Best Books I Read in 2021, Part One.

It's almost the new year so here are the favorite books I read in 2021, counting down from 12 to 1.

12. The 22 Murders of Madison May by Max Barry continues his string of excellent books. Madison May is a 22-year-old real estate agent (with dreams of being a movie star) who is showing a house to a stranger who professes to be her soulmate. He soon decides she is not quite right and Madison ends up dead. Reporter Felicity Staples is investigating the story when she stumbles across a man who is supposed to be behind bars for the murder of his wife. He subsequently hands her a strange object and throws her on the subway tracks. Felicity suddenly finds herself in a world almost, but not quite, her own. The Madison May in this world is alive. but maybe not for long. Great characters and fascinating and thoughtful exploration of alternate dimension travel make this another great read from Barry!

11. Bloodless by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast is one of the most iconic characters in literature and his investigative insights and deductions are on full display here. The book starts with a fictional recounting of the D.B. Cooper hijacking before pivoting to modern-day Savannah, Georgia. Pendergast, his partner, Agent Coldmoon, and enigmatic ward, Constance, are diverted to Georgia to look into a series of bodies that have turned up completely drained of blood. A ghost-hunting tv crew adds to the chaos. Preston and Child are masters at combining atmosphere, setting, and mystery with great characters and a touch of the supernatural. This is one of the best Pendergast novels and a thrilling read!

10. Hold Fast Through the Fire by K. B. Wagers. I love the world of the NeoG (Near Earth Orbital Guard) and the characters that inhabit it. Think space coast guard meets X Games. The crew of Zuma's Ghost has to fill a couple of open crew spots after some retirements following their second consecutive victory in the annual Boarding Games competition. The comradery and trust that the games foster is just as important on patrol as it is in the games. The crew is assigned to a task force patrolling Trappist station where funds and supplies have been going missing. A conspiracy is discovered, but how far it reaches and what its goals are remain to be unraveled. This story is filled with intense battles and tense plotting, but it is the depth of characters and intense emotional bonds that really pull you in. This series keeps getting better and better!

9. Sleeping Bear by Connor Sullivan. This book from a debut author is one of the best thrillers of the year. Cassie Gale is an Army vet on her way to a new job in Alaska. She decides to do some wilderness camping on the way. Before she knows it, her campsite is surrounded and she soon wakes up in a Russian prison. Montana rancher/Cassie's father Jim Gale, is not one to take her disappearance lightly. He heads to Alaska and soon realizes that something is not right. It turns out that Jim Gale has a bit of a secret history and some skills that put him on a collision course with one of the most feared senior Russian operatives, Viktor Sokolov. Jumping between Cassie and Jim, the pages keep flying and the action keeps ratcheting up. Looking forward to more thrillers from Sullivan!

8. Falling by T. J. Newman. Another debut novel that everyone is talking about. Pilot Bill Hoffman is piloting a cross-country flight when he gets a call. He sees a picture of his wife and kids with hoods on their heads and bombs strapped to their chests. The voice tells him he is going to crash the plane or his family dies. He has five hours to try and keep both from happening. This book is thrilling from the world "go" with great characters, the highest of stakes, and escalating tension. This is a keep-turning-the-pages, stay-up-all-night thriller.

7. The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean. Thanh Dao is a young Vietnamese woman held captive on a pig farm in the English countryside by Lenn. Lenn denies her even the dignity of her own name, calling her Jane after his late mother. She is held by the threat of deportation for her sister if she tries to escape. She is also punished by the loss of one of her few meager possessions for any rules transgression. Thanh fights to hold onto herself through her hope for her sister whom she prays is close to paying off her debt. The tension climbs even higher when Thanh discovers she is pregnant and again when a local woman is imprisoned by Lenn. Tension climbs steadily and is only relieved by the next shocking twist. Thanh Dao is a remarkable character and The Last Thing to Burn is a rewarding reading experience, if an emotionally difficult one. I love the catharsis that comes from journeying with this incredible character. One of the best books of the year.

Up next, the top six reads of the year.