Crime Fiction Dossier: 3 Favorite Books of 2007

Read this post to see what this is all about. For more favorites, see here.

Gustavo Arellano - ¡Ask a Mexican!. The Hispanic culture of Southern California fascinates me. In this non-fiction collection, Arellano manages to be hilarious, informative, and profane, an irresistible mix.
Joseph Wambaugh - Hollywood Station. It's GREAT to have Wambaugh back. His feel for the cop house is as solid as when he was a LAPD sergeant. Mean streets with dark humor.
Charles Dickens - Bleak House. This kid is gonna hit big once he learns to trim out all the excess verbiage!

James O. Born, author of Burn Zone (pub. date 2008)

Michael Connelly - Echo Park. Great, sincere, accurate police novel.
Orson Scott Card - Ender's Game. Classic sci-fi which stands up to the test of time.
James Bradley - Flags of Our Fathers. A memorable view of one of the Marines' finest moments.

Diane Setterfield - The Thirteenth Tale. I read this on recommendation from a friend when I was looking for something entertaining. Didn't expect to like this book; was initially put off by its filigreed, slightly precious style but then got sucked in. The southern gothic transplanted to England.
Graham Robb - The Discovery of France: A Historical Geography, from the Revolution to the First World War. As a Francophile, I like any book that tries to explain the French. This one does so through the unique prism of France's geography and fractious history and concludes that even the French don't understand the French. And that they are very much like us Americans in many surprising ways.
Stephen King - Lisey's Story. A confession: This is the first King novel I have read. (I did read his On Writing.) I got it because I was chairing the Edgar banquet and Steve was our Grand Master. This book was nothing like I expected, which is always a good reason to love a novel. And it tore my heart apart.

Jason Pinter, author of The Guilty (pub. date 2008)

Charlie Huston - The Shotgun Rule. Brutal, bloody, brilliant. A Dangerous Man was on my "Best of '06" list. At this point I would read a pile of discarded cocktail napkins from Huston.
Junot Diaz - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. There are some novels that when you finish, you simply close the cover and start hunting for your next read. Then there are books like this one where, when you finish, you simply sit there stunned.
Robert Crais - L.A. Requiem. It took me too long to get to this book, but it was worth the wait. Joe Pike is the rare enigma who when light is shed on his past, he somehow becomes even more captivating.

CJ Lyons, author of Lifelines (pub. date 2008)

Toni McGee Causey: Bobbie Faye's Very (very, very, very) Bad Day. Rollicking fun tangled with a touch of romance and a main character who is smart and savvy but also a magnet for chaos. A delightful, laugh-out-loud read.
Gillian Flynn - Sharp Objects. The first person narration was so painfully honest that it allowed her to cross into territory that readers might otherwise not accept; well-written, dark, edgy and disturbing but illuminating.
Ed Gaffney - Diary of a Serial Killer. Despite the melodramatic title (I'd guess that Gaffney wanted to call it Conflict of Interest since that's the recurring theme), this book provides humor, mystery, thrills, and you can just tell that Gaffney had a helluva good time writing it. From a writer's point of view, the way he plays with time and reader expectations makes it all that much more delightful.

Michael Cunningham - Flesh and Blood. Cunningham accomplishes more with a sentence than many can with a chapter, and his empathy knows no limits.
Chuck Hogan - Prince of Thieves. My favorite of the crime novels I've read this year -- textured, tense, and believable, with some unforgettable scenes.
Sara Gruen - Water for Elephants. It'll make you laugh and then break your heart. I loved this book.

Crime Fiction Dossier