2008 Cherry Poppers

Jeff Pierce [my editor at The Rap Sheet] has ‘tagged me’ to reveal some of my favourite 2008 reads by writers ‘new’ to me, and also to highlight debuts [with an *asterisk]. I went a tad off-tangent writing instead about ‘Breakthrough Novels’ as it was a little easier to recall them.

I must admit that I wish I kept better records of my reading; so this is going to be ‘off the top of my head’ – so here goes.

[Photo : Bob Crais reading Stav Sherez's debut novel 'The Devil's Playground']

Money Shot, by Christa Faust (Hard Case Crime) – Tipped by Sarah Weinman
*Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith (Simon and Schuster UK) – Tipped by Lee Child
Robbie’s Wife by Russell Hill (Hard Case Crime) – Tipped due to an Edgar Nom
*Bait by Nick Brownlee (Little Brown) – Tipped by the publisher
*Therapy by Sebastian Fitzek (Macmillan) – Tipped by crimeficreader
*Shock and Awe by David Isaak (Macmillan) – Tipped by Jeff Pierce
The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe (Transworld) – Tipped by Linda Richards

All these novels rocked my world and were from authors I had never read prior to receiving recommendations – and interestingly I have indicated who tipped me off about the book.

As much as I love discovering new writers who rock my world, it means I have to keep up with their output which in itself is a challenge. The writers above all made a huge impression on me.

Now the secondary problem is the boxes of books that I have not been able to read for whatever reason, of which time being the main issue. So with a break over Christmas, I hope to clear some of my backlog, as well as escape the economic gloom that pervades reality.

So now I am going to Tag - Linda Richards and Sarah Weinman to give us your new[-to you] writer discoveries [unless you have already been tagged, you are on next].