Not quite the end of the month, but with a year-end post coming up, it’s time for the December 2012 Puzzly, aka the In Search Of The Classic Mystery Novel book of the month “award”. It’s part of the Mysteries In Paradise book of the month meme (link to follow later) and if you want to see the rest of my 2012 book of the month choices, then do check of the Puzzlies page.

Ten books this month – eleven actually, but the eleventh will be coming month (worth waiting for, by the way) – not a bad at all, but it’s a difficult choice for the best of the bunch.

On top of the setting up an Historical Mystery Timeline, the books read this month were:

• Deadly Beloved by Alanna Knight
• Nine Man’s Murder by Eric Keith
• The Straw Men by Paul Doherty
• Green For Danger by Christianna Brand
• I Remember You by Martin Edwards
• Christmas Mourning by Andrea Frazer
• The Relic Murders by Michael Clynes aka Paul Doherty
• The Monk Who Vanished by Peter Tremayne
• The Magician’s Death by Paul Doherty
• The Demon of Dartmoor by Paul Halter

OK, if there was a worst of the month, then it would be would be easy. Not naming names, but if you check out the reviews, then it should be obvious. But there are at least five that could be the best. Whittling out the previous winners (Paul Doherty, Martin Edwards and Paul Halter) leaves a choice between the classic Green For Danger and the newcomer Nine Man’s Murder… although it’s very tempting to include The Demon of Dartmoor in the shortlist.

Ugh. Very difficult to decide this one… right, going to go for the newcomer. This month’s Puzzly goes to Nine Man’s Murder. It’s a great debut – an entertaining read and a brain-twisting puzzle plot – and here’s hoping for more from Eric Keith.

Be sure to check out my fellow bloggers books of the month at Mysteries in Paradise.