Staff Picks 2021: Crime and Thriller, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Short Stories
Published on 10th December 2021
Well, here we are again, yet another year coming to a close. And while there’s no denying that it’s been challenging, thankfully it’s also been filled with lots of great books to help us navigate our way through it. So today we thought we’d share some of our favourites with you; some that you’ll know already, and some that may be new to you. We hope you’ll find something here that you like, and maybe even a new title or two to add to your ‘to-be-read’ list. You can reserve all the books listed at the links below, and collect from a library of your choosing. Or why not drop into your local library when you’re passing to stock up on your Christmas reading pile? There’s lots to choose from and friendly, helpful library staff to guide you.
If you don’t have a library card at the moment, contact your local library and they will help you to join; see here for more information on library membership. Or contact us at [email protected]. We’re always happy to help.
Happy Christmas and happy reading to all of you from all of us here in Dublin City Libraries.
Crime / Thriller
56 Days / Catherine Ryan Howard
Winner of the An Post Irish Book Awards 2021 Crime Fiction Book of the Year and one of Washington Post's ten best thriller and mystery books of 2021; a fantastically claustrophobic and twisty thriller.
The Midnight Hour / Elly Griffiths
Set in 1965, this sixth instalment in the Brighton Mysteries series is a twisty and satisfying tale of murder. When a theatrical impresario is found dead, it seems that more than just his wife had reason to murder him.
The Other Mother / Michael Bussi; translated from the French by Sam Taylor
A heart-stopping thriller from one of France’s most ingenious crime writers. Malone, a child barely four years old, starts to claim that his mother is an imposter. And only one person believes him.
Billy Summers / Stephen King
This pedal-to-the-metal thriller finds King on great form, with not a ghost, ghoulie, or supernatural happening in sight.
Dream Girl / Laura Lippman
A superbly plotted and dark tale of psychological suspense, featuring a renowned writer who finds himself incapacitated after a bad fall and then starts to receive mysterious calls from a woman claiming to be a character from one of his novels.
The Mirror Dance / Catriona McPherson
Set in 1930s Dundee and St Andrews, ‘The Mirror Dance’ is the latest in the Dandy Gilver detective series; fast-paced with lots of twists and turns, and great eye for historical detail.
Short Stories
Under a Dark Angel's Eye: The Selected Stories of Patricia Highsmith / Patricia Highsmith; introduction by Carmen Maria Machado
The definitive collection of short stories from this celebrated writer of classics including 'The Talented Mr Ripley,' 'Carol' and 'Strangers on a Train', presenting us with a world that is familiar yet full of menace.
First Person Singular / Haruki Murakami; translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel
A riveting new collection of short stories from this beloved and internationally acclaimed author.
The Stories of Ray Bradbury / by Ray Bradbury
Features 100 stories from one of the great writers of 20th century fiction; a fitting testament to this prolific writer’s imaginative powers.
Science Fiction / Fantasy
Galaxias / Stephen Baxter
A new stand-alone epic from the award-winning writer: what would happen to the world if the sun went out?
The Fall of Koli / M.R. Carey
The breath-taking final instalment in the Rampart Trilogy (sequel to ‘The Book of Koli’ and ‘The Trials of Koli’), a post-apocalyptic tale set in a land where nature has become our enemy.
A Desolation Called Peace / Arkady Martine
Space opera at its best from Hugo Award winner Arkady Martine (sequel to ‘A Memory Called Empire’).