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The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,627 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

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My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of And Your Enemies Closer

D.L. Marshall Why did I love this book?

This is the second book in Parker's Thirty Miles trilogy, and this one really cranks up the heat. Retired detective Brendan Foley is hell-bent on tracking down the gang villain responsible for the first book's events to enact his revenge.

With his ex-DS Maddison trying to keep things straight, the stage is set for a terrifying, twisty, compelling thriller that won't let you sleep.

By Rob Parker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked And Your Enemies Closer as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the North West criminal underworld, a deal goes tragically wrong, resulting in war between the two main organised crime factions in the region. Shockwaves rock the 30-mile gap between Liverpool and Manchester - with retired detective Brendan Foley right in the middle of it all.

For Brendan, six months after his resignation, life is all different. His marriage is a mess, he's working as a nightclub bouncer, his brother is still missing and he just can't stop searching for the crime family that destroyed his life. And at last, he's found them - and he's got them bang to…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of A Game of Deceit

D.L. Marshall Why did I love this book?

I was out of breath when I finished this.

This book hops between locales brilliantly, and following Knox through the claustrophobic maze of Kowloon walled city of was fantastic. The highlight for me - if you can call it that - was a certain scene in a grain silo - the stuff of nightmares.

Somehow, these books manage to improve each time, which is no mean feat when the first was my favorite spy novel in years. But mostly, I’m excited that this trilogy, as it stands so far, looks poised to be a springboard into a new world with a deadlier foe. I really hope we’ll see more!

By Tim Glister,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

In this crackerjack Cold War thriller, MI5 faces a deadly threat, one only Richard Knox can avert. But he only has six days and the clock is ticking fast.

How long can you survive in the shadows?

Richard Knox, freshly returned to active duty after a year out of the field, is ordered to uncover the invisible enemy that's infiltrated the Service in his absence.

His quest takes him to Hong Kong, a city on the brink of chaos, where he discovers the lines between friend and foe have never been more blurred.

Who is behind the assault on MI5?…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Hound of the Baskervilles

D.L. Marshall Why did I love this book?

Bit of a cheat, but this is my favorite book, which I re-read every year or so. That being the case, it has to count in my top three books I’ve read this year.

No introduction is needed, but I’ll give it one for those under a rock.

Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate the curious case of a Devonshire baronet, dead of a heart attack on the moors. Curious thanks to legends of a monstrous spectral hound which stalks the moors.

Holmes is far too busy, so he dispatches Watson to accompany the new baronet to his ancestral home, Baskerville Hall. Death threats, ghostly lights on the moors, and a lone figure walking the tors at night pile on the tension in this deliciously gothic creepy caper. Perfect autumn reading.

By Arthur Conan Doyle,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Hound of the Baskervilles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead, his face distorted with shock and horror, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are faced with a sinister and difficult puzzle. A fearsome creature stalks the wild and barren hills of Dartmoor. Is it a demon from the spirit world? Will it defeat their skill and courage? Who is the tall, mysterious figure seen lurking on the moor at night? Can Holmes save Sir Henry, the new owner of Baskerville Hall, from the ancient family curse? Or will the terrifying hound claim yet another victim?


Plus, check out my book…

Book cover of Anthrax Island

What is my book about?

Nine people are trapped on an anthrax-infested island off the west coast of Scotland when their decontamination chamber suddenly fails. The only man who can fix it – the onsite technician – is dead. Was it an accident? Or was he murdered?

John Tyler is the replacement flown in to make the repairs. He quickly discovers sabotage and that his predecessor was murdered. When another team member is killed inside a sealed room in the facility, it’s clear there’s far more going on than meets the eye.

On an island populated by an international team of scientists with a military-grade bioweapon readily available, the motive to kill is strong, and death is laced into the very soil.