MY READER'S BLOCK: Best Crime Novels of 2011 (so far)

SCAM artist alert

Apparently there is someone calling himself "Luigi Calloway" out there who is claiming to be associated with the Mount TBR Reading Challenge. He is contacting authors and telling them if they pay him, then their books will be used for the challenge. It's possible he's also telling people they must pay to participate in any way. Please know that there is absolutely no charge associated in any way with this reading challenge and that this person does NOT represent me or anything associated with my blog. I DO NOT endorse anything that he claims.There will NEVER be a reason for anyone to have to pay for participation in any way for any of my challenges. If only people who exert this much time and effort on scamming people would put it into something worthwhile....like reading their own books! A message to Luigi: Please cease and desist contacting authors (or anyone) in my name or claiming to represent this reading challenge. You absolutely DO NOT.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Best Crime Novels of 2011 (so far)

Kerrie over at Mysteries in Paradise wants to know: What are the best crime fiction titles you've read in 2011? She asks for a list up to 15 books.

So far I have read 107 books, of those 62 have been mysteries. Here are my favorites:

1. Shroud of Darkness by E. C. R. Lorac (five stars)
2. Whose Body? by Dorothy L Sayers (five stars)
3. What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James & Jack the Ripper by Paula Marantz Cohen (five stars)
4. The Chinese Orange Mystery by Ellery Queen (4 1/2 stars)
5. Cordially Invited to Meet Death by Rex Stout (4 1/2 stars)
6. Death in the Garden by Elizabeth Ironside (4 1/2 stars)
7. Ten Little Herrings by L. C. Tyler (4 1/2 stars)
8. An Author Bites the Dust by Arthur W Upfield (4 1/2 stars)
9. Dancers in Morning by Margery Allingham (5/11/11) (4 stars)
10. The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katharine Green (4 stars)
11. The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippmann (4 stars)
12. V ictorian Tales of Mystery & Detection by Michael Cox, ed. (4 stars)
13. The Man on the Balcony by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö (4stars)
14. Queen of the Flowers by Kerry Greenwood (5/9/11) [4 stars]