This week’s topic for Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) is “New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2023”. There were lots of authors I tried for the first time last year, but the ten I’m listing below are all authors whose books I enjoyed and would consider reading again.
1. Edgar Rice Burroughs – His more famous books have never really appealed to me, but The Efficiency Expert was recommended to me and it was very entertaining.
2. E.C.R. Lorac – I’m not sure whether Death of an Author was really the best Lorac to start with, as I liked it but didn’t love it. I hope to try another one soon!
3. Helen Scarlett – I enjoyed The Lodger for its portrayal of London in the aftermath of World War I and must try Scarlett’s previous novel at some point.
4. Geoffrey Household – A man goes on the run after a failed assassination attempt in Household’s 1939 novel, Rogue Male. An interesting read, but I’m not sure if any of his other books appeal.
5. Dolores Hitchens – I read The Cat Saw Murder, a Rachel Murdock mystery, for Mallika’s Reading the Meow week and would like to read some of the others in that series.
6. Ursula Bloom – Wonder Cruise was my first Ursula Bloom book; it seems she was a very prolific author, so I have lots more to look forward to.
7. Patricia Highsmith – Having meant to try something by Patricia Highsmith for years, I finally read her classic psychological thriller Strangers on a Train in 2023!
8. J.B. Priestley – Benighted, Priestley’s 1927 novel, was a creepy and unsettling read, perfect for October!
9. Kate Grenville – Restless Dolly Maunder, based on the story of Grenville’s own grandmother, was an interesting look at life in Australia in the early 20th century.
10. Rebecca Netley – I enjoyed The Black Feathers, a Gothic novel set in Victorian England, and I would like to read Netley’s previous book, The Whistling, now.
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Have you read any of these authors? Which new (or new-to-you) authors did you discover last year?
She Reads Novels 
Love your list! I am not getting to Top Ten Tuesday nearly enough. This was a great topic. I am very interested in Ursula Bloom and especially Wonder Cruise after reading your review awhile back so that book and author is going on my TBR list for 2024 🙂
Thanks Shellie! I don’t manage to take part in Top Ten Tuesday every week either – just when the topic appeals to me, as it did this week.
Ursula Bloom was also a new to me author in 2023 and I really enjoyed Wonder Cruise. My favourite new to me author in 2023 was Georgette Heyer and her Regency romances. My 2 favourites to date are Sprig Muslin and The Grand Sophy. Also on the list was Carola Dunn and her Cornish Mysteries and her Daisy Dalyrimple series. I really enjoy books that feature stong women and so prefer female authors.
I’m glad you’ve discovered Georgette Heyer, Paula. I haven’t read all of her books yet myself, but Sprig Muslin is also one of my favourites. I’ll have to try Carola Dunn at some point!
ERB and Highsmith are, as it were, old friends in terms of writings but not the others you’ve mentioned, some of which I should’ve tried before now; Lorac I keep being nudged to at least try…
I’m not sure about Lorac yet, based on that one book I’ve read, but I’m planning to try another one at some point.
I’ve read Lorac, Grenville, Highsmith, and Bloom. A few new to me authors from 2023 are Jessica Knoll (Bright Young Women), Katharine Beutner (Killingly), Henri Bosco (The Child and the River), and Lion Feuchtwanger (The Oppermanns).
I haven’t read any of those yet.
I read a LOT of Burrows in my youth – his Fantasy/SF stuff – which was entertaining enough. I keep meaning to read at least some of his Tarzan set. I read ‘Rogue Male’ a while back and thought it was interesting. Read ‘Strangers…’ as you know and didn’t like it very much. Also read some Priestly *eons* ago and remember liking them…
I’ve never really felt tempted to read any of the Tarzan or fantasy books but I enjoyed The Efficiency Expert so much I might decide to try one.
ERB’s novels on Mars & Venus were entertaining enough for a less than discerning teenager, but I’m not sure how they’d read as an adult! I’m still (kind of) tempted by the Tarzan books – or at least the 1st one – just to see… But its not like I haven’t got anything else to read… [grin]
Patricia Highsmith is the only author I’ve read on here. I read The Talented Mr. Ripley about a million years ago, but I’d love to read more of her work. I’m very intrigued by Rebecca Netley as well.
Here’s my list: https://franlaniado.wordpress.com/2024/01/30/top-ten-tuesday-new-to-me-authors-of-2023/
I’ve still only read Strangers on a Train by Highsmith, but I think The Talented Mr Ripley will probably be the next one I read.
The only one I’ve read is Lorac, even when not at her best I think she’s good and I must read something by Patricia Highsmith!
I’m looking forward to reading more by Lorac. I didn’t particularly love the one I read, but I’m hoping I’ll enjoy some of her others more.
Hi Helen, I really enjoyed studying An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestly when I was school and since seen it twice on the stage. 🕵️♂️
I’m glad you enjoyed An Inspector Calls, Jessica. I do want to read more by Priestley so maybe I’ll try that one. 🙂
I like that Ursula Bloom cover. I haven’t come across her work.
I really enjoyed the Kate Grenville book I read during the pandemic, The Secret River, although it was very sad. She certainly has a lot of inspiration in her family!
A lot of Ursula Bloom’s books are available for Kindle, at least in the UK, so I’m sure I’ll be reading more of them. I’m hoping to read The Secret River soon too. Thanks for the warning about it being sad!