For some reason, I always take particular care when choosing my first crime novel of the new year. I like it to be a good one, and one that’s perhaps a little different to crime novels that I’ve read recently. This year I opted for a classic that I’ve been meaning to read for the longest time and was lucky enough to find under the Christmas tree: Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley. Originally published in 1955, it’s still brilliant and chilling in equal measure.

Just for fun, I asked some crime aficionados on Twitter for their first crime novel of the year. Please do feel free to add your own below in the comments. It’ll be interesting to see what kinds of patterns emerge, if any.

• Belinda Bauer, Rubbernecker, 2013 (@scorpio0901)
• Jacques Berndorf, Eifel-Bullen, German-language, 2012 (@twcroke)
• Tony Cavanaugh, Promise, 2013 (@bernadetteinoz)
• Ann Cleeves, White Nights, 2008 (@_alisongray)
• Patricia Cornwell, The Bone Bed, 2012 (@VistaSpa)
• Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl, 2012 (@writermels, as a treat for finishing the first draft of her new book, and @JanetOkane, as a book group choice) 
• Arnaldur Indridason, Arctic Chill, 2009 (@moorealj, currently working through the Erlendur series)
• Philip Kerr, Prague Fatale, 2011 (@puzzledoctor, whose review is already available here)
• Val McDermid, A Place of Execution, 1999 (@dmcnsp)
• Val McDermid, Fever of the Bone, 2009 (@callumcollins, prompted by VM’s appearance on Celebrity Mastermind)
• Adrian McKinty, I Hear the Sirens in the Street, 2013 (@RobKitchin)
• Stuart Neville, Ratlines, 2013 (@ravencrime, who has also already produced a review)
• Sara Paretsky, Killing Orders (in German translation), 1988 (@GesineSchulz)   
• Ian Rankin, Standing in Another Man’s Grave, 2012 (@crimescraps)
• Kettenroman – Der Mopp ist Weg, German-language, 2010 (@KaroRutkowsky)

I’m off now for my annual adventure on the outdoor ice-rink at the Winter Wonderland. I’ll report back on my bumps and bruises a little later…