by Kristopher | Jan 21, 2021 | Review
In a relatively short time, Jane Harper has established herself as a must-read author within the crime fiction community. With stories that feature complex characters and compelling plots, fans know they can count on her fiction to sweep them away from the world for...
by Kristopher | Jan 19, 2021 | underCOVER
Over the last few years, the crime fiction community has seen a trend of short story anthologies inspired by the works of various musicians. The collections allow for a cross-pollination of fans that help to keep the genre vibrant and timely. What makes these...
by Kristopher | Jan 15, 2021 | Review
Since Mick Herron is the International Guest of Honor at the 2022 Left Coast Crime in Albuquerque, New Mexico – a conference where I will also be the Fan Guest of Honor – I have decided to dedicate a series of posts this year to a deep-dive look at his most popular...
by Kristopher | Dec 17, 2020 | Review
Trying to pin down Jess Lourey’s writing style is pointless. She has crossed the gamut of sub-genres within the crime writing arena and beyond, but what has remained consistent is the presence of well-developed characters, unpredictable plots, and that elusive...
by Kristopher | Dec 15, 2020 | Review
Edwin Hill burst onto the crime fiction landscape with his debut novel, Little Comfort, before returning a year later with another Hester Thursby mystery, The Missing Ones. It is clear that readers love Hester, so it is little surprise that Edwin Hill will soon...
by Kristopher | Dec 10, 2020 | Review
From the Booking Desk: 2020 was a very strange reading year. It was the year of the pandemic and as such, my schedule for reading was completely chaotic. As usual, I took this task of selecting my Top Reads List very seriously and really struggled to make sure the...
by Kristopher | Dec 7, 2020 | underCOVER
From the Booking Desk: Sing it to Her Bones is one of my favorite debut mysteries. In that novel, Marcia Talley introduced readers to Hannah Ives and that character has continued to thrive ever since. Marcia also happens to be one of the biggest supporters of her...
by Kristopher | Dec 1, 2020 | Review
Matt Coyle’s series featuring San Diego PI Rick Cahill has been a critical and fan favorite from its first novel, Yesterday’s Echo. His books have always managed to maintain a vintage feel – harkening back to the golden age of private eyes – while still appealing to...
by Kristopher | Nov 19, 2020 | Review
With Winterkill, Ragnar Jónasson makes a triumphant return to his Dark Iceland series for one final outing featuring fan-favorite Ari Thor Arason. As with the previous novels in the series – Snowblind, Blackout, Rupture, Whiteout, and Nightblind – Jónasson nails the...
by Kristopher | Nov 17, 2020 | Review
While it is true that many crime fiction fans enjoy being surprised during the reading process, this has led to some authors stretching credibility in order to embed the wildest twists possible, which can often have the opposite effect, frustrating the reader....