Well here we are in 2021, and it’s almost March.  The big mystery being, what happened to 2020?  Time moves so quickly that we humans can't seem to catch up.  At the end of each year we are reminded of the many outstanding and influential people who are no longer with us. Two well-known and loved mystery writers were among those on the list for 2020: Mary Higgins Clark and John le Carre.

The queen of suspense Mary Higgins Clark (1927-2020) was known for her suspense, mystery and psychological thrillers.  She was born in the Bronx, New York.  Before she turned to mystery writing she worked as a copy editor and short story writer.  Her debut suspense novel “Where Are the Children” was considered ahead of its time.  It is now in its 75th printing.  That says something in itself.  Thirty-six of her 51 novels have been made into movies.  “A Cry in the Night,” “Every Breath You Take” and “A Stranger is Watching” were also among her most popular.

John le Carre (David John Moore Cornwell) (1931-2020) was a British author of espionage novels. During the 1950s and 1960s he worked for both the Security Service and the Secret Intelligence Service. Throughout his writing career he received more than 21 awards.  Two of his most popular books “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold”  and “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” were made into movies.  His character John Smiley plays a central role in five of his novels and a recurring role in several others.  Out of his 35 books at least nine more were adapted for film or screen plays.

For those who are still trying to catch up on their reading here is a list of 12 titles from the Best of 2020:  “A Time for Mercy”  by John Grisham;  “All the Devils Are Here” by Louise Penny;  “The Law of Innocence”  by Michael Connelly;  “The Big Farm in the Woods”  by Harlan Coben;  “And Now She's Gone”  by Rachael Hall; “His and Hers”  by Alice Feeney; “A Private Cathedral”  by James Lee Burke; “Moonflower Murders”  by Anthony Horowitz; “When You See Me”  by Lisa Gardner;  “Dead Land”  by Sara Paretsky; “The Sun Down Motel”  by Simone St. James and  “The Lantern Men”  by Elly Griffiths.

Happy reading mystery lovers!