DISCOVER:
My Favorite Books of 2024
Once again, I’m emulating Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and a host of others by providing a list of my favorite books of the year. And once again, these are the favorite books I “read,” not necessarily those published in 2024. They’re in no particular order except for the three at the top of the list. They are very different books, but all stayed with me for days after I finished them.
The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear
This is the eighteenth and final book in the Maisie Dobbs series. Winspear says she always knew the series would end with World War II, and she has done a masterful job of capturing what the two world wars did to England and her beloved characters. She brings alive not only the physical devastation, but also the loss of two generations of young men and the lasting emotional trauma it leaves on those who survived. In this final book, she brings us a more vulnerable Maisie, one who is still helping and protecting others, but who is also reflecting on her life. It may well be the best in the series, but I do recommend you start with the very first one, Maisie Dobbs.
Trivia question: In which Dickens & Christie book does Leta introduce the Maisie Dobbs technique for capturing information?
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
This book was not only named a New York Public Library Best Book of 2023, but also a most anticipated book by “Entertainment Weekly,” “Harper's Bazaar,” and “Real Simple” magazines. Could it possibly be that good? Trust me. It is.
It’s a story of grief, of love, of loss, and friendship. Clementine is dealing with the death of her beloved aunt, the charming adventurer who took her on trips to faraway lands and enriched her life in so many ways.
It’s also a romance with a bit of fantasy thrown in. It’s whimsical yet serious and portrays Clementine’s grief in a way that makes you feel it.
The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman
I am a huge King Arthur fan and when I saw a review of this book, I had to get it. Warning: This is not your typical King Arthur story. It is set wholly in Arthur’s time but has a modern tone.
If profanity bothers you, you’ll want to avoid this book. If the conflict between the pagan world and Christianity will upset you, this is not the book for you. Those fairies don’t mince their words.
This description from a Forbes review captures what you’ll encounter in this tale featuring lesser knights of the Round Table. It “… broaches issues that are decidedly more contemporary: abandonment and abuse, sexual and gender identity, even immigration, all in ways that feel natural and organic rather than preachy or pedantic." And the humor in it is also delightful.
Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver
Set in England during World War II, this mystery has a strong female protagonist. Ellie is a safecracker, roped into working for Major Ramsey to thwart the Nazis at every turn. Of course, both she and the major are good looking and single, but their backgrounds couldn’t be more different. He’s a nobleman. She’s carrying on the family tradition of thievery.
In this fourth installment, they discover an odd rash of burglaries in London and soon figure out that the crimes have their origin in Lisbon. Spies are in search of something more important than jewels.
If the description appeals to you, I suggest you start with the first in the Electra McDonnell series, A Peculiar Combination.
The Busy Body by Kemper Donovan
What fun! Two smart women on the trail of a killer. One a ghostwriter who pens memoirs and autobiographies for celebrities and politicians, the other a losing candidate in a recent presidential election. One who is accustomed to being front and center, the other a woman who makes a living being invisible.
You're bound to note the similarities to Hilary Clinton in former Senator Dorothy Gibson, who has sequestered herself in her Maine home to lick her wounds. The major difference? As far as we know, Hilary Clinton never solved a murder mystery.
Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
I don’t know how I missed this author’s first book with Ernest Cunningham as the main character, but I did. Both are written in first person and the main character, Ernest or Ern or Ernie, is a writer.
He is living the murder mystery. The Ghan, a train through the Australian desert, is hosting the Australian Mystery Writers’ Society, and Ern is invited as a guest speaker. After all, he wrote the wildly popular Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. (Yes, this is really a published book.)
Naturally, a murder on a train smacks of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, and for my money, it’s every bit as complex and twisty as that Golden Age mystery. The difference is that it’s also quite funny. I only recently got around to reading Stevenson’s first book—Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone— and it too is highly entertaining. His latest novel, Everyone this Christmas has a Secret, is on my hold list at the library.
There you have it, six books I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend. Did I read many, many more in 2024? Of course. I average two-three books a week. Did I occasionally start a book I couldn’t finish? Yes. That seems to happen more frequently these days. In the words of Frank Zappa, “So many books, so little time.”
Happy reading!