I wasn’t going to do a top reads list as I feel mean leaving anyone out. But I’ve been reading the lists of bloggers I admire and was interested to see what would make the list. So in no particular order are my reads of the last year.

No Other Darkness by Sarah Hilary

Another gripping novel featuring Marnie Rome, with an unusual plot line, Sarah Hilary is fast becoming one of my favourite crime authors. Read my review here.

A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale

A beautifully told and mesmerising tale based on one of Patrick Gale’s ancestors. A joy to read. Read my review here.

Hidden by Emma Kavanagh

Told from the tale of a number of characters, this riveting crime thriller opens with a bang with a shooting at a Swansea hospital. You can read my review here.

The Dark Inside by Rod Reynolds

A dark tale from the Texas/Arkansas border, based on true life events. I’m looking forward to the next book from Rod Reynolds. Read my review here.

Death in the Rainy Season by Anna Jaquiery

The second instalment featuring Serge Morel, this is a more gentle paced, but beautifully descriptive novel set in Cambodia. You can read my review here.

Normal by Grahame Cameron

Turning the typical serial killer story on its head, the narrator in this novel is the unnamed serial killer, who may have met his undoing. You can read my review here.

The Red Notebook by Antoin Laurian

A charming tale of books and looking for love, you are easily transported to the streets of Paris. You can read my review here.

The Reader on the 6.27 by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent

Another story about books and looking for love this is a lovely tale of the book pulping factory worker who tries to save pages from books and is on the hunt for the owner of the diary he has found. And who he just happens to be falling for. You can read my review here.

And a couple of cheats

The Life I Left Behind by Colette McBeth

I actually read this in 2014 but reviewed in 2015 so I’m allowing it here (its my list so I can!). This is an absorbing tale of a murder investigation with a difference, one of the victims survived and the other narrates from death. You can read my review here.

The Trouble With Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon

Another cheat as this book isn’t actually published until 2016 but I can’t exclude this charming, beautifully written tale that is sure to be a firm favourite with me for years to come. You can read my review here.

I also really enjoyed The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Lisa Dickenson, In Bitter Chill by Sarah Ward, Oi Frog by Kes Grey and Jim Field, My Mother is a River by Donatella Di Pietrantonio, Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson, Ivy Lane by Cathy Bramley, and two other 2016 titles, You and Me Always by Jill Mansell and After You Die by Eva Dolan. Keep a look out for reviews of those soon.

There you have it. Now what does 2016 have to offer?