Reader Mailbag: Authors You Discovered In 2021
In the November 2021 newsletter, I asked the readers what new to them authors they discovered in 2021.
Here are the responses:
B: Kosaro Itaka’s hugely fun thriller Bullet Train has me anxiously awaiting his next book. Bullet Train is structurally interesting as at the beginning of each chapter it tells you who the chapter is focused on (like lots of books do) but it also shows you, in a small drawing, which car or cars of the train that character is in for that chapter. The characters are, like their names, flamboyant, funny, and evil. The action is never ending.
Sarah Pearse – The Sanatorium. The setting was spectacular – an old sanatorium converted to a high end hotel. The atmosphere was foreboding – winter, isolation, creepy people. The pages turned themselves.
I also really enjoyed Richard Chizmar’s Chasing the Bogeyman. A killer thriller pretending to be based on fact, complete with “photos”.
One new to me author I doubt I’ll read again is B A Paris. I know the author is popular, but The Therapist just didn’t stand out for me. When I look back over a year of reading, there were too many established writers on the top of their game and too many new ones creating exciting new fiction for me to settle for writing that I personally found uninspired. YMMV.
Denise: New to me, is David Baldacci. I heard so much about Amos Decker and his interesting “powers” I had to read one of those books. I now have the whole series to read and even picked up the start of the John Puller series, although I have not started them yet.
I never would have started this series had I not heard about the writer on OrderofBooks.com
Karen: A new author to me is William Kent Kroeger. I’m currently reading his book ‘The Tender Land’. This book is a joy to read and is a book that you never want to end. Looking forward to reading some of his other books.
Bonnie: New books discovered this year:
The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock – This is a debut novel about a Danish journalist, Heloise who, on the cusp of getting fired for using unverified sources for a story that later turns out to be false, stumbles upon an unsolved murder from three years ago and a runaway suspect who is sending her cryptic messages. Working [somewhat] with the detective investigating the murder of a journalist who had abruptly stopped writing about the murder, Heloise finds herself digging into her own past. Her life is in danger as she tries to learn the truth about the murdered man, and more importantly why he was murdered. This is one of the best debut novels I have read as it does not falter or vacillate, but keeps up a very fast-paced action story while developing carefully and thoroughly the characters. Few first-time novels in a series are able to maintain that.
Trilogy of the White City by Eva Garcia Saenz de Urturi – Inspector Unai López de Ayala, known as “Kraken,” has always seen himself as the protector of his beloved White City, Vitoria. In order to keep its citizens safe he will take on the most dangerous criminals, killers whose macabre murders are based on ancient rituals. Kraken must dig into Vitoria’s history to determine how and why these depraved individuals have decided to kill, but Kraken is haunted by his own past tragedies, tragedies the killers may be able to use to their advantage. Each of the three books is a fast-paced thriller centered on Kraken, a psychological detective, and his determined police team, and weaving together the myths and legends of the Basque country into modern-day murders. This is a gripping series, but not for the faint of heart. The murders and motives are gruesome. However, the protagonist draws you into his dilemmas and soul-searching and his attempts at just having a normal life. The secondary characters are well-constructed and believable. I found each book hard to put down.
Ginny: It’s been a great reading year. New to me authors I discovered this year:
Fiction:
Rosamunde Pilcher (The Shell Seekers) – I knew she was once very popular, but somehow I didn’t expect this book to be seriously good
Octavia Butler (Kindred) – time travel, completely different than what I expected, more historical fiction than sci-fi, very good book
Julie Otsuka (The Buddha in the Attic) – odd book, very good
Hugh Howey (Wool) – multiple raves online, good dystopian book
Sue Monk Kidd (The Invention of Wings) – I did not think I would like this author, but I do like her very much
Nevil Shute (On the Beach) – finally got around to reading this older iconic dystopian book
Ruta Sepeyts (Shades of Gray) – a more serious book than I was expecting, and less sensationalist
Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper) – outstanding book about organ transplants
YA:
Laurie Frankel (This Is How It Always Is) – this book was good, not great, but the writing is outstanding
Kimberly Bradley (The War That Saved My Life) – much praise online, great book
Rebecca Stead (The List of Things That Will Not Change, When You Reach Me) – very thoughtful books
A.S. King (Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future) – good book for late teens, will read more by this author
Patrick Ness (The Knife of Never Letting Go) – lots of online recommendations
Neil Shusterman (Unwind) – iconic dystopian book
Sharon Draper (Out of My Mind) – girl with cerebral palsy, awesome book
NF –
Adam Grant (Think Again) – good book on how to think
Mitch Albom (Tuesdays with Morrie) – on aging/dying gracefully
Joyce: I have discovered several new authors this year – some of which may have been recommended by you or one of your readers.
Charles Martin – probably my best new author. Read at least 10 and loved them all!
Lucinda Berry – The Best of Friends
Susan Meissner – The Nature of Fragile Things
JoAnne Tompkins – What Comes After
Alessandra Torre – The Ghostwriter & The Good Lie
Chris Whitaker – We Begin at the End & Tall Oaks
S F. Kosa – The Quiet Girl
Matthew FitzSimmons – The Short Drop
Emily Gunnis – The Girl in the Letter
Vicki: This year I read Yuito Ayatsuji’s The Decagon Murders. It’s a suspense comparable to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, written in the late 1980’s. It is a well-written book with a good twist ending. Ayatsuji is a Japanese author. I checked for other books by him at Amazon, but what is available in English are Manga books that may be “Ayatsuji light”. I hope more of his suspense novels are translated.
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala is a good cozy type mystery. The main character is a Filipino daughter who returns to her home in small town Illinois after failing in Chicago due to various reasons. While a cozy, it touches on the culture problems that occur even in small towns where the “outside” families have lived there for years. The town is a good waystation for smugglers and bad guys on their way to Chicago. It’s first person narrative and uses a light touch on deeper topics. I’m looking forward to a sequel.
Claire: Here are my thoughts on new-to-me-authors that I enjoyed so far:
I am fortunate enough that I get to read and review ARCs from a variety of publishers. That being said, there are a few authors that I discovered and really enjoyed this year. Several of them are debut authors and I really look forward to other offerings. The following are the authors and their books that got them noticed:
1) Jennifer Mathieu. She’s already established with Moxie, but I really loved her latest: Bad Girls Never Say Die.
2) Dustin Thao. Debut author and POC, that really hit home with me in You’ve Reached Sam.
3) Veera Hirananadani. Another Debut author and POC that tells the tale of interracial marriage in How to Find what You’re not Looking For.
4) Sarah Adlakha. Another debut author. Loved: She Wouldn’t Change a Thing (parallel universe theme.)
5) Ed Duncan. Loved his Pigeon Blood Red trilogy.
6) Benjamin Cross. He’s an archeologist by trade but has written several books. Colony is his first full blown novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it.https://www.benjamin-cross.com
7) Alex Finlay. Loved Every Last Fear and he’s coming out with another novel, The Night Shift. Love his writing style.
These are my new-to-me authors that I’ve really enjoyed and will look forward to reading more from them. Of course there are many in the romance genre, but I’ll save that for another post since I know you’re not a fan, and neither was I until, I read a few from Carolyn Brown, and Annie Rains. They are not the typical Harlequin Romance books. In any event. Check out these authors. You just might be surprised.
Jane: This year, like you, I discovered Louise Penny. I had read Still Life quite a while back and hadn’t loved it but then listened to All the Devils Are Here and was hooked. I love her quirky, and sometimes wicked, sense of humor and the depth she brings to characters. And, of course, I’ve fallen in love with Three Pines and want to live there! I’m now on book 5.
Also started reading David Baldacci’s new series with Aloysius Archer. Looking forward to the next installment there.
Thanks as always for your enjoyable and useful newsletter!
John: The new Author I read this year is Martin Clark. Started with “The Legal Limit”, next to “The Substitution Order”, currently reading “The Jezebel Remedy” and looking forward to “Plain Heathen Mischief”.
Regina: Hello,
Someone new I started reading in 2021 is author Jack Benton, the pen name for Chris Ward.
I read the first 3 books in his mystery series. They all have the same detective in them, John (Slim) Hardy, who is a disgraced ex-soldier and alcoholic who just got into being a private investigator because he didn’t know what else to do. The first 2 we’re great! The Man by the Sea & The Clockmaker’s Secret. They are on the eerie side and really keep you guessing! So I immediately got into the third book The Games Keeper. This one was a bit of a let down. It didn’t have the eeriness that the other two did and which made them unlike other mysteries. But mostly, his alcoholism really takes center stage in this third book.
It definitely played a part in the first two stories, but he managed to control it enough to get the job done. In The Games Keeper he really doesn’t have any control and is fall down drunk half the time. This was a real turn off for me. I think it took away from the mystery story. It made the book more about him and less about the other characters and the mystery he’s trying to solve.
I haven’t gone on to the fourth book yet. I think I will after the first of the year. I want to give the author another chance and have hopes that as the series progresses Slim will get his act together and make a better life for himself.
Thanks for letting your subscribers chime off on their reading!
Deb: Matthew Quirk —I thought Hour of the Assassin looked good when I was reviewing the new book shelf at our library—and it WAS! So now I’m reading “The Directive”, the 2nd book in the series since “The 500” is not available at our library and I have to request an inter-library loan.
Linda: I know I have found new authors this year, but only 4 stick out in my mind. Eric Rikstad, Steve Cavanaugh, Phillip Margolin and Linda Castillo. I know that these are authors that many people have mentioned before. I am extremely thrilled with the Margolin books. I read the Dana Cutler series and now am reading some stand alones. So far he has not disappointed me at all, except his Robin series. I read the first one and have not gone back for the others. I may try later. It is always exciting to find a new author and when I do I try to get all of their books. I use Bridges on line a lot, plus for older books I go to our local bookstore or Thrift books. Another good thing about older books is that they are always cheaper. 2021 has been a good reading year. I am up to 90 books so far and that is almost a record. Last year was 92. That pandemic sure made reading a great pastime .
Jane: This year, like you, I discovered Louise Penny. I had read Still Life quite a while back and hadn’t loved it but then listened to All the Devils Are Here and was hooked. I love her quirky, and sometimes wicked, sense of humor and the depth she brings to characters. And, of course, I’ve fallen in love with Three Pines and want to live there! I’m now on book 5.
Also started reading David Baldacci’s new series with Aloysius Archer. Looking forward to the next installment there.
Thanks as always for your enjoyable and useful newsletter!
Virginia: Enjoyed this issue.
I would like to share two new authors to me that I fell in love with their writing: Laurie R King, the Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes series, and Charles Todd, the Ian Rutledge series. Hooked on them both with their first books.
Thank you for all your efforts.
sven: Peter May is my new author for the year
Raley: As a retired lawyer, I enjoy the twists and turns that Rosenfelt’s protagonist, Andy Carpenter, plays with annoyed judges. And, who doesn’t love a good dog tale?
Patti: Graeme, here it is the 15th of the month, and I had completely forgotten that there would be a wonderful mid month newsletter to look forward to! So in answer to the question, I read my first ever Kate Quinn book this year, and followed it up immediately with three others by her. Hard to say which is my favorite, because they are exceptionally well written and researched; they all feature a strong female protagonist in wartime.
Another new author for me this year was Andrews and Wilson, a collaborative effort called the Tier 1 series. I’ve read two and have the third one on my ready to queue up list.
As for Go Tell the Bees…, I am frantically rereading the last three books before this one to refresh my memory before it shows up in my library. I ordered it months ago!
And on a separate topic, Graeme, please don’t be too shocked by me saying this, but I am struggling like all get out trying to read the first Harry Potter. Just can’t get into it… undoubtedly the only human walking who doesn’t love those books.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving, Graeme, and thanks for the hours of pleasure you give me with your website.
Neil: I discovered Mark Graney’s Gray Man. After the first book I will certainly try the others in the series.
Madeleine: New to me Liam Callahan’s Paris by the Book. An interesting read. Not a new to me but an excellent series that is ending–Karen White’s Tradd Street Mysteries.
Lyle: I’ve spent pretty much the past year enjoying the challenges and travails of Armand Gamache from the Louise Penny series. It is a 17 book series that I strongly suggest be read in order. They are not only crime stories, but psychological studies of people and wonderful descriptions of life in the Québécois communities. My quarantine experience was improved immensely after discovering Louise Penny!!
Katherine: I found the Liss MacCrimmon series from the recommendations given to me from the Nook emails. Read the first one, and was hooked. Maine, bagpipes, all things Scottish, and a cat! With a kitten to follow. Fun books.
Joy I: I discovered a new author that has wonderful writing and storylines. He is Richard Chiappone and his debut book is. The Hunger of Crows.
It had everything a mystery story should include. Interesting how it got the title.
I like reading books that after you finish reading it, it stays with you. This one certainly does.
Please check it out. I would be interested to note if you liked the book too.
I really enjoy your newsletter and have selected several books that you and other readers have recommended. I have not been disappointed.
Joy: I discovered a new author that has wonderful writing and storylines. He is Richard Chiappone and his debut book is. The Hunger of Crows.
It had everything a mystery story should include. Interesting how it got the title.
I like reading books that after you finish reading it, it stays with you. This one certainly does.
Please check it out. I would be interested to note if you liked the book too.
I really enjoy your newsletter and have selected several books that you and other readers have recommended. I have not been disappointed.
Jenny: I love the Bosch book series as well as the tv show
I don’t read a lot of non fiction- empire of pain had me glued to the speakers (audiobook). Killing the Mob was a excellent but needs to be brought current.
I occasionally read juvenile fiction . 5 total strangers captivating and very well written until the end when it croaks out.
I look forward to your emails !
Jeanne:
Stephanie Dray. She had cowritten with others but I found ‘The Women of Chateau Lafayette’ on Amazon. Humm, a chateau with historical significance? And its only 500 pages.😃 So my summer reading began and I found this amazing historical book full of anecdotes and a story line that was well written between three women: 1780, 1917 and 1942, Each of her chapters gave me something to think about so my summer was surprisingly pleasant. There is a lot of commentary about the French Revolution going around but this was a backstory gem. Recommend with five stars for history buffs.
Jeanine: The new author I discovered this year is JC Ryan, who writes in the Vince Flynn, Tom Clancy style. His series of books starring Rex Dalton and his
sidekick dog Digger and well written and the characters are wonderful. Rex works for a spy corporation used by the US government and Rex and
Digger go all over the world getting into different situations, like taking down a corrupt Saudi prince and looking for some lost books from the
Vatican library. The latest three books have to do with the Chinese threat to the world and are quite involved. Great reading!!
Jean: I’m sort of embarrassed to admit Peter James is a new-to-me author. I read a lot of mystery and policy procedure books (heavy on British) but somehow, until May of this year, I had never read any by Peter James. I started his DS Roy Grace series and am now on book #14. I love this series. I finish one book and immediately want to start the next. I’m already dreading when the series ends.
Irene P: I’ve read several new to me authors this year. My stand out was Matt Haig who wrote the Midnight Library which was a fascinating tale of a woman who gets to choose from several paths in life that were not taken and gets the opportunity to explore one or more of them. It was a book virtually impossible to put down. I’m keeping this short so as not to spoil any of the book.
I am so glad that you discovered the Louise Penny Inspector Gamache series. It is a particular favorite of mine. She also co-wrote a book with Former First Lady and US Senator/Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called State of Terror. I would hold off reading it until you are further along in the series.
Thank you for your wonderful newsletter and building the community of readers.
Irene: Regarding your listing of horror books and authors….HOW CAN YOU NOT INCLUDE THE SCARIEST BOOK EVER -“THE EXORCIST” by William Peter Blatty!!!!
As for new authors I’ve found this year, I just finished Jeffrey Archer’s William Warwick Series. Never read him before but I love this series.
I also read Harlan Cohen for the first time which I found very entertaining.
Really enjoy your newsletter. I’ve discovered many interesting authors and characters and have enjoyed hours and hours of reading. Thank you.
Betty: Chris Knopf, the Sam Acquillo “Hamptons noir” series. Well developed characters, twisty plots, on-point dialog. Audiobooks (available on hoopla) are read by different narrators, who all do a fine job.
Dorothy Gilman, the Mrs. Pollifax spy series. Much better than I anticipated. Exotic locales, engaging characters, ingenious escapes from danger. Audiobooks (available on Scribd) are read by the incomparable Barbara Rosenblatt.
Matthew Costello and Neil Richards, Cherringham series. Light entertainment. American ex-cop retires to the English countryside and begins investigating crimes with a local writer. Audiobooks (available on Scribd) feature excellent narration by Neil Dudgeon, of Midsommer Murders.
Jenny: I always enjoy finding an author that has already written a dozen books or more. Then I am not waiting in agonizing anticipation for them to write the newest book. Eventually though you do come to the end of the list as I did this year with both Michael Connelly and Johnathan Kellerman. So (with inspiration from orderofbooks.com) I think I will be fine for a while with my newly discovered authors Susan Hill and Victoria Thompson.
Dawn: After years of reading only non-fiction, I am enjoying my new years of fiction. The most recent, “The Collective,” by Alison Gaylin is going to be an all time favorite. It is about revenge when someone hurts your family and it is everything and more that I hoped it would be. I will be checking out this author’s other titles.!!! I could hardly stop reading, I wanted to skip work to finish!!!
Kathy: I discovered Jacqueline Winspear and the Maise Dobbbs series this past year. This series captured my attention because it was so relatable. To me all the characters & situations seemed to reflect real peope during the time period. Each character had their own story or heartbreak. It gave the reader a perspective on how people delt or did not deal with the war. It showed the best and the worst of people who were dealing with war time.
Christine: I discovered the wonderful Masie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear over this past year. I absolutely loved this series with the strong, ever smart, loveable character, Masie, and all her wonderful friends and family. I listened to them over audio and it sure made the past year more fun to get through.
Mark: My answer to this question is C. J. Box. I had heard of him before and he was on my long list of “authors to try” but had just not gotten around to it yet. I also of course had seen him mentioned in your monthly newsletter which I thoroughly enjoy.
Anyway in January this year, I read my first C. J. Box novel “Open Season” and then “Savage Run”, the first 2 books in the Joe Pickett series. I very much enjoyed them. Joe is a game warden in Wyoming, so this series satisfies 3 things I enjoy in a book – law and order, animals, and the great outdoors.
I have not read the 3rd book yet, but plan to soon. The book series also led me to watch the new TV show “Big Sky” which is based on the C. J. Box books.
Mary Ann: I found quite a few new authors this year. Some from your recommendations and others on my own. Here is the list: Vivien Chien, Richard Osman, Sherry Thomas, Holly Jackson, Vince Flynn, Neal Shusterman, Greg Hurwitz, Julie Smith, Darynda Jones, Jesse Q. Sutanto, Anthony Horowitz’s Alex rider books, Martha Wells. I enjoy your newsletter and everyone’s recommendations. My only problem I like to read all the books in a series and when I get to one I started late I feel like I can never catch up. At 74 I’m not sure I’ll live long enough to get to the end of the list. Have a great day and wonderful holidays with your family
Chris: Hi Graeme. This year, I picked up a few books by new-to-me authors that were so good that I felt compelled to read them until they were finished, no matter how late it got. Didn’t get a lot of sleep on those nights! I discovered Catherine Steadman’s books a few months ago and read “Mr. Nobody” and “Something in the Water.” Both were very exciting but the second one really made me think about how I’d deal with the things that the main characters faced. I know that I’ve got a great book when I find myself talking out loud to the characters, saying things like, “Don’t do that!!” Another new-to-me writer is Stacey Abrams. I really enjoyed her book “While justice sleeps.” Ms. Abrams is a lawyer, politician, a voting rights activist and an excellent writer, among other things. Looking forward to reading more by her.
Jessica: Hi. My new to me books this year were the Lord of the Rings book series and the Narnia books series. I have been wanting to read the Lord of the Rings book series because I have heard that they are so “hard” to read. I loved them. Then I found a Christian author named Kurt D. Bruner who wrote about finding God in the Lord of the Rings book series. I found out he wrote about the Narnia series and His Dark Materials books series. I decided it was time to read the Narnia book series. I have been wanting to read it too. I have been loving the book series. Right now I’m on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Once I finish this series I will listen to Kurt Bruner’s book. I had already read His Dark Materials book series so I want to read what Kurt Bruner has to say about that book series. I also read Tess On The Road by Rachel Hartman. I want to read her two other books.
Janet: I rediscovered Lisa Scottoline, I had not read her books in maybe twenty years. I stuck to the familiar writers that kept me engaged and were familiar to balance the unknown I faced each day. I was my mom’s primary caregiver for the last seven years, we lost her last month, she was 84 and lived with us. I was able to relax and destress while reading about the antics and adventures of Alex Cross, Stone Barrington, and Rosati and Associated. Mom was reading books by Joanne Fluke, she loved the cozy mysteries. She was notorious for tearing the recipe pages out of the back of library books I brought home for her. I found many loose pages after she passed. My sister and I went through them and kept a couple try out.
Kelly: Mons Kallentoft, absolutely love his Malin Fors series, there’s 12 books in the series but only 8 are translated into English, if there are any translators out there please translate the last 4 books ASAP I’m begging you!!
Lars Kepler, Joona Linna series these books are hard to put down
Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö, this is an old detective series written in the 60s and 70s
Richard Wake, his Alex Kovacs books are a great series, quick reads
Elsa: I’m so pleased whenever I discover a new author. This year I was especially thrilled to find a Canadian author from Toronto, my home for many years. Both my husband and I read the entire Ava Lee series by Ian Hamilton in record time. I highly recommend him.
Stuart: Favorite new to me author this year: Mick Herron. Can’t get enough of the Slough House series.
Karen: I was recently given 5 books by Peter James and I have read the first Roy Grace book DEAD SIMPLE so far and I really enjoyed it. I happen to really like the authors from the UK like Ann Cleeves famed for the SHETLAND and VERA series. I’m also a big fan of Lynda LaPlante and have read all of her books. I guess I don’t venture far from the murder mystery genre very often.
Mark: 1) Peter Robinson DCI Banks – I had seen these books many times in the past but had never picked one up. Since there are now 27 titles, I decided to start at the beginning with “Gallows View”. A bonus for me is that Robinson is from the same area of England as my wife and then moved to Toronto, Canada so there is a real connection there. I have read 11 of them now and have not been disappointed.
2) Ashley Audrain – A Canadian first time writer who has written a compelling book on the dark side of motherhood, “The Push”. I saw this at the library and wondered why there were almost 100 holds for it. I know why now, a great page turner.
3) Torquil Macleod – A Scottish writer who had a son move to Southern Sweden and decided to create a detective heroine on the murder squad in Malmo. I am working my way through them in order and find I am enjoying the characters and the mysteries that occur.
4) Chris Ould – From your newsletter, a three book series on the Faroe Islands administered by Denmark. Fans of Anne Cleeves Shetland series would love them in my view.
5) Sarah Penner – First time writer with perhaps the nicest jacket cover of the year for “The Lost Apothecary” . An historical writer, this takes place in London as the mysteries of an ancient apothecary specializing in spells for women are revealed and explained by a modern day researcher. Interesting book!
Cheryle: This year I discovered a terrific author, Eoin Dempsey. He is an Irish author with fantastic writing skills. So far I have read two of his books, Finding Rebecca and White Rose Black Forest. I have ordered two more and am looking forward to reading them soon. The two books I have finished are both historical fiction, one set in the Channel Islands and also Germany and the other in Germany.
Mark: Haruki Murakami. I had asked for, and received, 1Q84 as a gift, but was still hesitant, as it’s almost 1,200 pages long. Needn’t have worried–it’s a complete page-turner; I loved the book and the literary style. I’ve added “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle” and “Kafka on the Shore” to my “to read” pile.
Ron: I read Thomas Mullen’s newest book, Midnight Atlanta, which led me to the two previous books in the series, Darktown and The Lightning Men. An interesting fictional history of Black law enforcement officers in post WWII Atlanta. I say interesting but also depressing. Good reads, all.
Jerry: Joel C. Rosenberg is my new author. He was recommended by another author I like and I decided to read something by him. You won’t be disappointed if you like thrillers!!
Debbi: New authors this year
CJ Box – I think I saw a recommendation on your newsletter and checked out the first one, I’ll read the others in between all my other reads stacked up on my shelf.
Brad Thor – again, saw a write up in your newsletter and of course had to get it, went to a church rummage sale and found several more, score!
I”m sure there are others, but these are the latest two.
thanks for this great newsletter, I look forward to every issue.
Nancy: Diane Kelly – series about policewoman and her K-9 partner. Great
plot lines, humor and of course what she has to overcome in a male
dominated profession. All written in a way to make it difficult to
guess who the bad guy really is!
Judith A. Janice (J.A. Janice) – I’ve just discovered her Joana Brady series, again a female police chief and all of the intertwined stories of her family, career and so far all great plots.
I do read a wide variety of fiction & non-fiction not just female LEOs but it just so happened that I’ve been on a run with these two writers. Really enjoy your news letters!
Donna: I hadn’t,t read many of Kristen Hannah,s books but just finished Firefly lane and Fly Away.I generally read murder mysteries but I found her books a refreshing change.I always look forward to your e-mail each month.
Mominbug: Through your site I discovered Victoria Thompson and have read all 24 Gaslight Mysteries. I am now reading the City of… series. I have always thought that it is too bad that an author you really enjoy can not write a new book as fast as you can read it. I guess that’s what leads you to new authors.
kat: new authors to me this year
A Cry in the Dark (Carly Moore, #1) Swank, Denise Grover
Riversong (River Valley #1) Thompson, Tess *
Christmas in Cambria (Otter Bluff, #3) Seed, Linda *
now Angel (Hope Falls, #5) Shawn, Melanie *
On A Night Like This (Callaways, #1) Freethy, Barbara *
Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot (A Ditie Brown Mystery #1) Osborne, Sarah *
Fishy Beginnings (Cedar Fish Campground Series 1.5)
Motion for Murder (Jamie Winters, #1) Rey, Kelly Kelly ReyAuthor of Motion for Murder, Motion for Malice, and Motion for Mistletoe
Hearts Unleashed (Three Keys Ranch, #1) Wynters, Paris *
Adam (Farraday Country, #1) Keniston, Chris *
Chase, Zoey *
Hard Fall (St. Louis Mavericks #1) Rothert, Brenda *
Where Angels Tread (Kensington Family #1) Kenna, Clare
Family Matters (A Gracie Andersen Mystery Book 1) Wallace, Laurinda *
If I Didn’t Know Better (The Callaways #9) Freethy, Barbara *
A Promise of Home (Lake Howling, #1) Vella, Wendy *
Murder & Marble Cake (Comfort Cakes Cozy Mysteries, #1) McGovern, Nancy *
Baking is Murder (Bee’s Bakehouse Mysteries, #1) Cranston, Kathy
The Sweet Dreams Bake Shop (Sweet Cove Mystery, #1) Whiting, J.A. *
Play Dead (Allie Babcock Mystery, #1) O’Kane, Leslie *
Judy: The author I discovered this year is Anne Cleeland and her Scotland Yard/Doyle and Action Books.
So far I have read or listened to 5 of them and really love them.
Unfortunately, the “real” books are hard to find so I am listening to most of them with a good narrator.
They are such an odd pair and the first book really sucked me in.