It is always a bit difficult to come up with an early list of the Best of the Year, but here is my first attempt at one. You may notice that some of the titles only have a “DP” recommendation. That is because in most such cases, the titles are coming out later in the year and there hasn’t been enough time for starred reviews and/or amazon editors’ recommendations to come out. I’m just guessing that they will get some of those and that they should be included on a list of the best of 2024. But every once in a while a much ballyhooed novel comes out without any starred reviews. This year it is THE HUNTER by Tana French. I’ve seen a lot of positive reviews of same, including one by our own Steele Curry who raved about it — but no starred reviews. So the starred reviews system I use isn’t foolproof.

As a preface to this Best of the Year list, I have also included some Best of 2024 So Far lists of some of the DP contributors.

My favorite novel of the year so far (having read 46 crime and thriller novels this year) is ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker which will be published in June, 2024.