Author Protector Sarcastic Goofball
The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,639 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Damascus Station

T. R. Hendricks Why did I love this book?

After I finished reading this, I thought I was qualified to recruit and run sources for the CIA. That's how authentic McCloskey's writing is. 

Damascus Station is so detailed that, at times, it seems like you're reading a how-to guide for conducting clandestine operations. Field manuals are as boring and dry as staring at sawdust, and this book is anything but that. McCloskey's tale is full of high-stakes intrigue that keeps you riveted page after page, with anxiety-inducing twists and turns guaranteed to jack up your heart rate while you guess what will happen next.

The intricate weaving of the story's espionage, amplified by the conflicts, desires, and ambitions of fully formed and well-rounded characters, is a game of chess played at the highest level of reality, with no less than countless lives hanging in the balance.

I thoroughly enjoyed the maneuvering between the adversaries as each delved further into their arsenal of tradecraft in order to outsmart and gain supremacy over the other. If you are a fan of spy novels, then Damascus Station is an absolute must.

By David McCloskey,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Damascus Station as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

CIA case officer Sam Joseph is dispatched to Paris to recruit Syrian Palace official Mariam Haddad. The two fall into a forbidden relationship, which supercharges Haddad's recruitment and creates unspeakable danger when they enter Damascus to find the man responsible for the disappearance of an American spy.

But the cat and mouse chase for the killer soon leads to a trail of high-profile assassinations and the discovery of a dark secret at the heart of the Syrian regime, bringing the pair under the all-seeing eyes of Assad's spy catcher, Ali Hassan, and his brother Rustum, the head of the feared…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Guilty One

T. R. Hendricks Why did I love this book?

It is a detective story that turns detective stories on their head—another absolutely fantastic read created by the incomparable Bill Schweigart.

Penned with his signature wit, humor, and an unprecedented talent for engrossing dialogue, Bill gives a fresh take on police procedural/detective novels.

Equal parts intrigue, action, mystery, horror, and even a bit of history, this page-turner will have your head spinning until the very end. This is not to be missed!

By Bill Schweigart,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Guilty One as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A hero cop thwarts a brutal murder and can’t remember a thing about it. But memories return—and so do the nightmares in this breathlessly paced thriller for fans of David Ricciardi and Michael Connelly.

Every town needs a hero—and Detective Cal Farrell fits the bill. He stopped an active shooter six months earlier, and now he’s become the darling of the Alexandria press. The problem is that Cal remembers nothing from that day. He’s working with a psychiatrist to recover his memories, but hasn’t had much luck.

Then, on one of his morning runs, he is once again the first…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Guardian

T. R. Hendricks Why did I love this book?

As blistering as the firefights detailed within The Guardian is a full-throttle, non-stop freight train of action on a collision course with your prefrontal cortex.

Reading Joshua's latest is like watching the extended action of The Expendables films combined with the intricacy of the John Wick sequences. I loved the use of an Air Force Pararescueman for the story, which IMHO is an underused pedigree in the lexicon of military thriller heroes.

Like any amazing story, the devil is in the details, and in this, Joshua delivers again and again. From the in-depth medical knowledge PJs are required to employ at a moment's notice to the touch and feel of the environments Lane finds himself in, the reader is completely immersed.

I could feel the oppressive heat of the jungle humidity, saturating the character's clothing, and the searing heat of 40mm grenades exploding, experiencing two very different sensations simultaneously. Joshua's writing is that good.

This story is that good. Stand up, hook up, shuffle to the door. You'll want to jump into this book as soon as possible!

By Joshua Hood,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Guardian as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the USA Today bestselling author of Robert Ludlum’s Treadstone series, The Guardian is an action-packed adventure with a hint of romance that’s perfect for fans of Extraction and Romancing the Stone.

When a retired Air Force PJ with nothing to lose is hired to rescue a kidnapped American from the depths of the Congo Basin, what was supposed to be a simple mission quickly turns into a fight for survival …

As a member of the elite Air Force Pararescue, Travis Lane abides by the motto “These things we do, that others may live.” After an injury forces him…


Plus, check out my book…

The Instructor

By T. R. Hendricks,

Book cover of The Instructor

What is my book about?

Derek Harrington, retired Marine Force Recon and SERE instructor, is barely scraping by teaching the basics of wilderness survival.

His fledgling bushcraft school is on the cusp of going out of business, and expenses are piling up fast. His only true mission these days? To get his ailing father into a full care facility and to support his ex-wife and their son.

When one of his students presents him with an opportunity too good to be true―$20,000 to instruct a private group for 30 days in upstate New York―Derek reluctantly takes the job despite his reservations about the group's insistence on anonymity. But it isn't long before the training takes an unexpected turn―and a new offer is made.