City of Windows by Robert Pobi, TP $24.99

I have a small confession to make. My eyesight has deteriorated to the point that even with strong lens glasses I can no longer read mass-market paperbacks. So, my book of the year is a trade paperback entitled City of Windows. The author, although not, we believe Canadian, lives in Canada, and the book itself is set in the United States.

City of Windows, begins with three assassinations, done by hunting rifle at long range under very difficult conditions. The title of the book refers to the windows from which the assassin's rifle shoots its victims. Half the book is taken up with discovering the connection between the victims. The protagonist, Lucas Page, a former FBI agent, invalided out of the bureau, is an interesting and attractive character, as is his family of five adopted children, and one large dog is great as well.

Page and I have several things in common. We are both university professors. We are both minus parts of our body. We both find students to be not as imaginative as they once were.

The plot is strong, and the writing is excellent. As to what makes it my book of the year, I not only read this book, but re-read this book; something that makes a book truly exceptional.