Below are my favorite characters of the year. As I was selecting them, I realized that not all of them were the protagonist. Drayton Connelly is a debonair Southern man who is always dressed well and who loves tradition. Zio Tino is the uncle of the protagonist in The Keeper of Lost Art. His decisions for the family pushed the plot forward.
Drayton Connelly, High Tea and Misdemeanors by Laura Childs; Drayton is always the voice of reason. However, I most love reading about his daily wardrobe.
Clair Cosi, No Roast for the Weary by Cleo Coyle; Clair owns and operates a coffeehouse with her ex-husband. She always has a keen insight and solves the murders at hand.
Lucie Montgomery, Deeds Left Undone by Ellen Crosby, Lucie has a disability but she still is able to own and operate a vineyard in Virginia. Her mobility impairment does not stop her from pursuing her dream job.
Emilia McRoy, Death at a Scottish Wedding by Lucy Connelly; Emilia is a physician who left her practice in the U S. to move to Scotland. She is also the coroner for her village which helps her solve murders. I wish I could be that brave and move overseas.
Delilah O’Leary, Sleep in Heavenly Pizza by Mindy Quigley; Delilah owns a pizzeria. She has hired an eclectic and eccentric group of employees who help her solve crimes.
Zio Tino, The Keeper of Lost Art by Laura Morelli
Kaveri Murthy, Into the Leopard's Den by Harini Nagendra; Kaveri is the protagonist of this trilogy. Her knowledge on how humans behave bring twists to the story as well as determining the whodunnit.
Anyu Zhang, The Master Jeweler by Reina Dai Randel; Anyu is long suffering and this trait helps her become a jeweler.
Hubie Schuze, The Pot Thief Who Studied Calvin by J Michael Orenduff; Hubie seems like an old hippie. However, he's not old enough to be one. Each of the books in the series is solved by the use of one of his eccentricities.
Emma Quinn, The Art Collector by Susan Bacon; Emma is a history professor at Columbia University. She has taken up an investigation into the death of photographer Seal Larson, a friend of Andy Warhol.
