Golden Age of Detective Fiction

With half of 2023 already gone, I thought I would recap how my year in reading has been going. So far I have reviewed 93 books this year and that number is higher than I thought because I have about 25 books that I have read, but still haven’t written reviews on because of traveling and poor health in May, but they will all get on the blog eventually.

My Favorite Books of 2023 (So Far)

I have been drawn to books with a mystery intertwined with family drama. Add in a spooky house and atmospheric setting, and I am hooked. Subtle gothic theming or a melancholic past pushes books over the top for me. I want a clever mystery with characters with complex, even tragic frailties that ultimately cause their downfall.

Best Short Stories of 2023 (So Far)

I’ve fallen off the wagon with posting short story reviews, but honestly, I haven’t been motivated to weed through all the mediocre ones to find the good stories. If you have any recommendations, please put them in the comments below.

My Favorite Policeman of 2023 (So Far)

Kurt Wallander: Faceless Killers, The Dogs of Riga.

Charlie Chan: The House Without A Key, The Chinese Parrot.

Inspector Littlejohn: The Case of the Famished Parson.

Inspector Chen: The Death of a Red Heroine.

Chief Inspector Macdonald: These Names Make Clues, Post After Postmortem.

I am a fan of compassionate and dogged detectives. I am hopeful that in the later half of 2023 I find some female led police procedurals. I’ve read a few- such as the Vera Stanhope series, but haven’t really connected with any. If you have any recommendations, let me know.

My Favorite Private Investigators of 2023 (So Far)

I am a big fan of the genre of bored, wealthy people of leisure becoming private investigators. Their privilege and wealth allow me to experience the finer things of their era, clothes, food, and travel, all from the comfort of my house. Full of wit, style, and gunfire, Nick Charles, Phryne Fisher, and Philo Vance’s adventures never disappoint.

My Favorite Amateur Sleuths of 2023 (So Far)

The Poisoned Chocolates Case is a love letter to amateur sleuthing, with Roger Sheringham leading the Crime Circle into a round-robin of detection. Sheringham rallies his fellow crime fiction writers to try and solve a real-life poisoning case. Each armchair detective is thus set loose to see who can solve the murder of Joan Bendix and the poisoning of her husband, Graham Bendix, with a box of chocolates. Each amateur provides a solution to the case individually, but who is right?

The Man Who Died Twice pits the four elderly Thursday Murder Club amateur sleuths against some of the craftiest and deadliest spies in Great Britain to find 20 million in stolen uncut diamonds.

In Christopher Huang’s debut mystery, A Gentleman’s Murder, Eric Peterkin must solve two interconnected mysteries that began during WWI. Deadly secrets swarm around the prestigious Britannia Club, but Eric Peterkin must uncover the truth when one of the members is found stabbed in a locked vault.

My Favorite Heroine of 2023 (So Far)

In this Gothic Horror masterpiece, the haughty Noemi Taobada must uncover the dark secrets of the Doyle family before her cousin Catalina is wholly consumed. Noemi goes from an unlikeable and spoiled young woman to a robust and crafty heroine who will do anything to save her family from destruction.

My Favorite Hero in 2023 (So Far)

Inspector Arkady must solve a gruesome murder without upsetting the ruling communist party during its last crumbing years. Apathetic and hoping to stay anonymous, Arkady risks his life, his freedom, and everything he holds dear to speak the truth about what happened one fateful day in Gorky Park.

Favorite #MissMarpleMonthly (So Far)

I love The Moving Finger because it’s sort of a deep dive into village life and the characters are so varied, and clearly drawn. The love story between Joanna and the doctor will never not be hilarious to me and Jerry’s accident adds pathos and wieght to the book. The mystery is good with lots of suspects and motives to sift through. The Moving Finger is definely a favorite.

Sleeping Murder is another favorite with the haunting and unique premise of slowly remembering witnessing a murder you saw as a young child.

Favorite #ReadChristie2023 (So Far)

Sad Cypress is a genuinely good puzzle with deftly drawn characters and a chilling villain. It’s not as well known as many other Christie books I’ve read for #ReadChristie2023.