"You know what? The bastard blows me out of the water. This guy writes Maine like Ardai writes New York. If you're not reading him, you don't know what you're missing." --Chris F. Holm, author of "The Collector" series, The Killing Kind, and Red Right Hand.

"A refreshingly new voice in noir." --Ed Kurtz, author of Nothing You Can Do and The Rib From Which I Remake the World.

"A glorious boilermaker of noir and East Coast gothic. The action is taut as a sprung snare and Bagley tightens the screws with every page." -- Laird Barron, author of Swift to Chase and Blood Standard.




Thursday, January 7, 2010

The Best Crime Novels of Aught-Nine, According to Me

Because what the world needs is one more "best of" list, I offer mine. These were my favorite new crime novels of 2009, listed in no particular order.

Abandon by Blake Crouch
Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
Sanctuary by Ken Bruen
A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield
Get Real by Donald E. Westlake
Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott
Gutted by Tony Black
Hogdoggin' by Anthony Neil Smith
Slammer by Allan Guthrie
The Coldest Mile by Tom Piccirilli

5 comments:

Paul D Brazill said...

The ones I've read, I live and most of the others look pretty damn good.

Paul D Brazill said...

That was supposed to say 'The ones I've read, I love' all though parts of SANCTUARY were a bit near home...

Sophie Littlefield said...

Patrick...it is an incredible honor to be on this list. I'll do my very best to live up to it. Thank you!!!!!

Tom Piccirilli said...

Thanks, brother, much appreciated!

Patrick Shawn Bagley said...

Sophie and Tom: Thanks for writing such great novels. They'll be reread many times.