Best novels
1. “Bluebird, Bluebird” by Attica Locke (Mullholland Books)
An African-American Texas Ranger’s investigation into the deaths of a black man and a white woman unflinchingly illustrates the intersection of race and justice in an insular Texas community. Locke, a writer and producer for the Fox drama “Empire,” packs the excellent “Bluebird, Bluebird” with complicated, believable characters whose motives often are tied up in the complex morass of history and family.
2. “The Blinds” by Adam Sternbergh (Ecco/ HarperCollins)
An imaginative idea about prison: Place the most violent murderers in an unescapable town and, as a kicker, wipe their memories clean. “The Blinds” expertly melds the thriller with the western, adding a soupcon of medical science fiction while paying a bit of homage to Jim Thompson’s novels “The Getaway” and “Pop. 1280.”
3. “He Said/She Said” by Erin Kelly (Minotaur)
The backdrop of viewing solar eclipses makes for an unusual, innovative story. There’s plenty of lore about the thrill of seeing an eclipse in “He Said/She Said,” which also serves as a psychological thriller about a marriage, obsessions, secrets and how rape is viewed.
4. “Watch Me Disappear” by Janelle Brown (Random/Spiegel & Grau)
Billie Flanagan’s disappearance a year ago left the household in shambles with bills piling up and her husband, Jonathan, and teenage daughter, Olive, lacking the energy to even buy food or do laundry. An incisive view of how grief seeps into each aspect of a person’s life, including financial. The family wonders just how well did they know Billie, who frequently took solo trips.
5. “The Marsh King’s Daughter” by Karen Dionne (Putnam)
A fresh plot delves into the emotional landscape of Helena Pelletier, whose mother was kidnapped and held captive in a remote cabin where Helena was born three years later. To the world, her father was a monster, but Helena knew him only as her dad, who taught her survival skills. Her secret past is revealed when her father escapes from prison.
6. “Wonder Valley” by