FAMOUS FIVE: MY BEST READS OF 2007

My five best reads of 2007 were an interesting range of stories that came from all across the continent. They took me on a wonderful literary journey from Sicily up the coast to Bari, then Norway, the west coast of Ireland, and on to volcanic Iceland.

Ken Bruen - Priest

A brilliant portrait of a city and its people corrupted by the Celtic Tiger. The dialogue and wit is so Irish you can taste the Guinness.

Andrea Camilleri - Excursion To Tindari

If I had to choose one of the excellent Montalbano series this was the one for me with the "certificate of living existence" and this line.

He opened the fridge and let out a whinny of sheer delight.

Gianrico Carofiglio - Reasonable Doubts

The third of the Guido Guerrieri series which seemed to get better and better, as Carofiglio exposes the Italian legal system to close scrutiny.

Arnaldur Indridason - The Draining Lake

Superb stuff from the Icelandic master who spurned the usual Bush bashing of some crime writers to launch a fierce attack on the Communist East German regime of fear and suspicion.

Jo Nesbo -

The Devil's Star

How do these Scandinavians produce crime fiction of such good quality again and again?

This multilayered thriller [number 5 in the series] cleared up a crime that had occurred in The Redbreast [number 3], which was almost as good. Nemesis [number 4] is out soon so newcomers wil be able to read them in the correct order.

Even this early in the year I have read a very strong contender for the top 5 of 2008 from a different country from the above. We shall see as the year unfolds whether it holds its place as numero Un.