Mark Baker’s list of favorite books rounds out our lists for this year. Thank you to everyone who has contributed. I hope you all found a book or two on the Wednesday lists of favorites. I know I’ve enjoyed seeing books I might not have read, as well as some of the ones that appeared on my own lists.

If you’ve only seen Mark’s comments on Thursdays, you might not realize he has his own blog, “Carstairs Considers…” He’s mentioned on Thursdays that he’s an accountant, but he doesn’t talk about his avocation as a collector and media addict. Mark tends to review cozies more than other mysteries, but there will be other reviews scattered on his blog. You can find it at https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/. Thank you, Mark, for your post today.

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Here are my favorite books read for the first time in 2023. Most of them were published in the
year, but the first few are carry overs from 2022.

A few of these authors could have had multiple books on the list, but I limited them to one each
in an attempt to keep the number down.

These are listed in the order I read them.

Aerobics Can by Deadly by Ryan Rivers

At first look, this book can seem a little silly. A former tween star most famous for a mystery
TV show starts solving crimes in a small Texas town with his new best friend, a former ER
nurse. In this particular book, they are extras in an aerobics video when the star dies. However,
our two leads are dealing with some pretty serious issues, and the characters come across as very
real by the time you are done. Do be prepared to laugh as you read, however. There are plenty
of jokes and crazy antics. But it’s all balanced perfectly.

Death by Smoothie by Laura Levine

I have been reading the Jaine Austen mysteries since the first one came out 20+ years ago.
Author Laura Levine is a former sitcom writer, and it shows. These read like a cross between a
sitcom and Murder, She Wrote. In this book, freelance writer Jaine Austen has been hired to be a
script doctor for a stage musical revival of I Married a Zombie (which has been referenced in
other books in the series). Things are not going well, and that’s before the lead actress dies after
drinking her daily smoothie. Again, you must be in the mood for a comedic, sometimes silly,
mystery when you pick up this book, but if you are, you’ll find the pages fly by.

Oh Danny Girl by C. Michele Dorsey

And now for something completely different. We’re going from comedic cozies to a thriller.
Lawyer Danny O’Brien’s day goes from bad (being detained when a gun is found in her
briefcase) to worse (finding out her husband was murdered in a hotel room while in bed with
another woman). From there, we are off on a wild ride, with Danny hardly knowing who to
trust. I couldn’t read this book fast enough; I had to know what was going to happen next.

City of the Dead by James Ponti

I’m not trying to give you whiplash, I promise. But we are switching genres again, this time to
the only middle grade book on my list this year. This is the fourth in the City Spies series from
James Ponti. The main characters are a group of young teen spies from all over the world who
live and work together. This time, they are supposed to break into the London Museum. Or so
they think. It’s another wild and crazy ride with wonderful characters that all ages will enjoy.
And that cliffhanger? Let’s just say I’m glad the next book comes out soon.

Till Death Do Us Port by Kate Lansing

It had been a couple of years, so I was pleasantly surprised to get a fourth book in the Colorado
Wine Mysteries. This book finds Parker Valentine providing some of her wine for her cousin’s
wedding. Unfortunately, the wedding planner is found dead before the couple can say “I do.”
The new characters brought lots of drama that helped pull me into this book. The mystery was
great, and I loved seeing how the series regulars continued to grow. Do keep in mind that this
series is written in first person present tense. It always throws me at first, but it is worth getting
used to that writing quirk.

Murder on the Home Front by Jessica Ellicott

This is the first of several historical mysteries on my list. Billie Harkness is one of only two
female police officers in the town of Hull in England in 1940. Hull was subject to lots of
bombing from Germany, but against this backdrop, she’s found herself involved in a second
murder. The characters in this book are wonderful, the plot is strong, and this is a book that
couldn’t take place in any other time or place, which I thought was wonderful for a historical
mystery.

#TagMe for Murder by Sarah E. Burr

In the second Trending Topics Mystery, social media influencer Coco Cline finds herself
involved in murder when her new neighbor is murdered and one of her BFFs is accused of the
crime. I love the fact that this hook for the cozy mystery is something modern since I love to see
the genre expanding. I also love Coco and her group of friends. The mystery was strong, but I
also really loved a sub-plot involving Coco’s boyfriend.

A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen

I debated long and hard about reading this book before I requested the ARC. It is set in 1780
England, and that time and place didn’t necessarily appeal to me. But something about the
premise called to me. One morning, Tiffany Woodall discovers her brother is dead in his bed.
Since he supported them and they have no other family, this spinster realizes she much
impersonate him, including taking over his job as the librarian at the local duke’s castle, in order
to survive. But things get tricky when someone else dies and she begins to suspect that her
brother was murdered. This book captured me from page one, and I couldn’t put it down. The
characters were fun, and the plot kept throwing things at Tiffany. I’m anxious to read the next in
the series., which comes out in February.

Passport to Spy by Nancy Cole Silverman

The first book set up the premise of former reporter Kat Lawson working undercover for the FBI
as a travel journalist. I was very curious to see just what that would mean for her, and we found
out in this second book in the series. She’s officially covering the Christmas market in Munich,
Germany in December of 1999, but she’s trying to help track down stolen Nazi art. Naturally, we
get lots of complications for Kat, who is in a situation where she doesn’t know who to trust. It’s
lots of fun with a great Christmas background.

The Body in the Cattails by Catherine Dilts

Travel to small town Oklahoma for this series debut. Drew Brauner has recently moved to the
area to help care for her aging great uncle. In an effort to make some friends, she joins a new
book club. But the club meeting ends early when the group discovers a dead body. This book is
told from multiple viewpoints, something that is rare in the books I read, but in this case, it is
perfect because it allows us to get to know all four of the main characters. This book is as much
about the friendships they are forming with each other as the murder itself, and I was hooked for
all of it.

Murder on Bedford Street by Victoria Thompson

2023 marked something I’d been working toward for years – I caught up on Victoria Thompson’s
Gaslight Mysteries! This is the latest in the series, and it is a perfect example of why I found
reading the 20+ books in the series so worth it. The mystery this time is about a woman who has
been falsely sent to an insane asylum. As I was reading I got lost in 1901 New York City. The
characters are delightful, and as we’ve gotten to know them, the humor in their interactions
becomes a great offset to the serious and sometimes dark mystery they are solving. We even get
more from some of the supporting characters in this entry.

Claws of Death by Cathy Wiley

Cathy Wiley had introduced the character of Jackie Norwood in some short stories, and I was
glad to finally spend more time with her in the first Fatal Food Festival Mystery. Jackie is a
former celebrity chef who has had a fall from grace and is working on rebuilding her
professional life by being a guest judge at food festivals around the country. This book finds her
at a crab festival in Texas where a fellow judge dies. The poison was in Jackie’s ex-boyfriend’s
dish. We are introduced to a lot of great characters here as well as served a mystery that worked
in clues and red herrings subtly. Add in a dash of humor, and this was worth the wait.

Mrs. Claus and the Trouble with Turkeys by Liz Ireland

Christmas and Halloween are the holidays that are featured most in cozy mysteries. Leave it to a
book set at the North Pole to have a Thanksgiving entry. Yes, the main character is the real Mrs.
Claus. There is a fantasy element to these books, and you have to buy into the premise. But if
you do, these books work wonderfully. I love the characters, the plots are creative, and there’s a
healthy dose of fun and humor. This time around, Mrs. Claus is looking for a missing turkey (the
turkey that was supposed to be their Thanksgiving dinner) and investigating the death of a Claus
cousin at the pre-Thanksgiving potluck.

Case of the Bleus by Korina Moss

I’m glad I caught up on Korina’s Cheese Shop Mysteries this year. With each book, I fall in love
with the characters a little bit more. This book involved the hunt for a rare blue cheese that may
or may not have been motive for murder. I enjoyed the added treasure hunt aspect here while
watching the main characters continue to grow. It does help that I grew up not too far from
where the fictional town is set, so I enjoy the virtual trips to my old stomping grounds as well.