The number of books I read this year is a little off, I’m sure. I count 156, plus the 27 I’ve read that are released in 2024, so that’s a total of 183 books. But, I moved, didn’t read for the ten days I was at my mother’s, and somehow lost track of books read in my yearly journal. So, it’s somewhere around there. And, in the midst of all the changes, I’m grateful for Kevin Tipple’s help as he sent reviews.

So, these are the ten books that stood out in 2023, for me. This isn’t a list of Best Books, just the ones I enjoyed the most. They’re on this list in the order I read them. Are any of them on your list of favorites?

Trish Doller’s female characters just speak to me. If you read Float Plan, you might remember Anne, whose fiance died, and she impulsively decided to sail the world. In Off the Map, readers can catch up with Anne when Carla Black flies to Ireland to be maid of honor in Anne’s wedding. This is Carla’s story, but her best friend, Anne, is always there for her. Carla Black was raised by her beloved father, Biggie. Biggie didn’t know how to cope when his wife left him with a five-year-old, so he packed Carla up in his jeep, and they traveled around the country, staying in national parks and forests. They traveled together for almost twenty years. Carla would have continued traveling with the person she loved best in the world, but eight years ago, Biggie developed early-onset dementia. He married, and pretty much kicked Carla out, using the family motto, “Here for a good time, not for a long time.” And, Carla never settled down, frantically traveling to escape the image of her father losing all memories of her, and, eventually, losing his life. When Carla meets Eamon Sullivan in a pub in Ireland, she only thinks she’s meeting the best man, and she’ll travel to the wedding with him. But, Carla and Eamon just seem to know each other the first time they kiss. It doesn’t take Eamon long to reveal his secret. He’s a cartographer who has never been anyplace, even in Ireland. Carla insists they change that. Off the Map has so much to offer. Of course, for me, there’s Ireland. But, there’s love and friendship and thoughtful advice about both. I loved Carla, Eamon, and Biggie, and rooted for all of them. There were a few tears, but Biggie prepared everyone for that. “Here for a good time, not for a long time.”

Dennis Lehane’s Small Mercies is inspired by one night in 1974 when his father took a wrong turn, and the family car ended up in the middle of the anti-busing riots in Boston. Imagine the fear of a nine-year-old boy who saw figures burning in effigy, and experienced the rocking car in the midst of an angry mob. That incident turned into Small Mercies, a novel of Boston at the time, with its rage and fear and explosive possibilities. Small Mercies is a remarkable novel that explores the racism, hatred and fear in Boston in 1974 through the life of one woman, and the observations of a local cop. It’s a rage-filled story that demonstrates the ability to change, just as S.A. Cosby’s Razorblade Tears did. As I said, pair these two stories of grieving parents who demand answers. They’re both representative of a time and place, but they have so much to say about the simmering anger in this country.

I read Stephen Mack Jones’ fourth August Snow mystery, Deus X, twice. It was just as good the second time around. Jones manages to tell an engrossing story dealing with organized religion while also handling found family in a violent, sometimes humorous account. Add in that beautiful writing, and Snow’s cooking, and there’s so much appeal to this book. Stephen Mack Jones tackles difficult subjects in Deus X. Religious fanaticism has a long history, and it’s rearing its ugly head again in modern times. August Snow takes it on headfirst in an attempt to save a friend. Yes, there’s violence and gun battles in this book. But, it’s worth every bit of it for the humor and love of found family. Check out the book, or start with the Hammett and Nero Award-winning first book, August Snow.

I know there are people who couldn’t read Katherine Hall Page’s The Body in the Web. There’s an uneasy atmosphere throughout Katherine Hall Page’s 26th Faith Fairchild mystery, The Body in the Web. It isn’t the mystery itself that creates that tension. It’s the fact that we all lived through some of the experiences of this book. Fairchild does a remarkable job reminding us what it was like, day-to-day, to live through the events of the early stages of the pandemic. It’s Katherine Hall Page’s masterful handling of COVID, that I admire. She says in an author’s note that she kept a diary during COVID. And, she utilized those events to stir memory. The Body in the Web may be about one woman trapped by her past. It’s also about all of us who were trapped by the pandemic, a memory we won’t forget.

S.A. Cosby’s All the Sinners Bleed would be on my favorites list if there were only five books on it. No one writes with such power, while managing to convey the brutality of life, as S.A. Cosby does. His latest book, All the Sinners Bleed, is beautifully written, gritty, with a hero who carries the weight of his job and his community on his shoulders. Sheriff Titus Crown is a giant of a man in so many ways. Once again, the author of Razorblade Tears, tells a compelling story of social justice and racism. It’s all the more powerful because Titus Crown cares so deeply and won’t give an inch when it comes to his own conscience. He’s a towering figure fighting for justice, but he’s still human. S.A. Cosby’s All The Sinners Bleed is an unforgettable story of one man fighting for his own soul, and the soul of his hometown.

If you’ve been following the adventures of the seniors from The Thursday Murder Club, prepare yourself for tears ahead of time. Richard Osman’s The Last Devil to Die , while still a mystery with moments of humor, also has some poignant moments that are difficult to read. After all, for the elders at Cooper’s Chase, loss is a fact of life. Osman always knows how to alleviate the tension with some humor. This time, it often comes at the expense of a new resident at Cooper’s Chase, Mervyn, who refuses to recognize that he’s a victim of “romance fraud”. At the same time, it’s one more example of issues confronted by seniors. Osman tackles dementia, computer fraud, and the loss of a spouse in this current book. There’s a depth to Richard Osman’s mysteries, and to his characters. His characters are all well-developed, even the minor ones. The Last Devil to Die, Osman’s last in the series for a while, is his best yet.

Paula Munier’s Mercy Carr mysteries just continue to get better. With the fifth one, Home at Night, Munier enters the world of gothic houses and Halloween settings. Of course, fans of the series will welcome the return of the dogs, Elvis and Susie Bear. But, it’s the eerie setting of Grackle Tree Farm that takes center stage. No spoilers. Munier’s latest book combines local Halloween celebrations, a house and property with secrets, and an investigation into crimes of the present and past. But, Munier also deals beautifully with the environment as Troy Warner and co-workers deal with poachers, and threatened turtle species. Troy’s own investigation is an essential element in the story. Home at Night also manages to encompass the question of home. What does home mean? Is it a place, a structure, the people and animals who surround us? Mercy, who is losing the cabin she loves, searches for answers in her heart.

Seth Rudetsky’s Musical Theatre for Dummies is the only nonfiction book on my list this year. It’s right up my alley, covering all of musical theatre, the history, the staging, the people who make it happen. And Rudetsky, the afternoon host of “On Broadway” on SiriusXM covers it all with humor and asides to the reader. There are all kinds of tips to help readers understand musical theatre, or to help people who want to participate in musical theatre. Best of all, Rudetsky shares YouTube videos of all kinds of performances, and links to all of them. If you’re a musical theatre fan, Musical Theatre for Dummies offers tips, suggestions and pointers to help you enjoy it even more.

Tim Maleeny’s latest Cape Weathers mystery takes readers to San Francisco’s Chinatown, into the world of art, and to China itself. Best of all, though, Hanging the Devil takes readers on a fast-paced adventure. Hanging the Devil is a relentless, non-stop story featuring an art heist, art forgery made into manufacturing, China’s politics, the Triads and San Francisco’s tongs, along with the deteriorating city with its politics. But, it also has two investigators teaming up to protect a young witness, their client. There’s violence and action, along with a great deal of dry humor. Here’s my favorite line from the book. Cape talks with a police officer responsible for the investigation at the museum, and asks if he has a plan. “I’m a cop. We don’t make plans. We just wait for horrible shit to happen, then we arrest somebody.” There’s a lot of “horrible shit” that happens in Maleeny’s captivating Hanging the Devil.

There’s been a Nora Roberts book on my Favorites list for the last three or four years. This year, it’s Inheritance, the first in a new trilogy. Roberts’ characters are interesting, and the supporting characters are always as delightful as the lead characters. Inheritance provides the background for a family house and Sonya MacTavish and her ancestors. As always, Roberts creates a strong woman who doesn’t hesitate to depend on friends for support. Part of the fascination of the book is in the artistry created in the books as Sonya builds her graphic design business, and Cleo works as a talented illustrator. There are welcome details about the business aspects of their lives. Those details round out their characters, just as the story behind the Doyle law firm does for that family.Nora Roberts incorporates ghosts and hauntings and stories of the past into the story of Sonya’s life. It works so well that the reader just accepts this version of a haunted manor house in Maine. It’s a wonderful Gothic tale for anyone who enjoys those stories set in isolated houses. Now, if I just had the sequel to Inheritance to read. Nora Roberts’ storytelling skills are a gift to her readers.

If I was writing a list that was longer than my top ten, it would be easy to include a few other titles. But, these are the ones I found most memorable in 2023.

Come back tomorrow, and then on future Wednesdays, for Favorites from some of the blog’s readers.