Reviews
Pieces of Her – The BOLO Books Review
If you told me that I was about to read a book with a plot that encompasses sexual politics, domestic violence, workplace discrimination, mental health regulation, heath care reform, world political strife, gun violence, and a few other huge – but spoiler-y topics – I...
Presumed Dead – The BOLO Books Review
Carter Blake finds people – that is what he does; but in many ways, it is also who he is on the deepest level. Having such purpose makes the challenges of life bearable and the rewards that accompany success are undeniably fulfilling. So when his latest case – in...
Trust Me – The BOLO Books Review
Many authors are content with discovering their niche, honing their craft in relation to that choice, and writing similar novels across their career. Hank Phillippi Ryan is not such a writer. Fans can trace her evolution from debut novel to the most recent book, all...
Hollywood Ending – The BOLO Books Review
It would be fair to call my review of Kellye Garrett’s debut, Hollywood Homicide, downright glowing and I may have been heard on more than one occasion predicting the novel’s potential for winning awards (which it has in fact done), so to say that my anticipation of...
Death on the Menu – The BOLO Books Review
Even though Lucy Burdette has a new publisher for her Key West Food Critic Mystery series, rest assured that the same loveable characters, sun-soaked setting, and humorous escapades remain present and accounted for. Death on the Menu finds series heroine, Hayley Snow,...
Under A Dark Sky – The BOLO Books Review
Fans of Lori Rader-Day need know nothing more than that she wrote the book to rush out to buy it, but that does not mean this isn't still worth saying: Under a Dark Sky is her best novel yet; and it should be the book that makes the hold-outs understand what we...
A Gathering of Secrets – The BOLO Books Review
A Gathering of Secrets is the tenth full-length novel in Linda Castillo’s now classic Kate Burkholder series. Castillo continues to impress with the way she is able to merge Amish life with realistic criminal activity. Many outsiders – or Englishers, as they would...
The Vanishing – The BOLO Books Review
Fans of Victorian Literature – particularly that of the Brontë sisters – will find much to admire in Sophia Tobin’s The Vanishing. It would be hard to imagine the existence of a newly-written work that so effortlessly emulates the stylings of novels from that period....
Something in the Water – The BOLO Books Review
British actress Catherine Steadman (from Downton Abbey and more) dives into the murky waters of thriller writing with her debut novel, Something in the Water. When Erin’s husband Mark loses his job, she suggests that they need an escape. Rather than cancel their...
The Girl From Blind River – The BOLO Books Review
Occasionally, debuts come along that are so tightly-plotted and strongly-written that it is hard to believe they are first novels. When that happens, readers instantly know they will be following said author’s career for quite some time to come. That is exactly what...
Give Me Your Hand – The BOLO Books Review
No other crime fiction author can so perfectly and eloquently distill the complexities of female relationships in the way that Megan Abbott can and does repeatedly. Whether she is writing about classic femme fatales, kidnapping victims, high school cheerleaders, or...
Baby Teeth – The BOLO Books Review
Hanna is cold and cruel and creepy. Hanna is manipulative and will get what she wants no matter the cost. Hanna is a villain who will lodge in the reader’s mind for a very long time, becoming both legend and archetype. Hanna also happens to be seven years old. Readers...
The Disappearing – THE BOLO Books Review
Lori Roy is the first woman to win both the Best First Novel and Best Novel Edgar Awards – for Bent Road and Let Me Die in His Footsteps respectively. Until She Comes Home, her second novel, was also a finalist for the Best Novel Edgar Award. Her newest Southern...
The Real Michael Swann – The BOLO Books Review
Two thousand and eighteen just might become the year of the domestic thriller. Authors are blending the global and the intimate in fresh and exciting ways. Just as Karen Cleveland did in Need to Know, Bryan Reardon manages to use the backdrop of a political incident...
Lying in Wait – The BOLO Books Review
Liz Nugent is one of those rare authors willing to take true risks with her writing. In terms of structure, themes, and character depth, Nugent defiantly refuses to adhere to long-held crime fiction conventions. Her debut novel, Unraveling Oliver, made an instant...
Providence – The BOLO Books Review
Truly unclassifiable novels are rare these days – most everything is a mash-up of various tropes from familiar styles – but occasionally something so unique comes along, breaking new ground while seemingly utterly familiar or at least somehow anticipated at the same...
Find You in the Dark – The BOLO Books Review
Lately, writers are finding new ways to explore the phenomenon of the serial killer. Take for example, Nathan Ripley’s Find You in the Dark: On the surface, this is a domestic suspense tale, but the foundation of the plot is firmly rooted in the history of serial...
How It Happened – The BOLO Books Review
Michael Koryta is one of those writers who loves to explore various genres, sub-genres, styles, and tones within his books; no two of his novels are even remotely similar. The one constant across his oeuvre is his undeniable talent at showcasing the written word. His...
Jar of Hearts – The BOLO Books Review
For a number of years now, Jennifer Hillier has been writing a varied collection of excellent crime novels that have gained her a loyal following of fans and modest critical acclaim, but she is hardly a household name. On June 12, 2018, that is going to change. The...
Safe – A BOLO Books Television Review
The new Netflix mystery series Safe is the viewing equivalent of those blockbuster summer beach-reads from days of yore: Light on any real substance, but certainly enjoyable while being consumed. Viewers who know Harlan Coben created it will expect nothing less. Just...