Reviews
All the Beautiful Lies – The BOLO Books Review
Peter Swanson’s All the Beautiful Lies owes a fair bit of debt to Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolilta. Like the illicit “relationship” that forms the core of that classic novel, Swanson’s book deals with cross-generational obsession – except in the case of All the Beautiful...
Scot Free – The BOLO Books Review
After proving that she can write both historical cozies (the Dandy Gilver series) and an assortment of stand-alone suspense novels of every ilk, Catriona McPherson is once again trying to prove that she can conquer anything she sets her mind to – at least as far as...
The Other Mother – The BOLO Books Review
When thinking of modern authors who have a strong grasp on the Gothic tone, the name Carol Goodman must rise to the top. In novel after novel, she manages to find creative ways to explore the dark psychological temperaments common to the Gothic subgenre while also...
Sometimes I Lie – The BOLO Books Review
The unreliable narrator trend in crime fiction continues with many authors attempting to find new ways in which to explore this phenomenon. Alice Feeney decides to tackle the trope directly by having her character tell readers right from the start: “Sometimes I lie.”...
Penance – The BOLO Books Review
Towards the end of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Into the Woods, the Witch sings the lines “Careful the things you say, children will listen.” This is advice that Asako Adachi, the mother at the center of Kanae Minato’s Edgar Award-nominated novel Penance, should have...
The Hate U Give – The BOLO Books Review
The Hate U Give is Angie Thomas’ Edgar Award-nominated debut and it also happens to be one of the most important young adult novels of all time. Of course, this praise could be hyperbolic, but the significance of works that make tangible the social problems of the day...
Come and Find Me – The BOLO Books Review (UK Edition)
Come and Find Me is the fifth book in Sarah Hilary’s excellent and vastly under-rated mystery series. Like the others that precede it, this new novel puts DI Marnie Rome and her partner, Noah Jake, through the ringer – both emotionally and physically. However, as...
If I Die Tonight – The BOLO Books Review
The women of crime fiction have already made quite a mark on 2018 and we are only a few months into the year. The trend is going to continue next week when Alison Gaylin releases her latest impressive stand-alone suspense novel, If I Die Tonight. Crime fiction...
Dodging and Burning – The BOLO Books Review
There are few things as exciting to a reader as discovering an author at the beginning of their career. That sense of the unknown in palpable and once it is clear that the writer has the skills to captivate and entertain, the wonder at the magic of it all is...
The Widow’s House – The BOLO Books Review
Diehard fans of contemporary gothic suspense likely know the name Carol Goodman, but based on her consistently superior writing, recurring themes, and complex characters and plots, this author should be better known to crime fiction enthusiasts. The Widow’s House is...
The Photographer – The BOLO Books Review
Craig Robertson risks wading into rough waters with The Photographer, but the results are more than worth it. With a tale as timely as it is tense, Robertson advances his series in unexpected ways, while also trying to educate readers and validate victims. The...
The Undertaker’s Daughter – The BOLO Books Review
The writings of Sara Blaedel remain a treasure trove yet to be discovered by many crime fiction explorers. Her series featuring homicide detective Louise Rick is beloved by fans for its portrayal of the rarely-seen underbelly of Danish society, but with The...
The Night of the Flood – The BOLO Books Review
It is not easy to come up with new concepts for short story anthologies. In recent years we have seen anthologies based around the music catalog of certain artists – such as Trouble in the Heartland – and those focused on a certain location – such as the Anthony-Award...
Sunburn – The BOLO Books Review
Sunburn is a Pandora’s box of a novel – looking harmless on the exterior, but ultimately harboring complexity beyond measure within. It represents Laura Lippman’s homage to the masterpieces of noir, while never being anything less than authentic Lippman. Sunburn is...
The Perfect Nanny – The BOLO Books Review
Leila Slimani’s The Perfect Nanny is an odd little book; at first seeming superficial and sparse, with time, the story – and in fact the storytelling itself – burrows into the mind of the reader, haunting and horrifying in equal measures. Leila Slimani wastes no time...
The Gate Keeper – The BOLO Books Review
The mother and son writing team behind Charles Todd are so consistent; they release two books a year without ever sacrificing quality. What is truly amazing is that they never write the same book twice. Next week, The Gate Keeper will be released. This is the...
19 Souls – The BOLO Books Review
With 19 Souls, J. D. Allen grabs the gritty PI genre by the balls and delivers a solid punch to the reader’s solar plexus. This book is certainly not for the faint of heart, but for those readers who are willing to explore the more sinister side of the human psyche,...
Force of Nature – The BOLO Books Review
Force of Nature is not only the title of Jane Harper’s second novel, but is also an apt description of the author herself. As it was released in country after country, Harper’s debut –The Dry – caused a seismic shift in the crime fiction landscape, collecting...
Need to Know – The BOLO Books Review
Karen Cleveland’s cinematic debut, Need to Know, blends elements of domestic suspense, traditional thrillers, and spy novels to craft something that feels both fresh and familiar. The resulting novel will have widespread appeal for readers everywhere. Just moments...
American Fire – The BOLO Books Review
Monica Hesse’s American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land is a non-fiction book examining a string of arsons that plagued a Virginia county in the Fall of 2012 and Spring of 2013. In looking at the case from first burning ember through to conviction,...