Two MFA alums have recently been featured in “Best of 2024” lists.
John Copenhaver’s third novel, Hall of Mirrors, was chosen by the New York Times as one of the “Best Crime Novels of 2024.” Critic Sarah Weinman wrote: “Copenhaver’s Hall of Mirrors brings back the crime-obsessed duo Judy Nightingale and Philippa Watson for a haunting exploration of closeted lives and shadow selves in 1950s Washington, D.C., as they track a serial killer they tried and failed to thwart years ago.” You can find the article here.
Jessica Anthony’s latest novel, The Most, was named one of “50 notable works of fiction” this year by the Washington Post. “Why does Kathleen, a 1950s housewife in Delaware, decide one November day to jump into the pool at her family’s apartment complex and refuse to come out?” the Post wrote. “This act of defiance is rooted in long-held secrets she and her husband don’t want to face.” Additionally, The Most was named a "Must-Read Book of 2024" by TIME magazine, who wrote, "Anthony’s domestic drama closely examines the makings of a certain kind of mid-century American couple and what happens when one half of that pair decides that everything must change." The Most was also longlisted for the National Book Award earlier this year.
You can find the TIME magazine article here, and the Washington Post list here.
December 11, 2024