My favorite books of the year 2020

One good thing about this year-- lots of time to read! Here are my top mysteries, in the order I read them. Not always the BEST I read, but ones that were intriguing and well-written, with interesting settings. 

Best Mystery

Blue on Blue, Dal Maclean  Great MM police procedural

The Last Hunt, Deon  Meyer  Great police book in South Africa

Trace Elements, Donna  Leon  Love to be with Guido Brunetti again

Murder at the Mena House, Erica Ruth Neubauer  Clever Christie-like mystery set in 1026 Cairo

Bones in the River, Zoe Sharp   Great police mystery.

Next to Last Stand, Craig Johnson  Slow to start but ultimately satisfying

Quiche of Death, Mary Lee Ashford  Cute cozy with recipes in Iowa

Vera Kelly is Not a Mystery, Rosalie Knecht  Loved this lesbian mystery set in the 1960s

Left-Handed Booksellers, Garth Nix  Fun mashup of fantasy and mystery

The Sugared Game, KJ Charles  Loved this second pulp fiction story

The Sailor Who Washed Ashore #1 Frank W.  Butterfield  First in a series of very enjoyable gay mysteries set in 1947 Daytona   

 Best Non-Mystery    

The House in the Cerulean Sea TJ Klune  Fantasy that made me weep

Sharks in the Time of Saviors Kawai Strong Washburn  Excellent sense of place in Hawaii

The Confectioners Guild Claire Luana  Loved this YA fantasy mystery

Kings County David Goodwillie  Loved it. Like a Tom Wolfe set in Brooklyn

Slippery Creatures KJ Charles  Loved it. 1920s mystery with intriguing pair.

Two Rogues Make a Right Cat Sebastian  Lovely historical MM

The Calculating Stars Mary  Kowal  Excellent speculative fiction about alternative route to space

Cemetery Boys Aiden Thomas  Loved this YA with Latinx magic

Troubles in Paradise Elin Hildebrand  Loved this third in the series

The Sand Sea Michael  McClellan  Grand scope fantasy with historical twist

The Watermight Thief Jordan Rivet  Great worldbuilding and protagonist in this first in a series