2007 Top Ten Fiction

This year I read just under 30 fiction books – most of them (25) either mystery or suspense. The top one was a – surprisingly, for me, considering my poor attitude towards Canadian writing – Canadian mystery. Here they are in order:

1. By The Time You Read This [2007] by Giles Blunt. A dark mystery set in western Ontario that deals with depression and suicide and the results of sinful psychoanalysis.
2. Death in a Strange Country [1993] by Donna Leon. The second in the subtly humourous Venice detective series.
3. Death at La Fenice [1992] by Donna Leon. The debut of Commisario Guido Brunetti of the Venetian Police.
4. Gospel Truths [1992] by J. G. Sandom. A laid-back, intelligent precursor (by 11 years) to Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.
5. Grave Secrets [2002] by Kathy Reichs. Another instalment in the original Bones series (prior to TV), set in Guatemala.
6. The Venetian Affair [1963] by Helen MacInnes. (Can you tell I was in Venice last year?) Another – tighter, than some of hers – mystery by an old master.
7. The Righteous Men [2006] by Sam Bourne (British journalist Jonathan Freedland). If you recall the Lubavitchers(?) and their messianic Rabbi Schneersom(?), this will be of great interest.
8. Next [2006] by Michael Crichton. Bioengineering and bioethical messes abound in this chaotic pseudo-thriller. Unfortunate that the expected non-fictional version of State of Fear didn’t come out (I believe there is a DVD though).
9. The Alexandria Link [2006] by Steve Berry. An improvement over his recent efforts, though ultimately forgettable.
10. The Bourne Ultimatum [1990] by Robert Ludlum. The much more accessible (than the previous) third instalment in the Jason Bourne saga – bearing only superficial resemblance in the recent cinematic effort.

Also-rans:

Two Clive Cussler’s: Night Probe! [1981] and Black Wind [2004] (the second with son Dirk, which I couldn’t bother to finish). Bruce Metzger’s The Book of Fate [2007] was highly objectionable (foul) and not very well written. S. L. Linnea’s Chasing Eden [2007] was different: a gate to Eden is found by an heir to gatekeepers during the Iraq war. A Sequel came out late last year called Beyond Eden [2007].

Jim Hougan’s The Magdalen Cypher [2000] was another Holy Blood, Holy Grail inspired tale about a bloodline of megalomaniacs. Gregg Loomis began a series with a Da Vinci-esque Langford Reilly investigating ancient secrets in The Pegasus Secret [2005] and the following The Julian Secret [2006], without appearing to be so historically offensive as Dan Brown. Eric van Lustbader (a perennial best-seller) put’s in his The Da Vinci Code imitation in a readable thriller based in (you guessed it!) Venice with the usual accompanying secret societies (religious orders) in The Teatament [2006]. Canadian Jack Whyte’s Templar trio debut volume Knights of the Black and the White [2006] was a monumental (753pp.) waste of verbiage that went through all the usual clichés and added deviant sex (for no sane literary reason) to the mix. D. L. Wilson’s debut Unholy Grail [2007] involved Jesuits, a “holy” bloodline and a “secret gospel;’ but, I seriously would have to reread the book to remember the plot and details. David Gibbin’s debut, Atlantis [2006], with a Dirk Pitt imitation lead was just to unbelievable and I stopped about 100pp into it. I cannot understand how the author was awarded a contract for two more titles (at least): the recent Crusader’s Gold [2006], and the forthcoming The Last Gospel [2008], featuring hero/archaeologist Jack Howard. Best-seller David L. Robbin’s also turned in a lousy performance with the disappointing The Assassin’s Gallery [2006], almost silly enough to be a made-for-tv movie. And the worst and last was te accomplished (c.20 titles) author, Mark Morris’ horrible post-apocalytic tale The Deluge [2007].

I guess it is less fiction, and more non-fiction for 2008!