Of course as soon as I posted the Best Mysteries 2009 Lists yesterday, I realized I forgot some, and I also received another one from the Mystery Bookstore LA. Rather than extend yesterday's post, I decided to do Part II today. So be sure and check out the Best Mysteries 2009 Lists including my own list and the lists from Jon Jordan, Les Holstine, Sarah Weinman and many other mystery reviewers, newspaper reviewers and a few mystery bookstores.As I mentioned before, these lists are very subjective. Add to that the fact that you can't read every book. I haven't read Michael Connelly's The Scarecrow yet, and it might have made my top for 2009, as it made many other lists. I saved it to read over the holidays.
Best of 2009: Mystery Lists Part 2
The Mystery Bookstore LA
Shadow of Betrayal by Brett Battles
I-5 by Summer Brenner
Tower by Ken Bruen & Reed Farrel Coleman
Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly
The Gates by John Connolly
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield
Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville
Hardball by Sara Paretsky
For the complete list of Top 10 of each person at the Mystery bookstore LA, go Here.
Both Publishers Weekly and Library Journal had mysteries within their general fiction lists.
Publishers Weekly's list came out November 4, 2009.
The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly
Bryant and May on the Loose by Christopher Fowler
The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson
The Silent Hour Michael Koryta
Londongrad Reggie Nadelson
Nemesis by Jo Nesbø
The Lord of Death by Eliot Pattison
The Cloud Pavilion by Laura Joh Rowland
Library Journal's list came out on November 19. They divided the lists into Mystery & Thriller
Mystery
The Odds by Kathleen George
Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley
Server Down: A Mad Dog & Englishman Mystery by J.M. Hayes
The Shanghai Moon by S.J. Rozan
Desert Lost by Betty Webb
Thriller
The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly
The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch
The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner
House Secrets by Mike Lawson
The Doomsday Key by James Rollins
Add these to the Best of the Best for 2009. Lots of reading!
Great lists, thanks so much for sharing. While I don't do a best mysteries list, I do a best thrillers list: http://www.bookbitch.com/books_2009.htm
ReplyDeleteHowever I noticed that some of my best thrillers are on some of the best mystery lists you posted. So here's my list:
BEST THRILLERS
THE LAST CHILD by John Hart: An unforgettable story about a 14 year old boy's search for his missing twin sister. Southern fiction hasn't been this good for me in years.
BEAT THE REAPER by Josh Bazell: A medical thriller that is simply shocking, with black humor and footnotes. And it works beautifully in this first novel, which will hit theaters, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, sometime in 2010.
THE SCARECROW by Michael Connelly: Connelly brings back Jack McEvoy (The Poet) in this pageturner about the demise of newspapers, Internet security run amok and a serial killer.
LOOK AGAIN by Lisa Scottoline: Scottoline stepped out of the legal genre and moved to an intriguing tale of a journalist whose adopted child may not be legally hers...but does she really want to find out?
DIE FOR YOU by Lisa Unger: When her husband goes missing, Isabel is determined to find him, even though he isn't who she thought he was in this complex and fast moving novel of suspense.
THE RELIABLE WIFE by Robert Goolrick: A mail order bride takes center stage in this gothic, twisted, and riveting debut.
THE GIRL SHE USED TO BE by David Cristofano: A remarkable first novel based on a clever premise; a young woman who grew up in the Witness Protection Program wants out, which proves to be not the best decision.
VANISHED by Joseph Finder: First book of a new series featuring ex-Special Forces private investigator Nick Heller, a dynamic, interesting character in a tightly woven tale of suspense.
ALEX CROSS'S TRIAL by James Patterson & Richard DiLallo: This historical thriller set at the turn of the last century while the Klu Klux Klan ruled small town Mississippi and lynchings abounded is not typical Patterson fare, but much, much richer.
Love your chocolate blog too!
Happy Holidays --
As a list person I love all these lists. Pleased to see Christopher Fowler on a few. I love Bryant and May. Also pleased that Stig Larsson is not on many of the lists. I'm sorry the guy is dead, but he is one vastly overrated author. The Tower is very powerful. I read it in one sitting. Wasn't able to figure out who wrote which parts. Very seamlessly written.Shanghai Moon is on my TBR list as soon as it's out in paper.
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I'm glad to see Sara Paretsky's HARDBALL on several lists -- I just finished it a couple days ago and was blown away. One of her best, and that's really saying something!
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