by Kristopher | Feb 28, 2019 | Review
When C. J. Tudor’s debut, The Chalk Man, was released last year, critics – including yours truly – made no qualms about comparing the work to that of Stephen King. The success of the novel and the fact that it made more than a few year-end best of lists garnered her a...
by Kristopher | Feb 27, 2019 | Review
Take a brilliant plot concept, populate it with complex and relatable characters, then wrap it all in an intimate writing style that is equal parts ‘heart’ and ‘head’ and the result is Why We Lie – one of the first truly-great suspense novels of 2019. This is a book...
by Kristopher | Feb 26, 2019 | Review
No one is going to claim that Peter Swanson repeatedly writes the same book. With his fifth novel, Before She Knew Him, he once again takes some familiar tropes and alters them just enough to make them feel fresh. The connective tissue linking all of his novels is...
by Kristopher | Feb 13, 2019 | Review
When You Find Me, P. J. Vernon’s debut, has so many elements within that it is hard to imagine a first-time author successfully pulling it off. There are threads dealing with politics, race relations, family dynamics, addiction, mental health, abuse, power, and above...
by Kristopher | Feb 7, 2019 | Review
Harriet Tyce’s Blood Orange could easily serve as “Exhibit A” disputing any claim that domestic suspense is less gritty, less dark, and less risky that its noir sibling. Crack the spine on this novel to enter a bleak landscape filled with deeply-rooted...
by Kristopher | Feb 6, 2019 | Review
Most readers would agree that some books are meant to be read at rapid speed, with the propulsive action spurring the reader through continuing cycles of “just one more chapter” until the exciting conclusion is reached; while others books are intended to immerse the...