What Librarians Know

Since we previously revealed the top 2023 mystery and thriller picks from librarians at the New York Public Library, let us do the same with those from the Chicago Public Library. They nominate 24 books:

• Age of Vice, by Deepit Kapoor (HarperCollins)
• All the Sinners Bleed, by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron)
• The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies, by Alison
Goodman (Berkley)
• Birnam Wood, by Eleanor Catton (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
• Bright Young Women, by Jessica Knoll (S&S/Marysue Rucci)
• Drowning, by T.J. Newman (Avid Reader Press)
• The Golden Gate, by Amy Chua (Minotaur)
• Happiness Falls, by Angie Kim (Hogarth)
• The Last Devil to Die, by Richard Osman (Viking)
• The Last Remains, by Elly Griffiths (Mariner)
• My Father’s House, by Joseph O’Connor (Europa Editions)
• The Mystery Guest, by Nita Prose (Ballantine)
• Night Will Find You, by Julia Heaberlin (Flatiron)
• The Only One Left, by Riley Sager (Dutton)
• Pet, by Catherine Chidgey (Europa Editions)
• The Quiet Tenant, by Clémence Michallon (Knopf)
• Reykjavik, by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir (Minotaur)
• The Secret Hours, by Mick Herron (Soho Crime)
• Small Mercies, by Dennis Lehane (Harper)
• Strange Sally Diamond, by Liz Nugent (Gallery/Scout Press)
• Symphony of Secrets, by Brendan Slocumb (Anchor)
• Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, by Jesse Q.
Sutanto (Berkley)
• Whalefall, by Daniel Kraus (MTV)
• The White Lady, by Jacqueline Winspear (Harper)

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And Aunt Agatha’s Mysteries, the fine blog spun off from Ann Arbor, Michigan’s old Aunt Agatha’s Bookstore, is out with two of its reviewers’ “10 favorites of 2023” lists. Margaret Agnew and Vicki Kondelik share their opinions here. Carla Schantz’s picks are apparently due in a near-future Cozies list. And we hope to hear from Robin Agnew soon, perhaps as part of Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine’s critical round-up, since she now contributes to that electronic-only periodical. UPDATE: DP editor George Easter points out that he already posted Robin Agnew’s “bests” list. Look for it here.