Crime Time Best Crime Fiction of 2023
www.crimetime.co.uk
At the end of November Crime Time convened a panel of six U.K. crime fiction critics to discuss their personal “best of the year” lists. Here are the panel members, who are the creme de la creme of the U.K. crime fiction critics’ scene: Paul Burke, Ayo Onatade, Victoria Selman, Barry Forshaw, Jake Kerridge, and Maxim Jakubowski. Whew! That’s a lot of fire power.
Their top choice for Best of the Year is THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW by I. S. Berry, which is a 2023 title in the U.S. We awarded it a Barry Award so we are in complete agreement with these experts.
Ayo is on our Barry Award Thriller nominating committee and is a reviewer for Shots magazine, Barry Forshaw is a reviewer for the Financial Times, Laura Wilson is a crime fiction author and reviewer for The Guardian, Jake Kerridge is a reviewer for The Telegraph, Maxim Jakubowski and Victoria Selman are authors, critics and contributors to Crime Time, which is run by Paul Burke. Laura Wilson was unable to attend but supplied a short list. All of them really know their stuff. To listen to their highly entertaining and informative one-hour “debate,” go to Podfollow
Paul Burke’s Best Crime Fiction of 2024
Crime Time
WHITE CITY, Dominic Nolan
THE VENUS OF SALO, Ben Pastor
THE LAST DAYS OF JOHNNY NUNN, Nick Triplow
THE BLUE HOUR, Paula Hawkins
THE SILENT KILLER, Trevor Wood
THE FINDER NOVELLAS, Simon Mason
MOSCOW X, David McClockey – 2023 title in U.S.
SMOKE KINGS, Jahmal Mayfield
GUIDE ME HOME, Attica Locke
Victoria Selman’s Best Crime Fiction 2024
Crime Time
DAY ONE, Abigail Dean
ALL THE COLOURS OF THE DARK, Chris Whitaker
INTO THE FLAME, James Delargey
THE WRECKAGE OF US, Dan Malakin
THE FURY, Alex Michaelides
SEVEN DAYS, Robert Rutherford
THE PROFILER, Helen Fields
THE LAGOS WIFE, Vanessa Walters
Barry Forshaw’s Best Crime Fiction of 2024
The Financial Times
Crime Time
HUNTED, Abir Mukherjee
THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW, I. S. Berry – 2023 title in U.S.
THE WAITING, Michael Connelly
GUIDE ME HOME, Attica Locke
THE FINDER MYSTERIES, Simon Mason
THE BELLS OF WESTMINSTER, Leonora Nattrass
WHITE CITY, Dominic Nolan
THE LAST DAYS OF JOHNNY NUNN, Nick Triplow
DAY ONE, Abigail Dean
BAY OF THIEVES, Megan Davis
Ayo Onatade’s Best Crime Fiction of 2024
Shots Magazine
Barry Award Nominating Committee
GUIDE ME HOME, Attica Locke
KARLA’S CHOICE, Nick Harkaway
HOLMES AND MORIARTY, Gareth Rubin
THE SPARROW AND THE PEACOCK, I. S. Berry – 2023 title in U.S.
MOSCOW X, David McCloskey – 2023 title in U.S.
WHITE CITY, Dominic Nolan
HOTEL LUCKY SEVEN, Kotaro Isaka
HUNTED, Abir Mukherjee
BUTTER, Asako Yuzuki
IMPOSTER SYNDROME, Joseph Knox
Jake Kerridge’s Best Crime Fiction of 2024
Daily Telegraph
Crime Time
KARLA’S CHOICE, Nick Hardaway
HERE IN THE DARK, Alexis Soloski – 2023 title in U.S.
THE FINDER NOVELLAS, Simon Mason
LIVING IS A PROBLEM, Doug Johnstone
THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW, I. S. Berry – 2023 title in U.S.
THE REVENGE OF RITA MARSH, Nilesha Chauvet
THE NIGHT OF BABA YAGA, Akira Otani
IMPOSTER SYNDROME, Joseph Knox
HOLMES AND MORIARTY, Gareth Rubin
A CASE OF MATRICIDE, Graeme Macraei Burnet
Maxim Jakubowski’s Best Crime Fiction of 2024
Crime Time
A STREETCAR NAMED ABERYSTWYTH, Malcolm Pryce
DARK RIDE, Lou Berney – 2023 title in U. S.
ALL THE COLOURS OF THE DARK, Chris Whitaker
THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW, I. S. Berry – 2023 title in U.S.
AN HONEST LIVING, Dwyer Murphy
THE GOD OF THE WOODS, Liz Moore
CABARET MACABRE, Tom Mead
EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN IS A SUSPECT, Benjamin Stevenson
BLOOD SACRIFICE, Douglas Skelton – added in discussion
Laura Wilson’s Best Crime Fiction of 2024 (in absentia)
The Guardian
Crime Time
WHITE CITY, Dominic Nolan
WHAT A WAY TO GO, Bella Mackie
NIGHTWATCHING, Tracy Sierra
THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS, Jennie Godfrey