The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

Join 1,707 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023

Book cover of Sweetland

Carmen Amato Why did I love this book?

This debut thriller takes off like a rocket and never loses speed. The main character is Erin Stark, a female thriller heroine who gives Jack Reacher and James Reece a real run for their money.

I met the author at a writer's conference. She's a veteran with intel experience, something we have in common. When she told me the book's plot and how she had created this iconic character, I couldn't wait to read it.

The book is a pulse-pounding thriller about a lone intel operative in the field, staging her own kidnapping by a supremacist group, only to uncover a plot no one anticipated. Appallingly vulnerable, she must claw her way out of danger as she's manipulated by all sides. Riveting reading.

By Dareth Pray,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sweetland as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of 10 Days

Carmen Amato Why did I love this book?

I love the female investigator genre, and this Portland, Maine mystery has it all—a wounded, complicated heroine, a multi-faceted investigation with save-the-world implications, and oodles of atmosphere.

Dee Rommel is a cop who lost a leg in a terrible accident. On extended leave from the force and working for a private detective, she sets out to find the missing daughter of a tech mogul. It seems they are involved with research that connects artificial intelligence with bionic technology.

Dee narrates with an inner voice that is tough yet appealing, making this mystery a great mix of exciting plot and colorful personalities. Moreover, the book confronts the moral questions of AI and rapidly advancing technologies.

By Jule Selbo,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked 10 Days as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Early summer, Portland, Maine…

Eleven months after young policewoman Dee Rommel’s mysterious and life-altering on-the-job injury. Her medical leave is nearly up, and the Police Department and her ex-training officer, newly-single Detective Donato, expect her to reinstate. But her decision is postponed when she’s challenged to step in for her godfather - private investigator Gordy Greer - to investigate the disappearance of a brilliant high-tech heiress, Lucy Claren, who has announced hasty wedding plans that could derail her father’s empire.

Life is further complicated when Dee’s good friend, Karla, is physically assaulted by a sadist that Dee had helped put…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of Red Wolf

Carmen Amato Why did I love this book?

Another female investigator page-turner but one outside the cop/spy framework. Annika Bengtzon is an investigative reporter for Sweden’s #1 tabloid newspaper.

Struggling with the emotional aftermath of previous encounters with killers, Annika is a young mom with two little kids, a faithless husband, and a demanding career. Her new assignment takes her to the Arctic Circle to write a story on the anniversary of a terror attack on an air base. Murder ensues, of course.

What I loved about this book is Annika’s deep point of view. It’s authentic how she copes with the investigation's highs and (mostly) lows, newsroom politics, her disintegrating marriage, and everyday life in Sweden. I was immediately hooked and read all the other books in the series by author Liza Marklund, who is a journalist herself.

By Liza Marklund,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Red Wolf as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

AN ACCIDENTAL DEATH? - Reporter Annika Bengtzon is working on the story of a devastating crime when she hears that a journalist investigating the same incident has been killed. It appears to be a hit-and-run accident. A SERIES OF MURDERS - Several brutal killings follow - all linked by handwritten letters sent to the victims' relatives. When Annika unravels a connection with the story she's writing, she is thrown on to the trail of a deadly psychopath. THE HUNT IS ON - Caught in a frenzied spiral of secrets and violence, Annika finds herself and her marriage at breaking point.…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Book cover of Cliff Diver

What is my book about?

The first female police detective in Acapulco dives into an ocean of secrets, lies, and murder when she investigates the death of her lieutenant. 

In this explosive start set in Acapulco, Emilia Cruz beat the odds to become the city's first female police detective. In a police department fueled by drug cartel bribes, no one is more corrupt than Emilia's own lieutenant.

When he's murdered, Emilia is assigned to lead the investigation. Both the mayor and the head of the police union pressured her to close the case. Their reasons have nothing to do with justice.

Book cover of Sweetland
Book cover of 10 Days
Book cover of Red Wolf

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