My Favorite Books Read in 2024

Before we fully jump into 2025, I want to take a moment to look back at my favorites of 2024.  I actually settled on a top 10 this year, which was a bit of a surprise to me.  Usually, I’m a few books over and I can’t quite figure out how to narrow it down any further, so I don’t.

As always, these are the books I read for the first time in 2024.  It’s half and half this year with books that were released in 2024 and books released in previous years.  And I’m just over half physical books over ebooks this year.

And yes, you’ll see some of the usual suspects on the list as well as a few new authors.

If you are interested in reading more, the links will take you to my full review.

The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian
I caught up on this series this year.  This is book two (which came out in 2023).  The series features a retired stage magician who is now helping her family’s specialty construction company.  And each series features an impossible crime/locked room mystery.  This book featured a crime with four impossibilities.  Yet in the end, the crime was satisfactorily solved.  I couldn’t put this book down as I read it.

The Case of the Canterfell Codicil by P.J. Fitzsimmons
Self-described as what happens when you mix P.G. Wodehouse and Dorothy L. Sayers, it is set in England in the 1920’s.  I was laughing the entire way through it while also trying to figure out how this locked room mystery was going to be solved.  This is the first in the series, and I enjoyed book two as well.  I have more to catch up on, and I’m looking forward to it.

Torn Asunder by Barbara Ross
Author Barbara Ross is making one last appearance on my list.  Sadly, she decided to end her Maine Clambake series, which has made many appearances on my list over the years.  But she ended it well, and the series’ many fans will be satisfied.  And it’s hard to complain when we got twelve great books in the series.

Murder on Devil’s Pond by Ayla Rose
From a final book in a series to a first in series.  Ayla Rose is a new penname for Wendy Tyson, who has made my list before.  This new series surrounds a bed and breakfast.  As usual for this author, the plot is a little more serious than the typical cozy I enjoy, but it is still a cozy.  I enjoyed meeting these characters and hope to read more about them soon.

Joshua Tree by Sandy Dengler
This is book seven in a series about a National Parks ranger who travels to various parks to solve bigger issues they are facing.  This book finds him sent in to rubber stamp a case that everyone says was already solved.  And yet, he doesn’t feel comfortable with the conclusions.  The way this book unfolded and wrapped up really entertained me.  Plus, I love the author’s use of language.

A Very Woodsy Murder by Ellen Byron
Ellen (and her alter ego Maria di Rico) had three books come out this year, and I’m picking this one.  It’s the start of a new series featuring a former sitcom writer opening an inn in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  I laughed all the way through it and really enjoyed meeting the new characters.  I’m looking forward to the sequel, coming this summer.

Public Anchovy #1 by Mindy Quigley
I worked on catching up on the Deep Dish Mysteries this year, reading three of them.  This book takes place most in one long night as the characters get trapped by a storm after a catering gig.  And yes, there’s a killer in the group somewhere.  Books that take place in a compressed time period can drag for me in the wrong hands, but that wasn’t the case here.  Plus, we had some nice character growth.

Til Death by Annette Dashofy
Each time I pick up one of Annette’s books, I’m pulled in from page one.  This book finds the series’ protagonists getting ready for their wedding.  As long as murder doesn’t keep one of both of them from walking down the aisle.  Fans of the series will absolutely love this book.  It does wrap up several storylines, so those new to the series won’t appreciate it quite as much, but you won’t regret starting this series.

Comedy Can Be Deadly by Ryan Rivers
This series continues to amaze me with how it mixes laugh out loud comedy with serious topics and meaningful character growth.  The story finds our protagonists acting in a local theater production of a Shakespeare comedy when murder rears its ugly head.  The climax is over the top in a fun way that absolutely works.

Fondue or Die by Korina Moss
The latest Cheese Shop Mystery is another winner.  I love spending time with the characters, and the mystery kept me guessing.  The setting was out of town, but we still saw many of the regulars, and the growth in some of the characters was great.

Here’s to another great year of reading in 2025.