We begin our selection of the best titles of the year with one of the essential authors of the genre: Andrea Camilleri, who this year “The Cases of Commissioner Collura” was published. It is true that this crime novel was published in installments in the newspaper Italian “La Stampa”, but it was this year when it was published in book form, both in Italy and Spain. At the time it was published in eight installments. These words serve as a tribute to the great author, creator of commissioner Montalbano and, the lesser known, Collura. The Sicilian writer used to say that a novel should not exceed pages, if you needed more, something was being done wrong. This book does not exceed pages, all of them delicious. Don't miss it, you wouldn't ever forgive yourself for it. The second position goes to “Bologna Boogie”, by the Granada writer Justo Navarro , a regular visitor to our pages.
Navarro has a very refined and literary style. In this novel he manages to mystify the black story with that of spies in a post-war Italy, where Commissioner Polo has had to travel to investigate the disappearance of a compatriot. Always in a very personal way, to the C Level Executive List rhythm of boogie woogie, he takes us into a criminal plot with many chiaroscuros that tends towards black. His latest novel by his already essential curator is a true delight, let's hope he doesn't put it aside for a long time. Third place goes to “Shadows Reborn,” by Juan Carlos Chirinos . This unusual crime novel has elements of the genre, but also of the Gothic novel and a small essence of magical realism. To all these components he adds his great sense of humor to form a work of extraordinary nuances in which he does not avoid spectacular twists that will keep the reader glued to his chair until he finishes it. The fourth position goes to “Vía muerte”, by Fernando Martínez Laínez, a classic in the noir and spy genres.

The President of the well-known Le Carré Club is determined to elevate the spy novel to the highest place in our literature. His novel is an example of this, in it he narrates a sordid plot of unemployed spies who have to retrain, and find no better way than to get involved in arms and drug trafficking in Central Europe. As you can see, it has such spectacular components that it will delight every good reader of the genre. We believe that spy novels have elements of the noir genre, in this list several of the works included are framed somewhere between both styles and the one that occupies fifth place is between them. “All the Demons” by Luis Roso is a powerful narrative where espionage occupies a prominent place. Inspector Trebejo returns - with his third case - this time he has to face the resolution of a series of crimes that have connections with Nazism, the investigation will take him to a Lisbon that has always been the territory of spies.