Reviews

With Count My Lies, Sophie Stava has written an unforgettable and fast-paced debut novel that is sure to be all the buzz in various corners of the crime fiction community. Sophie Stava lends her fresh voice and undeniable talent to a familiar trope: the unstable...

Across her career, Clea Simon has proven that her writing skills can tackle just about any style choice. She’s written comforting cozies to paranormal romance to gritty noir with settings as disparate as Cambridge, Massachusetts or Boston’s underground music scene....

When Tess Gerritsen launched a new series with The Spy Coast last year, it was immediately obvious that this concept was going to hook readers in—likely starting yet another long-running series for this legend of crime fiction. The idea of a community of retired spies...

With the release of This Book Will Bury Me, Ashley Winstead continues to entertain her legion of fans with her brand of crime fiction—novels that take familiar tropes and twist them just enough to make them feel fresh and unexpected. Winstead consistently manages to...

Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple may be the G.O.A.T. of amateur detection, but she’s not the United Kingdom’s sole contribution to the cozy crime genre. Just recently drag comedian Holly Stars launched contemporary quozy series set within the drag queen culture in...

Fans of Joshua Moehling’s crime fiction series have been waiting years to witness Ben Packard uncovering the truth about his older brother’s disappearance decades earlier. That moment has finally arrived with the release of A Long Time Gone, the third book in this...

It has been said that sometimes the right story comes along at the right time, fulfilling a need for readers looking for answers. Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray is the perfect example. With the world in crisis and fascism once again on the rise, Under the Same...

History is the method by which we learn—so that we don’t make the same mistakes, so that we don’t feel so alone, and so that we recognize our accomplishments. In many ways, historical fiction serves the same purpose—educating while entertaining. For the queer...

To the delight of his massive legion of fans, TJ Klune returns with a new supernatural standalone that shows us all that while our differences are what make us each unique, our ability to recognize our similarities is what ultimately makes us stronger. The Bones...

Critically acclaimed author John McMahon launches a new procedural series with the addictive Head Cases. Perfect for fans of crime fiction that is both meticulously plotted and populated by offbeat characters, Head Cases is a series debut that readers will be talking...

NOTE: This is NOT a mystery novel. This is a science fiction work, which I just happen to think is such an important work, I'm writing a "review" for it. History—and not just pop culture history—will look back on Nnedi Okorafor’s Death of the Author as a decisive and...

Icelandic crime fiction has been all the rage for a number of years now. Novels by residents of the island nation continue to receive critical acclaim from around the world, so it’s only natural that non-Iceland writers are beginning to utilize the location as well....

As she has released each of her six psychological suspense novels, Alice Feeney has steadily made the climb as a consistent favorite with fans of that subgenre. Now with the release of her seventh book—Beautiful Ugly—she seems poised to gather even more readers to her...

Sometimes an author comes up with a genius idea that grabs the reader by the throat in the early chapters and refuses to let go until the final pages are turned. Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson is just such a novel. Crime fiction fans will be unable to resist...

Publishing, like most businesses, beats to a rhythm all its own. There is a cyclical nature which is comforting in many ways. During the early months of the year, readers can count on the appearance of some books their publishers have genuine faith in—titles that will...

What the Wife Knew is the fifth stand-alone domestic thriller from the twisted mind (and pen) of Darby Kane. Like all of Darby Kane’s work, this rollercoaster of a novel starts by laying all the groundwork before the first hairpin turn sends the reader on an exciting...

As usual, I have taken this task of selecting my Top Reads List very seriously and really struggled to make sure the list commemorates my favorite books of the year. Simply put, sometimes this means splitting hairs and having to leave off books that I truly loved but...

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard The heroine of this novel, Capri Sanzio, is instantly likable and endearing to readers diving into this new book that successfully straddles the line between opposing tones. The topic of serial...

The best in Middle Grade and Young Adult literature not only speaks to the intended audience of young readers, but also manages to spark nostalgia in readers of all ages. Take for example, the Agatha-Award-winning Sasquatch Hunters series from K. B. Jackson—filled...

Magic occurs when a talented author strikes upon the perfect material. When this happens with a debut novel, passionate fans are created. Such is the case with Frances White’s Voyage of the Damned. This fantasy/mystery hybrid is a guaranteed cross-over success for...