Crime fiction, which includes mysteries and thrillers, is a top genre for a reason, bolstered by authors who deliver rich plots, with fully realized characters of diverse backgrounds and settings. Big cities and small, rural towns; police officers, private detectives, gangsters and ordinary people; families, couples and single people — all are a part of the genre.

Crime fiction makes us examine who we are and how we, as a society, deal with life’s challenges.

2025 was another outstanding year with standard favorites and debuting authors offering their stories. 2025 also saw an unusual number of short story collections based on various themes.

These were the works that stayed with me throughout the year. Once again, narrowing my favorites was difficult, but it’s a wonderful problem to ha

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