Best Mysteries and Thrillers 2021
Below you see the choices of Washington Post columnists Maureen Corrigan and Richard Lipez for best mysteries and thrillers of 2021:
I now beg your leave, Dear Reader, to weigh in on this topic.
First, may I say that I’ve already read four out of ten of these titles: Northern Spy, Sleep Well, My Lady, Dream Girl, and Silverview. Of those four, the one I like best is easy to choose: Flynn Berry’s Northern Spy. This is not just one of the best crime fiction titles I’ve read this year – it’s one of the best novels, period.
Here is how it begins:
We are born with a startle reflex. Apparently it’s caused by the sensation of falling. Sometimes, in his crib, my son will fling out his arms, and I hold my hand to his chest to reassure him.
Tessa will need all the strength she possesses to insure the safety not only of her small son Finn but herself as well. For they are living amidst the perilous uncertainty of Northern Ireland. Tessa works for the BBC and is trying desperately to remain above the noisy fray of partisan politics. But this leaves her with a narrow, treacherous path to navigate. Crucial decisions confront her at every turn.
Tessa has a sister Marian, to whom she’s very close. And Marian has secrets – dangerous secrets. So: Tessa, Finn, Marian…what’s to become of them?
In Northern Spy, we get equal measures of suspense, passion, and deep human feeling. This is an extremely wonderful novel.
*****************
I’m a great fan of Kwei Quartey’s crime fiction. He sets his stories primarily in Ghana, his native land, and in his hands the country comes vividly to life. Thus far, he has produced two series: The first is a police procedural featuring Darko Dawson; in the second, Emma Djian, originally also a member of the police force, changes direction and becomes a private investigator. So far, there are two entries in the latter series, The Missing American and Sleep Well, My Lady. I was delighted when the first was nominated for an Edgar Award last year. It was excellent! I personally did not enjoy Sleep Well, My Lady to the same extent. Nevertheless, I was glad that it earned a place on the Post’s ‘best of’ list.
I also highly recommend the Darko Dawson books. I’ve read four out of the five books currently in that series. While I’m very pleased with the creation of the character Emma Djian, I really love spending time with Darko and his family, and I’m hopeful that Kwei Quartey will continue that series.
*************************
Laura Lippman is an author whose books I read, as they appear – no waiting around for reviews. That said, Dream Girl was thoroughly entertaining, but not – at least, for me – her absolute top work.
****************
And then there’s Silverview. Being as this was the final effort from the pen of the great John le Carré, I knew I waned to read it. Plus it’s quite short, always plus for me these days. Nevertheless….
There were so many characters, and so much going on with the plot, that towards the midpoint of the novel, I almost gave up. Then somehow, toward the conclusion, things got clarified, and the old magic began to work. So give it a try; it’s worthwhile.
Ave atque vale, John le Carré. We don’t have that many great fiction writers that we could spare you.
**************
At present, I’m eagerly awaiting my reserve on A Line To Kill. As I’ve said before, Anthony Horowitz, creator of Foyle’s War, author of several episodes of Midsomer Murders, and creator of fictional sleuths Atticus Pond and Daniel Hawthorne, is one of my favorite writers. As for the remaining five titles on the Post list, I have them all on reserve at the library, a process which takes longer and longer these days, for whatever reason.
*******************
I don’t want to sign off without recommending a terrific new series by Elly Griffiths. The first two titles are The Stranger Diaries and The Postscript Murders. In these novels, Griffiths introduces us to DS Harbinder Kauer. She is, in her own (privately spoken) words, “the best gay Sikh detective in West Sussex.” She’s also the most thoroughly engaging new protagonist I’ve encountered in a long time. I love her! and her family too.
Books to the Ceiling 