Books I'm looking forward to this year

Philip Hawley Jr.'s Stigma -- I read this in manuscript form 2 years ago and have been waiting eagerly for the book ever since.

Lee Child's Bad Luck and Trouble -- I always look forward to a new Reacher book. They never disappoint.

Barry Eisler's Requiem for an Assassin -- The last book in the John Rain series (unless something changes). I think this is going to be a killer and hopefully be the book that really breaks Eisler out to a larger audience. 

M.J. Rose's The Reincarnationist -- Another book I read in manuscript form. This is going to blow a lot of people away.

Laura Lippman's What the Dead Know -- Lippman is at the top of the mystery genre in terms of talent and execution. Every book she writes is an event to look forward to.

Joseph Finder's Power Play -- Finder is writing some of the best thrillers of anyone right now, so this should be another winner.

Robert Crais' The Watchman -- The first Joe Pike novel has the potential to be very good. This is a series that once had real magic. Let's hope it's back.

Jason Starr and Ken Bruen's Slide -- The sequel to Bust, one of the best crime novels of 2006. I'm also looking forward to Bruen's Priest. The Jack Taylor novels are probably the best thing going in the PI genre today.

Harlan Coben's The Woods -- I don't know anything about this book, but Harlan can write a page-turner with the best of them. 

New books from Michael Connelly, George Pelecanos, Lawrence Block, Robert Ferrigno, Denise Hamilton, Thomas Perry...whenever they have them. These are all must reads for me. They may not have books out this year, though.

(Now that I think about it, Connelly is coming out with The Overlook, the serial novel he wrote for the Times coming out. I don't know if you count that as "new" or not.)

These are the books I was able to think of off the top of my head. There are, of course, many others that I'll read as soon as I lay my hands on them. Here's hoping 2007 will be a great year for crime fiction.

What about you? Which books are on your must-read list for 2007?

Comments

[Nancy]

Patriot Acts by Greg Rucka. I've been waiting years for a new Atticus book.

[Tim]

Suspicious Circumstances by Sandra Ruttan, Priest by Ken Bruen, and also the new book from Robert Ferrigno, who is one of the best (and most underrated) writers in the game.

[Cory]

Wow, what a list. I always look forward to Child's books. I also enjoyed Bust, and can't wait for Slide. I would add James Lee Burke, and Daniel Silva to the list.

[Barry Eisler]

Thanks for the kind words, David... the ARCs for Requiem are almost done, and I'm very pleased with it. Hope you'll enjoy it, too.

Is Requiem the last of Rain? I'll say this: I was outlining a standalone, and then I got this wild hair of an idea about Delilah... and it won't go away...

:-)
Barry

[Alan Cranis]

Reed Coleman promises a new Moe Prager novel in April of this year (I think). Now that ought to be something to look forward to, don't ya think?

[Bryon Quertermous]

Dave made me say I'm looking forward to WHEN ONE MAN DIES.

(Can I have my mother back now?)

[Dorie]

I’ll second Rucka’s new Atticus Kodiak book. I love that series.

I’ll add:
The Night Ferry by Michael Robotham
Dexter in the Dark by Jeffrey Lindsay
The Last Guardian by Steve Hamilton (a standalone)

[Roddy Reta]

The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz. Supposedly the "big" novel he's been working on for a very long time, I can't wait for this to come out.

[Linda Brown]

I was lucky enough to get to read the manuscript of The Watchman by Crais -- and it was great! Crais did a fantastic job of drawing an interesting and convincing young woman character -- not something every male author can claim. And, of course, we all love Joe and Elvis.

[Elaine Flinn]

I'll ditto David's list - many of my favorites are all there.

But...but...Barry! Say it isn't so! John Rain is...(pardon me while I have a hot flash)...ahem, terrific. How's that for being circumspect?

[Ben]

Is there any buzz about "Christine Falls," the Benjamin Black/John Banville book? Has anyone had a peak?

[Elaine Flinn]

By the way - I too read an ARC of STIGMA - and it is one of the best debut books I've ever read. Keep your eye on Hawley - he's here to stay.

[Roddy Reta]

I'm curious about a book called The Spellman Files, which a bookstore friend has told me is an incredibly funny, entertaining book.

[David J. Montgomery]

Some great additions... The new Reed Coleman, definitely. Daniel Silva, too. And I'm very interested to hear about the Koontz. He's a favorite of mine, too.

I haven't really heard anything about the John Banville book, other than that it exists.

[Barry Eisler]

Many thanks, Elaine, I'm going to pass that comment along to Rain...

And no worries: if I do a Delilah book, Rain will be in it.

:-)
Barry

[David J. Montgomery]

As much as I love the Rain series -- and I do love it -- I'm also excited about the prospect of seeing Barry write something different. I think I'd almost rather see that than a Delilah novel (for example).

[Rob Gregory Browne]

I happen to be reading Phil's ARC of STIGMA and am loving it. Phil's an exceptionally talented writer.

[Dave White]

Lippman, Swierczynski, Crais, Killer Year...

Oh and Bryon, mom is on her way back.

[Elaine Flinn]

Well, Barry - if John needs some time off, he could always stop by. :)

In any case - I'm looking forward to Delilah (the name alone conjures intrigue-even Tom Jones thought so)..and saying hello at LCC.

[MJ]

David - I'm really flattered. Thanks so much for the kind words. This one was an utter labor of love and its great to see buzz on it already!!!

And I want a Delilah book from Barry.

[Sarah Graves]

Laura Lippman, and a UK writer, Susan Hill. Dennis Lehane, too, but I don't know if it'll be in 2007 -- does anyone? And James Ellroy, but that's always a multi-year wait.

[Ken Van Durand]

In addition to many on your list---
James O. Born: Field of Fire
C.J. Box: Free Fire
William Diehl: Seven Ways to Die
James W. Hall: Magic City
Stephen Hunter: Seventh Samurai
Elmore Leonard: Up In Homey's Room
Robert Parker: High Profile
T. Jeff Parker: Storm Runners
Daniel Silva: Secret Servant
Jim Swain: Midnight Rambler

[Joe FInder]

Hey David -- Thank you! I'm delighted you're looking forward to my new book -- and I gotta say I'm looking forward to getting it off my desk. Well, in fact, since I don't have a blog anymore (I do have a MySpace page though -- my 13-year-old daughter calls me a "12 year old girl" because of it) let me use your blog to announce that I just sent off the last of the revisions to POWER PLAY today. Like about an hour ago. No doubt my editor, Keith Kahla, will have a few quibbles here and there, but this is about as definitive a "I finished!" moment a writer can have. Now I can stop playing the Elvis Costello song that I keep playing over and over again: "Every Day I Write the Book" . . .
Joe

[Sarah]

I liked CHRISTINE FALLS a whole lot, but have been holding off to closer to pub date to say anything. But Banville's got it.

I'm also curious as hell about THE SPELLMAN FILES...definitely sounds like an offbeat kind of PI novel, to be sure.

Also keep an eye out for newcomer Brent Ghelfi...VOLK'S GAME - essentially "Jack Reacher in Russia" - isn't out till June but it's definitely worth tracking down.