émigré, Timofey Pnin, who is a professor at an American college. Pnin struggles with the complexities of life, language, and American culture, while dealing with the traumas of his past in Russia. The book is a series of loosely connected episodes, filled with humor, pathos, and Pnin's endearing confusion. His struggles and triumphs in academia and his search for a home and identity form the crux of the story.

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov

The novel is a unique blend of fiction, commentary, and poetry, presented as a 999-line poem written by a fictional poet, followed by an extensive commentary and foreword by his neighbor and academic colleague. The novel blurs the line between reality and fiction, as the commentator's notes reveal an alternative narrative, one of exile, intrigue, and murder. The book is a playful exploration of authorship, deception, and the nature of art.

Fireflies by Shiva Naipaul

A novel of the caribbean.

This novel explores the complexities of post-colonial Trinidad through the lens of the protagonist's tumultuous family life and his arranged marriage. Set against a backdrop of societal change and personal disillusionment, the narrative delves into themes of identity, tradition, and the search for meaning in a rapidly transforming world. The protagonist's journey is marked by his struggle to reconcile his ambitions and desires with the expectations placed upon him by his family and community, ultimately presenting a poignant critique of the societal norms and cultural heritage that both bind and divide the characters. Through vivid storytelling and rich character development, the book offers a nuanced examination of the human condition within a specific cultural context.

The Sacred Book Of The Werewolf by Victor Pelevin

This novel introduces readers to a captivating world where ancient myth meets modern life through the eyes of a two-thousand-year-old werefox named A Hu-Li. Disguised as a teenage girl, she navigates contemporary Russia, using her supernatural abilities and seductive powers to survive in a society dominated by men. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she falls in love with a werewolf, a figure representing the novel's exploration of themes such as identity, transformation, and the search for spiritual enlightenment. Set against the backdrop of post-Soviet Russia, the narrative delves into philosophical discussions, blending Eastern philosophies with the complexities of modern existence, all while maintaining a sharp sense of humor and a deep sense of mysticism.

A Void by Georges Perec

This novel is a unique and complex piece of literature, written entirely without the use of the letter 'e'. The story follows a group of individuals trying to solve the mysterious disappearance of a friend, while also dealing with their own personal struggles and existential crises. The narrative is filled with wordplay, puzzles, and allusions, and the absence of the letter 'e' serves as a metaphor for loss and absence in the characters' lives.

Three by Georges Perec

This book is a unique exploration of human experience and memory, weaving together three distinct narratives that delve into the intricacies of loss, identity, and the passage of time. Through a meticulous and innovative use of language, the author crafts a multifaceted examination of life's fleeting moments and the ways in which they are remembered and forgotten. The narratives, though seemingly disparate, converge in their shared themes of absence and the search for meaning within the mundane, challenging readers to reflect on the nature of existence and the connections that bind the past to the present.

Life, a User's Manual by Georges Perec

The novel explores the lives of the inhabitants of a Parisian apartment block through a complex, multi-layered narrative. It delves into the interconnected stories of the building's residents, revealing their secrets, desires, and disappointments. The narrative is structured like a puzzle, with the author employing a variety of literary styles and devices, making it a complex and intriguing exploration of human life.

My Search For Warren Harding by Robert Plunkett

This novel is a satirical and humorous journey into the life of an eccentric narrator obsessed with the 29th President of the United States, Warren G. Harding. The protagonist embarks on a bizarre quest to uncover intimate and scandalous details of Harding's life, leading him into a series of absurd and often hilarious situations. Through a blend of fact and fiction, the narrative delves into the complexities of historical interpretation and the peculiarities of American political culture, all while exploring themes of obsession, identity, and the elusive nature of truth. The book's unique approach to storytelling and its sharp wit make it a distinctive exploration of American history and the lengths to which one might go to uncover it.

A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell

"A Dance to the Music of Time" is a twelve-volume cycle that follows the life of the protagonist, a man from the upper-middle class in England, from his school days to his old age. The series provides a detailed and satirical depiction of British society and its changes over several decades, from the 1920s to the 1970s. The narrative is filled with a rich cast of characters from different social classes and backgrounds, whose lives intersect in various ways over time.

A Time To Be Born by Dawn Powell

Set against the backdrop of New York City on the brink of World War II, this satirical novel delves into the ambitions and relationships of a circle of artistic and literary figures. At its center is a manipulative and ambitious woman who uses her marriage to a wealthy publisher to ascend the social ladder, alongside a cast of characters each navigating their own desires, betrayals, and quests for success. Through sharp wit and keen observation, the narrative explores themes of power, fame, and the complex dynamics of love and friendship in a rapidly changing society.

Excellent Women by Barbara Pym

Set in post-World War II England, the novel centers around a spinster named Mildred Lathbury, who lives a quiet life, devoted to her church and helping others. Her life is disrupted when a young couple moves into her building and she becomes embroiled in their marital troubles. The novel explores themes of societal expectations for women, the role of religion in everyday life, and the complexities of human relationships.

Less Than Angels by Barbara Pym

Less Than Angels follows the lives of a group of anthropologists living in London and their romantic entanglements. The story primarily centers around Tom Mallow, a mature student, who is in a relationship with Catherine Oliphant, a writer on anthropology. However, things become complicated when Tom becomes interested in a young student, Deirdre Swan. The novel explores themes of academia, love, and the complexities of human relationships.

Zazie in the Metro by Raymond Queneau

A young, precocious girl named Zazie comes to Paris to stay with her flamboyant uncle, a professional female impersonator. She is obsessed with riding the Metro, but a strike thwarts her plans. As she explores the city on her own, she encounters a variety of eccentric characters, gets into mischief, and ultimately causes chaos in the city. The novel is a humorous and satirical look at Parisian life, filled with word play and surreal elements.

Solomon Gursky Was Here by Mordecai Richler

This novel is a sprawling epic that traces the multi-generational saga of the Gursky family, rumored to have been inspired by the real-life Bronfman dynasty, Canadian liquor magnates. At its core, it follows the enigmatic figure of Solomon Gursky, whose life is shrouded in myth and mystery, from his forebears' escape from Jewish persecution in Europe to his own adventures in the Arctic, and the eventual establishment of a powerful business empire in North America. Through the eyes of Moses Berger, a writer obsessed with uncovering the truth about Solomon, the narrative delves into themes of identity, legacy, and the complexities of the human condition, all set against the backdrop of Canada's development and cultural history.

Alms For Oblivion by Simon Raven

This book is a satirical and darkly humorous narrative that delves into the lives of various characters from the British upper class and intelligentsia during the 1950s and 1960s. Through a series of interconnected stories, the narrative explores themes of power, corruption, sexual exploits, and the moral decline of society. The characters, ranging from politicians and businessmen to artists and academics, navigate a world rife with scandal, intrigue, and betrayal, revealing the complexities and hypocrisies of the social elite. The series is known for its sharp wit, intricate plotlines, and a cynical view of human nature and societal norms.

Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth

The novel is a first-person narrative, a monologue by a young Jewish man, Alexander Portnoy, who is speaking to his psychoanalyst. He shares his struggles with his identity as a Jewish man in America, his sexual fantasies and frustrations, his complex relationship with his overbearing mother, and his experiences of guilt and shame. The book uses humor and frank language to explore themes of identity, sexuality, and the Jewish experience in America.

The Westminster Alice by Saki

This satirical work offers a clever political parody of Lewis Carroll's famous "Alice in Wonderland," set against the backdrop of the British political landscape of the early 20th century. Through the adventures of its protagonist, Alice, the narrative humorously critiques the policies and personalities of the time, including notable figures and events in Westminster, the heart of the UK's political realm. The author employs wit and allegory to explore themes of power, governance, and societal norms, presenting a whimsical yet incisive commentary on the absurdities of political life and the characters who inhabit it, making it a timeless reflection on the nature of politics and leadership.

The Unbearable Bassington by Saki

This novel is a satirical exploration of Edwardian society, focusing on the life of Comus Bassington, a charming but irredeemably selfish and idle young man. Set against a backdrop of London's high society, the narrative delves into Comus's frivolous and extravagant lifestyle, which leads to his eventual estrangement from his mother, who is both indulgent and exasperated by her son's antics. As Comus navigates through various social escapades, romantic entanglements, and financial ruin, the story unfolds to reveal the stark realities of class, social expectations, and the consequences of personal recklessness. The novel's sharp wit and poignant critique of societal norms culminate in a conclusion that is both tragic and reflective of the characters' inescapable fates within the rigid structures of their world.

The Guardian , 998 Books

Selected by the Guardian’s Review team and a panel of expert judges, this list includes only novels – no memoirs, no short stories, no long poems – from any decade and in any language. Originally published in thematic supplements – love, crime, comedy, family and self, state of the nation, science fiction and fantasy, war and travel – they appear here for the first time in a single list.

This list was originally published in 2009 and was added to this site 5 months ago.

This list has a weight of 20% . To learn more about what this means please visit the Rankings page .

• List: criteria is not just "best/favorite"
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America’s top mystery book critics break down the year in crime

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Amid the ongoing COVID-19 threats and racial reckoning that have marked 2021, reading crime (fiction and nonfiction) has provided both some much-needed escapism and, in the proliferation of diverse new voices and urgent themes, a bracing tonic — a harbinger of hoped-for change.

What more is there to say about the year in crime writing? A lot, if you ask the critics who keep a close eye on its multitude of genres. Below are the edited results of a rolling email correspondence with several of them: Steph Cha , author of “ Your House Will Pay ” and series editor of “The Best American Mystery and Suspense”; Oline Cogdill , mystery reviewer for the Sun-Sentinel and other outlets; Maureen Corrigan , book critic for NPR’s “Fresh Air”; CrimeReads Senior Editor Molly Odintz; and Sarah Weinman , author and crime fiction columnist for the New York Times Book Review.

The 20 best books of 2021

We asked four critics to name their five favorite books of the year. None of them overlapped. Here are their 20 candidates for best of the year

Dec. 20, 2021

How would you characterize this year in crime?

Cogdill : The genre continues to expand, reenergize and elevate itself. The stories continue to take us to new levels, showing deeper plots and characters.

Corrigan : I felt as though almost every mystery and suspense novel I picked up this year featured an “anxiety of appropriation” plot. Ever since Edgar Allan Poe wrote “The Purloined Letter” in 1844, the theft of a manuscript has been a standard plot, but this year, it packed more of a political charge, often revolving around a less powerful person reclaiming ownership of what was originally theirs through elaborately plotted acts of revenge.

That reminds me of a line from “Medea” that Alison Gaylin used as an epigram for her thriller “ The Collective ”: “Hate is a bottomless cup; I will pour and pour.” Why do you think revenge-motivated fiction is increasingly popular?

Weinman : We all feel rage, particularly over the last five or so years, so it has to be channeled somewhere. We will certainly see more revenge thrillers in the near future.

Cha : We are helpless in so many ways, and revenge thrillers provide a fantasy of retribution and brutal justice that is miles beyond anything we might hope to see in real life.

What debuts made an impression this year?

Cogdill : Mia P. Manansala folded in a lively mixture of Filipino culture, food and family bonds in “ Arsenic and Adobo .” Catherine Dang in “Nice Girls” and Amanda Jayatissa with “My Sweet Girl” brought a youthful angst while exploring their cultural backgrounds. Questions of identity have long been a mainstay of mysteries, and Alexandra Andrews with “Who Is Maud Dixon?” and Abigail Dean with “Girl A” brought a fresh perspective.

I’m also encouraged to see established writers continue to grow and evolve. Naomi Hirahara’s historical mystery, “Clark and Division,” was a real departure from her other mystery series.

Corrigan : I think it was gutsy of Lisa Scottoline to publish historical fiction this year. As she’s said in interviews , she’s wanted to write in that genre for decades. I enjoyed “Eternal” (set in fascist Italy), and I admired the fact that Scottoline hasn’t let her enormous success box her in.

Cha : I know he’s best known for his pedigreed literary fiction, but Colson Whitehead has been working with crime elements since “The Intuitionist,” and “Harlem Shuffle” is an absolute delight that embraces the genre. And there’s a sequel coming — a first for Whitehead.

Cogdill : Megan Abbott continues to produce provocative novels that show us the dark side of female ambition, competition and anxiety with her latest, “The Turnout.” Michael Connelly , who delivered a generational shift when he introduced Renée Ballard with “The Late Show” in 2017, has taken it to a new level in “The Dark Hours.”

Speaking of Connelly, as we reassess the role of policing in our society, how have police procedurals fared this year?

Cogdill : Connelly has consistently and unflinchingly shown the good and the bad cops. This is especially true in “The Dark Hours,” in which Connelly, without taking sides, shows how racial justice protests, the Jan. 6 insurrection and the pandemic have affected the LAPD’s officers, decimated morale and caused some to question their career choices.

Weinman : I admit to being discomfited by the procedural. But I also don’t want to make any definitive conclusion about this subgenre for at least another two to three years, when writers have had the time to really grapple with the last few years.

I was encouraged to see more crime fiction by queer authors.

Odintz : I loved so many, including: Robyn Gigl’s “By Way of Sorrow”; Michael Nava’s “Lies With Man”; Cheryl Head’s “Warn Me When It’s Time”; and Amanda Kabak’s “Upended.” Timothy Schaffert’s “The Perfume Thief” entranced me.

Corrigan : I’m thrilled to see the resurgence of LGBTQ+ crime fiction. There was so much energy in the 1980s and 1990s around queer crime writers like Nava, Liza Cody, Katherine V. Forrest, Joseph Hansen and J.M. Redmann, to name a few. Then something changed, making it harder for both LGBTQ+ writers and writers of color to keep going. A friend and colleague of mine insists that the demise of independent mystery bookstores had a lot to do with the ebbing of diversity in crime fiction. These days, podcasts and online crime fiction sites are helping readers discover writers whose profiles don’t fit “just the usual suspects.”

Odintz : I thought Caitlin Wahrer’s “The Damage” was really great ally fiction, as was S.A. Cosby’s “Razorblade Tears.” Like Cosby’s book, “The Damage” used its platform to explore the effects of toxic masculinity on straight cis male characters, which used to just go as an unquestioned norm of crime protagonist behavior. That’s a huge improvement.

But I’ve also noticed what seems like a preponderance of gay men securing publishing contracts over lesbian and other queer authors.

Cogdill : I hope this may be turning in terms of mainstream publishers. Edgar finalist Kathleen Kent ’s trilogy about Dallas Detective Sgt. Betty Rhyzyk and her wife, Jackie, just wrapped up this year with “The Pledge.” Next year, I’ll be watching for Dawn Winter’s “Sedating Elaine,” Katharine Schellman’s series debut, “Last Call at the Nightingale,” along with books by some smaller imprints.

Odintz : I agree, there are a lot of small presses that are doing better when it comes to publishing a diverse array of queer voices. However, it’s not only up to the publishers; it’s also up to the readers to read, request and recommend as many works by underrepresented queer authors as possible.

I am thrilled to read crime fiction by more writers of color than ever. Were there any that stood out for you this year?

Cha : I agree. I already mentioned Whitehead, but I was also really impressed by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ‘s “Velvet Was the Night,” James Han Mattson ’s “Reprieve” and Cosby’s “Razorblade Tears.” We’re dealing with an industry that has been dominated by white voices for centuries, so every writer of color is recovering ground. We’re still in an era of firsts and onlies, where, for example, Cosby is treading new territory by writing rural Southern noir about Black people.

Corrigan : I think Cosby’s novels are standouts. They summon up the noir predicament of being fated to a certain “no exit” destiny; given that he’s writing about characters of color, that familiar noir predicament is recharged with contemporary commentary.

Weinman : But the key point is staying power. If they sell, we will get more. I don’t want what happened in the 1990s to happen again. Then, Black writers were published in greater numbers than ever before but weren’t given much chance to find an audience and thus were dropped by their publishers. Readers lost out when writers like Charlotte Carter, Penny Mickelbury and Valerie Wilson Wesley didn’t get the support they deserved. It’s heartening to see many of these writers reemerge (I love the reissues of Charlotte Carter’s Nanette Hayes novels dearly) but even more so to see an ecosystem that recognizes more of these voices and nurtures them.

True crime seems to be more popular than ever. Why do you think it has secured a growing place in readers’ (and publishers’) imaginations?

Weinman : I’ve always said true crime is a perennially popular genre dating back at least three centuries. People love to read about the worst of humanity. What is different now, of course, is a greater preponderance of stories that center on those who were harmed and murdered, giving them three-dimensional portraits and contextualizing the crimes as part of broken systems and subcultures. Elon Green’s “Last Call” does this exceptionally well.

Odintz : I like to think of true crime as military history for women and any group disproportionately affected by violence.

Domestic suspense is a growing subgenre, too, though the term itself is a bit polarizing.

Odintz : I’ve been enjoying how domestic suspense has sparked a revival of gothic fiction — a natural progression, given that both often include a woman in danger in a large, mysterious house. Much of domestic suspense has been more of the suburban psychological thriller variety, but we all love to read about horrible things happening in sumptuous settings, and I (and many others) have noticed a trend toward richer protagonists. Ooh, and smart houses. Lots and lots of smart homes showing up lately.

Weinman : Here’s where I would like to chime in and beat a particular drum: “Domestic suspense,” as I used it in my 2013 anthology , was specifically meant to classify crime novels and short stories by women written between the early 1940s and the mid-1970s. Mary Higgins Clark ‘s “Where Are the Children?” (1975) marked the end of “domestic suspense” and the beginning of contemporary psychological suspense, culminating in Gillian Flynn’s “ Gone Girl ” (2012) and A.S.A. Harrison’s “The Silent Wife” (2013). We’ve been in the post-“Gone Girl” phase ever since, and I think now it’s time for some other descriptor.

One of the trends I’ve also enjoyed is the growth of crime fiction that intersects with horror or other genres. “Reprieve,” Laura Lippman’s “Dream Girl” and Zakiya Dalila Harris’ “ The Other Black Girl ” come to mind.

Corrigan : I think the splicing of crime fiction and horror is part of a current trend of “literary intersectionality” that’s affecting all genres. Think of Kazuo Ishiguro’s latest novel, “ Klara and the Sun ,” which invokes sci-fi, dystopian fiction and “straight” literary fiction. Then there‘s Nghi Vo’s inventive “The Chosen and the Beautiful,” a reimagining of “The Great Gatsby” — heavy on fantasy — narrated by a Jordan Baker who’s queer and Asian.

Odintz : This was the year I discovered I was into horror! Psychological thrillers are the perfect gateway drug into further nightmares of the mind. Crime readers have long had an appetite for psychological thrillers and gothic fiction, which are both steeped in horror tropes, and a serial killer novel is absolutely both crime fiction and horror. Some types of crime novels become less problematic considered as horror. A home invasion story portrayed as ordinary and/or plausible is always annoying, but someone’s nightmare of a home invasion story with, like, clowns is much less annoying.

There are also a lot of experiences — in particular, women’s bodily experiences, and the gaslighting and physical harm society inflicts on marginalized people — that can be best represented by horror. Statements of fact or realistic fiction are often not enough to do justice to emotional truths, even in something as dark as crime fiction. And there are also some traditions — I’m thinking of Latinx and Native American fiction — that have a long history of incorporating horror and fantastical elements into crime stories. Plus, you can’t discount the influence of “Midsommar” and “Get Out” in marketing [comparisons] alone.

Cogdill : This is another way the genre continues to expand.

Woods is a book critic, editor and author of the “Charlotte Justice” series of crime novels.

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Mike Finn's Fiction

Book reviews and short stories, “the invisible guardian – the baztan trilogy, book 1” by dolores redondo.

A memorable, original, well-written book that snagged on a genre boundary inflexibility that I didn’t know I had.

I used to add a tagline to my stories:

‘What you read is not what I wrote. I provide the text. You provide the meaning.’

So I thought I understood that a book isn’t just the text that the author puts on the page, it’s also the expectations assumptions and preferences that the reader brings to the book.

Except, as reading ‘The Invisible Guardian’ showed me, I hadn’t applied this knowledge to my own reading so, instead of being swept along by all the strengths of this book, I reached a point where I tripped over my own inflexible genre boundaries and fell flat on my face.

I delayed writing this review for a week to give myself time to think about this. Towards the end of the book, I was all ‘ What just happened here? Where did this go wrong?’ But now I have to acknowledge that the book didn’t go wrong, I did.

A week later, ‘The Invisible Guardian’ is bright in my memory for its strong emotional impact, its distinctive sense of place, its clearly carved characters and the complex relationships between them and its unflinching exploration of a fundamentally abusive relationship between a mother and daughter.

It also works as a solid police procedural pursuit of a serial killer, with a complicated plot and side plots. The politics between and within the different police units are nicely handled and the pacing of the slow reveal of who the killer is was pretty much perfect.

What tripped me up was a supernatural element to the story that I felt didn’t fit. On reflection, the only thing it didn’t fit with was my expectations. I’m happy to read books with supernatural plot elements but I’d labelled ‘The Invisible Guardian’ a police procedural set in the Basque country and so I rejected the supernatural elements as unnecessary and inappropriate.

Yet the story is called, ‘The Invisible Guardian’ so why didn’t I expect there to be one. The story is set in a part of the Basque country famous for its witch trials and its ancient pre-Christian beliefs, so why didn’t I expect witches and pre-Christian beliefs to play a part in the story? From the beginning, the forest and the mountains are almost a character in the story, dominating the village and making its continued existence over centuries into an act of sheer will power. So why had I not expected the spirit of the mountains to be as important as the spirit of the town? Why did I not see that women in the novel, including the Inspector Salazar have had their whole view of how the world works formed by growing up in that valley?

All of this is in the book and I see now that what didn’t work was my reading, not Dolores Dolondo’s writing.

I’ll be back for the rest of this trilogy and this time, I’ll read with my eyes and my mind open.

Below I’ve included the impressions I had of the book as I went along plus some notes on what I think now that I’ve finished the book. If you follow my journey you’ll see where and how I stumbled.

20% I’m not sure what to make of this yet

I’m not sure what to make of this book yet. 

I picked it up because it was promoted as the best example of Spanish ‘literary crime fiction’. I also liked that it was set in Baztan and was said to draw on Basque traditions and history. 

The premise is the inspector Amaia Salazar is sent back to her home village of Elizondo to investigate an apparent serial killer.

So far, most of the focus has been on Salazar and her family (husband, sisters, aunt, strained childhood relationship with her, now dead, mother,) than on the investigation of the crimes.

I’m glad about this. I’ve become averse to reading books about men killing lots of woman in some bizarre ritual that meets their needs. Too often, they lead to a kind of twisted empathy between the investigator and the killer and the women become plot devices or the raw material for the killer’s ‘art’.

The prose is calm. This doesn’t smell like a thriller. It feels more like a troubled, discontented but successful woman re-examining herself in the mirror presented by returning home in a role that carries authority and brings conflict. I don’t feel I’m really in Salazar’s head yet, although I’d like to be.

I do like the sense of place, particularly that sense of silent sentience you get when you’re alone in an ancient woodland.

Editor’s Note: I should have paid more attention to that silent sentience. Also, this turned out to be a book that was mainly about powerful women and weak men.

30% This is not a standard police procedural and a sidebar on tarot

This is not a standard police procedural. Nor is about a tragic, world-weary DI with dark secrets in her past. It seems that it’s about a deeply intuitive, well-trained investigator being asked to see what is happening in the town she grew up and being challenged to open herself up to the possible reality of things she had long ago dismissed as myths.

It’s very well done. It doesn’t push. It doesn’t use clichès or tropes as a short cut to exposition. It also doesn’t really let me in Salazar’s head. Rather it lets me watch her as closely as someone who knows her well might have the opportunity to do. It presents scenes from her history and shares some of her reactions but it sets me the challenge of reading her.

I’m rather enjoying that. It’s nice when an author has the courage not to present a definitive version of a person. I’m sure there’s no definitive version of me, so why should I believe a definitive version of a fictional character.

Salazar’s aunt reads the Tarot. There is an interesting discussion on what is needed to read the cards. The aunt believes it requires a talent she calls being a ‘super receptor’ and that, for those with the talent, the cards provide a framework for gathering information and presenting a narrative.

This rang true for me. I used to read the tarot and read palms when I was at university. Later I qualified in using various psychometric tests. I found that both of them gave me the same kind of framework for reading people or, more accurately, for helping people read themselves. 

Editor’s Note: I can see how I was already dismissing anything more than logic and intuition from what I was reading. I think this was reinforced by the fact that the aunt had a background in psychology but the signs that something else if going on were already there.

50% Some of this is hard to listen to…

…that is, it’s a disturbing listen. The prose is smooth and mostly calm and the characters are described with dispassionate accuracy, so I can start to be lulled into a sort of  there’s-nothing-to-worry-about-here  mood and then we’ll be back in Salazar’s childhood and her mother will be doing something unpleasant and WHAM the emotion goes from nothing to very distressing. 

I’m rolling with it at the moment, but there’d better be a very good reason for these scenes or because if all this is gratuitous, I’ll be very pissed off.

Editor’s Note: It became more disturbing as a it went along. The flip from calm to distressed was actually a way of showing how Inspector Salazar dealt with, or perhaps experienced is better, her childhood trauma. Her mother is truly frightening in this and those scenes burn brightly in my memory but none of them is gratuitous.

83% Err what just happened?

So I just slipped from police procedural, wrapped around with dark family history and possible PTSD, into full-blown let’s-solve-the-case-using-Urban-Fantasy in a single step. It felt like stepping out on to rock only to find that it’s scree and you’re going to go somewhere you really hadn’t intended to. 

Editor’s Note: what can I say? That’s how it felt. Yet the ending of the book had almost nothing supernatural about it. It was a good conclusion both to the family story and the crime. Yet, I can see that the next books must continue the supernatural theme because Salazar can’t unsee what she’s seen or be someone other than who she is.

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4 thoughts on “ “the invisible guardian – the baztan trilogy, book 1” by dolores redondo ”.

• Pingback: #FridayReads 2021-06-25 ‘The Legacy Of The Bones’, ‘Messandrierre’ and ‘Blue Night’ | Mike Finn's Fiction
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• Pingback: Book Review: The Invisible Guardian by Dolores Redondo (3/5) | Taking On a World of Words

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The Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of 2024

Buried deeds, international gothics, high-concept noirs, and so many thrillers.

Another year has dawned, and it’s time for another list purporting to be the sum of all Most Anticipated Titles in our beloved genre. I have been asked to keep the number of titles on the list to 50, for my own sanity. But who needs sanity when you have books?!? And what a year of books it is already shaping up to be, featuring tons of high-concept thrillers, deeply insightful psychologicals, Golden-Age influenced mysteries, and plenty of take-no-prisoners noir.

Keep an eye on the site over the next few weeks as we draw out various subgenres for additional previews. As always, this list is long not because we expect everyone to read everything—quite the contrary! We want to give you enough recommendations so you can find the right title to bring you joy.

___________________________________

Nicolás Ferraro, My Favorite Scar (Soho)

In this neo-noir, a father and daughter go on a bloody road trip across Argentina, fleeing from trouble and in pursuit of more. Ámbar is the story’s protagonist, and it’s her complex journey through her father’s past sins that gives the story its heart. The rest is a dark, compelling vision of violence and retribution. – DM

Nishita Parekh, The Night of the Storm (Dutton)

Houston during a hurricane is the setting for this thriller featuring a South Asian family trapped in a fancy suburban home with a dead body and a lot of petty resentments. Along with various other storm-set novels coming out lately, The Night of the Storm  reminds us that locked-room thrillers are the only true beneficiaries of climate change. – MO

Christopher Golden, The House of Last Resort (St Martins)

This is the first of two haunted house in Italy novels on this list! In the latest high-concept horror from the reliably terrifying Christopher Golden, a couple working remotely move to Italy and buy a cool house with a dark backstory.  They probably deserve what’s coming to them in terms of expats and housing shortages, honestly…Although the town they move to is suffering severe population decline (attributed to the lure of the city, rather than the body count of the local ghosts). – MO

Cate Quinn, The Clinic (Sourcebooks)

I’ve been getting a little tired of crime novels in which people drink, and drink, and NEVER EAT, so I was pleased to read this twisty tale set inside a rehab facility with innumerable secrets (and very balanced cuisine). When a casino detective with her own addiction issues finds out her famous sister has been found dead in an exclusive rehab facility, she decides to check herself in and discover what really happened. She’s shocked to find herself embracing the treatment plan and her damaged cohorts. Also there’s a lot of conspiracies and a really nice spa. I want to go to the spa now. – MO

Elizabeth Flock, The Furies: Women, Vengeance, and Justice (Harper)

Journalist Elizabeth Flock looks at justice with a Taddeo-esque approach, telling the stories of three women who killed after a wrong. There is a Southern U.S. woman who killed her rapist; the leader of a northern Indian gang that avenges victims of domestic violence; and a fighter in an all-female militia in Syria, where ISIS is working to dismantle the lives and rights of women. –JM

Shubnum Khan, The Djinn Waits 100 Years (Viking)

Shubnum Khan has written a lush, romantic gothic novel set in a crumbling seaside estate in South Africa. A century before, the house bloomed with an doomed romance; now, a young girl wanders its halls, finding ways to bring new joy to the strange residents, and getting closer to discovering the secrets that first shattered the home’s happiness and led to its present day haunting by a mournful djinn. – MO

Katia Lief, Invisible Woman (Atlantic Monthly)

A once-promising filmmaker who left it behind for her family is forced to reckon with her studio executive husband’s past sins, just as their family embarks on a new start in New York, in Katia Lief’s taut and impeccably suspenseful new novel. Lief offers up a compelling portrait of artistic ambition and compromise, balanced against the unwinding of a timely mystery. – DM

Vanessa Chan, The Storm We Made (S&S/Marysue Ricci Books)

In one of the best espionage novels I’ve ever come across, a bored Malaya housewife lets a Japanese spy charm her into giving up the secrets necessary for her nation to be invaded; later, as the war continues, her guilt grows monstrous as her children suffer. –MO

Tara Isabella Burton,  Here in Avalon (Simon and Schuster)

Tara Isabella Burton is a fascinating thinker and writer—she has a doctorate in theology from Oxford, and in addition to novels she writes nonfiction on things like contemporary American post-religious spirituality and our obsession with self-branding. I particularly loved her 2018 novel  Social Creature  (think Tom Ripley gets Instagram), so would I like to read her new book about a possibly magical theater cult? I would, I would.  –Emily Temple, Lit Hub managing editor

Kate Brody, Rabbit Hole (Soho Crime)

Kate Brody’s much-awaited debut  Rabbit Hole  is a fascinating romp through the internet’s true crime boards as an aimless and depressed young woman seeks answers in her sister’s long-sensationalized death after their father’s suicide makes clear that he never stopped looking for a culprit. She teams with a quirky reddit-fanatic named Mickey in her investigation and the banter between them is a highlight in the book. Brody’s novel continues the ongoing trend of psychological thrillers that become smart critiques of true crime culture. – MO

Thomas Perry, Hero (Mysterious Press)

An attempted robbery at a Hollywood house leads to a local kingpin putting a hit out on the security guard who stopped the plot, a woman who now finds herself a local celebrity—and the target of a relentless assassin. Perry is a gifted storyteller with a perfect sense of pacing and a knack for conjuring up fascinating characters. –DM

Kiley Reid, Come and Get It (Putnam)

Um, Kiley Reid + campus novel + crimey undertones? WHEN can I get my hands on this book???? Reid’s Booker-longlisted debut Such a Fun Age was a trenchant and effervescent delight, and I’ve been waiting for her next novel. The novel takes place in 2017 at the University of Arkansas, where an ambitious RA takes an unusual opportunity with a visiting writing professor and things begin to spin into unexpected territory. I’m foaming at the mouth for this book. I would like to come and get it, indeed! – Olivia Rutigliano, Lit Hub and CrimeReads Editor

Elizabeth Gonzalez James, The Bullet Swallower (Simon & Schuster)

This new novel about family secrets and living landscapes takes on epic proportions, jumping between mid-century Mexico and the final days of the old West, turn of the century, unlocking a cache of sins passed down through one family and reverberating across the generations. Gonzalez writes with great skill and imagination. – DM

Lea Carpenter,  Ilium (Knopf)

At last Lea Carpenter is back (after 2018’s  Red, White, Blue ) with another sideways approach to the international spy novel—in this one, a young woman is swept off her feet by a much older suitor, but after they’re married, he asks her for a “favor”…never a good thing.  –ET

Abbott Kahler, Where You End (Henry Holt)

Abbott Kahler wowed me with the nonfiction book Ghosts of Eden Park,  so I’m really psyched for this pivot to thrillers. Where You End  explores the twisted relationship between two mirror twins, each a perfect replica of the other in reverse. When one twin has amnesia, the other decides to fill in the details of their childhood with an imagined happiness that doesn’t mesh with the ongoing dangers both sisters are facing. – MO

Duane Swierczynski, California Bear (Mulholland)

A serial killer called the California Bear is coming out of hibernation to kill again, setting the wicked pace for Swierczynski’s latest thriller. We follow a wide cast of characters, each working through their own bouts of guilt and determination, as the story converges on the killer’s upcoming bloody deeds. This is a page turner in the extreme. –DM

Benjamin Stevenson, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect (Mariner)

Oh man. A new Benjamin Stevenson. God bless us, every one. If you haven’t read his previous novel, the charming and self-aware Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone, you’re missing out. It’s a funny, chatty, thoroughly twisty ride that you won’t forget. And now there’s a sequel! Our mystery expert protagonist Ern Cunningham is back. And this time, he’s on a train full of book industry types who all turn into amateur sleuths when someone among them is murdered. I’m losing my mind, people. – OR

Janice Hallett, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels (Atria)

Having swallowed The Appeal , the Twyford Code , and The Christmas Appeal in basically one gulp, I cannot wait for The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels , in which whodunnit puzzlemaster Janice Hallett goes true crime. Get this: in the novel, two authors looking to write a book about the famous Alperton Angels cult (which insisted to a young mother that her baby was the AntiChrist, committing a mass suicide when the woman and her child fled and disappeared), team up to find out what really happened. But, as is often the case with true crime, they find that the truth is way stranger than fiction. I’m very intrigued. – OR

Sarah-Jane Collins, Radiant Heat (Berkley)

In this Australian eco-thriller, Alison emerges from her burnt-out home after a wildfire only to find a dead woman in her driveway. Who is the woman? How did she die? And why did she have Alison’s name and address on a slip of paper inside of her well-stocked billfold? I’m excited to read further into this one and see where Sarah-Jane Collins goes with this intriguing and timely set-up. – MO

James Lee Burke, Harbor Lights (Atlantic Monthly)

A new short story collection from American master James Lee Burke would be cause enough for celebration, but readers will be especially rewarded by the rich, evocative settings of the stories in  Harbor Lights . Each story deftly conjures up a world (and its darker forces) and fills it with characters at unexpected crossroads of history. Burke is the great poet of contemporary crime fiction, and his immense talents fill these stories to the brim. –DM

Araminta Hall, One of the Good Guys (Gillian Flynn)

Araminta Hall’s novel  Our Kind of Cruelty  showcased her ability to depict toxic masculinity with both deep understanding and righteous judgement.  One of the Good Guys  continues to explore these same contradictions between how people excuse their own actions and what those actions really mean, channeled brilliantly through her selfish and clueless narrator; a contrast that is additionally highlighted through Hall’s careful examination of media depictions and bias. Highly recommended! – MO

Rachel Kapelke-Dale,   The Fortune Seller (St Martin’s)

This book combines so many things I enjoy….Really, just horse girls and tarot readers, but who  doesn’t  want to read about horse girls and fortune tellers? In Kapelke-Dale’s delightful forthcoming novel, the elite members of Yale’s equestrian team welcome a new girl into their midst, one who comes with impeccable riding skills and a surprising talent for tarot. Not everyone is as happy with her presence, or her fortunes, as the narrator, and soon enough, murder and sabotage mar the collegiate halcyon days of the privileged characters (such a pity…). This book also fulfills my theory that people at Ivies are way too burned out from trying to get in to enjoy their time there. So glad I went to a state school (Hook ‘Em.) – MO

Kobby Ben Ben,  No One Dies Yet (Europa)

In 2019, Ghana declared a “Year of Return” and welcomed tourists from across the diaspora to visit the country. That is the backdrop for Kobby Ben Ben’s psychological thriller featuring four American tourists and their competing guides—one religious and humorless, hired to take the Americans around the official sites, and the other queer and cynical, brought in through a dating app to give the tourists a taste of Ghana’s gay underground. This may be one of my favorite novels ever. It’s so funny. It’s like Patricia Highsmith traded her self-loathing for a decent sense of humor. – MO

Mike Lawson, Kingpin (Atlantic Monthly)

In the new installment to the Joe DeMarco series, Lawson’s fixer is put on the trail of a mysterious death linked to a Boston real estate kingpin with some secrets in his closet. Lawson immerses readers in a world of rough operators and political maneuvering, all of it highly satisfying and suspenseful. – DM

Katherine Arden, The Warm Hands of Ghosts (Del Rey)

Two soldiers are lost in no man’s land when they find a mysterious group of revelers waiting to take them in, but not quite ready to let them leave. Meanwhile, the sister of one, a combat nurse, returns from Canada to seek her brother in the mud and muck of the front lines. Katherine Arden’s haunting gothic delves deeply into the emotional and physical landscape of WWI for an enthralling and heartbreaking read. – MO

Amina Akhtar,  Almost Surely Dead (Mindy’s Book Studio)

A new book from Amina Akhtar is always a treat (if by treat, I mean, bitter, humorous explorations of modern ills…so I guess, like, Sour Straws as the treat specifically). In  Almost Surely Dead,  we go back and forth between two time frames: the days leading up to the disappearance of a seemingly ordinary woman, Dunia Ahmed, and the ongoing investigations in the months after, as Dunia becomes the subject of a true crime podcast with a bizarre hook: before she vanished, Dunia was subjected to not one murder attempt, but many. – MO

Tracy Sierra,  Nightwatching (Pamela Dorman Books/Viking)

Tracy Sierra has done the impossible: changed my mind about the home invasion thriller. In  Nightwatching,  a young widow is shocked one night to find an intruder in her home, and spends several desperate hours using all her wit and wiles to protect her children and find a way to seek help. While much of the story is about the night itself, just as gripping is what happens afterwards. – MO

Robert Jackson Bennett,  The Tainted Cup  (Del Rey)

Holmes and Watson get a new twist in this fantastical noir set in a mysterious empire in which nothing is as it seems. The high, thick sea walls of the outer rings of the empire were built to withstand the colossal titans that swim in from the ocean depths to exact a ruinous chaos, and now, the walls have been breached. It’s up to a misanthropic genius and her new sword-wielding assistant to find the culprits who wish to destroy the empire, and in so doing, stop the empire’s own steady decline. Perfect for those who loved China Mieville’s Perdito Street Station and Kraken , but wished there was more camaraderie and crime-solving. – MO

Jahmal Mayfield,  Smoke Kings (Melville House)

This book has such a great set-up. In Mayfield’s self-assured and righteously furious debut, a group of Black vigilantes is determined to exact vengeance on those who never received punishment by kidnapping their descendants and making them contribute reparations. When one of their targets turns out to be a white supremacist leader, they must martial all their cunning and resources to defeat him, and in the process, find a way to preserve their mission despite growing doubts. Mayfield’s tough, muscular prose infuses the novel with a beautiful darkness as the characters struggle in ways that will hopefully have the reader thinking too. – MO

S.E. Porter, Projections (Tor)

What a compelling and creative story. In  Projections,  a boy kills a girl in the mid-19th century in upstate New York. The girl becomes a ghost, the boy becomes a magician, and he takes her along with him to a magical city in which she screams, forever, tethered to his soul and stripped of her energies to fund his despicable enterprises. The magician continues to kill, over and over, telling himself he seeks a perfect love; the ghost, meanwhile, slowly begins to discover her own powers, and may just be able to finally stop him. Emotionally evocative and visually stunning,  Projections  is the kind of novel that makes you long for a high-budget adaptation. – MO

Kirsten Bakis, King Nyx (Liveright)

The first novel from Kirsten Bakis in 25 years! In  King Nyx,  set during the height of the Spanish Influenza, a sensible woman of a certain age and her flighty yet devoted husband head to a remote island. They’re looking forwards to a stay at the manse of an eccentric robber baron; her husband is hoping to finish his magnum opus on meteorological anomalies (rains of fish, frogs, blood, etc), and Bakis’ narrator simply wishes to get some rest. Upon arrival, however, they find out that multiple girls have gone missing from the rehabilitation home/workhouse also located on the island, and they must isolate in quarantine for at least two weeks before they even meet with their mysterious benefactor. There are neighbors in quarantine as well, also on the island for an intellectual retreat, and Bakis’ narrator soon teams up with the kindred spirit next door to understand what’s going on. Bakis’ symbolism is particularly on point, with a creepy garden, a beautiful set of parakeets, and automata aplenty. Future students will highlight the crap out of this book. – MO

Francis Spufford, Cahokia Jazz (Scribner)

The set-up for this one is an alternative history in which indigenous people were never decimated and the Mississippi city of Cahokia developed as a badass place for smoky jazz in the 1920s. As the detective protagonist goes high and low looking for a culprit in a recent murder, he also illuminates the scope of world-building Francis Spufford has achieved. Sure to be one of the most distinctly imagined texts of the year, in any genre. – MO

Jason Pinter, Past Crimes  (Severn House)

In Pinter’s new thriller, set in the year 2037, true crime has gone into the virtual world with a morbid twist: fans pay to enter simulations and try to solve crimes as they unfold. The novel’s protagonist is a pregnant woman who licenses survivors’ stories for the experience, until she finds herself a target and has to go on the run. – DM

E.A. Aymar, When She Left (Thomas & Mercer)

The gravitational pull of a powerful crime family is at the center of Aymar’s new thriller, as a young woman takes her chance to run off and a reluctant assassin is set on her trail, although along the way he’s looking for his own way out. Aymar artfully assembles a fascinating mix of motivations and characters and keeps the adrenaline pumping right up to the satisfying conclusion. –DM

J. Robert Lennon, Hard Girls (Mulholland)

J. Robert Lennon is one of the great genre-hoppers and I can’t wait to see what he gets up to in the crime sphere. We’ve got estranged twins reconnecting to find their mother, globe-hopping adventure, family secrets, and the pace of a great thriller? Plus, things are often quite a bit stranger than what the jacket copy says in a Lennon novel, so I’m excited to see how this goes. And it’s apparently the first in a series!  –DB

Megan Nolan, Ordinary Human Failings (Little, Brown)

A visceral, knowing exploration of human misery and the ways we fail ourselves. Also, I’ve never seen a better description of my own attitude towards dating (which should….probably worry me). In  Ordinary Human Failings, set in London in 1990, a toddler is murdered, and the suspect is the 10-year-old daughter of a family that’s been cast as Irish ne’er-do-wells by the salivating tabloids. When an unscrupulous newspaper reporter puts the accused child’s family up in a hotel, he’s hoping to bleed them for lurid details to feed to the eager public, but Nolan uses these interviews as a way instead to explore how people become trapped in patterns that cannot hold, despite the best of intentions. My god, this book is good. – MO

Amanda Jayatissa,  Island Witch (Berkley)

Another gothic tale helping to decolonize the genre! Set in 19th-century Sri Lanka, Amanda Jayatissa’s Island Witch  follows the outcast daughter of the local demon-priest as she tries to find answers in a series of a disappearances rocking her small community. Jayatissa’s novel is steeped in folkloric traditions and sumptuous landscapes for a thrilling, feverish read. – MO

Vera Kurian, A Step Past Darkness (Park Row)

Vera Kurian is back with another crackerjack premise; it’s the summer of 1995 and six high school students with nothing similar between them are attending a secret party in a mine when they witness a horrible crime that binds them together for life. Until twenty years later, when one of them winds up dead. I’m gonna pregame this one with I Know What You Did Last Summer .–

Andrew Boryga, Victim (Doubleday)

In Boryga’s debut novel,  Victim , a young hustler on the rise learns to manipulate the currency of identity as he bends the truth about his past and establishes himself in the world of New York media and letters. The satire in this novel comes in sharp and merciless, but the friendship at the story’s center steals the show, rounding out all the complexities and contradictions of two young men on different sides of the truth. Boryga is a keen observer of culture and a storyteller with style to spare. –DM

Aggie Blum Thompson,  Such a Lovely Family (Forge)

It’s springtime in DC, the cherry trees are in full bloom, and a garden party is about to become a crime scene. I will partially admit to reading this because I have beloved relatives in Bethesda and thus can picture both the cherry trees and the McMansion monstrosities, but beyond the author’s excellent use of setting, this is also a delightfully twisty domestic thriller with nearly as many suspects as there are characters.  Such a Lovely Family  will keep you turning pages well into the night, and waking up the next day feeling rather appreciative of your family’s disinterest in hydrangeas. If your family does have hydrangeas, well, then I don’t know what to tell you. Avoid garden parties? – MO

Jennifer Thorne, Diavola (Tor)

I was a big fan of Jennifer Thorne’s folk horror  Lute  so I devoured her new book, and what a fabulous read it was.  Diavola  takes place mostly in a Tuscan villa where a family has gathered to dine, drink, and bicker; meanwhile, the villa’s ghosts grow hungry, and ready to punish those who disturb their rest.  Diavola  is an evocative gothic with a hilarious sense of petty family dynamics, and I enjoyed every word. – MO

Jennifer Croft,  The Extinction of Irena Ray (Bloomsbury)

Jennifer Croft is the renowned translator of Olga Tokarczuk and this debut takes full advantage of her background in the best way possible. In this complex and metaphysical mystery, eight translators arrive at a sprawling home in the Polish forest, only to find their author has gone missing. Where is Irena Ray? What secrets has she been keeping from her devoted fans? And what’s with all the slime mold? – MO

Chris Bohjalian, The Princess of Las Vegas (Doubleday)

Bohjalian’s newest,  The Princess of Las Vegas , offers up the perfect balance of sophisticated characterization and wild, rollicking plot. Crissy Dowling is a Lady Di impersonator at a royals-themed Vegas casino, but her neatly calibrated (if a bit eccentric) life comes unraveled, and soon she’s tied up in an investigation into the murder of the casino’s owner. – DM

Joyce Carol Oates, Butcher (Knopf)

This well-researched historical tale of medical experiments gone haywire looks to be a perfect match with Joyce Carol Oates’ visceral style and violent explorations of American sins. Set in the 19th century,  Butcher  follows a disgraced surgeon sent into exile at a “Asylum for Female Lunatics,” where he finds himself surrounded by vulnerable patients and with few potential consequences for wrong-doing. This is sure to be one of her best yet, and I don’t say that lightly. – MO

Joel H. Morris,  All Our Yesterdays (Putnam)

In this rich historical reimagining of the lead-up to Macbeth , Morris asks, what if the Lady MacBeth had a son? And what if her new relationship with the thane MacBeth after the death of her brutal first husband was predicated on equality and respect, as opposed to the beaten-down womanhood of others in 11th century Scotland? Thoughtful, eerie, and full of medieval magic, Morris’ take on the much-maligned lady will perhaps have you rooting for her and her partner, or at least, feeling some sympathy for her quest of vengeance. – MO

Lisa Unger, The New Couple in 5B (Park Row)

A mystery-thriller set in a grand NYC apartment building that might have a history of dark secrets and murder, where two unsuspecting inheritors have just moved into the kind of unit they’d never dreamed they could have? Lisa Unger, you have my attention. And are you by any chance also a realtor? – OR

Abigail Dean, Day One (Viking)

From the author of Girl A comes a new and prescient thriller about a school shooting in an idyllic English town and the conspiracy theories that soon proliferate. Dean has picked a tough topic, but one I predict she’ll explore with sensitivity and grace. – MO

Tana French,  The Hunter (Viking)

French returns to the same small town in the west of Ireland where she set  The Searcher , picking up the story of Cal and Trey, who find themselves embroiled in yet another murderous mystery to do with the Reddys. You needn’t have read  The Searcher  to appreciate this novel—which is wonderfully evocative, entertaining and propulsive all the way through, even if I still miss the magic-tinged weirdness of French’s Dublin Murder Squad series—but it helps to understand some of the motivations. Besides, there are worse reasons to revisit a good book.  –ET

Seicho Matsumoto, Point Zero translated by Louise Heal Kawai (Bitter Lemon)

In this welcome reissue of a lost classic from 1959, a young woman is wed to a businessman via arranged marriage, only to have him disappear soon after. She barely knows the man, much less what could have happened to him, but still finds herself in dogged pursuit of the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. The immediate post-war era in Japan looms large as the backdrop to understanding both how she experiences her losses and how the tragedy came to be. – MO

Gigi Pandian, A Midnight Puzzle (Minotaur)

Another fabulous locked room mystery from Gigi Pandian, who’s ably channeled the diabolical puzzles of John Dickson Carr mysteries into her own quirky style. In  A Midnight Puzzle,  Tempest Raj, the magician-turned-secret-staircase-builder, returns, this time facing a dramatic crisis that could destroy her family’s entire business. The key to solving the mystery lies in the clever use of booby traps by Tempest’s tormenter, and Tempest must race against time to keep more from falling prey to these ingeniously engineered killers. – MO

Elle Cosimano, Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice (Minotaur)

Finlay Donovan is back, let’s goooooooooo. Our favorite struggling writer/single mom/amateur sleuth/easily-mistaken-for-criminals heroine is back in this rollicking adventure set in Atlantic City, where Finlay’s BFF/nanny Vero’s childhood crush is being held following a kidnapping. And her mom and ex-husband are coming, too. Loan sharks, carjackings, and murder abound. God, we’re soooo back. – OR

Nova Jacobs, The Stars Turned Inside Out (Atria)

A heady mix of physics and locked-room mystery, Jacobs’ latest follows an investigation into a death at a highly sensitive Swiss lab working at the cutting edge of subatomic particle research. Jacobs weaves a gripping mystery and provides readers with plenty of natural wonders and discoveries to marvel at along the way. –DM

Sophie Wan,  Women of Good Fortune (Gallery)

This book is so damn delightful! In  Women of Good Fortune,  Lulu, Rina, and Jane have come up with the perfect heist to get out of the marriage trap and fulfill their dreams: they are going to steal the gift money from Lulu’s upcoming wedding to the scion of one of Shanghai’s wealthiest families. The heist requires an elaborate plan, and it’s no wonder that the novel got a shining endorsement from Grace D. Li, author of the last great heist story I enjoyed. I cannot wait for this to become a movie. Also I really appreciate that Sophie Wan’s bio includes her interest in “staying hydrated”—may we all learn from her example. *drinks water quickly* – MO

Sara Koffi, While We Were Burning (Putnam)

In this well-plotted cat-and-mouse thriller, a surburban white woman still reeling from the death of her best friend hires a Black personal assistant to help her with day-to-day tasks. Little does she suspect that her new employee only took the gig so she can keep investigating the circumstances surrounding her son’s death, and figure out which “concerned citizen” was the person who called the cops and put her beloved child in their cross-hairs. The looming, inevitable confrontation between the two is forceful and stunning. Koffi has used the thriller genre with great effect for a prescient critique on the petty resentments and deliberate ignorance that underpin our racist power structure. – MO

K.T. Nguyen,  You Know What You Did (Dutton)

In this propulsive psychological thriller, artist Annie “Anh Le” Shaw is sent spiraling when her mother dies suddenly, and long-repressed memories begin to crowd their way to the surface to destabilize her further. When a local art patron disappears, and Annie finds herself waking up in a hotel room next to a dead body with no idea how she got there, things really get unhinged. Although this is Nguyen’s debut, her voice is already self-assured and powerful, and I can’t wait to see what she does next. – MO

Don Winslow, City in Ruins (William Morrow)

City of Ruins  is the conclusion to the celebrated Danny Ryan trilogy, but even more significantly, it’s Winslow’s final novel. In the new installment, Danny Ryan is living the life of a casino mogul, after quite a few twists and turns along the way from PRovidence, via Hollywood. But now he takes on a new development and earns the ire of some of the country’s biggest power players. It’s an epic conclusion to the series, and a fitting cap to Winslow’s storied career. –DM

Laura McHugh, Safe and Sound (Random House)

Laura McHugh has been one of the major forces in bringing women’s stories into the rural noir genre, and Safe and Sound looks to be another well-plotted and furious examination of small-town misogyny. Two sisters decide to look into the disappearance of their cousin, taken from the home in which she was babysitting them and leaving only blood and unanswered questions behind. As determined as the sisters are to find the truth, there’s other voices just as determined to keep them in the dark. – MO

Anthony Horowitz, Close to Death (Harper)

THE BOYS ARE BACK! Almost. So soon! Man, I have been waiting, waiting, waiting for the fifth installment in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series and it’s finally almost here!! I feel like a kid, counting the days until Christmas. If you don’t know the series, you should. The gambit is charming: the celebrated crime writer Anthony Horowitz is the first-person narrator/Watson-style sidekick to a fictional detective character named Daniel Hawthorne. They’ve had some rocky patches (looking at you, book 4), but they’re back together, and this time, solving a murder in the idyllic countryside. A perfect mystery for spring! –OR

Kellye Garrett, Missing White Woman (Mulholland)

When Kellye Garrett publishes a new book, you KNOW you’re going to be in for an amazing read. Our heroine is Bree, whose new boyfriend, Ty, has taken her away on a romantic trip to New York City. But on the final night of her stay, she comes downstairs in their rented Jersey City townhouse and finds a dead body. And not just any dead body, the body of a missing white woman whose disappearance has been virally covered. Oh, and Ty is missing. Bree’s aware that, as a Black woman, her situation is really precarious right now. And she has no choice but to figure the truth out, herself. I’m counting the MINUTES. – OR

Karen Jennings, Crooked Seeds (Hogarth)

If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, then perhaps the road to healing is paved with uncomfortable truths. In Crooked Seeds,  set in drought-stricken Cape Town in 2028, a middle-aged woman in the throes of alcoholism receives a visit from some police officers who’ve made a gruesome discovery—several bodies have been discovered behind her childhood home, and her white supremacist brother, not seen since the 90s, is most likely at fault. She must lay aside her own seething resentment at life’s bitter gifts in order to understand the part she, too, played in the abuse of power and the injustice of apartheid, and maybe, just maybe, finally find some closure. (This book is especially disturbing to read if you are thirsty. I swear, I drank like 8 glasses of water while constantly wishing for her narrator to do the same.) – MO

Alyssa Cole, One of Us Knows (William Morrow)

I raved about Alyssa Cole’s 2020 thriller  When No One Is Watching,  and I’m psyched for her next foray into the genre. In  One of Us Knows,  a woman recovering from a debilitating mental illness gets a new position as caretaker of a historic estate, only to be trapped with several visitors when a storm descends upon their remote location. When one of the motley crew is found murdered, Cole’s heroine must solve the crime to allay suspicions placed upon her, despite her own difficulty trusting her mind. – MO

Chanel Cleeton, The House on Biscayne Bay (Berkley)

A grand and troubled house on the edge of glittering Biscayne Bay is at the center of Cleeton’s new historical novel, which follows two timelines and two women, both approaching the house’s story with their own secrets. Cleeton delivers a sophisticated and innovative take on the gothic tradition. –DM

Megan Miranda,  Daughter of Mine (S&S/Marysue Ricci Books)

First, I must begin this blurb by apologizing to the amazing Megan Miranda and her many enthusiastic fans for initially including the book she published last year instead of this year’s title. Both are awesome. But the book coming out this April is in fact Daughter of Mine, in which we see the great Boomer-to-Millennial housing transfer turned into another stunning psychological thriller from one of the most insightful writers around. In Daughter of Mine, a woman inherits her childhood home and heads back to the secretive community she abandoned years before. As she reluctantly reacquaints herself with those she’d rather have left in the rearview mirror, a drought is causing the water in the nearby lake to drop so precipitously that the townspeople’s darkest questions will soon be answered (regardless if anyone actually wants the truth). – MO

MAY AND BEYOND

Carmella Lowkis,  Spitting Gold  (Atria)

Another Atria title on the list! And another one concerned with mystical frauds—this time, two spiritualist sisters, famed in their teen years for their convincing seances, held in the most prestigious salons and parlors of Paris. The elder sister must be coaxed out of her comfortable retirement married to a baron so the two can pull off one last con, but all is not what it seems in this lush and twist-filled tale.  Spitting Gold  is carefully plotted, fully characterized, and incredibly satisfying, so I must apologize to all for telling you how great it is so many months before you can actually read it. – MO

L.M. Chilton, Swiped (Gallery)

Another send-off of modern dating, this time with an extra-fun twist! Chilton’s unlucky-in-love heroine finds herself under suspicion of murder after the shocking demise of multiple men with whom she’s matched. Who is the culprit killing off all these (admittedly mediocre) dating prospects? And why are they so determined to pin the blame on her? – MO

Julie Mae Cohen, Bad Men (The Overlook Press)

What a delightfully weird book.  Bad Men  continues the “sympathetic feminist serial killer” trend that I noted last year, and adds the hope for a happily ever after to the mix. When serial-killing socialite Saffy Huntley-Oliver meets her perfect man, she’s ready to engineer whatever machinations are necessary to draw him in as a potential mate, but she’s going to have to figure out the balance between her new lover and her old hobbies. Don’t worry, the dog doesn’t die. Some people do, of course. But no dogs! – MO

Elle Marr, The Alone Time (Thomas and Mercer)

Elle Marr’s consistently chilling and insightful psychological thrillers have been growing in repute for some time, so I’m glad I finally dived into her latest and found it to be just as good as I’d hoped. Violet and Fiona are two sisters who survived a horrific plane crash in childhood and spent months defying death in the wilderness. They’ve always said their parents died instantly in the crash, and they’ve always been suspected of hiding some details. When a new documentary crew starts digging, the grown-up sisters must confront their own traumas and hope to keep the real story hidden. This book also confirms my plan to NEVER go into the sky in a tiny, tiny plane piloted by a cranky relative. – MO

Monika Kim,  The Eyes are the Best Part (Erewhon Books)

In this darkly funny psychological horror, a college student must protect her mother and her sister from her mother’s creepy new boyfriend. Like all the other men in their lives, he’s trying to reduce their humanness into stereotypes about doll-like, submissive Asian women, and Kim’s protagonist is certainly not going to let him get away with it. She’s also spending a lot of time having intense dreams about eating bright blue eyes, standing over her sleeping enemies and fantasizing their demise, and generally losing touch with reality in a way that pays plenty of dividends by the novel’s end. – MO

Tasha Coryell, Love Letters to a Serial Killer (Berkley)

Would you strike up a romance with a potential murderer if he took your book recommendations? In this knowing critique of true crime culture and modern love, a woman begins a romance with a suspected serial killer and becomes obsessed with finding out the truth about her new paramour. I sped through this novel and related to many of its uncomfortable truths about the misogyny within ordinary relationships that makes dating a man accused of horrible crimes who treats you well seem…justifiable? Or at least, rather understandable…– MO

Lori Brand,   Bodies to Die For (Blackstone)

I devoured this novel faster than the winner of a body-building contest drinks water after their win (a joke you’ll totally get if you dive into this searing critique of diet culture and the pressures of professional body-building). Lori Brand has had a long career in fitness that has led to her embracing strength, not weight-loss, and I’m pretty sure this book is the most physically—and emotionally—healthy thriller I’ve read in some time. I may even sign up for a boxing class now… – MO

Eli Cranor, Broiler (Soho)

Cranor’s latest thriller examines intersecting lives at an Arkansas chicken plant, where an unwarranted firing sends violent ripples out into the world, bringing families to their knees. Cranor paints a vivid, devastating portrait of the cruelty surrounding an imbalanced system, all while maintaining a wicked level of tension that drives this powerful story forward. He is a writer at the top of his game. –DM

Wanda Morris,  What You Leave Behind (William Morrow)

Wanda Morris is back with an intricate real-estate thriller informed by real life events.  What You Leave Behind  follows a lawyer who’s recently returned to her childhood home in Georgia to heal after heartbreak. Instead, she finds herself trying to discover the truth behind a Black landlord’s disappearance and the menacing new buyers of the property he’d long refused to sell. I’m a huge fan of Morris and the novel’s subject—land grabs—is one that’s perfect for her to demystify. – MO

James Comey, Westport (Mysterious Press)

James Comey follows up his previous legal thriller Central Park West  with another geographically-titled crime novel, Westport, which is a murder mystery! With a legal bent, but still. Nora Carleton is back, having quit her previous job as a federal prosecutor to become legal counsel for a large hedge fund, just north of the city. But then a coworker if hers is murdered, and she’ll have to rely on her skills as an investigator yet again. – OR

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Molly Odintz

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