Reviews
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...
The Last One – The BOLO Books Review
Recently released in paperback, The Last One by Alexandra Oliva is a contemporary thriller that takes aim at two of modern society's obsessions: reality television and dystopian futures. At the core of The Last One is a new survivalist reality competition show in...
The Skeleton Paints a Picture – The BOLO Books Review
Our favorite bag of bones, Sid the Skeleton (and his creator, Leigh Perry), have found a new home with Diversion Books and by all accounts it seems that the change of venue has managed to breathe new life into this delightful paranormal cozy mystery series – The...
Seven Suspects – The BOLO Books Review
Seven Suspects is the third book in Renee James’ crime fiction series featuring transgender hairdresser, Bobbi Logan. As she did with the previous novels, Renee James opens the door to a world unfamiliar to many readers, allowing compassion and respect to harness...
Dodging and Burning – A BOLO Books Review Preview
From the Booking Desk: I almost never talk about a book I have read when the release date is six months away – and certainly not here on BOLO Books. But today I am making an exception for a number of reasons: 1. This book is so special that I hope readers will get...
Best Day Ever – The BOLO Books Review
Best Day Ever is a domestic suspense novel from Kaira Rouda. Set over just one twenty-four-hour period, Best Day Ever is a prime example of a compulsively readable book with surprises at every turn. Told from the perspective of Paul Strom, Best Day Ever documents the...
Black Cat Mystery Magazine Issue #1 – The BOLO Books Review
With just this first issue, Black Cat Mystery Magazine has laid a solid claim as the newest location for quality short crime fiction. Featuring both new and reprint stories, John Gregory Betancourt and Carla Coupe have opened their arms to embrace the short story...
The Hangman’s Sonnet – The BOLO Books Review
Robert B. Parker’s The Hangman’s Sonnet is the fourth book in the Jesse Stone series that Reed Farrel Coleman has written. If there was any doubt that Coleman has managed to pay homage to the legacy of Robert B. Parker while also stamping the series continuation with...
Genuine Fraud – The BOLO Books Review
A reverse bildungsroman may seem like a bit of an oxymoron, but that is exactly what e. lockhart gifts to readers with her new young adult novel, Genuine Fraud. By manipulating this predominately Victorian art form, lockhart tells a fascinating tale peppered with...
Bluebird, Bluebird – The BOLO Books Review
Like the legacy bestowed by the Texas Blues music forming its backbone, the tragedy at the core of Attica Locke’s Bluebird, Bluebird is worthy of no less than Shakespeare himself. Told in lyrical prose at an unremitting yet leisurely pace, this novel marks the...
Idyll Fears – The BOLO Books Review
Idyll Fears is the new novel from Stephanie Gayle and it returns readers to the domain of Police Chief Thomas Lynch. That world – Idyll, Connecticut circa 1997 – is the perfect setting to explore the topics at the heart of Stephanie Gayle’s series. When last readers...
The Deuce – A BOLO Books Television Review
The pilot episode of The Deuce, the new HBO drama from David Simon and George Pelecanos, is currently streaming on the premium network’s digital service. As you probably already know, this series is a look at the gritty world of prostitution and pornography within...
Fierce Kingdom – The BOLO Books Review
Gin Phillips’ Fierce Kingdom manages to succeed as both a thriller and a mediation on motherhood – not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. Fierce Kingdom is a slim volume in terms of page count, but certainly not when it comes to understanding the maternal...
Blessed are the Peacemakers – The BOLO Books Review
Over the course of four novels, Kristi Belcamino has put Gabriella Giovanni through the wringer. Having faced off against a serial killer, dealt with her boyfriend being accused of murder, suffered through a heart-breaking miscarriage, and later the kidnapping of her...