Reviews
Anatomy of a Scandal – The BOLO Books Review
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines anatomy as “a separating or dividing into parts for detailed examination” and scandal as “a circumstance or action that offends propriety or established moral conceptions or disgraces those associated with it,” which makes...
The Wife – The BOLO Books Review
“Misunderstandings don’t happen when a situation is black and white. They only happen when there are shades of gray, when there could be two different versions of the same damn thing.” (Burke, The Wife) Few art forms examine society’s ills as incisively as does crime...
The Widows of Malabar Hill – The BOLO Books Review
Sujata Massey burst on the crime fiction landscape in 1997 with her award-winning debut, The Salaryman’s Wife. This was followed by several more critically-acclaimed novels in the Rei Shimura mystery series. In 2013, Massey took a brief detour to explore India’s past...
The Wife Between Us – The BOLO Books Review
Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s The Wife Between Us continues the domestic suspense boom readers have noticed in crime fiction publishing of late. Theirs is the story of a marriage, the story of an affair, and the story of the truth between these two commonplace...
The Woman in the Window – The BOLO Books Review
Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to over-hype something. Take for example, A. J. Finn’s The Woman in the Window. This is a solidly-written debut novel that will please most psychological suspense readers, but the pre-pub buzz wants to make it out to be this...
The Chalk Man – The BOLO Books Review
King has Derry, Maine and Dickens had London, England. And now C. J. Tudor takes readers to the tiny English village of Anderbury in a style that echoes both of these legends. Similar to how Dickens opens A Tale of Two Cities with that now famous “It was the best of...
Seasonal Work – A BOLO Books Short Story Review
It is the holiday season and Laura Lippman has decided to gift her readers with a new story. Called "Seasonal Work," this holiday-themed short story can be read for free online at The Rumpus. "SEASONAL WORK" @ The Rumpus "Seasonal Work" tells the story of a struggling...
Spliced – The BOLO Books Review
The teenage years are fraught with insecurity, exploration, and rebellion – which happens to make them a prime backdrop for an exciting thriller. Throw in a dystopian landscape, some social study, and a unique set of characters and one just might be describing...
The Dry – The BOLO Books Review
The oppressive heat across the Kiewarra landscape permeates every moment of Jane Harper’s debut, The Dry. Crime fiction out of Australia continues to gain popularity and this talented author is most certainly at the forefront of the attention. The Dry is a...
Insidious Intent – The BOLO Books Review
Insidious Intent is the tenth book in Val McDermid’s longest running series. Readers have followed the trials and tribulations of Tony Hill and Carol Jordan – both in print and on-screen – for years. At this stage of the game, they are an iconic duo and their creator...
She Rides Shotgun – The BOLO Books Review
When starting a debut novel there is always the sense of the unknown, so when a reader discovers something truly excellent by a new-ish author it can feel like the discovery of a secret treasure trove that will enrich life for years to come. This is the experience...
Whiteout – The BOLO Books Review
Christmas in Northern Iceland may look like a holiday postcard, but Ragnar Jónasson’s Whiteout proves that the ghosts of the past continue to haunt regardless of the calendar date. Just days before the holiday, Ari Thór’s former boss, Tómas, asked the Siglufjörđur...
Unholy City – The BOLO Books Review
With the release of Carrie Smith’s Unholy City, readers will once again embrace Claire Codella and her brand of New York City. This police procedural series continues to impress with each new addition to the franchise.. Unholy City finds Claire working closely with...
The Blinds – The BOLO Books Review
Occasionally one stumbles upon a book with a concept – a conceit – so creatively original that you know it is going to be a wild ride regardless of whether the author succeeds in pulling it off. The Blinds, the new novel from Adam Sternbergh, is just such a novel and...
Wonder Valley – The BOLO Books Review
Wonder Valley is a desert oasis nestled in the backcountry of California; and yet, it is also a mirage – both corporeal and elusive. Although it is an Eden-like sanctuary, temptation, betrayal, and happenstance threaten to disrupt its mercurial equilibrium. Not unlike...
Nobody Rides For Free – The BOLO Books Review
Neil S. Plakcy’s second Angus Green novel, Nobody Rides For Free, continues the story of the gay FBI agent readers first met in last year’s The Next One Will Kill You. As with that previous novel, the procedural elements here take precedence. Assigned a desk job as he...
Booke of the Hidden – The BOLO Books Review
With the debut of Booke of the Hidden, Jeri Westerson launches a new series with a new publisher. A blend of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, Booke of the Hidden also features elements of the historical, mystery, and thriller genres. Jeri Westerson wastes no time...
World Enough – The BOLO Books Review
Crime fiction and music have always been inextricably intertwined. Fans of the genre can tell you what their favorite fictional detectives are likely listening to at any given moment – perhaps even more accurately than they can list their own playlists. With World...
Long Way Down – The BOLO Books Review
With Long Way Down, Jason Reynolds has written a book it takes but a moment to read...
The Last Mrs. Parrish – The BOLO Books Review
The striking cover for Liv Constantine’s The Last Mrs. Parrish may initially draw readers in – with its Art Deco styling, the lux color combination, and “dangerous” font – but it is the story within that will ultimately prove to be the biggest enticement. The Last...