Like every other reader, I have my favorite, go-to authors whose books I always look forward to reading. I also enjoy discovering new authors to love. In fact, out of the 230 titles I read in 2024, 127 of them—almost half—were penned by new-to-me writers. That made it really easy to create a list to fit this week's Top Ten Tuesday prompt: Top Ten New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2024. As always, this fun weekly link-up is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

1. Benjamin Stevenson—Everyone knows I love me a good mystery/thriller, especially when it's both clever and funny. Stevenson's Ernest Cunningham series is exactly that. You can tell just by the titles of the books—Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone; Everyone On This Train is a Suspect; and Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret—that they're hilarious. I read all three in 2024 and loved each one.. This Australian author has a couple other mystery/thriller series that I need to check out.

2. Sally Hepworth—Another Aussie, Hepworth writes absorbing domestic thrillers. I read three of them in 2024, of which The Good Sister was my favorite. I definitely plan to continue exploring Hepworth's backlist this year. 

3. Raquel V. Reyes—Cozy mysteries make nice palate cleansers for me between heavier reads, so I'm always on the lookout for entertaining ones. Reyes' series starring a Cuban American food anthropologist and amateur sleuth in Miami is a fun one. I read the first two books last year and have already read #3 this year.

4. Erin Lindsey—I'm a big historical mystery fan, so I get excited when I find new series in this genre to enjoy. I discovered Lindsey's Rose Gallagher series in 2024. It stars an Irish American housemaid in Gilded Age New York City who can see ghosts. She becomes part of the Pinkerton Detective Agency's secret paranormal division, which deals with supernatural disturbances. With lots of interesting historical details, cameos by famous people of the past, and quirky characters, it's an enjoyable series. I read the first book in 2024 and the second last week.

5. Marthe Jocelyn—Speaking of historical mysteries, I found Jocelyn's Aggie Morton series last year. The series, which is aimed at middle grade readers, features a young Agatha Christie and her new friend, Hercules Poirot. The youngsters team up to do what else, but solve mysteries. I read the first installment, The Body Under the Piano, in 2024 and plan to continue the series this year.

6. Gabrielle Meyer—Meyer is a popular author of Christian and inspirational fiction. Her publisher, Bethany House, has kindly sent me all the books in her Timeless series as they have come out. It took me until last year to finally read the first installment, When the Day Comes, which I enjoyed. The book is about a woman who has the unique ability to time travel between two lives—one in Gilded Age New York City, one in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg. When she turns 21, she will have to choose which life to inhabit permanently. 

7. Ying Chang Compestine—Compestine is a Chinese American food expert and writer who grew up in Wuhan, China, a city that became famous in 2020 because of the Covid outbreak there. Morning Sun in Wuhan, a middle grade novel, was one of my favorite reads of 2024 because of its authenticity and hopeful vibe. I'm interested in reading Compestine's other middle grade novels as well as her memoir, Growing Up Under a Red Flag.

8. Naomi Stephens—Although she only has a few books under her belt, this Christian historical fiction writer impressed me with The Burning of Rosemont Abbey. I hear that she is planning to write more mysteries and I am here for them!

9. Melanie Crowder—Crowder writes books for children in several different genres. I read her YA novel, An Uninterrupted View of the Sky, last year. It's set in 1999 Bolivia and concerns an Indigenous boy whose father is unfairly targeted by a corrupt government and sent to prison. Unable to cope, his mother abandons the family, leaving the boy and his younger sister no choice but to live with their father in prison. It's a beautiful novel about keeping hope alive even in the most dire circumstances. I enjoyed it, so I want to read more by Crowder.

10. Lesa Cline-Ransome—Cline-Ransome pens biographies and novels featuring important events and people in Black history. I loved One Big Open Sky, her middle-grade verse novel about Black homesteaders on the American frontier. Not only does it tell a unique story, but it's also poetic, poignant, and powerful. I'm definitely up for reading more by this author.

There you are, ten new-to-me authors I discovered in 2024. Are they new to you, too? Which writers did you find last year? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

When Rosemont Abbey goes up in flames, the result of an apparent arson, it shocks the residents of Wilbeth Green, a quaint English village. In the wake of the blaze, Paul Everly, the town troublemaker, has vanished. He's quickly convicted in the court of public opinion, but his twin sister, Louisa, refuses to believe that Paul would set fire to a church. In fact, she's convinced not only that he's innocent but also that he's dead. Even though the 26-year-old twins haven't been close in years, Louisa can feel his loss. She can't explain to others how she knows Paul is gone without sounding insane, so she launches her own private investigation into what she's sure is her brother's murder.

As Louisa pokes her nose into the arson, she ruffles feathers among the good folks of Wilbeth Green, not all of whom are telling her the truth. The more she digs, the more sure she is that something nefarious is going on in the sleepy village. With several unexpected helpers—including a handsome detective inspector, a spunky old lady, and a wise vicar—Louisa will find out what happened to Paul, no matter the risk. Can Louisa solve the puzzling mystery before it's too late? Or will she be the next to vanish?

I always enjoy a good historical mystery and I was pleasantly surprised by The Burning of Rosemont Abbey by Naomi Stephens. Louisa and Malcolm are both understated, likable characters. They're compassionate, determined, smart, and nice without being doormats. You can feel the warmth and chemistry between them from the moment they see each other. The investiative trio they form with Mrs. Watson, a sassy octogenarian, is probably my favorite part of the book, though. Their antics just made me laugh. The mystery they're looking into is fairly straightforward, but there were enough plot twists to keep me guessing throughout the novel. Although I probably should have seen the killer coming, I really didn't. Their motive did seem a tad weak. Still, their identity was a surprise but not a what?-that-doesn't-make-any-sense surprise.

The novel is published by Bethany House and is, technically, Christian fiction. However, it's not overtly religious. Louisa is the daughter of a (deceased) vicar. She and her family attend Sunday services regularly and are involved in the social happenings at the church. In addition, their vicar is her friend, confidante, and spiritual leader. Most of the "Christian" bits of the story are things he says, showing that requesting and receiving his advice is a natural, normal part of Louisa's life. The book never feels preachy. In fact, it doesn't even really feel like Christian fiction, although it is clean and, ultimately, a hopeful, faith-promoting read.

All in all, I very much enjoyed The Burning of Rosemont Abbey. I'm definitely up for reading more by Stephens. Apparently, she has another mystery coming out soon that has a similar setting to this one. You can be sure I'll be keeping my eye out for it!

Readalikes: The publisher compares this book to Agatha Christie's mysteries. I haven't read enough of them to really compare. 

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The Burning of Rosemont Abbey from the generous folks at Bethany House in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!