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1 July 2011

Best Crime Fiction Reads 2011: mid way report


What are the best crime fiction titles you've read in 2011?

So far this year I've read 82 books.
I review them all and have a record of them on 2011 Reviews
Over one third of the books I've read have scored a rating of 4.7 and above.
I don't think that is necessarily because I am generous in my ratings, but because I tend to read books I think I will like. Time is too short to spend it on books I know I will hate.

I base my selections on blurbs, listings for awards, and recommendations/reviews from fellow bloggers.

For my best reads so far in 2011 I have chosen books that I have given a rating of 4.8 or above. That gives a list of about 15 or so.

5.0, BURY YOUR DEAD, Louise Penny
5.0, THE WRECKAGE, Michael Robotham
5.0, A THOUSAND CUTS, Simon Lelic 
5.0, THE RULE BOOK, Rob Kitchin
5.0, DEAD TOMORROW, Peter James
4.9, THE BRUTAL TELLING, Louise Penny
4.9, BAD INTENTIONS, Karin Fossum
4.8, THE HANGING WOOD, Martin Edwards
4.8, KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES, Jussi Adler-Olsen
4.8, AN UNCERTAIN PLACE, Fred Vargas 
4.8, COLD JUSTICE, Katherine Howell
4.8, THE LEOPARD, Jo Nesbo  
4.8, CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER, Tom Franklin
4.8, BOUND, Vanda Symon
4.8, SILENT VOICES, Ann Cleeves
4.8, THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE, Alan Bradley

I am interested in knowing what your best crime fiction reads so far this year have been.
Please list up to 15 of them in a comment. I will collate the lists and publish in a later post (on about July 15)
If you'd like to use my logo in a post on your own blog, please feel free to do so, as well as providing a link back to this post.
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15 comments:

  1. Marce1 July 2011 at 12:07

    I read Sweetness last year, agree with that one, I have a few others on my Wishlist.

    Here are a few of my choices.

    Farquhar, Wayne - Blood over Badge

    French, Nicci - Beneath the Skin

    I am Not a Serial Killer and Mr. Monster by Dan Wells

    Ellison, J.T. - So Close the Hand of Death

    Christie, Agatha - And Then There Were None

    Kane, Andrea - The Girl who Disappeared Twice

    The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey

    I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark

    The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton

    The Third Rail by Michael Harvey

    ReplyDelete
  2. Margaret @ BooksPlease1 July 2011 at 15:45

    Here's my list (which I'll also post on my blog):

    Exit Lines by Reginald Hill
    Drawing Conclusions by Donna Leon
    Rebus’s Scotland by Ian Rankin
    The Stabbing in the Stables by Simon Brett
    Gently Does It by Alan Hunter
    Cop Hater by Ed McBain
    The Case of the Lame Canary by Erle Stanley Gardner 4.5/5
    Intimate Kill by Margaret Yorke
    Wycliffe and the Last Rites by W J Burley
    The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn by Colin Dexter
    The Art of Drowning by Frances Fyfield

    ReplyDelete
  3. Maxine Clarke2 July 2011 at 03:39

    Here's my selection, from a week or so ago:
    http://petronatwo.wordpress.com/2011/06/23/books-to-take-on-holiday/

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cat2 July 2011 at 08:21

    Great idea - these lists are going to add lots of new titles to my TBR.

    I've posted my list here

    http://cat-bookmagic.blogspot.com/2011/07/best-crime-fiction-reads-2011.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bev Hankins2 July 2011 at 10:43

    I did mine as a post (with links to reviews in case anyone wants to see what the books are about).

    http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2011/07/best-crime-novels-of-2011-so-far.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bev Hankins2 July 2011 at 10:45

    PS: The only author on your list that I've read is Ann Cleeves...but not this one.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bernadette3 July 2011 at 09:36

    I've listed mine on the blog, the more I read the harder this gets :(

    ReplyDelete
  8. Rob Kitchin3 July 2011 at 21:43

    Kerrie,

    great that The Rule Book made your mid-year list. Thanks.

    I've read 52 books so far this year. 6 are 5 star reviews and 7 4.5 stars.

    The Rage by Gene Kerrigan
    The Deputy by Victor Gischler
    Caught Stealing by Charlie Huston
    Ghost Mountain Boys by James Campbell
    Secret Dead Men by Diane Swierczynski
    Field Grey by Philip Kerr

    Mercy by Jussi Adler-Olsen
    The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson
    The Brush Off by Shane Maloney
    A Stone of the Heart by John Brady
    Devil Red by Joe Lansdale
    The Main by Trevanian
    A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous4 July 2011 at 11:53

    I haven't read any of these! Here are a few of mine...
    Heartsick- Cheslsea Cain
    Live Wire- Harlan Coben
    The Lake Effect- Les Roberts

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous5 July 2011 at 05:18

    Kerrie - This is always such a hard task, but here are just a few I've particularly liked (in no specific order):

    The Blood Spilt Åsa Larsson
    The Wings of the Sphinx - Andrea Camilleri
    The Reversal - Michael Connelly
    Redback - Lindy Cameron
    Blacklands - Belinda Bauer

    ReplyDelete
  11. Vicki8 July 2011 at 08:04

    Off the top of my head:

    Lasting Damage [Paperback] by Sophie Hannah
    Never Say Die and Whistleblower [Kindle Edition] by Tess Gerritsen (more specifically Whistleblower)
    Liquid Fear [Kindle Edition] by Scott Nicholson
    Storm Surge [Kindle Edition] by J D Rhoades

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous8 July 2011 at 18:01

    Sorry Kerrie, I forgot to add here a link to my post: http://jiescribano.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/best-crime-fiction-reads-2011-first-half/

    ReplyDelete
  13. Uriah Robinson10 July 2011 at 19:27

    Kerrie, I only read 25 books so here are the five I enjoyed most:

    A Lily of the Field; John Lawton
    Mercy: Jussi Adler-Olsen
    Devil's Peak; Deon Meyer
    The Leopard; Jo Nesbo
    An Uncertain Place; Fred Vargas

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous14 July 2011 at 08:29

    I just enjoyed reading the new Kindle book from Amazon entitled "The Empanada Affair".

    ReplyDelete
  15. kathy d.17 July 2011 at 15:31

    My favorite crime-fiction reads of 2011 have been (And I'm a bit behind on some of these series):

    Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter: Tom Franklin
    An Uncertain Place: Fred Vargas
    Faithful Place: Tana French
    Drawing Conclusions: Donna Leon
    Mistress in the Art of Death: Ariana Franklin
    Nemesis: Jo Nesbo
    Red Wolf: Liza Marklund
    Started Early, Took My Dog: Kate Atkinson
    Wings of the Sphinx: Andrea Camilleri
    Roseanna: Sjowall/Wahloo
    The Doorbell Rang: Rex Stout

    ReplyDelete

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