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The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,624 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

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My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Twist of a Knife

John Gaudet Why did I love this book?

Leave it to Horowitz to come up with a brilliantly new approach to a mystery plot. I thought his Magpie Murders would be the limit, I was wrong. Here he is again. 

This time the crime is the murder of a literary critic who wrote a review that would make any author cry with shame, anger, and rage. But, the catch is that it was a review of a play by the author himself, that is, Horowitz. Yes, the urge that an author might have of wanting to wring the neck of a critic is actually lived out in this book. Well, almost… 

This is a page turning, vintage English crime fiction that lives up to all expectations. Make sure you have no other obligations before you start reading this! 

By Anthony Horowitz,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked The Twist of a Knife as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

By global bestselling Anthony Horowitz, a brilliantly entertaining new locked-room mystery with a key that only Hawthorne can find.

'EASILY THE GREATEST OF OUR CRIME WRITERS' SUNDAY TIMES

'Funny, addictive and clever, and the crime fighting duo of Hawthorne and Horowitz are as entertaining as ever. Brilliant. I can't wait for more.' ADAM HANDY

''There's a lovely Hitchcockian feel to TWIST. The clock is ticking. It's a lot of fun.' IAN RANKIN

'The Twist of a Knife is a beautifully turned locked-room whodunit' THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

'A total joy. Anthony is a master entertainer, the genius twists and turns of…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Devil's Blaze: Sherlock Holmes 1943

John Gaudet Why did I love this book?

Holmes and Watson are put through their paces by Robert Harris, who, in his writing, captures the style, pace, and excitement of Conan Doyle. 

The book actually opens with a mini-mystery, a case that Sherlock solves within a few minutes after the facts are presented to him by Lestrade, and he does all this without ever leaving his armchair! Holmes then has to confront and overpower the forces of international evil at work in wartime England, mostly engineered by Prof. Moriarty (remember him?) At stake is the survival of civilized life as we know it.

We are taken behind the scenes and thrown into those impossible situations that need a heroic solution to get out of.  Holmes and Watson deliver us, courtesy of Harris who understands the reader of these modern-day classics.

By Robert J Harris,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Devil's Blaze as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Set in London during World War II, a thrilling murder mystery where the world’s greatest detective must uncover the truth behind a seemingly impossible series of high-profile assassinations.

London, 1943.

Across the city, prominent figures in science and the military are bursting into flame and being incinerated. Convinced that the Germans have deployed a new terror weapon, a desperate government turns to the one man who can track down the source of this dreadful menace—Sherlock Holmes.

The quest for a solution drives Holmes into an uneasy alliance with the country’s most brilliant scientific genius, Professor James Moriarty. Only Sherlock Holmes…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Last Mona Lisa

John Gaudet Why did I love this book?

The key word here is "unstoppable." That applies to the action in this fast-paced novel as well as to the turning of the pages. It's all a matter of momentum, some would say, but when it comes down to it, it really is the talent, know-how, and expertise of the author. 

Jonathan Santlofer is really good at writing mysteries, and he is obviously also well-traveled; he knows Paris, Florence, and Rome. In addition, he's an artist. It's all about the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, the forgeries that appeared in its wake, and the present-day underbelly of the art world. 

In the story, streetwise art professor Luke Perrone, in his quest for the truth, becomes entangled with Interpol and a curiously helpful woman. After that, you are on your own!

By Jonathan Santlofer,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Last Mona Lisa as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

ONE OF PEOPLE MAGAZINE'S BEST BOOKS OF SUMMER!
"Unstoppable what-happens-next momentum."-Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"A deliciously tense read."-Ruth Ware, #1 New York Times bestselling author
From award-winning crime writer and celebrated artist Jonathan Santlofer comes an enthralling tale about the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, the forgeries that appeared in its wake, and the present-day underbelly of the art world.
August, 1911: The Mona Lisa is stolen by Vincent Peruggia. Exactly what happens in the two years before its recovery is a mystery. Many replicas of the Mona Lisa exist, and more…


Plus, check out my book…

The Pharaoh's Treasure: The Origin of Paper and the Rise of Western Civilization

By John Gaudet,

Book cover of The Pharaoh's Treasure: The Origin of Paper and the Rise of Western Civilization

What is my book about?

For our entire history, humans have always searched for new ways to share information. This innate compulsion led to the origin of writing on the rock walls of caves and coffin lids or carving on tablets. But it was with the advent of papyrus paper when the ability to record and transmit information exploded, allowing for an exchanging of ideas from the banks of the Nile throughout the Mediterranean—and the civilized world—for the first time in human history Gaudet looks at this pivotal transition to papyrus paper, which would become the most commonly used medium in the world for more than 4,000 years.