by Kristopher | Feb 3, 2020 | Review
Every so often the crime fiction canon welcomes a new character who is instantly iconic. There is no easy formula for making this happen; otherwise it would not be nearly as rare an occurrence as it is. In theory, it is likely some elusive combination of character...
by Kristopher | Jan 31, 2020 | Composite Sketch
From the Booking Desk: I first came to be aware of Edwin Hill when Shawn Reilly Simmons told me there was this new book coming out that she thought I might enjoy. That book turned out to be Edwin’s debut, Little Comfort, which I did immensely enjoy (and which...
by Kristopher | Jan 28, 2020 | Review
With the release of four novels under her wings – The Black Hour, Little Pretty Things, The Day I Died, and Under a Dark Sky – Lori Rader-Day has established herself as one of the most consistently-excellent and thoroughly-unpredictable writers of crime fiction. Part...
by Kristopher | Jan 27, 2020 | Review
Typically, when a reviewer says a book is cinematic, it is a reference to the fact that the book could easily be adapted to the screen and would probably be successful if that happened. In the case of Elizabeth Little’s second novel, Pretty as a Picture, the term...
by Kristopher | Jan 24, 2020 | Composite Sketch
From the Booking Desk: Jessica has been a fan and supporter of BOLO Books for a number of years now. I think we first met at the Toronto Bouchercon, when I moderated a star-studded panel on LGBTQ+ crime fiction. I so appreciate her sharing, liking, and commenting on...
by Kristopher | Jan 23, 2020 | Review
Actress Catherine Steadman (of Starz’s The Rook and ITV’s Downton Abbey) made a promising start to a second career as a thriller writer with 2018’s Something in the Water. Her new novel, Mr. Nobody, confirms this was no fluke; Catherine Steadman is a born storyteller....
by Kristopher | Jan 22, 2020 | Review
From the Booking Desk: I am trying something new this year, sprinkling my longer reviews with some posts that gather a handful of shorter reviews together in one convenient place. My hope is that the cross-pollination of fans will inspire readers to pick up books they...
by Kristopher | Jan 21, 2020 | Review
Sophie Hannah belongs at the top of the list of authors who can sell a book solely based on the synopsis. If you have never read one of her mystery novels, just check out the jacket copy of any one of them and I can almost guarantee you will be intrigued enough to...
by Kristopher | Jan 17, 2020 | Composite Sketch
From the Booking Desk: From the moment I read her debut novel, The Ruin, I knew that Dervla McTiernan and I could be friends. While I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting her in person, we stay connected via social media and will find ourselves at the same crime...
by Kristopher | Jan 16, 2020 | underCOVER
From the Booking Desk: I was a huge fan of The Night of the Flood, the first novel-in-stories edited by E. A. Aymar and Sarah M. Chen. At every event I attended for that book, the question was always asked: “would you do another collaboration of this...
