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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.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Collector

M. A. Monnin Why did I love this book?

I love The Collector because art expert Emma Kelly’s life is full of secrets that she has to keep a lid on while she investigates worldwide art terrorists. 

She flies all over the world, trying to protect masterpieces from being damaged. Emma’s attitudes toward life and her secrets are a joy to immerse myself in.

By Lane Stone,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Art expert Emma Kelly arrives at the Metropolitan Museum to meet with disgraced philanthropist Boyle York only to learn he has been murdered. His body and a nearby masterpiece are splattered with blue paint. In the following days, works of art around the world are attacked with the same paint, which Emma believes has something to do with the Virgin Mary. Emma's husband, Elliott Baldwin, the Assistant Director in charge of the FBI's New York City field office, isn't convinced but appreciates her expertise.


Following a lead, Emma travels to her other home in Bath, England, and continues her search…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Shadow of Memory

M. A. Monnin Why did I love this book?

I love The Shadow of Memory because the main character, Kate Hamilton, is an American who lives in Suffolk, England. As an American who lived in Suffolk, England, I got to relive my experience while enjoying the mystery and investigations into murders that are tied to the past.

A delightful bonus was learning about beautiful buildings that were once asylums for the very rich.

By Connie Berry,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Shadow of Memory as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In Connie Berry’s fourth Kate Hamilton mystery, American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton uncovers a dark secret buried in Victorian England.
 

As Kate Hamilton plans her upcoming wedding to Detective Inspector Tom Mallory, she is also assisting her colleague Ivor Tweedy with a project at the Netherfield Sanatorium, which is being converted into luxury townhouses. Kate and Ivor must appraise a fifteenth-century paintingand verify that its provenance is the Dutch master Jan Van Eyck. But when retired criminal inspector Will Parker is found dead, Kate learns that the halls of the sanatorium housed much more than priceless art.
 
Kate is surprised…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Concert Hall Hit: A Darcy Gaughan Mystery

M. A. Monnin Why did I love this book?

There are a couple of reasons why I love Concert Hall Hit. I love the way Darcy Gaughan, the main character, grows as a person when she forgives a rock guitarist from her past. Then she solves his murder, proving she really can rise above, and I find that very uplifting.

The second reason I love this book is for the songs that are mentioned. Every time I see a title or hear the characters describe a riff from a song, it takes me back to when I’d heard the song on the radio, cassette, or CD. That just made me smile.

By J.C. Kenney,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The town of Marysburg, Indiana, is buzzing with excitement when legendary British blues guitarist Derek Tufnell appears at Marysburg Music to sign autographs and chat with fans the afternoon before a performance at the Marysburg Center for the Performing Arts. The meet-and-greet session is a huge success and record store owner Darcy Gaughan couldn't be more pleased with how the event went.

Darcy's glee turns to despair when, only hours later, Derek is found murdered in his dressing room. Fingers are pointed at her, since she was the last one seen with him. In order to keep her freedom, and…


Plus, check out my book…

Death on the Grand Canal: An Intrepid Traveler Mystery

By M. A. Monnin,

Book cover of Death on the Grand Canal: An Intrepid Traveler Mystery

What is my book about?

Having discovered a knack for investigation, Stefanie arrives in Italy on the Black Market trail of the exquisite sapphire and emerald Borgia Peacock, a Renaissance pendant missing since it was stolen from the Milan International Expo of 1906. Undercover, Stefanie has no doubt she’ll convince current owner Contessa Giuliana Bergamo to sell to her. But when Stefanie arrives at the Contessa’s crumbling Venetian palazzo, it isn’t only gemstones that have her seeing blue.

Others are vying for the Peacock, including Europe’s most notorious jewel fence, and Stefanie’s love interest is keeping secrets of his own.

In the cut-throat competition, one of the would-be buyers is murdered. Caught up in the murder, Stefanie wonders if the Borgia Peacock affair is one opportunity she shouldn’t have embraced.