Best of 2009 (part one)

So I apparently read 112 less books in 2009 that I did in 2008. this impresses me not and I blame the reading glasses of old age & decrepitness for the decline. Hopefully (after 12 months I should bloody well think so) I am getting used to/have gotten used to the damn things so 2010 should see a return to usual numbers.

So what crime novels rocked in 2009?

Obviously it's hard to go past The Girl who kicked the Hornets Nest which (while the weakest of the Millennium trilogy imho) is still a brilliant read.

I also discovered Louise Ure - Liars anonymous was a excellent crime novel (with a totally unexpected ending). The fault tree was also excellent.

If the Library doesn't get Forcing Amaryllis soon I will be buying it at Abbeys next month. (Nearly bought it last month when I was in Sydney but thought it would be at work soon so didn't.

Michael Connelly continues to be excellent - I enjoyed Nine Dragons muchly and Sue Grafton turned in a humdinger with U is for Undertow.

Marcia Muller continues to rock with Locked in - a Sharon McCone story in which Sharon has a very passive role.

Linwood Barclay continued to excel with Fear the worst and Peter Temple blew everyone away with Truth (it outsold Dan Brown's Lost Symbol at most Australian bookshops)

I rediscovered David Baldacci with True Blue - now to go back & read the others that i've missed.

In series re-reading I re-read Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series in 2009. This was prompted by her standalone thriller 13 1/2 which I enjoyed. The series re-read confirmed that my favourite Anna Pigeon story is Blind descent whilst I enjoyed reading about the scenery of Liberty falling.

Whilst in New Zealand I bought Alix Bosco's Cut and Run (her debut crime novel) - it was a good story and I'm looking forward to her next novel. I also enjoyed Vanda Symons' Containment.

John Hart's Lost Child is up there among the best crime novels I read in 2009 as is Johan Theorin's Echoes from the dead and Ian Rankin's Complaints.

In Australian reads in 2009 - I've already mentioned Peter Temple but I also really enjoyed

Beautiful Death (Fiona McIntosh)

Blood sunset (Jared Henry)

Killing Hands (PD Martin)

Blood moon (Garry Disher)

More to follow when I find the other list.

When in Sydney go to Abbeys

Abbeys is pretty much my favourite Australian bookshop.

They have an awesomely wonderful crime section -and an awesomely wonderful not crime section and they publish great monthly newsletters and they are very helpful, and they know their books and their stocks and their authors.

They keep a greqat backlist of crime authors in stock and I have never been there without buying at least one crime novel (usually one I haven't been able to get anywhere else except overseas).

Last time I was there I watched as an older couple piled up their selection of books on the counter.

(There were at least 12 books in the piles). As it was just before Xmas I asked if it was their Xmas shopping. They said no they just liked to read and usually came in to Abbeys every 2 or 3 months and spent about $500 each time (I'm guessing they do well out of Abbeys loyalty scheme as well)

I'm frequently drawn intom conversations with bookbuyers there who (like me) are checking titles against a list of what they own, or titles against a list of what they want to own. Many online friendships/book exchanges/new reads have been forged in an Abbeys browsing session.

Now as far as Melbourne bookshops go - I love hanging out in Readings, Tims, Readers Feast etc but nowhere have I found the range of crime novels, or of avid readers, that I find at Abbeys.

Why is it so?

NZ book month - Devonport

So I'm wandering around Devonport when I stumble across a secondhand bookshop - Evergreen Books.

So of course I have to go in.

20 minutes later I emerge with the 'coveted' Vanda Symon (and very proud of myself I am for not buying several other mysteries)

After checking out the Devonport Library I curled up on a bench in the sun (overlooking the water) and ate 'fush n chups' for lunch while reading my 'new' book.

NZ Book Month - Auckland

I'd decided that while in NZ I was only going to read NZ crime books. I'd been following KiwiCraig's blog crimewatch and had a list of NZ crime authors to try.

Top of my list was Alix Bosco's Cut and run. So I headed for the big Whitcoulls to see what I could find.

I found the NZ fiction section and was surprised that Bosco's book wasn't there. Nor were any Vanda SYmons. (I'd bought Ringmaster in 2008 & was eager to get overkill this trip)

I found Symons & Bosco (& Cleave) in the crime section.

Given that is was NZ book month I would have expected them to be in both sections.

Next stop was Borders (nr The Edge)

This is probably one of the best Borders I've ever been in. Their marketing and display was top notch & individual.

There was an 'alcove' of New Zealand fiction & nonfiction as well as an 'impulse buy' display for NZ book month wrapped around a pillar near the cash registers.

I'd already bought the Bosco @ Whitcoulls but the pillar display had me leaving Borders with a Fiona Farrell title as well.

Nine Dragons (Michael Connelly)

I bought this at the airport to read on the flight from Melbourne to Auckland. A new Harry Bosch story is always an excuse to visit a bookstore and Nine Dragons was no exception.

Harry is investigating the shooting death of a chinese liquor store owner. The course of the investigation leads him into the dangerous world of Triads. In thew midst of the investigation he receives a video, sent from his daughter's cell phone - she has been kidnapped in Hong Kong.

Harry immediately flies to Hong Kong to find her.

I must admit that from this point on in the book I struggled. Connelly's writing was as sharp and as captivating as usual but I couldn't get as absorbed in the plot as I usually do.

Perhaps it's just that I prefer Bosch the loner to Bosch the father.

Anyway, fans of Connelly will enjoy this latest Bosch outing. Connelly is always a good read and whilst this isn't my favourite Bosch novel it still rates well.

Locked in by Marcia Muller

Marcia Muller has long been one of my favourite crime writers. She published her first Sharon McCone mystery in 1977 (Edwin of the Iron shoes) and Locked in is #26 in the series.

Sharon doesn't actually do much in this book. She is returning to the office one night (flat tyre, cell phone left in office). As she enters her office she is shot in the head.

She is diagnosed with locked in syndrome - a neurological disorder which means she can see & hear everything that is going on around her but is unable to move or communicate.

So the story is told from multiple points of view. Her husband Hy's pov, the povs of her operatives, friends, & family.

All are determined to find out who shot Sharon and which case (if any) caused the shooting.

This is Muller at her absolute best - even though Sharon is not out there asking questions it's interesting to see the characters of Craig and Adah (for example) developing and becoming main players rather than supporting cast.

I suspect this novel will rate highly in the 2009 Golden Fiona awards.

For the term of his natural life

Under a glorious blue sky surrounded by lush greenery and beautiful water views it is, at first, difficult to imagine Port Arthur as a penal settlement. That impression soon changes as you explore the remaining buildings and read about the brutal way of life there.

Having just returned from Tasmania and a visit to Port Arthur I was inspired to re-read Marcus Clarke's novel For the term of his natural life.

I almost bought the book at Port Arthur (but didn't) which was just as well cos when I got back to Auckland I saw it in Dymocks as part of the $9.95 penguin classics series - so I bought that edition.

The story centres around a young man Rufus Dawes who is wrongly convicted of murder and transported to Australia. It tells of the harsh life facing the convicts and of a group of them who escape from Port Arthur only to become prisoners of the wilderness.

I would almost go so far as to say that For the term of his natural life should be required reading for everyone who has visited Port Arthur or is intending to visit Port Arthur - it rteally gives you a taste of what Port Arthur the penal settlement was really like.