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Settle into the world of an English village in 1936, populated by elderly Victorian spinsters, their sad companions, loyal servants, and ne'er-do-well wild children of the 1920's, still trying to make hay. Hercule Poirot and his innocent sidekick Hastings are called in to investigate a woman's death. The plot is great fun, and chances are you won't figure it all out before the inevitable drawing-room reveal . . . and even more fun are Hastings' bumbling deductions and the luscious glimpses of a vanished time and place. A wonderful read!

Even if you normally avoid anything that can be classified as "historical fiction," you will love DERBY DAY. Strongly influenced by the style of Thackeray and the convoluted, character-packed plots of Dickens, D. J. Taylor produces a novel of Victorian England that, quite simply, rings true. Rich in detail, DERBY DAY offers action aplenty, with characters drawn from all walks of life. It is sheer delight to be carried along by a master storyteller with a sense of humor and a fine ear for dialogue. Buy two copies; you'll want to give one as a gift!

If you love the classic British mysteries of Dorothy L. Sayers and Josephine Tey, you will thoroughly enjoy this tale. Set in a public boys' school in 1920 and featuring a Scotland Yard detective who has suffered the horrors of the Great War, WHO KILLED CALLAWAY? is the perfect cozy read for a chilly autumn evening. It would also make a great gift for those friends and relatives who like a good whodunnit without violence or obscenity -- yet it isn't "tea-and-knitting" tame, either. It is the first in a series, and I hope there will be many more!

If you love the classic British mysteries of Dorothy L. Sayers and Josephine Tey, you will thoroughly enjoy this tale. Set in a public boys' school in 1920 and featuring a Scotland Yard detective who has suffered the horrors of the Great War, WHO KILLED CALLAWAY? is the perfect cozy read for a chilly autumn evening. It is the first in a series, and I hope there will be many more!

Now that ONE DAY has been made into a movie, readers should take a look at other David Nicholls novels as well, beginning with this goofy, quasi-romantic story of a failing actor in London. Stephen McQueen (no, not the famous one!) is in his early 30's and has tried to make a go of acting his entire adult life. His wife has left him and remarried, taking his beloved small daughter, and currently his only roles are in educational videos and as the understudy to new Young Hollywood Brit sensation Josh Harper. But when he is invited to a party at Josh's house, things begin to happen . . . Okay, mostly bad things, but very funny ones too. If you have read ONE DAY, you'll recognize the dry wit and very low-key romantic tension in THE UNDERSTUDY. Stephen is pleasantly hapless, and the grim underbelly of professional theatre is skewered appropriately. But he's a likable fellow, he meets a likable woman, and events proceed amusingly. It's hard to find funny novels that aren't either too extreme or simply ridiculous. THE UNDERSTUDY manages nicely to be neither, and to satisfy the reader's desire for a strongly plotted, plausible story. Give it a read!

The best novel of 2010 (a year full of good novels!), THE IMPERFECTIONISTS works both as a novel and as a collection of related but independent short stories. This is a much harder feat than it might appear, and it's a measure of Tom Rachman's skill that he can get you to care so much about characters in single chapters that you hope desperately for their return later in the novel. The story concerns a group of journalists, primarily American, working at an English-language newspaper in Rome. Their reasons for being there are as various as their personalities, and every story is fascinating. You get a good sense of the recent history of the newspaper, from its heyday decades ago to the current alarming decline, but primarily what comes through are the unforgettable characters and situations. THE IMPERFECTIONISTS is a masterpiece, and I recommend it highly for all ages.

Few books have given me as much heartache and joy as this riveting, unputdownable novel! During the Siege of Leningrad during World War II, a young Jewish boy and an AWOL soldier from the Russian Army join forces on an equal parts desperate and ridiculous mission. The people they encounter, and their deepening friendship, are unforgettable. I have recommended this book to everyone from teenagers to grandfathers, with universal success. It's an instant classic, the sort of book that should be taught in high school so that even non-readers have the opportunity to enjoy it. Please give it a try -- you won't be disappointed!