It’s that time of year – the time to construct the ‘best of’ books I’ve read this year. I tried, and failed to construct a top ten. So here’s my top fourteen…

(Buy links for UK are on the book title and for US on the author name.)

 

Girl in the Dark – Anna Lyndsey: A beautifully written memoir of one woman’s battle with the light.

The Corpse Role – Keith Nixon: Highly original, Fast-paced, tightly-plotted, page-turning crime.

Sewing the shadows together – Alison Baillie: Agatha Christie-esque crime writing set in a modern world.

Escape to Perdition – James Silvester: Dripping with intrigue, history, politics and culture, this is conspiracy at its best.

You think you know me – Clare Chase: Pacy intrigue, romance and suspense expertly woven together.

Bedlam – BA Morton: Twisted crime/ mystery/ psychological suspense/ thriller story with sprinkles of literary and coming-of-age.

Godsquad – Heide Goody and Iain Grant: Wonderful fantasy adventure, with a good helping of cynicism and comedy.

Paradise City – CJ Duggan : Coming-of-age with a healthy dose of realism in surf-mad Eastern Australia.

A Carpet of Purple Flowers – Tracey-anne McCartney:  Intricately-imagined fantasy, suspenseful action, and a lot of well-crafted drama.

Six Lies – Ben Adams: Fresh, poignant, and witty contemporary fiction with healthy doses of drama and romance.

The Summer of Secrets – Sarah Jasmon: Flawed characters, twists and unexpected revelations. Poignant, moving and stunning.

Assume Nothing, Believe Nobody, Challenge Everything – Mike Craven: Collection of fast-paced, interlinked short crime stories.

                                  

Too Charming – Kathryn Freeman: With dashes of wit, introspection and crime, this is a tale of finding love in the most unlikely of places.

Confessions of a Queen B* – Crista McHugh: Fresh take on highschool romance, with realistically witty dialogue and great writing.