The Hungry Detective

I read 47 books in 2020 which is 17 more than my 2019 mark. If there is a silver lining to being home, there is more time to read since the start of my professional career. The books broke pretty evenly between being published in 2020, 2019 and in the immediate years before 2019.  It was a proud accomplishment to read down the backlog. There are just one offs sitting on the shelf now. Books that I recently explained to a friend that I could not remember why I bought them much less a desire to ever read them. 2021 hopes be a year where I read a few things I have always wanted too, plus a few classics of literature that I missed when I graduated High School 31 years ago. The Inaugural "I Regret Not Reading This Book" Award BLACKTOP WASTELAND - S.A. Crosby   Every year there is a BLACKTOP WASTELAND. Which is to say a highly regraded book that checks all of the boxes of my interest that I never quite get around to buying,. I read about this book back in July/August and I no dou...

One of the things that has kept me interested in the printed word during my winter with crime fiction was cookbooks. At this point I do not have the proper words to describe the attraction as I cook very little from cookbooks or related food magazines. Pretty pictures and wish fulfillment are about all I have at the moment to explain my curiosity. I know some people find Top Ten lists odious and beside the point, but I like to call those people crazy. Top Ten lists are harmless fun. Here are seven recent ones for the best cookbooks of 2011. The New York Times list is insistent that their readership expand their global view of cooking. I love those weighty tomes about Middle Eastern cooking and the like. Perhaps it is a bit naive  to only praise these books for their pictorial beauty, but living where I do invariably means using Google to search for 'substitute for X exotic spice.' My picks from this list are Tender by Nigel Slater and Hugh Acheson's A New Turn i...

I thought this post would appear in October. Ya, know when SHUTTER ISLAND: THE MOVIE was supposed to be released. And then it wasn't. Something about Leo not being able to do 'press' for the movie. Doesn't really matter the reason, a February release date has one of those fancy Hollywood meanings: Not Good. Look I'll be honest, I didn't connect with SHUTTER ISLAND. I loved the fifties setting, the haunted house atmosphere, and impending doom of the Hurricane. Even the set-up of the story was intriguing but how it played out just didn't work for me. Some interesting characters, a bunch of great set pieces, but the ending announces itself with an expected, thud that went nowhere. Am I still going to the movie? Its Lehane, Scorsese, Leo, and Ruffalo of course I am. Anyway the list. 8. Prayers for Rain - 1999 The last Kenzie-Gennaro book follows our heroes as they investigate a guy who is terrorizing women into committing suicide. The book played like an episo...

2009 has come to a close. I had hoped to fit in a couple more books after LEVEL 26, but a desperate need for sanity prevailed. I just did not want to read any more this year. Terrible, I know, but necessary. Books were actually the easiest thing to cut out of my life. The Hungry Detective had Christmas to celebrate, gifts to buy, travel to surmount. There are a handful of 2009 books I am still excited to read. I'll knock those off before moving on 2010. Still wondering when I am going to buy a 2010 book. Hopeful I can hold off for a bit. Compiling the list proved relatively easy, but the exact order has been a difficult one. Besides the Top Three I was also a big fan of FIFTY GRAND by Adrian McKinty , THE MYSTIC ARTS OF ERASING ALL SIGNS OF DEATH by Charlie Huston and THE MANUAL OF DETECTION by Jedediah Berry . Looking at the list now I only have a small pang of regret about what should be where. First up is THD's favorite non-2009 release. Wow, what a great book. I could feel ...

The Hungry Detective wants to wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year. I'll have my best of 2009 post up on Saturday. Unfortunately, the holiday has meant that I will not be posting The Very Best of Robert Crais. I just did not have the time to invest while I was back in Janesville. I have rescheduled it for March 31. Stay safe everyone. See you in a couple days, and Happy New Year!!!

Better late than what quite possibly could have been never. I found the whole task of formulating and compiling this list to be not very enjoyable. Ugh. Not sure why this list proved laborious to produce. Holidays are not a good time for anything except opening gifts... like a 47" LG LCD television. Let's quit with the complaining and finish the list. If you started here you should go back to the beginning . 5 . DIRT - Sean Doolittle (2001) This was a real toss up for me. I could just as easily gone with the funny and brutal THE CLEAN UP. DIRT gets it by a nose because a lot of what I enjoy about Crime Fiction is discovery. THE CLEAN UP is a great book, one that you should read, but I knew it was going to be good going in. Mr. Doolittle is a terrific writer of human frailty. DIRT contains one of the great truisms of human behavior that we frantically keep secrets from our closest friends and family while just as equally hoping these secrets will be discovered and accepted. I ...

I know, I know. I have left a ton of things off the list. In ten years I'm guessing I have read around 300 books and that is not a lot. Many of the great books of the 'aughts' were sadly un-read by The Hungry Detective. Biggest regrets are that I only read one Laura Lippman and not enough Pelecanos. But, I shouldn't regret what I don't know. What I do know is I have had the opportunity to experience some really wonderful crime fiction. This list, in two parts, is only a small part of it. 10. THE WATCHMAN - Robert Crais (2007) Balls out the decades best opening 25 pages. I don't buy hyperbole like 'pulse pounding excitement' or 'a nerve jangling thrill ride, but all of those adjectives apply to this book. The 'first' Joe Pike did not disappoint. THE WATCHMAN accomplishes the difficult balancing act of letting us in to Joe Pike's world without him losing any of his mystery or menace. Mr. Crais has been writing at such a high level for su...

As The Hungry Detective begins to look forward to the end of year I have planned a somewhat busy slate of offerings. I will have a small handful of reviews, and  the Winter '09-'10 book preview to deliver. I am also working on another 'The Very Best of' list this time featuring Robert Crais. But the biggest news is that December means it is a time to readdress the year. I will provide not only a 'Best of 2009' list but a 'Best of the Decade' list. And yes, I realize the decade ends next year, but last time I checked this was a Crime Fiction blog, not a calendar blog. The 'Best of the Decade' list will be 10 books delivered in two posts. Six through ten and then One through five a few days after that. I am 99% sure of what number one is going to be and if you have paid attention at all to this blog I really don't think it is that hard to figure out . In fact, I may have referred to this book as the best book of decade already. Maybe I should...

I was about 50 pages into the latest Michael Connelly book, THE SCARECROW , when I flipped to the front. This is the 20th novel. I decided that rather than write a review of the novel, pretty good by the way, I would write a think piece about the relationship between a highly regarded crime novelist and how reader's take for granted the author if the high standard to which they have become accustomed to is not maintained over a lengthy run of books. This idea was quickly abandoned out of laziness. Instead, I decided to take a cue from my friend, Peter, who recently ranked all of the James Bond films. I didn't feel I could tackle all 20 novels so the list below is just the non-Harry Bosch books. Mr. Connelly's next book 9 DRAGONS releases in October so don't be surprised to see a Bosch only list then. I wrote this list up a couple weeks ago. I have given it some time to marinate. I did make any changes but I do want to say that there is a definite break between ran...

Well here we are. For 2008 it is all over but the shoutin'. I have decided to keep my 'Best of' list to a petite three titles. I will call it the The Given Day Memorial List of 2008. I struggled long and hard with the decision to strike the Lehane book from the list. On another day I would put it on this list, but in the end I felt it would be stretching the boundaries of Crime Fiction too far to include it here. It is a great book. A wonderful book and you should read it. I was a bit dismayed to discover how few 2008 releases I did read. As of right now I have read 41 books. Only 38% were released this year. I need to up that number in 2009 with a primary goal of reading all 2009 releases in the calendar year. After the top three, I have included one additional book. This book is the best book, excluding 2008 releases, I read this year. The Given Day Memorial List of 2008 Mr. Chercover had this spot locked a while go. I knew about half way through that this was going to be...

The end of the year is nigh, and there are a few books left to read. I have been focusing on 2008 releases for the last month... month and half, and I am about to call it quits. I am past the half way point on The Black Dove , and after that I will gut, clean and kill Michael Connelly's and Robert Crais's 2008 entries. I tend to read both authors very quickly, so I think I'll be able close out 2008 with Easy Rawlins's swan song, Blonde Faith . The Hungry Detective will be visiting Walnut Creek, California for Christmas, and the second Wallander book will accompany me. No matter what around the new year I'll be taking a break from reading... just a couple weeks. The beginning of the year will see me knock off a few more of the Ross Macdonald books that have been purchased.. but not blogged about... in the recent weeks. In anticipation of creating a 'best of' list I publish the list of all the books I read this year. Books in red were released in the US...

Yesterday we posted what we thought were the best of the panel offerings for the first two days of the Baltimore Bouchercon . Below are our selections for Saturday and Sunday. Let's continue Saturday 8:30a-9:30p BEEN AROUND THE WORLD (Puff Daddy) Travel the globe with Janet and Friends. Janet Rudolph(M), Charles Benoit, Jason Goodwin, Arnaldur Indridason, Michael Stanley. (International E) How often can you say you met someone from Iceland? Buy the works of Arnaldur Indridason and be able to say yes to that question. Charles Benoit is probably one of the better authors you are not reading. Saturday 10a-11a YESTERDAY'S NEWPAPERS (Eddie Rambeau) Reporters in fact and fiction. Bryan Gilmer(M), Rebecca Drake, Jack Getze, Marion Moore Hill, Bob Morris, L.J. Sellers (International A) Reporters make great amateur sleuths. I don't know any of the panelist, but I am excited to hear what they have to say. Saturday 11:30a-12:30p MU R DER WHAT FUN (shy calr) Why ...

Over the last few days my friend, Jared Case , has been posting what he will be doing at the Baltimore Bouchercon starting on Thursday. If you decide to stalk Jared he will probably be the one in the Blue Jays cap. The Toronto Blue Jays? The baseball team? Yeah I know. I don't get it either. What The Hungry Detective is offering is not a blow by blow account of our movements while we are in Baltimore, but our picks for the best panels on all four days. This post contains our selections for Thursday and Friday. While tomorrows post will look forward to Saturday and Sunday. Thursday 8:30a-9:30a ROCKIN' ROBIN (The Hollies) Rocking the house with Robin. Robin Burcell(M), James O. Born, Sean Chercover, Vincent O'Neil, Julia Spencer Fleming. (International D) If this is your first Bouchercon experience go to Bouchercon 101 (International A). It will calm the nerves, otherwise the above is THD approved. Thursday 10a-11a GET UP (I FEEL LIKE BEING A) SEX MACHIN...

The Edgars got handed out last night and once again THD was not in attendance. Forgive the quick digression because it is one that I feel that I have made before. At this point in the life of the internet and the invaluable tool it has become for all things Crime Fiction, I am incredulous that that the MWA can't post video highlights of the Award Ceremony. I don't need the whole show (although I'd be cool with that too), just the winner and the little speech they may provide would be wonderful content for the MWA website. I'll take the less cynical route and write that this probably has been discussed and shot down to due certain rights and author release issues. Excuse me for a moment while I get off my high horse and take off these chaps. Ok. All better. I've listed the four the categories that I covered in depth on Sunday . Winners are in red . The Complete list of winners is here . Best Novel Christine Falls by Benjamin Black Priest by Ken Bruen The Yiddish ...

Due to Blogger weirdness my Year End post publishes from the date of creation not the date of of publication.... which would be today. Look for it.

I love top ten lists... other people's not mine. Creating a year end list should be filled w/ happy memories good times spent reading enjoyable books. In short it ain't. Anyway Chris Grabenstein - Tilt A Whirl and Mad Mouse Michael McGarrity - The Big Gamble Sean Doolitle - Dirt and Rain Dogs Will Staeger - Painkiller Adrian McKinty - Hidden River Maureen Jennings - Night Child Mark Billingham - Lazybones As I may never read all the books in my to be read pile, my New Year's resolution should be to read all of the books I buy in a calendar year. I also need to keep better track of the books I read in a year so that this time next year this process is not so arduous.