Here's the last of our Best Lists of 2010: JB’s
These are roughly in the order in which they were read:
Lou Berney’s Gutshot Straight – nice to start the year off with a bang, a very funny debut.
Don Winslow’s The Gentleman’s Hour – more fun and mayhem in his surfing world.
Scott Turow’s Innocent – the masterful part of the book is something we can’t talk about unless you’ve read Presumed Innocent AND this sequel.
Keith Thompson’s Once a Spy – the other great and funny debut of the year.
Philip Kerr’s If The Dead Not Rise – can’t praise this noir series enough
David Rosenfelt’s New Tricks – if you haven’t read his Andy Carpenter books, you’re missing out on great fun!
Mike Lawson’s House Justice – Mister Smooth does it again
Dennis Lehane’s Moonlight Mile – there is no way he could write too much about Patrick ‘n Angie
John Restor’s The Cold Kiss – the great traditional noir debut of the year
Don Winslow’s Satori – his prequel to Trevanian’s Shibumi (read that if you haven’t!)
Don Winslow’s Savages – meloncholy noir and a treat to have three Winslows in one year
Loren D. Estleman’s Amos Walker: Complete Short Stories – wow… just wow
James Lee Burke’s The Glass Rainbow – if this is the final Robicheaux, it was a perfect end to the series.
Michael Ayoob’s In Search of Mercy – a terrific debut, a mystery without a body
Greg Rucka’s The Last Run – timely intrigue from a young master
Reggie Nadelson’s Blood Count – nearly a locked room mystery but certainly a nice whodunnit in Harlem
Urban Waite’s Terror of Living – stunning debut by a local guy
Bill James’ Poplular Crime: Reflections on the Celebration of Violence – the baseball genius turns his mind to crime and why we’re all riveted by it and the larger impacts it has on our society, an interesting book well written
And three non-mysteries to mention, and, speaking of James, two are baseball:
Larry Tye’s Satchel - a marvelous yet heart-breaking biography of Satchel Paige
Cait Murphy’s Crazy ’08 – a history of a single year (+1908) in baseball, filled with great games and names
Robin D.G. Kelly’s Thelonious Monk – also marvelous and heartbreaking
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