Better Late than Never
Books in 2013
Death Without Company, and
Kindness Goes Unpunished, by Craig Johnson - I enjoyed the first book so much I went and read the next two. The stories give an idea of what it is like to live out west, in addition to being good stories.
The Halloween Tree, by Ray Bradbury - A book that I wish I had discovered years ago, and deals with how the holiday is dealt with around the world. I thought it a pity it was not longer.
Bitter Seeds, by Ian Tregillis - Almost my favorite for the year, and the fact that it was a first novel gives me great hope for his future.
Flood, by Andrew Vachss* - This one has not aged well over the years since I first read it. I hope that his other books improved as he wrote more.
The Cold Commands, by Richard K. Morgan - I am enjoying the series; although it is best described as summer reading, as I define it. Much higher standard for this type of fare, fortunately.
A Test of Wills, by Charles Todd - Another first novel, and I did not figure this one out, although I was using logic, and the killer was insane in a literal sense, which is not often encountered in mysteries.
The Body in the Library, by Agatha Christie - She may have been the Grand Dame of mysteries, but Miss Marple’s first adventure is not one of her better efforts.
Redlaw, by James Lovegrove - Summertime schlock, although fractionally better than usual for this fare.
Moonraker, by Ian Fleming - I appreciate the writer’s minimalism more with each book. I continue to enjoy the series more than I was anticipating.
Mugger and
Pusher, by Ed McBain - I still have found no other author, living or dead, who does better police procedurals than this man. I am reading more of his, because he also published about fifty books in this series, and I am now trying to read them on a quarterly basis. Otherwise, I might not finish before dying.
Cadillac Jukebox, by James Lee Burke - Yes, I read this one a second time, because I was stupid enough not to mark it off as read. By the time I realized it for certain, I figured, to hell with it, and finished it. So now I have that book better memorized than some others.
Changes, by Jim Butcher - He continues to improve, and he continues to need improvement. Still, consistent summer time schlock.
Deathstalker, by Simon R. Green - More summer schlock, but I enjoy it, so what the hell.
The Anodyne Necklace, by Martha Grimes - Another solid mystery from this author, also. I like Elizabeth George better, but this has more amusing characters. Usually. There are one or two supporting cast members who I wish she would drop or kill off, but, oh well.
Fevre Dream, by some author whose name I forget - This is so damn much better than the Armageddon Rag, I wish I had read this one first. A solid work. Almost makes me wish he had more stand-alone books.
The Company, by KJ Parker - I spent vast amounts of time wondering if I was missing information that had been given to me while reading this. I spend time wondering if I liked or hated almost all of the characters. I spent time appreciated the odd paths that the storyline went, which remained intelligent regardless of where it wandered. I spent time wondering if I loved the ending, or felt like I had been cheated. So, screw it. If I spent that much time thinking about the book even while I was reading it, that makes it the best one I read last year, even though I still do not know if I like the thing.
The Unlikely Spy, by Daniel Silva - Definitely one of the better additions to the WWII spy genre, of which there is a plethora. I will be trying this author’s other work at some point. Of course, I say that about almost everyone, so who knows if I will succeed or not.
Greatshadow, by James Maxey - Put another check into the summer schlock category, under acceptable.