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2009 REVIEWER PICKS

Recently we asked our reviewers to provide us with a list of some of their favorite books from 2009. 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

Alexis Burling

Tom Callahan

STEP BY STEP: A Pedestrian Memoir, by Lawrence Block
Block long ago proved that he was one of America’s greatest living mystery writers. But here he give us his first nonfiction book --- a memoir of his life as a racewalker. The result is a beautifully written poignant book full of life and hope. Larry Block is a literary treasure.
ROAD DOGS by Elmore Leonard
Speaking of literary treasures, any year with a new book from the great Elmore Leonard cannot be all bad. And here the master is still working and writing at the top of his game. Reading his dialogue, his scene setting and his economy of language is still a breathtakingly enjoyable experience after all these years.
GET REAL: A Dortmunder Novel, by Donald E. Westlake
This year started on a sad note with the death of this great writer and master of mysteries. And what made it sadder was the realization that this book is the last comic caper featuring John Dortmunder and his crew of lovable burglars. And while skewering “reality TV,” GET REAL just happens to be as good as any book in the series. RIP, Mr. Westlake. You are already missed.
BURY ME DEEP by Megan Abbott
The day will soon arrive when Abbott will be mentioned with the greats of mystery fiction, and as far as I am concerned, the day is now. Each Abbott novel gets stronger as she reinvents the classic world of film noir fiction by revisiting classic true life crime stories of the past like this long forgotten sensational murder case from 1931. This is a great novel and will make for a great movie someday.
L.A. NOIR: The Struggle for the Soul of America’s Most Seductive City, by John Buntin
This is a history of 20th century Los Angeles reflected by the conflict between a flamboyant gangster and a deeply flawed cop. Add in “B” girls, Hollywood stars, J. Edgar Hoover, wiretaps and race riots, and you have the book I couldn’t put down this year. This is the behind-the-scenes story about the stories we have seen fictionalized on TV and the movies for decades.
HUNT THROUGH THE CRADLE OF FEAR by Gabriel Hunt, as told to Charles Ardai
Of course there is no Hunt. He is a fictional creation of Ardai, who this year brought us a paperback original series in the tradition of the old Doc Savage and Indiana Jones adventures. This is just fun, escapist reading. With both this series and Hard Case Crime, nobody has done more than Ardai to keep alive the wonderful world of pulp fiction in recent years. That’s worth a tip of the fedora.

Max Falkowitz

THE MAGICIANS by Lev Grossman

Robert Finn

HUNTING EICHMANN: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi, by Neal Bascomb
The hunt to find capture Adolf Eichmann.
IMPEACHED: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln’s Legacy, by David O. Stewart
The attempt to impeach Andrew Johnson.
THE WOMAN BEHIND THE NEW DEAL: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR'S Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience, by Kirstin Downey
A life of Frances Perkins.
TRUE COMPASS: A Memoir, by Edward M. Kennedy
The late senator's testament.
STONES INTO SCHOOLS: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, by Greg Mortenson
The story of Mortenson’s campaign to build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Harvey Freedenberg

Joe Hartlaub

RAIN GODS by James Lee Burke
The Master steps up and delivers the best book of his already brilliant career, bringing back one of his oldest characters in a work that is part crime noir, part western, all literary, all Burke.
THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE by Stieg Larsson
The second installment of what would have been the world’s longest thriller demonstrates that its predecessor was no fluke. You cannot stop reading once you start, with Larsson dropping plot bombshells from beginning to end.
ABANDON by Blake Crouch
Crouch steps up after too long an absence and combines elements of the thriller and western genres to stretch their boundaries and incidentally master them both.
FAKE I.D. by Jason Starr
If you have never read Jason Starr, start with this one, read his backlist, and become acquainted with a guy who will be a household name in movies, television and graphic novels by the end of 2011. A story about a would-be actor, current bouncer and all-around creep, it’s a chilling tale about a bad guy whose reach exceeds its grasp.
NINE DRAGONS by Michael Connelly
Connelly continues to reveal more about Harry Bosch’s background as Bosch travels to Hong Kong to rescue his daughter from a kidnapping. Everything is irrevocably changed. Bosch continues to be one of the most quietly complex protagonists in fiction.
BREATHING WATER: A Bangkok Thriller, by Timothy Hallinan
Hallinan once again uses an exotic setting --- Bangkok --- in the third and best of the Poke Rafferty novels as the American expatriate wins a poker game that he shouldn’t have and finds himself in dire consequences.
THE VIOLET HOUR by Daniel Judson
A man short in years and heavy in character gets in over his head to protect the object of his unrequited love in Judson’s latest poetic exploration of the dark underbelly of the glittering Hamptons.
WHERE THE DEAD LAY by David Levien
The second in Levien’s series of Indianapolis noir novels is a one-sit, addicting read about a crime that you probably didn’t even know existed. You’ll never think of Indianapolis the same way again.
I, SNIPER: A Bob Lee Swagger Novel, by Stephen Hunter
Hunter’s iconic Bob Lee Swagger shows that age, experience and guile beat youth and technology every time, and does so in a believable manner. A Pulitzer Prize winner, Hunter comes through with his best book yet as Swagger investigates a series of assassinations and finds himself in the crosshairs.
FEAR THE WORST by Linwood Barclay
A car salesman’s teenage daughter disappears from her hotel desk clerk job at an establishment where she apparently never worked. And it gets better from there. Do not miss this one.

Stephen Hubbard

Christine Irvin

Ray Palen

Norah Piehl

Terry Miller Shannon

Jana Siciliano

Melanie Smith

Amie Taylor

Carole Turner

Donna Volkenannt

FEARLESS CONFESSIONS: A Writer's Guide to Memoir, by Sue William Silverman
Filled with practical writing advice.
FINDING JOY: One Woman's Journey Back to Faith, by Joy Wooderson
An insightful memoir written by the daughter and granddaughter of Christian missionaries who lived and preached in South Africa.
PEP TALKS, WARNINGS & SCREEDS: Indispensable Wisdom And Cautionary Advice For Writers, by George Singleton
Guaranteed to put a smile on your face while guiding you along your writing journey.
SECRET KEEPERS by Mindy Friddle
A poignant novel of love and loss and renewal.
STRONG ENOUGH TO DIE: A Caitlin Strong Novel, by Jon Land
A high-octane thriller with memorable characters, unusual plot twists and fast-paced action.
THE DOOMSDAY KEY by James Rollins
Fuses science, technology, religion and myth into an unstoppable thriller.
THE LAST EMBER by Daniel Levin
Combines history, politics, religion and archaeology into an intelligent and engrossing story.
THE HIDDEN MAN by David Ellis
Has vivid writing, compelling characters and a strong story line.
THE LAST WILL OF MOIRA LEAHY by Therese Walsh
An evocative story that’s beautifully written.
YOU CAN’T DRINK ALL DAY IF YOU DON’T START IN THE MORNING by Celia Rivenbark
A collection of essays that serves up laugh-out-loud, Southern-style humor, complete with recipes.

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