This list was published in the Globe & Mail December 7, 2012.
The mini-reviews following the book titles are Cannon's.

GONE GIRL, by Gillian Flynn

One of the best mystery plots I’ve ever read. Unexpected, unguessable, altogether great.
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DEFENDING JACOB, by William Landay

Brilliantly plotted, with great characters and an unforgettable ending.
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THE BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY, by Louise Penny
# 8 with Armand Gamache, Chief Inspector of the Sûreté du Québec, in the village of Three Pines, in southern Quebec

Murder in a monastery. The book mixes music and history, and is Penny’s best to date.
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CREOLE BELLE, by James Lee Burke
# 19 with Dave Robicheaux, a deputy sheriff in New Iberia, Louisiana

A master class for all aspiring crime writers, as Dave Robicheaux and Clete Purcel fight personal demons and unravel a murder.
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STANDING IN ANOTHER MAN’S GRAVE, by Ian Rankin
# 18 with John Rebus, a detective sergeant in Edinburgh, Scotland

John Rebus returns to duty to solve a very cold case.
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MISSION TO PARIS, by Alan Furst

It’s Paris in 1938, and a Hollywood star is spying on Hitler’s Germany. The best espionage novel of the year.
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UNTIL THE NIGHT, by Giles Blunt
# 6 with John Cardinal, a police detective near Algonquin Bay, Ontario, Canada

John Cardinal returns in another Algonquin Bay mystery, and Blunt remains one of Canada’s best crime authors.
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THE IMPEACHMENT OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, by Stephen L. Carter

One of the best alternative history novels ever, period.
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THE VANISHING POINT, by Val McDermid

Riveting tale with a complex plot and unforgettable characters.
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BEASTLY THINGS, by Donna Leon
# 21 with Guido Brunetti, a police commissario in Venice, Italy

One of the best of the Guido Brunetti books. Leon never disappoints, but this one is special.

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Watch for the upcoming post Sharon's Top Mystery Reads 2012
posted by Sharon