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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 The Housemaid

Peggy Webb Why did I love this book?

I was immediately hooked when I found out the female protagonist was an ex-prisoner. She was guilty, too, and she wasn’t seeking redemption. Her motive was REVENGE–far more powerful and infinitely more intriguing. 

I never guessed the twists McFadden put in her fabulous psychological thriller. I had never read anything like itthe characters were so fresh, the plot was so intriguing, and the ending was so unexpected! This story takes the control issue from the popular movie Sleeping with the Enemy to an entirely new level. Every time I think of this title, I remember the story. Vividly. That’s the stuff of bestsellers! I rank this book at the top of my list.   

By Freida McFadden,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked The Housemaid as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Don't miss the New York Times and USA Today bestseller and addictive psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist that’s burning up Instagram and TikTok--Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid is perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Lisa Jewell, and Verity.

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Arrangement

Peggy Webb Why did I love this book?

I love novels that delve into family relationships, and Modglin did that in spades. The first few chapters led me, unsuspecting, into the lives of the most unusual husband and wife I’ve ever met on the page. If I hadn’t read the description, I might have thought I was reading a relationship book by Elizabeth Berg or Anne Tyler. 

Was I in for a shock! The more I read, the more twisted the relationship became. This book literally took my breath away. I couldn’t turn pages fast enough! This novel is fascinating, fast-paced, and shockingly differentall the things that made me hurry to snatch up the two sequels, which are equally as good as the first. I highly recommend this book.

By Kiersten Modglin,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A #1 bestselling novel from award-winning author Kiersten Modglin...
Fans of Gone Girl, The Swap, and My Lovely Wife are sure to be gripped by this fast-paced, scandalous, and completely twisted story.

Domestic thriller readers are raving:
"...my new obsession!"
"...that ending shook me to my core."
"I was sure I knew where it was going. I couldn't have been more wrong."
"Hands down, my favorite read this year!"

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The arrangement was just meant to fix their marriage.
No one was supposed to get hurt.
But when the rules of this open marriage are broken, the consequences are sinister.…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Hive

Peggy Webb Why did I love this book?

I was intrigued by the premise–how we can all be fooled by the advertising hype we hear daily. Then Olsen took the story down a dark path and into a labyrinth of unexpected twists and complicated secondary plots that kept me turning pages. The writing is good, the pacing is fast, the characters relatable, and the story believableall the elements I like to see in thrillers. In any book, really. 

I have recommended this book to book clubs who enjoyed reading it. It takes the third spot of the most memorable books I’ve read this year. 

By Gregg Olsen,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Glamorous messiah or charlatan? A mask of beauty hides deadly secrets in #1 New York Times and Amazon Charts bestselling author Gregg Olsen's mesmerizing novel of suspense.

In the Pacific Northwest, detective Lindsay Jackman is investigating the murder of a young journalist found at the bottom of a ravine. Lindsay soon learns that the victim was writing an expose. Her subject: a charismatic wellness guru who's pulled millions into her euphoric orbit...

To hear Marnie Spellman tell it, when she was a child, a swarm of bees lifted her off the ground and toward the sunlight, illuming her spiritual connection…


Plus, check out my book…

Black Crow Cabin

By Peggy Webb,

Book cover of Black Crow Cabin

What is my book about?

How does an ordinary woman save herself and her children from the clutches of the Collector, a predator so evil he makes Hannibal Lecter look tame?

Rachel Logan Maxey, school teacher, single mom, and reluctant mystic, is living an ordinary life with her two children and her grandmother on their Colorado ranch… until a madman dubbed the Collector escalates from snatching potted plants off front porches to snatching children from front yards. 

Citizens of their once-safe little town draw their shades and lock their doors. But nothing can stop the Collector. When he sets his sights on Rachel’s family, she channels her inner Wonder Woman to face off against a criminal feared for his depravity and evil genius. But is it enough to save them?