By Patrick Whitehurst
The year 2022 is upon us. In my mind, however, it should still be early 2021, but time is ever elusive and waits for no one.
In 2020, I set my eyes upon a total of thirty books. This last year, in 2021, I read only fifteen. No clue what happened. I read some amazing work, however, written by some amazing authors, and thought I’d share my top five picks for the year.
Most of these books were released this year, but not all were. My top picks are ones I happened to read this year. Doesn’t mean they’re new!
Anathelogium: Poetry & Prose from the Neither by K.A. Schultz
In “Anathelogium: Poetry & Prose from the Neither,” author K.A. Schultz demonstrates her ability to weave silky prose while at the same time cooking up dark literary bites sure to please a variety of readers. Anathelogium collects prose from the author’s treasure trove of published and unpublished work, including short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. Schultz’s fantastic writing style reads like a marriage between Lovecraft and Dickens and delivers an intriguing, engaging modern experience in Anathelogium.
I’ll Pay When I’m Dying by Stephen J. Golds
“I’ll Pray When I’m Dying,” the latest from author Stephen J. Golds. “Broken” is a word that deftly describes our lead protagonists, Ben Hughes and his father, William–two compelling and dark people featured in the book’s pages. I’ll Pray When I’m Dying can be read as an engaging, and violent, standalone novel or as part of a trilogy of books that include “Always the Dead” and “Say Goodbye When I’m Gone.” While the characters may be a bit busted up, there’s a beauty in their lives and an elegance to the prose. Nothing needs fixed there.
Palm Springs Noir edited by Barbara DeMarco Barrett
Edited by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett, Palm Spring Noir escorts readers to the seedy underbelly of the Coachella Valley, to places where movie stars, tourists, and locals fear to tread. A slew of saavy writers contributed to these sun-bleached tales, including DeMarco-Barrett, Eric Beetner, Alex Espinoza, Janet Fitch, J.D. Horn, and more. Readers will explore the dark corners of Twin Palms, Bermuda Dunes, The Salton Sea, Indio, and other hot spots made famous by the actors, singers, and mobsters who have called Palm Springs home over the years. Featuring fourteen stories, all with a soul of their own, readers are treated to a dizzying array of Palm Spring’s desert dwellers, from Mixed Martial Arts fighters and clowns to pool boys and sugar daddies. Heavy with sunshine, bright with dread, Palm Springs Noir will take you on a ride not easily forgotten.
Under an Outlaw Moon by Dietrich Kalteis
Dietrich Kalteis packs a punch in his stories. His latest is no exception. In “Under an Outlaw Moon” readers are introduced to Bennie and Stella, a couple of lovebirds from the 1930s, who are destined to go down in history. Not as the aforementioned lovebirds, however, but as outlaws.
Outlaw Moon is based on real life couple Bennie and Stella Mae Dickson, semi-famous bank robbers of the Depression-era, and their ill-conceived quest for a better life, one that pits them against the relentless J. Edgar Hoover and the F.B.I. If you haven’t picked up a Kalteis book yet, this one’s a great place to start.
Dark Associations by Marie Sutro
In “Dark Associations,” San Francisco Detective Kate Barnes faces off against The Tower Torturer, a serial killer famous for using historical methods of brutality. And the book cleverly plays on these twisted scenarios, lending an air of horror to the overall ambience of the mystery. Gritty, mysterious, and brutal, Sutro puts the “dark” into her freshman novel. Look for more Kate Barnes in the new year, with the release of her follow up novel, “Dark Obsessions.”
Patrick Whitehurst has worked in journalism and communications for over 15 years. He’s the author of five nonfiction books for Arcadia Publishing, two mystery novellas, and numerous short stories.
