I admit it: I received a generous Amazon.com gift certificate for my birthday, and it is burning a hole in my pocket. The timing is actually quite fortuitious, as I have a vacation scheduled for next month, and my plan is to leave all manuscripts at home and bring only published books by people I have been wanting to read.
This is where I would like to ask my readers for recommendations, as (try as I might) I simply cannot keep up with everything that is going on in the genre. Whether you are a writer or a reader, I would appreciate your clicking on the "Comments" button below and recommending a recent favorite to me. Here are the types of recommendations I would appreciate most:
*Of course, I will always give first choice to books published by small or independent presses.
*I would prefer to read books by writers who are relatively new to the game, with, say, no more than two or three books published to date.
Since others will likely be reading these recommendations as well, may I ask that you also mention the "type" of book it is (cozy, hard-boiled, etc.) and a general assessment of the type of reader who will like the book, and those who will not? For example: "People who are comfortable with very hard-boiled will enjoy this new Andrew Vachss book, but it would not be a good choice for people who don't like to read stories about child abuse and depravity." Or "This is a great book for escapist entertainment, with a terrific story and plot, but it wouldn't be good for someone who wants very deep characterization."
Writers are welcome to recommend their own books here, as well; but I ask that you specify early in your recommendation/description that you are the writer.
If I find anything stellar or noteworthy, I will be sure to blog about it in the future.
I have to recommend my own - "An Ungodly Child" -- It's an urban fantasy that has a lot of good reviews, even from people I don't know.
reviews collected here: http://tinyurl.com/ctbdkv
Posted by: Rachel Green | February 20, 2009 at 01:32 PM
Here are my 4 best mysteries of 2008 (in alphabetical order): Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill (5th in series, sort of a police procedural but unique in its own way, Soho Press), Blackman's Coffin by Mark de Castrique (1st in series, PI, Poisoned Pen Press), Head Wounds by Chris Knopf (3rd in series, PI, Permanent Press), A Grave in Gaza by Matt Beynon Rees (2nd in series, a police procedural but not exactly, Soho Press). My summaries can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/b77n7l.
Posted by: Mysterious Reviews | February 20, 2009 at 02:21 PM
I've really been enjoying Margaret Frazier's two series set in Medieval times. I don't know if they would be called cozies because sometimes the deaths occur 'on screen' rather than out of sight, but they're not super dark, either.
I'd recommend my own, but they're not going to be in print until next year. They will definitely be in the small press or independent category, though.
Posted by: Pepper Smith | February 20, 2009 at 03:33 PM
Right now I'm reading Donna Tartt's "The Little Friend." It's a more literary-type mystery that came out a few years ago, but it's spectacular. Great characterization, insightful description, etc. It's set in deep-South Mississippi in the 1970s, and a spunk y 12-year-old girl is trying to solve the murder of her brother, who was mysteriously hanged in his yard about 11 years previously. I'm not finished but love it so far.
Posted by: Anna Claire | February 20, 2009 at 03:38 PM
I'll recommend both mysteries by Tana French, _In the Woods_ and _The Likeness_. She has a wonderful way of crafting very complex relationships. They are also beautifully written.
I'd recommend my own, but I think my mother bought them all.
Posted by: Lorelei Armstrong | February 20, 2009 at 11:55 PM
QUEENPIN by Megan Abbot. Her third book. Edgar winner for best original paperback. Both hardboiled and noir. Fascinating as she is, the first-person narrator is not a girl you take home to meet Mom.
Posted by: Jersey Jack | February 21, 2009 at 04:29 PM
Recommending Louise Penny -- any of the four published so far. I know that's over your limit, but she's worth a visit. More than "cosy," Penny's books will appeal to Christie fans for the plotting and to readers who like some psychological depth. "Rule Against Murder" is book number four -- and just made the New York Times Bestseller List. Well-deserved.
Posted by: Hilary | February 23, 2009 at 09:02 AM
People who are comfortable with very hard-boiled will enjoy the new Andrew Vachss book--the final chapter in the Burke series--but it would not be a good choice for people who believe everything false they read in reviews.
Posted by: Lou | February 24, 2009 at 08:28 PM
I'll mention my own: Deadmistress (2004) and Death by Committee (2006), both academic mysteries. I don't like the word "cozy" but describe them as "traditional" mysteries, complete with a list of characters and, in the case of Deadmistress, a map.
Carole Shmurak
Posted by: Carole Shmurak | February 28, 2009 at 10:29 AM