I’m a little surprised at my list of favorite books of 2019. All the titles were published in 2019. Every author on the list was new to me at the time. That doesn’t mean it was their first book, just the first I had read. I credit Library Journal for some of that. As a reviewer, I sometimes read and review books I wouldn’t have otherwise read. It’s great! I’m introduced to new authors. I love that discovery. It gets me out of a rut. I also know I’ve become pickier with my choices because of Library Journal.

Here’s my annual disclaimer. I’ve been doing these favorite lists for a while now. This isn’t a best of list, as so many newspapers and sites do. This is my list of favorites read during the year, the books that still jump out at me by the end of December. Of course, most of the books on the list are crime fiction. And, there’s a strong emphasis on character, because I usually read for character. But, the list changed as of the last week of the year when I discovered Sarah MacLean’s historical romances. I’m currently reading the third of her books in a week, but it’s her most recent one, and the first one I read, that’s on the list.

The books are only in alphabetical order by author, other than my top selection for the year. If you’ve read my blog at all in the last couple months, you know what it is. I’m kicking off my favorites of 2019 with Allen Eskens’ Nothing More Dangerous, my favorite book.

Nothing More Dangerous is not Allen Eskens’ first book. In fact, The Life We Bury, his debut, was a multiple award winner and nominee. But, the author told me this was the book he became an author to write. It’s a coming-of-age novel set in the Ozarks. It’s a story of racism, friendship, classism, murder and suspense. It’s a timely, unforgettable novel.

Connie Berry’s A Dream of Death is the only debut mystery on the list. Kate Hamilton, an antiques dealer from Ohio, visits her late husband’s home on the Isle of Glenroth in Scotland. A death in the country house hotel there is a reenactment of a famous crime from the past. It’s a story of a cold case, murder and violence, legends and folklore. There’s an intelligent, mature amateur sleuth and hints of romance. Berry’s second mystery, A Legacy of Murder, was also released in 2019. It’s a promising series with a stamp of approval from one of my sisters as well.

A Bitter Feast is the latest Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James novel by Deborah Crombie. It’s an intriguing puzzle that slowly comes together with input from most of the cast. The beautifully written story is descriptive and atmospheric. The cast shines in Crombie’s latest mystery. My conclusion when I reviewed this book said, “Some readers will enjoy the accounts of all the food in the pub and earlier restaurants. Some will appreciate the gardens. Crombie brings all those elements, and that strong group of characters, together in one of the best books in the series.” This book was also on the favorites list of my friend, Kathy Boone Reel. You might want to check out her list as well. (We really only had a couple cross-overs on the list.)  http://bit.ly/2rJZazq

I’m probably one of the few in the mystery community that can say Jane Harper’s The Lost Man was my introduction to the author. She brings the Australian outback to life with a vivid depiction of the heat and dirt and isolation. It’s the story of a family with problems that are somewhat caused by that isolation. The fascinating, atmospheric novel is a powerful story of fear and power and family dynamics.

There are two romances on this list. The first is a humorous contemporary romance, The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. It’s a delightful romance with wonderful characters. The protagonists show a great deal of growth in the course of the story. It was a fun story of the maid-of-honor and best man at a wedding, the only two who didn’t suffer from food poisoning at the reception, who take the newlyweds’ honeymoon to Hawaii. She’s outspoken and honest, and there was quite a misunderstanding about their initial attraction. The scenes get hot and sexy, but, can their relationship flourish once they’re back on the mainland?

Sarah MacLean’s historical romance, Brazen and the Beast, changed my reading for the last week of the year, and this list. It’s the second of the Bareknuckle Bastards books set in Victorian England. It features a strong woman, determined to take control of her life before she turns thirty. She wants to be ruined for marriage, so she can take over her father’s shipping business. But, the man who stands in her way could be a strong romantic partner while also a rival in business. It’s a sexy, steamy romance with a strong, capable woman and a man who tries to take care of everyone he loves, even as he builds a better life for the people in his community. Best of all, in this one and the earlier book in the series, Wicked and the Wallflower, the heroines set out to save themselves or even the men in their lives. They don’t wait around for a man to do that. I’m on my third book by Sarah MacLean. Strong women, sexy men, humor, intelligence, and romance.

The only nonfiction book on the list is Mary Pipher’s Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing As We Age. This one isn’t for everyone. If you’re a woman nearing or over sixty, Pipher provides hints as to how to live a successful, happy life after that age. And, her definition of successful means satisfied with what life has handed us. She examines issues women face as we age. It’s filled with stories, interviews, and mistakes. It’s not a road map as to how to live, but it certainly is a tipsheet.

W.C. Ryan’s A House of Ghosts was released in the U.K. in 2018. It went on to be a finalist for the NBA Irish Book Awards Crime Book of the Year. Set in 1917, it has everything – spies, ghosts, wartime issues, a touch of romance, an isolated house mystery a la Agatha Christie. It’s an engrossing ghost story/historical mystery. An armaments manufacturer who has lost two sons in the Great War, tries to take advantage of his mansion’s reputation as haunted, calling together people who might be able to contact ghosts. Two people are sent by the Secret Service because there’s suspicion that a spy will be there, someone who has passed secret documents to the Germans. It’s a ghost story and a mystery, but also the story of a lost generation and the cruelty of war.

I don’t usually rave about the writing in a book, but James Sallis’ writing in Sarah Jane is strong and unforgettable. It’s a lyrical, haunting character study with an ambiguous ending. The writing is spare and concise as Sarah Jane narrates her lifestory from her childhood to that unusual ending that leaves readers wondering. From the time she says I didn’t do all of the things they claim I did, the reader is sucked into the life of this flawed character. She has a choice of jail or the army at one time, and ends up in the Mideast. She marries an abusive husband, a cop, and has a long relationship with another one. She becomes a cop, and then acting sheriff when her mentor disappears. Then, Sarah Jane’s past comes calling, in the form of an FBI agent and a cop. Sallis’ sentences, as Sarah Jane relates her story, are beautiful and memorable.

The opening paragraph of my review of Jay Stringer’s Marah Chase and the Conqueror’s Tomb said, ‘”An archeologist and a spy walk into a bar…: If that caught your attention, you’re a good candidate for the action-packed page-turner…If you’re a fan of James Bond, Indiana Jones or the television show The Librarians, or any adventure novel or comic with gutsy protagonists, you might want to try this one.”‘ Marah Chase now uses her background as an archeologist to work as a grave robber. An M16 agent blackmails her into searching for a powerful weapon buried in Alexander the Great’s tomb. Treasure hunters, spies, religious zealots, and smugglers race to find the world. Some want to save the world, while others want to destroy it. It’s a fun, fast-paced adventure.

2019 was an exciting year. I loved the discoveries I made. I hope 2020 is just as exciting in the book world.

(Check back in future weeks. On Thursday, one of the regular readers on the blog will talk about his favorite books of 2019.)