The Times
Best Crime Books of 2023
by Joan Smith

PAST LYING, Val McDermid
THE PREY, Yrsa Sigurdardottir
THE GREAT DECEIVER, Elly Griffiths
STIGMA, Jorn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger
EVERYBODY KNOWS, Jordan Harper
THE MYSTERY OF THE TREE HOUSE, Lesley Thomson
THE PIT, Peter Papathanasiou
THE RAGING STORM, Ann Cleeves
PROM MOM, Laura Lippman
REYKJAVIK, Ragnar Jonasson and Katrin Jakobsdottir
ALL HER SECRETS, Jane Shemilt
SOMEONE YOU KNOW, Erin Kinsley
MURDER IN THE FAMILY, Cara Hunter
THE CONTEST, Karen Hamilton
CASE SENSITIVE, A. K. Turner
STANDING IN THE SHADOWS, Peter Robinson
MIDNIGHT, Amy McCulloch
BLACK FELL, Mari Hannah
THE DEAD DON’T SPEAK, Clair Askew
KILLING MOON, Jo Nesbo
THE INVISIBLE WEB, Oliver Bottini
THE LAST SONGBIRD, Daniel Weizmann
THE DETECTIVE, Ajay Chowdhury
THE LOCK-UP, John Banville
THE GIRL BY THE BRIDGE, Arnaldur Indridason
THE MONK, Tim Sullivan
CUT ADRIFT, Jane Jesmond
ELEVEN LIARS, Robert Gold
FREEZE, Kate Simants
TOKYO EXPRESS, Seicho Matsumoto
THE BROKEN AFTERNOON, Simon Mason
THE BLOOD LINE, Will Shindler
THE LAST REMAINS, Elly Griffiths
EXILES, Jane Harper
STAY BURIED, Kate Webb
DEAD MAN’S CREEK, Chris Hammer
THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE ALPERTON ANGELS, Janice Hallett
BLINK OF AN EYE, Jo Callaghan
THE OTHER HALF, Charlotte Vassell

Many of the books on the list were published in the U.K. only. I’ve read six of them and liked them all except for KILLING MOON by Jo Nesbo. But there are plenty more on the list that I would have liked to read. This list does not contain Joan Smith’s November and December, 2023 picks. I’ll try to get those and add them to this list.