Feature

2008 REVIEWER PICKS

Recently we asked our reviewers to provide us with a list of some of their favorite books from 2008. Included is a mix of fiction and nonfiction titles, all published this year. Take a moment to read these varied lists of titles and see if you agree with their selections! Please note that due to personal and professional commitments, some reviewers were not able to participate in this feature.

Kate Ayers

Tom Callahan

THE GOOD RAT: A True Story, by Jimmy Breslin
One of the greatest columnists in the history of American journalism and author of one of the early mafia books, THE GANG THAT COULDN’T SHOOT STRAIGHT, returns to his roots on the streets of New York to write about the 21st century mob. And while the mob might not be the same, Jimmy Breslin is writing at the height of his powers. Keep the books coming, JB.
HIT AND RUN by Lawrence Block
Yet one more masterpiece from America’s greatest living mystery writer. Lawrence Block has been writing noir for half a century, and this book takes us from despair and desperation to redemption and salvation as his hit man, Keller, is implicated in a political assassination. Maybe there is a way out. Block is a great storyteller. It is as simple as that.
THE MAX by Ken Bruen and Jason Starr
Hard Case Crime has reprinted many wonderful mysteries in the last few years, but they have also put two of today’s best crime writers together to craft a terrific original series. This collaboration works like a charm. This is the latest installment in the noir adventures of corrupt Max Fisher and his former secretary, the very ambitious Angela Petrakos. Note to Jason: Angela has got to get up off the deck for the next one.
FIFTY-TO-ONE by Charles Ardai
Charles Ardai, who also writes under the pen name Richard Aleas, is the founder/editor of Hard Case Crime. He is also an excellent mystery writer in his own right and proves it in this fun, lighthearted mystery commemorating the 50th book published by that house. Ardai uses all 50 book titles as his chapter titles here, and the book contains a full-color insert of all the retro hard-boiled cover art used in the novels. The insert along makes it a keepsake, but the story is totally entertaining in the best hard-boiled tradition.
SEVERANCE PACKAGE by Duane Swierczynski
Every year I wait for a book to come along to take my breath away, and this year it was SEVERANCE PACKAGE. Swierczynski is one of the young masters at building suspense. This is 21st-century noir, where nothing is as it seems and even greater levels of disaster wait on the next page.
THIS LAND IS THEIR LAND: Reports from a Divided Nation, by Barbara Ehrenreich
In a year when the economy crashed, Barbara Ehrenreich reminded us again that it’s ordinary, hardworking Americans who get crushed beneath the rubble. She also points out that this disaster did not just happen but was connected to a political philosophy that has waged war on American workers and the American middle class since the days of Reagan and redistributed the wealth of the nation to the top. With the future uncertain for millions and the winds of change blowing through Washington, Ehrenreich shows that real change will have to happen from the bottom up if it is to mean anything.

Harvey Freedenberg

Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum

Joe Hartlaub

DEAD TIME by Stephen White
Each of Stephen White's Alan Gregory novels is somewhat different. So to is DEAD TIME, wherein current events in psychologist Gregory's life reveal much about his past, and potentially his future, as he crosses the country at the mysterious request of his ex-wife. A complete work in and of itself, I nevertheless cannot wait for the next installment.
BURN ZONE by James O. Born
One of crime fiction's most underappreciated writers, James O. Born captures the essence of South Florida perfectly through the eyes of BATF agent Alex Duarte in this unforgettable work.
WICKED CITY by Ace Atkins
Ace Atkins’s historical thriller set in mid-20th century Phenix City, Alabama --- at one point considered the most corrupt city in America --- is picture- and pitch-perfect in every way.
L.A. OUTLAWS by T. Jefferson Parker
T. Jefferson Parker somehow continues to top himself in this dark novel of obsession, crime and angst doled out in frequent if unequal measures, with characters who will stay with you long after you finish the story.
THE SPY WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS by David Morrell
David Morrell achieves the impossible with a seasonal story that can be read and enjoyed at any time of the year, over and over again.
SWAN PEAK by James Lee Burke
This sequel to BLACK CHERRY BLUES (which was published almost 20 years ago) returns Robicheaux and Clete Purcel to Montana, where they encounter ghosts of the past as well as unfinished, and deadly, business. Burke's descriptive prose remains among the best by a contemporary American author.
AT FIRST SIGHT by Stephen J. Cannell
This very different stand-alone work by Stephen J. Cannell is not to be missed, a journey into noir fiction wherein he grasps the genre and makes it his own.
GOOD PEOPLE by Marcus Sakey
It would be easy to call this an urban take on A SIMPLE PLAN, but such a comparison is unfair to both works. Marcus Sakey captures, down to the last nuance, the believable actions and reactions of a young married couple who discover and keep a treasureload of stolen money, thus placing themselves in terrible danger.
BREAKING COVER by J.D. Rhoades
You won't be able to read this tale of a renegade FBI agent up against an outlaw biker gang fast enough. I should note that all of my friends to whom I have recommended this book have called me --- not e-mailed me, but called me --- to thank me.
ONCE WERE COPS by Ken Bruen
Ken Bruen is one of the few authors who with just a few paragraphs can slip readers loose of their moorings. ONCE WERE COPS breaks all the rules and establishes new benchmarks for dark crime fiction.

Ray Palen

Norah Piehl

Terry Miller Shannon

Carole Turner

DEWEY: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, by Vicki Myron with Brett Witter
This book about a lovable feline has touched many, many people and remains on the bestseller lists.
THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein
A dog narrates this unusual book. Enzo really understands human nature and has a dry wit. He fully expects to be reincarnated as a man and looks forward to having opposable thumbs and the gift of speech.
BLUE SKY JULY: A Mother’s Story of Hope and Healing, by Nia Wyn
A determined mother's life revolves around making sure that her severely handicapped young son can live as full a life as possible.
THE ENGLISH MAJOR by Jim Harrison
A just-divorced, older man takes a road trip to start his life over and finds out who he is now that he is no longer a farmer, teacher or husband.

Donna Volkenannt

THE SECRET SCRIPTURE by Sebastian Barry
An elegantly written novel about the destructive power of well-intentioned people to destroy lives and the redemptive power of truth to heal, no matter how long it takes.
ANCIENT HIGHWAY by Bret Lott
A beautifully written novel spanning three generations; it’s a story about family, failed dreams, hope and healing.
THE FIFTH FLOOR by Michael Harvey
A mystery set in Chicago with a failed hero worth rooting for. This is a story about the worst and the best of the human condition --- power, greed, corruption and hate; loyalty, sacrifice, courage and love. Chicago politics --- now where have I heard that lately?
THIS ONE IS MINE by Maria Semple
A debut novel that is at times wickedly funny, tart and bitter, sweet and wise --- and always entertaining.
THE KILLING CIRCLE by Andrew Pyper
A dark and chilling tale of ambition, envy, greed, revenge and the evil that lurks among us.
THE GHOST WAR by Alex Berenson
A well-crafted thriller about events that bring two superpowers to the brink of war. It’s a story of ambition, betrayal, sacrifice, redemption and the remarkable power of faith to transform and save lives.
SMILES TO GO by Jerry Spinelli
Written for a younger audience, but with a message that resonates for readers of all ages. It’s a thoughtful and moving book about families and friendships and what’s really important in life.
THE SEVEN SINS: THE TYRANT ASCENDING by Jon Land
A fast-paced thriller with a flawed, yet fascinating, character whose daredevil personality and single-minded ambition thrust him into a high-stakes world of greed, betrayal, revenge and murder.
THE HERETIC’S DAUGHTER by Kathleen Kent
A debut historical fiction written by a descendent of the Salem Witch Trials --- with strong storytelling, vivid use of descriptive language and a haunting voice.
THE YESTERYEAR TALES by David Lee Kirkland
A wise and witty short story collection written in a folksy voice and peppered with stories about country life, simpler times and characters worth remembering.

Kathy Weissman

THE ROAD HOME by Rose Tremain
One of my favorite writers outdoes herself with this novel of an Eastern European immigrant in London. Won England's Orange Broadband Prize.
WHAT WAS LOST by Catherine O'Flynn
A debut mystery with an incredibly fresh voice.
LIFE CLASS by Pat Barker
Pat Barker continues her brilliant re-imagining of World War I, begun in the prize-winning Regeneration trilogy.
EPILOGUE: A Memoir, by Anne Roiphe
Anne Roiphe was one of those writers whose novels fired the imagination of young feminists in the ’70s, of whom I was one (her UP THE SANDBOX was made into a movie with Barbra Streisand). Her memoir of widowhood is smart, understated and heartbreaking.
AN EXACT REPLICA OF A FIGMENT OF MY IMAGINATION: A Memoir, by Elizabeth McCracken
I've always loved Elizabeth McCracken's fiction (THE GIANT’S HOUSE, for example); this account of her son's stillbirth is a devastating piece of work.

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