Here are my favourites of the books I have reviewed in 2007, with a link to my review and a taster excerpt for each. Enjoy!
English language Euro Crime
The Coroner’s Lunch by Colin Cotterill. One of the many delights of this book about ordinary people's experiences of living under the communist regime are the small everyday acts of subversion and rebellion that avoid the notice of the unimaginative authorities but cause a liberating sense of personal triumph that sustains people through each day.
The Midnight Choir by Gene Kerrigan. Elegiac novel of corruption in Ireland.
Borderlands by Brian McGilloway. As with many of the best crime-fiction novels, the strengths of this book lie both in its convincing portrayal of place, and in the shadows of the past.
The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penny. A suspenseful, atmospheric novel set in Canada in 1867.
The Shadow Walker by Michael Walters. "Murder at the edge of the world" - Mongolia, to be precise.
Translated Euro Crime
The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri. The beauty of this book is in the evocation of place.
Reasonable Doubts by Gianrico Carofiglio. An unpretentious, shiningly true book.
Calling out for you by Karin Fossum. One of the best crime novels of its year, undoubtedly.
Voices by Arnaldur Indridason. Masterly in the way the story of each crime is suspenseful yet an elegy for sad and lonely lives of most of those involved.
Ice Moon by Jan Costin Wagner.The main strength of this excellent book is the character study of Kimmo Joentaa, a young police detective trying to come to terms with the death of his even younger wife from Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Crime beyond Europe
Echo Park by Michael Connelly.Harry Bosch continues his lonely, almost religious campaign to close old unsolved crimes.
Diamond Dove by Adrian Hyland. As soon as I started reading, I was absorbed in the author's world.
Triptych by Karin Slaughter An exciting, must-read mystery-thriller.
The Broken Shore by Peter Temple. Drama, sadness and insight. The everyday casual brutalities of racism and ruination of the beautiful, grand environment of this most wonderful continent are compellingly conveyed.
Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell. A desperately sad book, brilliantly conveying the histories and culture of the people, and one that won’t leave you in a hurry.
Five stars
The Big O by Declan Burke. A fast-paced and very funny book.
I’ve Heard that Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark Wonderful, escapist, uplifting. Utterly reliable, sure in her plotting, knows what her readers like, and delivers.
Red Leaves by Thomas H Cook. A focused, claustrophobic tale of an apparently happy nuclear American family falling apart under psychological stress.
The Princess of Burundi by Kjell Ericksson. Uppsala detectives, the crimes they solve, and their personal lives as they work to keep the peace on those mean, snowy streets.
In the Woods by Tana French. I have often read the word "unputdownable" to describe a book, but in this case it is true.
The Murder Bird by Joanna Hines. A compelling little psychological thriller of dark family secrets.
Borkmann's Point by Harkan Nesser. The humour is dry and the characters of the local police well drawn.
See all my book reviews in full here; and as a list of links here for 2007, and here for 2008.
I've read a couple of your five star books. I liked 'Borkmann's Point'; and 'Red Leaves' I absolutely loved. It's one of my favourite crime novels of the past ten years.
Posted by: Martin Edwards | 10 January 2008 at 21:14
How do you do it, Maxine? I'm in awe ...
Happy new year to you and yours from me and mine.
Posted by: Debi | 11 January 2008 at 18:40