2009 Fiction that Shines: a Top Ten List

A vivid tale of romance, adventure, and intrigue, "Gifts of War" is a remarkable narrative that explores what had made War World I so tragic, so revolutionary, and so exciting. ...

None ...

None ...

None ...

Moving to a remote tobacco farm that her lover inherited when the rest of his family was killed in a terrible accident, a young woman in 1984 Kentucky struggles with their isolated life, her lover's grief, and a budding friendship with a dynamic young preacher. ...

"The Anthologist" captures all the warmth, wit, and extraordinary prose stylethat have made Baker--a National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author--anAmerican master. ...

Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is propelled into a mystery when a man is found murdered on the grounds of her family's decaying English mansion and Flavia's father becomes the main suspect. ...

A dazzling work of fiction, these brief vignettes present a stunning array ofpossible worlds awaiting each person in the afterlife. ...

The latest in the "terrifically imaginative" (The Wall Street Journal) Akitada mystery series brings eleventh-century Japan to life I. J. Parker's phenomenal Akitada mystery series has been gaining fans with each new novel. The latest, The Convict's Sword, is the most fully realized installment to date, weaving history, drama, mystery, romance, and adventure into a story of passion and redemption. Lord Sugawara Akitada, the senior secretary in the Ministry of Justice, must find the mysterious killer of a man condemned to live in exile for a crime he did not commit. Meanwhile, Akitada's retainer, Tora, investigates the sudden death of a blind street singer, whose past life is a bigger mystery than anyone thought. Told in Parker's clever, vivid prose, The Convict's Sword is a must-read for those who love well-written mysteries in an exotic setting. ...

In 1921 San Francisco, Sam Spade sets up his detective agency and works for a variety of colorful clients, begins his partnership with Miles Archer, and makes an enemy out of a man when he foils the perfect crime. ...