The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2005!
Hard Truth by Nevada Barr
Park ranger and sleuth Anna Pigeon returns to Colorado, leaving behind
her husband of just three days, and arrives just in time to become entangled in
the eerie case of three girls who vanish, then surface much the worse for wear.
Barr shows a keen ability to balance the external action with the inner workings
of the minds of her main characters.
The Practice of Deceit by Elizabeth Benedict
As a man's life unravels, he is slow to suspect that the culprit is his wife. A tightly
woven psychological thriller.
Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdett
In his second mystery novel about life in Bangkok's sin trade, Burdett
finds his stride. Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep and his prostitute girlfriend
and soulmate, Chanya, are as true to form as a farang -- a Westerner -- can
make them. Burdett knows Bangkok -- or at least he makes a convincing case that
he does.
The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
A lawyer just a few steps away from shyster status redeems himself, sort
of, in this engaging take by the author of the Harry Bosch police series.
Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich
Stephanie Plum is older and even a little wiser in this comic romp. Fans
of the series will find the familiar slapstick and silliness, plus Plum's
trademark job woes and romantic dilemmas.
The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde
Nursery-rhyme characters populate this fantasy, the first in a series
that's as weird and wacky as Fforde's popular Tuesday Next chronicles. The title
refersto Humpty Dumpty, who meets his end at the bottom of a wall, naturally.
Whiteout by Ken Follett
Another consistently good thriller from a master of consistency. Here, bioterrorists
threaten Britain, as does a Christmas blizzard.
Jass by David Fulmer
The legendary musician Jelly Roll Morton is just one of the real characters
from early-20th-century New Orleans who populate this suspenseful, gritty,
knowing novel about murder, corruption and racial politics in the cradle of jazz.
The Lighthouse by P.D. James
Commander Adam Dalgleish has a new case: an ugly murder with a severely
limited group of suspects. James has done her usual beautiful job of crafting
characters and describing situations. Not many murder mysteries can be read
as literature; this book, like all of James', can be enjoyed for both its fine
writing and as a satisfying example of its genre.
Field of Blood by Denise Mina
Another fine addition to the rich strain of tough crime novels coming
out of Scotland. A female cub reporter in a sexist 1970s Glasgow newsroom fights
forthe truth behind the murder of a child.
Fire Sale by Sara Paretsky
The 12th V.I. Warshawski novel is one of Paretsky's best efforts to date, fast-paced and intelligent.
It takes V.I. back to her roots in gritty South Chicago, where she's guilted into taking over a girls'
basketball team as coach.