It is one of our favorite times at LJ, the weeks before we announce the Best Books of the year. Look for our list of 2024’s not-to-miss titles in the December issue. As we count down to our big reveal, we are delighted to highlight some of our 2023 picks, titles we still treasure, reread, and suggest widely.

Witty, deeply clever, and read-it-like-you-just-robbed-some-pirates fast, India Holton’s The Secret Service of Tea and Treason (Berkley) delivers a delicious treat with its Victorian-set fantasy/thriller/romance blend. Alice Dearlove is a prim, proper, top-notch operative. Daniel Bixby is a staring-down-villains (and stewards) master spy. When they infiltrate a pirate country-house party, on the hunt for a rogue secret weapon, they find themselves with more to talk about than operational plans. Madcap, tender, and endlessly delightful, the entire “Dangerous Damsels” series is not to be missed.