by Tracy Condie, Sarah Erwin, Terrance McArthur,
Cynthia Chow, Sandra Murphy, & Lorie Lewis Ham

It’s time to look back at the books we reviewed here at KRL over the past year and share with you some of our favorites! We reviewed a LOT of wonderful books last year, and even those who didn’t make the list were definitely worth reading so we hope you check them all out! All of our main reviewers share in this post their top 5-10ish favorite books they reviewed in 2024. This will be the first year for our newer reviewers Tracy Condie and Sarah Erwin! If you would like to check out all of our mystery reviews on KRL you can click here, and on KRL News and Reviews click here.

KRL Editor-in-Chief/Publisher Lorie Lewis Ham

Cynthia Chow
Cirque Du Slay by Rob Osler
Crooked Lane
This is such a fun mix of high-end cuisine, artist egos, and hot acrobats. Blogger and middle school teacher Hayden McCall is once again drawn into solving a murder with his hilarious best friend.

What Comes Around by Annette Dashofy
Level Best
I’ve been a fan of this series from the start, and the 13th ends on a high note. County Coroner Zoe Chambers battles small-town internal politics as she and her new husband must investigate a murder where the obvious suspect is someone she’d be more than happy to find guilty, if only he truly was.

Charlotte Illes is Not a Teacher by Katie Siegel
Kensington
Anyone who grew up with Encyclopedia Brown will adore this series, which has the former Kid P.I. Charlotte Illes returning to her middle school as a substitute teacher. The concept is as fun as the dialogue and writing.

Ashes Never Lie by Lee Goldberg
Thomas & Mercer
As much as I absolutely love a team-up of mixing series characters, what also makes this a must-read are the investigators who must solve the mysteries hidden in the fires that blaze through California. Talk about timely. The author’s trademark dry humor and clever plotting make this another sure-fire win.

Ghosts of Waikiki by Jennifer K. Morita
Crooked Lane
I’m always a little wary when reading a novel that takes place in my home state, but Jennifer K. Morita absolutely knocks it out of the park when depicting Hawaii’s food, culture, and environment. The academic setting is also a fantastic draw, placing it at the top of my academic mysteries list.

Good Lieutenant by EJ Copperman (This one was reviewed in KRL in early 2025, but is a 2024 release.)
Severn House
Ending a series is always a heartbreak, but the author Jeff Cohen does it on a high note in this combination of amateur P.I. and courtroom mystery. Humor, great characters, and fantastic conclusion make it a favorite of the year.

Sandra Murphy
A Collection of Lies by Connie Berry
Crooked Lane Books
An American antiques dealer marries a British police detective and is able to assist in special cases like the one that involves a blood-stained antique dress. Berry handles description with a light hand while giving enough details to make readers feel the peat squish underfoot, smell the food on the plate, and enjoy travels from town to town in search of the truth. The tale is rich with the history of the area without intruding on the story. To do so much research and refrain from putting it all on the page is a sign of a very good writer.

A Very Woodsy Murder by Ellen Byron
Kensington Books
First in a new series, this tale features Dee, a former sit-com writer, and her first ex-husband/current BFF, Jeff. Writing a script that will turn a show into a hit within three episodes is getting to be almost impossible, so Dee decides to buy an old motel and talks Jeff into being her partner. They were winning over the skeptical townspeople—until that dead body showed up. Dee just couldn’t write a script like this—no one would believe her life as it is now. Look for book two coming soon.

Come Shell or High Water by Molly MacRae
Kensington Books
After a harrowing (to her) boat ride with park ranger friend, Patricia, Maureen Nash landed on Ocracoke Island for a new job. Maureen has her own agenda. There was a walk on the beach, a giant seashell, then a body or maybe two, a big knife, a voice from the woods, and a hellbent run to safety, or what she thought was safety but that was before the lamp mishap. And then the pirate showed up.
MacRae’s written the Highland Bookshop mysteries and the Haunted Yarn Shop series and I love those, but this is my new favorite—so far. Book two is coming in July.

The Perfect Storm by Paige Shelton (reviewed in 2025 but published in 2024)
Minotaur
A kidnapping has been a running back story to the current problems and mysterious deaths Beth becomes involved with through the series. Benedict is a strange town compared to what most people know but for people who don’t follow social norms, it’s a perfect fit. I hope we’ll meet more of them in future books. Just keep in mind, nothing is what it seems. Especially the sightings of Big Foot.
This is book six in the series—I hope there are many more to come. This is mystery with an edge.

The Big Lie by Gabriel Valjan
Level Best Books
When you’re a PI and dealing with Southie mobs, it’s a tightrope walk. Doing a favor, taking a job from both the Irish and the Italians at the same time, is working without a net. The reward is worth the risk, isn’t it? Shane Cleary convinces himself it is.
Shane’s story reads like 40s noir, but is set decades later. The Southies come through loud and clear, just by opening their mouths. With twist after twist, protection and betrayal, the pages keep turning until the very end and you’ll wish for more. I love the language and trying to figure out who did what and why, always being wrong, and delighted to be shown the right answer that makes perfect sense. This is the fifth book in the series.

The Dead Years by Jeffery B. Burton
Severn
Corey runs a dog training school. His sister, Chrystal, is a new Chicago police detective. He lives in the basement of their old family home. She lives up on the second level. They cross paths on the first floor.
Cory’s dogs, Alice the bloodhound, and Rex, the springer spaniel, are trained in human remains detection (HRD), also known as cadaver dogs. Search and rescue dogs can follow scent to a live human. Alice and Rex find dead bodies. Sometimes Crystal and Cory’s jobs intersect.
There are three major twists that took me by surprise. The first caught my attention, made me wonder why I hadn’t thought of it, and made me read faster. The second was an “aha” moment, the kind of aha you say when you suspected something and were right. The third, that one was such a surprise I had to read the page at least four times for it to sink in. It made total sense but what a reveal! This is the first of what I hope is a series.

The Night Woods by Paula Munier
Minotaur
Mercy Carr is used to working with her K-9 dog, Elvis, a Belgian Malinois, now confined to limited duty. She’s eight-months pregnant, happy about it, but hates the limitations it brings. Exercise helps, so she walks to visit an old man living nearly off the grid. It’s something to do, and he’s good company.
She can’t say as much for the dead guy she finds in her friend’s cabin—and there’s no sign of her friend.
A younger cousin, Tandie, who is described as “a handful” is sent to stay with Mercy and Troy, at least until the baby comes. Tandie has firm instructions not to let Mercy out of her sight, a responsibility she takes seriously, especially as flood waters, feral pigs, and a killer become added dangers.
This book has layers of story. In the end, it all comes together for a satisfying read—and it’s good for a reread or two as well. This is book six in the series. I want more.

A Farewell to Arfs by Spencer Quinn
Forge Books
Everyone who knows Chet (the Dog) and Bernie (Bernie Little of the Little Detective Agency), knows about Mr. and Mrs. Parsons and Iggie (their dog) who live next door. Mrs. Parsons isn’t doing too well; she’s in the hospital again. And then Mr. Parsons finds out his bank account has been emptied.
AI is involved—it’s everywhere. There’s the bird guy out in the desert, the observatory, drones, the nerd guy with no shoes, the kids with virtual reality games, and an arsonist. How will it all come together? Only Chet and Bernie know.
This is book fifteen in the popular series. As always, Chet steals every scene and since the story’s told from his point of view, that’s all of them. I can’t get enough Chet and Bernie stories.

Dog Day Afternoon & The More the Terrier by David Rosenfelt (He’s a prolific writer with two series.)
Minotaur
Andy Carpenter is a reluctant attorney and avid dog lover. Give him his wife, kid, dogs, and a football game on TV and he’s a happy guy. It never works out that way. One thing’s for sure, if you’re ever in trouble, Andy’s your guy. His team gets along well as each have a job to do and quirks that make each of them memorable. There’s a lot of joking by people who need to let off steam. It will make you wish you were one of them. Between the crimes, the court appearances, and trying to keep up with Andy (there’s no getting one step ahead of him), these books always make my Best of List at the end of the year. Dog Day is book twenty-nine. Terrier is book thirty in the series.
Rosenfelt currently lives in Maine with his wife and an increasingly large number of large dogs, many with special needs, who are all early risers, very vocal, and once fed, excellent nappers. Waking early gives Rosenfelt more time to write, thank goodness.

I Sleep Around (The humorous memoir of a nomadic writer) by Sue Ann Jaffarian
Harbor Lane Books, LLC.
This is a non-fiction book by an author of fiction books. After thirteen years, Sue Ann Jaffarian retired from her job as corporate paralegal. She’d just turned sixty-six. The next day, she sold her car, started a new life as a full-time nomadic writer living in an RV, and left her former life behind.
It’s not a lifestyle for everyone, but with planning, it can be just the right fit. Months before her official retirement, she downsized, gave up her apartment, and lived in the RV, taking the occasional short weekend trip as a further test of nomadic living.
For a writer, mobile living also allows time to set up near water, a favorite view of hers, and inspired, write like a mad woman. Apparently, this new lifestyle is working for her!

Terrance McArthur
Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry
Berkley
Three women find themselves dumped into plots of their favorite reading genres—murder cozy, slasher horror, dystopian maze of death. How did they get there? How do they survive? Each story plays out to a point until they join together to face the cause of their tortures. Henry always takes the familiar and turns it into something unique. This parable of empowerment is a good example.

Murder on the Dodder by Keith Bruton
Brash Books
An obsessive-compulsive Irish hitman on a bicycle goes on a tour of Dublin to rescue his kidnapped mentor by killing people, all while hoping his former-call-girl girlfriend doesn’t find out what he really does for a living. Quirky, breakneck-paced thriller, the second Lemon Man book. It’s a killer! By the way—What’s a Dodder? (It’s one of the main rivers in Dublin.)

One of You by Lorie Lewis Ham
Murder in Fresno’s Tower District during a Mystery Festival? How appropriate! There are lots of IYKYK (If You Know, You Know) places and people in Ham’s second Tower District Mystery. There are lots of suspects, lots of motives, and a thrilling climax. It may not be a perfect road map of the Tower District, but you will recognize a lot of the landmarks if you walk along the streets of Fresno.

The Secret Ingredient to Murder by Terry Ambrose
Satori
Rick Atwood and his teen daughter, Alex, trade point-of-view sections as they solve a murder and run their bed-and-breakfast, while mediating between a man and his niece over a missing chocolate recipe. The eighth in the Seaside Cove B&B series, Rick’s marriage to Marquetta hasn’t slowed down his or Alex’s sleuthing.

Sgt. Ford’s Widow by Paul A. Barra
Sgt. Ford isn’t dead, and Tran Thi Linh is not married to him. Ford saved her life when she was widowed during the Vietnam War. He got her out of the country to his family ranch in Wyoming. A theft of rubies and a death by cancer gets him on a case to help another widow. When you think the crime is solved, it turns out that other criminals need to be caught, and Tran may be the best detective of all.

Tracy Condie
Crimes and Confections by Catherine Bruns
Gemma Halliday
A tasteful culinary cozy with a sugar-and-spicy/sassy baking duo who put family first. This storyline includes classic Italian family fun while also delivering a good mystery.

Death at a Scottish Christmas by Lucy Connelly
Crooked Lane
I have a soft spot for Scottish and Irish cozies, and this one does not disappoint. It takes place at Christmas and includes so many interesting traditions and celebrations while delivering a good cozy with a unique murder weapon and a really good slow-burn romance.

Museum of Murder by Leslie Langtry
Gemma Halliday
This over-the-top cozy had me laughing from beginning to end. Just imagine a museum devoted to the deaths that surround a single sleuth and a girl scout troop that is probably capable of taking over a small country. The characters are multi-dimensional and just this side of absurd, but in a really good and enjoyable way.

Resort to Murder by Annie McEwen
Gemma Halliday
This was an excellent series starter with a great amateur sleuth that is completely relatable and with all the cozy feels. The plot was well-constructed with just the right number of clues sprinkled in without giving away the solution.

Tunica by D.P. Lyle
Outliers – Suspense Publishing
Tunica is a thriller with heart. The brother and sister protagonists have just the right amount of sass, and even though I knew that they were going to be successful, it was enthralling to see how their plans played out.

Sarah Erwin
(top five-ish, in order of the date read)

Deciding on favorite reads of the year is never an easy task as I am so lucky to read so many wonderful stories every year. Here are five-ish (You’ll see what I did!) that I still think about! These are listed in the order in which I read them over the year.

A Body on the Doorstep & A Body at the Séance by Marty Wingate
These are books one and two in The London Ladies’ Murder Club mystery series. Both books were wonderfully cozy treats, perfect additions to the cozy historical mystery genre. Marty does such a wonderful job evoking the Golden Era of mystery. I felt as though I were walking the streets of 1921 London with Mabel. I found myself drinking more tea while reading and googling recipes for “seed cake.” The details of Mabel’s cozy flat and her delightfully quirky neighbors made me feel as if I were meeting new friends with whom I could solve mysteries. Mabel’s desire to be an independent woman, balanced with her light romantic feelings for Park, give great depth to her character.

Red Beans and Rituals by Jen Pitts
This paranormal cozy mystery is the perfect armchair escape. The vibrant descriptions of New Orleans sights, sounds, and tastes came alive in my mind, and I so wished I had some beignets to enjoy as I read. The plot and pace of the mystery are solid and tightly done. Jen does such an excellent job resolving the current mystery of the stranger’s death in their shop, while also unveiling clues to mysteries from the past. When I closed this book, I felt both satisfied that justice had been served and even more curious to read the next entry in the series. I must also mention that there is the most wonderful talking tabby cat that I wished I could take home.

A Nest of Vipers by Harini Nagendra
Pegasus Crime
This is book three in Harini Nagendra’s Bangalore Detectives Club mystery series and can easily be read as a standalone. This is a true adventure story that is full of twists and turns, with wonderful characters. In addition to the solid mystery and storytelling, I adored the descriptions of the setting. I felt immersed in life in Bangalore in the way that the author described the sights, sounds and tastes. I was truly transported. Fans of strong female detectives in historical mysteries will enjoy this!

Clean Kill by Anne Laughlin
Bold Strokes Books
From page one, I was absolutely hooked on this story, and I could not put it down. It’s suspenseful, and the threat of a serial killer who seems to get braver and braver felt like a ticking time bomb. I’m surprised my kindle didn’t overheat by how quickly I was tapping the pages. No part of this story was slow, and the action built at such a fast pace. In addition to a solid plot, the well-defined characters made the story.

All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories by Leslie Budewitz
Beyond the Page
I could not put this collection down, and was totally immersed thanks to the details and storytelling. I would look up and find myself surprised to be sitting in the car pick-up line at school and not out on the frontier of Montana. Mary’s quiet search for truth and quest for justice is clear in all the stories as she helped neighbors, especially women and children. In her steady way, Mary helped those around her solve mysteries and problems to live a better life. The stories are quick reads and a lovely mixture of the details of Mary’s life and the mysteries that happen every day. The ending is beautiful and satisfying, and while I closed the book a while ago, Mary will stay with me for a long time.

Lorie Lewis Ham

Usually, when it comes to my picks I just share everything that I reviewed because I tend to review less than the rest, but in 2024 I seem to have reviewed more than normal so here are some of my favorites, though I will say I did enjoy them all!

Death Unfiltered by Emmeline Duncan
Kensington
I am a big fan of books involving coffee. This was the first year in a while when I didn’t have a Coffeehouse book by Cleo Coyle (one is coming out this April though!) to put on the list, but I do have one from my other favorite coffee related series, Ground Rules Mysteries by Emmeline Duncan. These are set in Portland and involve coffee and a great cast of characters. This year I also read the first in a new series by Emmeline, Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop: A Halloween Bookshop Mystery.

Puzzles Can Be Deadly by David S. Pederson
Bold Strokes Books
This was the first book I had ever read by David S. Pederson, but definitely not the last. Set in 1950, Puzzles Can Be Deadly is a fun cozy mystery perfect for a summer beach read. The main characters, Skip Valentine and Henry Finch, are a couple at a time when such couples had to keep their relationships secret, and Skip has a passion for solving puzzles. This book was a lot of fun!

In Dog’s Image & Blessing of the Dogs by Neil S. Plakcy
Absolutely love this series! There’s a clue sniffing Golden Retriever so how could you not love it! Neil writes wonderful and likable characters, and did I mention there’s a dog? I have the next book in the series waiting for me on my Kindle to read and review and I am sure it will make next year’s list!

The Twilight Queen: A Kings Fool Mystery by Jeri Westerson
Severn
No one does historical mysteries like Jeri Westerson! The historical details and characters are always interesting and there’s just the right amount of humor as well. Her Crispin Guest series is one of my all-time favorites, and this new Kings Fool Mystery series is shaping up to be just as good. This is book 2 in the series, and book 3 is also waiting on my Kindle to review!

Killer’s Kiss & Shadow’s End by Keri Arthur
These books are my favorite type of combo-urban fantasy and mystery! These are the last two books in Keri’s Lizzie Grace Series and I was sad to see it end. You have magic, werewolves, monsters, mysteries, and romance. What more could you ask for!

Storm Waters by Kat Richardson
Fairwood Press LLC
Another author whose urban fantasy/mystery series I loved came out with a new book last year that I hope is the first in a new series. Storm Waters is a noir supernatural thriller set in 1930s Los Angeles.

Dream Town by Lee Goldberg
Thomas & Mercer
My list wouldn’t be complete without a book by Lee Goldberg on it. Dream Town is the latest in his Eve Ronin series, which is my favorite series of his so far. Eve is the youngest homicide detective in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, a position many think that she hasn’t earned since she got the job after a video of her went viral. Because of this, she isn’t very popular among most of her coworkers (which is putting it mildly in some cases)—one exception being her partner, Duncan Pavone.

The Dark Wives By Ann Cleeves
Minotaur
I am a HUGE fan of the TV show Vera, which is based on Ann Cleeves books, but this is the first of the books in that series that I have read and it was every bit as good as the show. I have read all 3 of her Detective Matthew Venn books and look forward to reading more of Ann’s books in the future. She is a fantastic writer!

Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz
Harper
I will consume pretty much any content created by Anthony Horowitz whether it be TV or books, but this is definitely my favorite series of his. This is the fifth book in his Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery Series. In this series Horowitz himself acts as the Watson to the main character and it is a delight!

Happy Reading in 2025! Feel free to share with us some of your favorite books of 2024 in the comments! Oh and just for the record, I did not know that Terrance was going to include my book on his list 🙂

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Play.

You can use this link to purchase many of these books from indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy, and KRL gets a portion of the sale:
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2 Comments

  1. Thanks for including my book!
    Jen
    Author of Red Beans and Rituals

    Reply
  2. Thanks for this list.

    Reply

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