2017 gives its last death throes. Another year we've eaten, drunk, and read. Mine has been particularly complete com more than thirty books that have passed through my retinas, on paper or digitally. I have not skimped on other genres (historical and romantic), but the usual parish already knows that my favorite is black.

They have been news and readings that were overdue. Heterogeneous panorama also with first approaches to the call country noir. But the Gallic polar, the delicious italian accent and, of course, my eternal love and passion for him cold north. Yes, and great admiration for some homelands. May 2018 continue to be very dark.

United States

I read a couple of reviews about Redemption that were enough to encourage me to read it and the same thing happened to me with bull-mountain. And the americans John Hart y Brian panovich They have been my discoveries of the year on the other side of the pond. The least achieved have also fallen from Hart The king of lies and the also magnificent No crows, and his style has managed to attract me. Panovich, with his debut, has been the one who has rounded the yanki quota annual and has left me a taste for that country noir of characters and environments so local that I hope to continue cultivating next year.

Europe

Italy

The Italian touch cannot be lacking with the number of good authors who share that idiosyncrasy and so particular literary style in the genre noir. In setting, characters, way of narrating ... This year began with Maurizio De Giovanni and his commissioner Luigi Alfredo Ricciardi stayed with my heart for the remains. In fact it only took 25 days to end the six titles that make up the series so far.

His Naples of the 30s, his characters as endearing as they are full of spark, his supernatural point that fits perfectly into the atmosphere of the time make this series perhaps the favorite of the year.

And at the opposite pole, the forcefulness, bravado and great charisma of that rebellious Roman inspector who is Rocco schiavonne de Antonio Mancini. En Sun of may, the fourth novel, Manzini already fully reaches maturity in the development of this schiavonne exiled to the Aosta Valley for indiscipline and unorthodoxy in his beloved Rome. At last we learn of the tragic past that has marked his character. So I will continue in their footsteps if they post new stories.

France

El polar Gaul continues to stomp. Lemaitre goes about his business and it is true that it is difficult to reach the wake of that Camille Verhoeven, but he is out there Olivier Norek, that real Parisian lieutenant who knows very well what the subject is about. Norek ate it all in 2016 with a great novel, Domino effect, and introduced us to le captain Victor coste, which promises to continue giving a lot of play. Hopefully so because it was pending reading and it did not disappoint me at all.

The discovery has been the recommendation of those friends that you can always trust. And I will continue to do so of course. The Mongolian Commissioner yeruldelgger, creation of Ian Manok (pseudonym of Patrick Manoukian), it has been an exotic delicacy that can be repeated. I hope to do it this next year with Wild times, his second novel, because Dead in the steppe it makes a good hole in the panorama and is pointed with a remarkable high.

Spain

It is true that Scar, de Juan Gomez-JuradoIt has already had a long and successful journey, but I had it pending and this summer I have dispatched it with satisfaction. The more than black history of the computer scientist simon sax and his more than disturbing encounter with that mysterious Irina add one more adept. But of course, I must read some of vory v zakone (those fearsome Russian "law thieves") and I usually dive headfirst.

But I must also mention that I finished the reading year yesterday with the first book by a fellow citizen writer, Javier Alonso Garcia-Pozuelo. The snuff box It is a very good novel with a mixture of black and historical genre that introduces us to an inspector who must be tracked down. We have to accompany in more cases by the Madrid of the nineteenth century Jose Maria Benitez. In a point car, in simón, or whatever it is through those cat streets full of details. A rich, elaborate, and elegant narrative of manners and history, but I've been wanting more character development.

Scandinavia

And we finish off in the cold north of my interlinings with two of the most illustrious Viking surnames. Betty, from Icelandic Arnold Indridason, It left me a very good aftertaste that I read nothing for being a short novel in the most classic tradition of the genre and with a very effective twist in its plot and characters. I didn't finish connecting with your successful inspector Erlendur Sveinson, But this story really got me hooked.

But we finish with him. Not a year without Harry Hole. It does not matter if it is in rereading or in novelty, but those of us who fall in love forever with this Norwegian monster with a badge and alcoholic already need his literary presence like him his Jim Beam poison. This year we have been in luck with him twentieth anniversary of his birth and his last case in Thirst.

The eleventh novel of the series brought us more heinous instruments and impossible murderers that the blond and haggard giant always hunts with heart attack ways. And with the added genius of that sickly mind of his lord father, Jo Nesbø, which can only come up with a bar. We could also talk to him in Barcelona and we were quite disappointed in the failed film adaptation of his snowman. And in the imminent 18 we will have his particular vision of Macbeth and possible visit also to the next Madrid Book Fair, where, Odin willing, I hope to lend his hand and prostrate myself at his feet.

But that will be another story that I hope to continue telling next year around this time. In the meantime let's enjoy a new literary year. Black, historical, romantic, erotic, rehearsal, poetic, theatrical, rehearsal or memoir. As you like the most. 2018 Happy!