Readers of MYSTERIES in PARADISE were invited to
submit their best 10 crime fiction reads in 2009.
The rules were simple - the books could be published in any year, they just had to be crime fiction.
In the long run 56 contributors suggested 541 titles.
Of course there were many duplicates both in titles and in authors. There were over 420 unique titles, but a number of authors with more than one book.
Here is the full list in alphabetic order of title:
13 1/2 by Nevada Barr
1977 by David Peace
9 DRAGONS by Michael Connelly
A BAD DAY FOR SORRY by Sophie Littlefield
A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE by Malla Nunn
A CARRION DEATH by Michael Stanley
A CERTAIN MALICE by Felicity Young
A CURE FOR ALL DISEASES by Reginald Hill
A DARKER DOMAIN by Val Mcdermid
A DUTY TO THE DEAD by Charles Todd
A GOOD TIME TO DIE by Simon Kerbrick
A JUDGEMENT IN STONE by Ruth Rendell
A NOT SO PERFECT CRIME by Teresa Solana
A PALE HORSE by Charles Todd
A PASSAGE TO INDIA by E.M. Forster
A POCKET FULL OF RYE by Agatha Christie
A QUIET FLAME by Philip Kerr
A RULE AGAINST MURDER by Louise Penny
A SURFEIT OF LAMPREYS by Ngaio Marsh
A TEST OF WILLS by Charles Todd
A TRACE OF SMOKE by Rebecca Cantrell
A VENGEFUL LONGING by Roger Morris
A WORLD I NEVER MADE by James LePore
AGATHA CHRISTIE AND THE ELEVEN MISSING DAYS by Jared Cade
AGATHA RAISIN AND KISSING CHRISTMAS GOODBYE by M.C. Beaton
ALONE IN BERLIN by Hans Fallada
ALWAYS OUTNUMBERED, ALWAYS OUTGUNNER by Walter Mosley
AMONG THE MAD by Jacqueline Winspear
AN AIR THAT KILLS by Andrew Taylor
AN UNSUITABLE JOB FOR A WOMAN by P.D. James
ARCTIC CHILL by Arnaldur Indriðason
AS DARKNESS FALLS by Bronwyn Parry
AUDITION FOR MURDER by Susan Sussman/Sarajane Avilson
AUGUST HEAT by Andrea Camilleri
AWAIT YOUR REPLY by Dan Chaon
AWAKENING by S.J. Bolton
BACK TO THE COAST by Saskia Noort
BAD TRAFFIC by Simon Lewis
BEAST OF BURDEN by Ray Banks
BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE MUSEUM by Kate Atkinson
BEST INTENTIONS by Emily Listfield
BEYOND SUSPICION by Tanguy Viel
BIG HAIR, FLYING COWS by Dolores Wilson
BLACK ICE by Leah Giarratano
BLACKOUT by John Lawton
BLEED A RIVER DEEP by Brian McGilloway
BLOOD AND ICE by Robert Masello
BLOOD MOON by Garry Disher
BLOOD SAFARI by Deon Meyer
BLOODY WOMEN by Helen FitzGerald
BLUE BLOODS by Melissa De La Cruz
BLUE HEAVEN by C. J . Box
BLUE SHOES AND HAPPINESS by Alexander McCall Smith
BODY DOUBLE by Tess Gerritsen
BOMBPROOF by Michael Robotham
BONE BY BONE by Carol O'Connell
BORKMANN'S POINT by Hakan Nesser
BREATHING OUT THE GHOST by Kirk Curnutt
BREATHING WATER by Timothy Hallinan
BRIGHT AIR by Barry Maitland
BRODECK'S REPORT by Philippe Claudel
BROKEN DREAMS by Nick Quantrill
BROKEN HARMONY by Roz Southey
BURY ME DEEP by Megan Abbott
CALLING OUT FOR YOU by Karin Fossum
CAPE DISAPPOINTMENT by Earl Emerson
CARDS ON THE TABLE by Agatha Christie
CASE CLOSED (manga series) by Gosho Aoyama
CASE HISTORIES by Kate Atkinson
CASEBOOK OF THE BLACK WIDOWERS by Isaac Asimov
CHILD 44 by Tom Rob Smith
CHINAMAN'S CHANCE by Ross Thomas
CHRISTINE FALLS by Benjamin Black
CITY OF MASKS by Daniel Hecht
COLD IN HAND by John Harvey
COLD TO THE TOUCH by Frances Fyfield
CONSEQUENCES OF SIN by Clare Langley-Hawthorne
CROSSING PLACES by Elly Griffiths
CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT SITTER by Blaize Clement
CUT SHORT by Leigh Russell
DAMN NEAR DEAD by Duane Swierczynski, editor
DARK PLACES by Gillian Flynn
DEAD LOVELY by Helen Fitzgerald
DEAD MEN'S DUST by Matt Hilton
DEAD SIGHT by Glenn Chandler
DEAD SPY RUNNING by Jon Stock
DEAD TO THE WORLD by Charlaine Harris
DEAD UNTIL DARK by Charlaine Harris
DEADFOLK by Charlie Williams
DEATH IN THE CLOUDS by Agatha Christie
DEATH IN THE TRUFFLE WOOD by Pierre Magnan
DEATH OF A HUSSY by M.C. Beaton
DEATH ON DOOMSDAY by Elizabeth Lemarchand
DEATH ON THE NILE by Agatha Christie
DEATH WORE WHITE by Jim Kelly
DECEMBER HEAT by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza
DESERT WIVES by Betty Webb
DEVIL’S FOOD by Kerry Greenwood
DEVIL'S PEAK by Deon Meyer
DIAMOND DOVE (aka MOONLIGHT DOWNS) by Adrian Hyland
DOG ON IT by Spencer Quinn
DON'T CALL ME A CROOK by Bob Moore
DUMB WITNESS by Agatha Christie
DYING IN THE DARK by Sally Spenser
DYING TO SIN by Stephen Booth
ECHOES FROM THE DEAD by Johan Theorin
EMPTY EVER AFTER by Reed Farrel Coleman
END OF THE WORLD IN BRESLAU by Marek Krajewski
EXCURSON TO TINDARI by Andrea Camilleri
EXIT MUSIC by Ian Rankin
FACELESS KILLERS by Henning Mankell
FACES OF THE GONE by Brad Parks
FAITHLESS by Karin Slaughter
FAN MAIL by PD Martin
FAREWELL, MY LOVELY by Raymond Chandler
FEARLESS FOURTEEN by Janet Evanovich
FELL PURPOSE by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
FEVER OF THE BONE by Val McDermid
FIFTY GRAND by Adrian McKinty
FINCH by Jeff VanderMeer
FINGER LICKIN' FIFTEEN by Janet Evanovich
FORBIDDEN FRUIT by Kerry Greenwood
GALLOWS LANE by Brian McGilloway
GARNETHILL by Denise Mina
GENTLEMEN & PLAYERS by Joanne Harris
GHOST SONG by Sarah Rayne
GO TO HELENA HANDBASKET by Donna Moore
GORY KNIGHT by Margaret Larminie and Jane Langslow
GUILTY KNOWLEDGE by Clare Curzon
GUN by Ray Banks
GUTTED by Tony Black
HALFHEAD by Stuart MacBride
HARD MAN AND SAVAGE NIGHT by Allan Guthrie
HARD RAIN by Barry Eisler
HARUM SCARUM by Felicity Young
HAVANA WORLD SERIES by ose Latour
HEAVEN'S KEEP by William Kent Krueger
HERCULE POIROT'S CHRISTMAS by Agatha Christie
HIT AND RUN by Lawrence Block
HOLIDAY GRIND by Cleo Coyle
HOLIDAY IN DEATH by JD Robb
HYPOTHERMIA by Arnaldur Indridason
HYPOTHERMIA by Arnaldur Indridason
I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER by Dan Wells
IF THE DEAD RISE NOT by Philip Kerr
IN THE SMALL HOURS OF THE MORNING by Margaret Yorke
IN THE WOODS by Tana French
INHERENT VICE by Thomas Pynchon
INNER CIRCLE by Mari Jungstedt
INTO THE WEB by Thomas H. Cook
KANE: RABBIT HUNT by Paul Grist
KILLER by Dave Zeltserman
KILLING FLOOR by Lee Child
KILLING HANDS by PD Martin
KILLING MUM by Allan Guthrie
KINDNESS GOES UNPUNISHED by Craig Johnson
KISS MOMMY GOODBYE by Joy Fielding
KNOCKEMSTIFF by Donald Ray Pollock
LA RAISON DU MEILLEUR EST TOUJOURS LA PLUS FORTE (THE BEST ONE'S WILL IS ALWAYS THE STRONGEST) by René Reouven
LAST RITUALS by Yrsa Sigurdottir
LE CAUCHEMAR DE L'AUBE (NIGHTMARE AT DAWN) by Frédéric Dard
LIBRARY OF THE DEAD by Glenn Cooper
LIFE SENTENCES by Laura Lippman
LINCOLN LAWYER by Michael Connolley
LITTLE FACE by Sophie Hannah
LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS by Charlaine Harris
LONDONGRAD by Reggie Nadelon
LONELYHEART 4122 by Colin Watson
LORRAINE CONNECTION by Dominique Manotti
LUSH LIFE by Richard Price
MAIGRET AND THE HUNDRED GIBBETS by Georges Simenon
MAISIE DOBBS by Jacqueline Winspear
MATHILDE ET SES MITAINES (MATHILDE AND HER MITTENS) by Tristan Bernard
MESSENGER OF TRUTH by Jacqueline Winspear
MISSING by Karin Alvtegen
MISTRESS OF THE ART OF DEATH by Ariana Franklin
MIXED BLOOD by Roger Smith
MR. MONK AND THE DIRTY COP by Lee Goldberg
MURDER IN MESOPOTAMIA by Agatha Christie
MURDER IN THE MARAIS by Cara Black
MURDER ON A GIRL'S NIGHT OUT by Anne George
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS by Agatha Christie
MYSTERY OF THE BLUE TRAIN by Agatha Christie
NAKED TO THE HANGMAN by Andrew Taylor
NECESSARY AS BLOOD by Deborah Crombie
NEMESIS by Jo Nesbø
NO ONE YOU KNOW by Michelle Richmond
OLD FLAMES by John Lawton
ONCE WERE COPS by Ken Bruen
ONE CARELESS MOMENT by Dave Hugelschaffer
OUT by Natsuo Kirino
PAIN KILLERS by Jerry Stahl
PARIAH by Dave Zeltserman
PAYING FOR IT by Tony Black
PERIL AT END HOUSE by Agatha Christie
PLAY DEAD by Richard Montanari
PLEASING THE DEAD by Deborah Turrell Atkinson
PRIME TIME by Hank Phillippi Ryan
PRINT THE LEGEND by Craig McDonald
RAIN GODS by James Lee Burke
RAVEN BLACK by Ann Cleeves
RAVENS by George Dawes Green
RED by Erica Spindler
RED BONES by Ann Cleeves
RED VELVET TURNSHOE by Cassandra Clark
REDBREAST by Jo Nesbo
RELICS OF THE DEAD by Ariana Franklin
REVELATION by CJ Sansom
ROAD DOGS by Elmore Leonard
ROGUE MALES by Craig McDonald
ROUGH TRADE by Dominique Manotti
ROUNDING THE MARK by Andrea Camilleri
RULE AGAINST MURDER by Louise Penny
RULING PASSION by Reginald Hill
SACRED COWS by Karen E Olson
SACRIFICE by S.J. Bolton
SANCTUARY by Ken Bruen
SCALPED by Jason Aaron (author), R.M. Guera (illustrator)
SEARCH THE DARK by Charles Todd
SECONDHAND SPIRITS by Juliet Blackwell
SEE JANE DIE by Erica Spindler
SEEKING THE DEAD by Kate Ellis
SHADES OF GREY by Clea Simon
SHADOW by Karen Alvtegen
SHATTER by Michael Robotham
SILENCE OF THE GRAVE by Arnaldur Indridason
SILENT IN THE GRAVE by Deanna Raybourn
SILENT IN THE SANCTUARY by Deanna Raybourn
SILENT SCREAM by Lynda La Plante
SKELETON HILL by Peter Lovesey
SLAMMER by Allan Guthrie
SLEEP WITH SLANDER by Dolores Hitchens
SMALL CRIMES by Dave Zeltserman
SMILE AND MURDER by F. Addington Symonds
SMOKE AND MIRRORS by Kel Robertson
SPEAK SOFTLY, SHE CAN HEAR by Pam Lewis
STALKING HORSE by Terence Strong
STARVATION LAKE by Brian Gruley
STILL BLEEDING by Steve Mosby
STILL LIFE by Louise Penny
STONE'S FALL by Iain Pears
STRANGE AFFAIR by Peter Robinson
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN by Patricia Highsmith
SUCKED IN by Shane Maloney
SWAN PEAK by James Lee Burke
SWAN SONG by Edmund Crispin
TAKEN AT THE FLOOD by Agatha Christie
TANTALIZING LOCKED ROOM MYSTERIES by Isaac Asimov, Charles G. Waugh, Martin Harry Greenberg, ed.
TEA TIME FOR THE TRADITIONALLY BUILT by Alexander McCall Smith
THE A. B. C. MURDERS by Agatha Christie
THE ARCHITECT OF MURDER by Rafe McGregor
THE ARSENIC LABYRINTH by Martin Edwards
THE ASSASSIN by Liam O'Flaherty
THE ASSOCIATE by John Grisham
THE AX by Donald E. Westlake
THE BAD POLICEMAN by Helen Hodgman
THE BLACK BOOK by Ian Rankin
THE BLOOMSDAY DEAD by Adrian McKinty
THE BOURNE DECEPTION by Eric Van Lustbader
THE BRADING COLLECTION by Patricia Wentworth
THE BRASS VERDICT by Michael Connelly
THE BRUTAL TELLING by Louise Penny
THE CASE OF THE MISSING SERVANT by Tarquin Hall
THE CASE OF THE PECULIAR PINK FAN by Nancy Springer
THE CHINESE BELL MURDERS by Robert Van Gulik
THE CIPHER GARDEN by Martin Edwards
THE CITY AND THE CITY by China Mielville
THE COFFIN TRAIL by Martin Edwards
THE COLD DISH by Craig Johnson
THE COLD SIX THOUSAND by James Ellory
THE COLLABORATOR OF BETHLEHEM by Matt Benyon Rees
THE COMPLAINTS by Ian Rankin
THE CONSORTS OF DEATH by Gunnar Staalesen
THE CORONER by M J Hall
THE CORONER'S LUNCH by Colin Cotterill
THE CROW TRAP by Ann Cleeves
THE CRUELLEST MONTH by Louise Penny
THE CRUELLEST MONTH by Hazel Holt
THE DARKEST HOUR by Katharine Howell
THE DARKEST ROOM by Johan Theorin
THE DAWN PATROL by Don Winslow
THE DEATH MAZE by Ariana Franklin
THE DEATH OF SWEET MISTER by Daniel Woodrell
THE DEATH WISH by Elizabeth Sanxay Holding
THE DESERT HEDGE MURDERS by Patricia Stoltey
THE DOGS OF RIGA by Henning Mankell
THE DRAINING LAKE by Arnaldur Indridason
THE END OF EVERYTHING by Megan Abbott
THE EWE LAMB by Margaret Erskine
THE FALLS by Ian Rankin
THE FIFTH WOMAN by Henning Mankell
THE FIRE ENGINE THAT DISAPPEARED by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo
THE FIRST RULE by Robert Crais
THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE by Alan Furst
THE GENTLEMEN'S HOUR by Don Winslow
THE GIRL OF HIS DREAMS by Donna Leon
THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS' NEST by Stieg Larsson
THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE by Steig Larsson
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson
THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO PARIS by Chris Ewan
THE HEADHUNTERS by Peter Lovesey
THE HERRING SELLER'S APPRENTICE by L.C. Tyler
THE HIDDEN OASIS by Paul Sussman
THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins
THE JACKALS by Frederic Valmain
THE JUDGEMENT BOOK by Simon Hall
THE KILLINGS ON JUBILEE TERRACE by Robert Barnard
THE LAST CHILD by John Hart
THE LAST DICKENS by Matthew Pearl
THE LEMUR by Benjamin Black (John Banville)
THE LITTLE SLEEP by Paul Tremblay
THE LITTLE STRANGER by Sarah Waters
THE LOCKED ROOM by Maj Sjowell & Per Wahloo
THE LODGER by Marie Belloc Lowndes
THE LONG DIVISION by Derek Nikitas
THE LORD GOD BIRD by Russell Hill
THE MALTESE FALCON by Dashiell Hammett
THE MAN IN THE BROWN SUIT by Agatha Christie
THE MAN ON THE BALCONY by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
THE MAN WHO LIKED SLOW TOMATOES by K.C. Constantine
THE MAN WHO SMILED by Henning Mankell
THE MEMORY BOOK by Howard Engels
THE MESSENGERS OF DEATH by Pierre Magnan
THE MIND OF MR J G REEDER by Edgar Wallace
THE MISSING INK by Karen E. Olson
THE MOONSTONE by Wilkie Collins
THE NAME OF THE GAME IS DEATH by Dan Marlowe
THE NAMING OF THE DEAD by Ian Rankin
THE NIGHT GARDENER by George Pelecanos
THE PAPER MOON by Andrea Camilleri
THE PATIENCE OF THE SPIDER by Andrea Camilleri
THE PERFECT HUSBAND by Lisa Gardner
THE PIPER ON THE MOUNTAIN by Ellis Peters
THE PREACHER by Camilla Lackberg
THE PRICE by Alexandra Sokoloff
THE PRICE OF LOVE by Peter Robinson
THE PRICE OF MALICE by Archer Mayor
THE PURE IN HEART by Susan Hill
THE PUZZLE OF THE BLUE PERSIAN by Stuart Palmer
THE REAPERS by John Connelly
THE RED QUEEN by H.M. Brown
THE REDBREAST by Jo Nesbø
THE REDEEMER by Jo Nesbo
THE REDEMPTION OF ALEXANDER SEATON by Shona MacLean
THE RETURN by Hakan Nesser
THE REUNION by Simone van der Vlught
THE REVENGE OF THE SPELLMANS by Lisa Lutz
THE RIDDLE OF THE RIVER by Catherine Shaw
THE RULE BOOK by Rob Kitchin
THE SALADIN MURDERS by Matt Rees
THE SCOOP by Detection Club
THE SECRET HANGMAN by Peter Lovesey
THE SECRET KEEPER by Paul Harris
THE SERPENT POOL by Martin Edwards (publ. Feb 2010)
THE SEVEN DIALS MYSTERY by Agatha Christie
THE SHANGHAI MOON by S.J. Rozan
THE SIEGE by Stephen White
THE SILENT SPIRIT by Margaret Coel
THE SILVER SWAN by Benjamin Black
THE SINNER by Petra Hammesfahr
THE SITTAFORD MYSTERY by Agatha Christie
THE SKELETON IN THE GRASS by Robert Barnard
THE SKY TOOK HIM by Donis Casey
THE SPIRE by Richard North Patterson
THE SURVIVOR'S CLUB by Lisa Gardner
THE SUSPICIONS OF MR. WHICHER by Kate Summerscale
THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE by Alan Bradley
THE TENTH CASE by Joseph Teller
THE THIRD VICTIM by Lisa Gardner
THE TORSO by Helene Tursten
THE TRAP by Sarah Wray
THE TREMOR OF FORGERY by Patricia Highsmith
THE TWELVE by Stuart Neville
THE TWILIGHT TIME by Karen Campbell
THE VICTORIA VANISHES by Christopher Fowler
THE VIRGIN OF SMALL PLAINS by Nancy Pickard
THE VOWS OF SILENCE by Susan Hill
THE WATER'S EDGE by Karin Fossum
THE WAY HOME by George Pelecanos
THE WHEELMAN by Duane Swierczynski
THE WOMAN IN WHITE by Wilkie Collins
THIS NIGHT'S FOUL WORK by Fred Vargas
THIS WICKED WORLD by Richard Lange
THREE BAGS FULL by Leonie Swann
TOMATO RED by Daniel Woodrell
TOOTH & NAIL by Ian Rankin
TOWER by Ken Bruen and Reed Farrel Coleman
TRISKELLION by Will Peterson
TRUTH by Peter Temple
TURNING POINT by Peter Turnbull
TURNSTONE by Graham Hurley
TWELVE by Stuart Neville
TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer
U IS FOR UNDERTOW by Sue Grafton
UNDER THE DOME by Stephen King
UNLEASHED by John Levitt
UNSPOKEN by Mari Jungstedt
VALLEY OF THE LOST by Vicki Delany
VANILLA RIDE by Joe Lansdale
VANISHING POINT by Marcia Muller
VARIOUS HAUNTS OF MEN by Susan Hill
WAKE UP DEAD by Roger Smith
WALKING IN PIMLICO by Ann Featherstone
WALKING THE PERFECT SQUARE by Reed Farrel Coleman
WATER LIKE A STONE by Deborah Crombie
WHAT CAME BEFORE HE SHOT HER by Elizabeth George
WHAT THE DEAD KNOW by Laura Lippman
WHATDUNITS and MORE WHATDUNITS by Mike Resnick, ed.
WHEN THE DEVIL HOLDS THE CANDLE by Karin Fossum
WHEN WILL THERE BE GOOD NEWS? by Kate Atkinson
WHERE MEMORIES LIE by Deborah Crombie
WHITE CORRIDOR by Christopher Fowler
WHITE NIGHTS by Ann Cleeves
WHITE TOMBS by Christopher Valan
WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS by Agatha Christie
WIFE OF THE GODS by Kwei Quartey
WILD SHEEP CHASE by Haruki Murakami
WINTER'S BONE by Daniel Woodrell
WOMAN AT RISK by Miles Tripp
WOMEN FROM BRATISLAVA by Leif Davidsen
WRITTEN IN BLOOD by Caroline Graham
WYCLIFFE AND THE TANGLED WEB by W.J. Burley
ZOO STATION by David Downing
