Reviews
Hollywood Homicide – The BOLO Books Review
Fudge! Hollywood Homicide by Kellye Garrett ends way too quickly. Taking into account the quality of her writing, her flair for the dramatic, and that killer sense of humor, Kellye Garrett could easily be the secret lovechild of Shonda Rhimes and Tyler Perry, but rest...
Down a Dark Road – The BOLO Books Review
Once a reader latches on to a series, they typically remain loyal to both that series and its author. Essentially, this means journeying with a series through the highs and the lows – often beyond the point where everyone involved knows that perhaps it is time for the...
Blame – The BOLO Books Review
Not only is Jeff Abbott’s Blame the most additive thriller of the summer, it also happens to be an astute study of the corrosive nature of blame and the destructive power of its sibling emotion, guilt. Blame is perfect for fans of domestic suspense. It tells the story...
Last Breath – A BOLO Books Short Story Review
In addition to being a very good short story on its own, Karin Slaughter’s Last Breath also happens to be the perfect introduction to the author’s upcoming novel, The Good Daughter. Last Breath familiarizes readers with Charlotte “Charlie” Quinn, a young lawyer...
Black Widow – A BOLO Books “Cold Case” Review
From the Booking Desk: Calling a book that is only a year old a "cold case" may seem odd, but since I typically post reviews before a book is release, for BOLO Books this is a review of an older book. Christopher Brookmyre will be the International Guest of Honor at...
Lockdown – The BOLO Books Review
Readers would be justified in thinking that with a title like Lockdown, the new Laurie R. King novel was going to present a thriller about a school under siege; and in a way, that is exactly what is provided – though hardly via the expected method. It is career day at...
The Force – The BOLO Books Review
Starting with a three-page dedication listing all the police officers who died in the line of duty during the time it took to write The Force may seem an odd way to open a novel about a corrupt NYPD detective, but it proves to be a powerful message representing the...
UNSUB – The BOLO Books Review
For a while there, it seemed that serial killer novels were being released every other minute – to the point that the power of each new book was diluted. Thankfully that trend seems to have run its course, allowing the occasional title that is released to garner more...
You’ll Never Know, Dear – The BOLO Books Review
In the fickle world of publishing, a strong hook can mean the difference between a book hitting the bestseller list and that same book floundering on the remainders table. Throughout her career, Hallie Ephron has proven to be a master at crafting the hook and her...
Murder in Saint-Germain – The BOLO Books Review
Once again zipping around the narrow streets of Paris on her pink motorbike, Aimée Leduc returns in the seventeenth novel in Cara Black’s popular series. Murder in Saint-Germain finds Aimée dealing with issues on both the professional and personal front. There are two...
He Said/She Said – The BOLO Books Review
The power of a novel can often be weighed by how long after finishing it the story remains in one’s mind. One of Erin Kelly’s earlier novels, The Burning Air, is one that continually comes up in discussions of plots that resonate in the mind for extended periods. Next...
The Marsh King’s Daughter – The BOLO Books Review
To law enforcement and the world, Jacob Halbrook is a kidnapper and a rapist, but to Helena Pelletier he is simply “father.” In The Marsh King’s Daughter, the new novel by Karen Dionne, the complexity of this familial relationship is examined over the course of time...
Cast the First Stone – The BOLO Books Review
“And so you left your hometown To try out for the part Everybody's pretty little angel With a pretty little heart” Melissa Etheridge, Map of the Stars Hollywood has always been that elusive locale folks dream of running off to – a place where stardom, acceptance, and...
The Long Drop – The BOLO Books Review
Denise Mina’s The Long Drop is a unique book in the crime fiction genre. Not quite true crime, but also not a fictional tale, The Long Drop is somewhat similar to the method Truman Capote used with In Cold Blood – fiction inspired by actual events. However you...
More Bookshots – The BOLO Books Review(s)
From the Booking Desk: On a recent road trip, my car-mates and I decided to listen to two novellas from James Patterson’s Bookshots output during the journey. My only other experience with Bookshots was reading and reviewing The Witnesses, written in collaboration...
Marathon – The BOLO Books Review
When a writer sets out to tell a very timely story with direct correlation to current events, it can be a tricky endeavor. For most, reading is viewed as a pastime, an entertainment if you will, and being bombarded with depressing current affairs can sometimes alter...
Organizing Crime – Some BOLO Books Thoughts
From the Booking Desk: When you walk through the bookroom at one of the many crime fiction conventions worldwide, you just never know what you might discover. You could stumble upon a first edition of that book you love, a signed copy of a new bestseller, or a book to...
Crime Song – The BOLO Books Review
Crime Song is the second book in David Swinson’s series featuring anti-hero Frank Marr. As with the series debut, The Second Girl, Swinson excels at the policing elements of the plot due to his own history with the occupation. David Swinson’s attitude toward the...
Silent Rain – The BOLO Books Review
By design, most books in a crime fiction series allow readers to follow the lives of the main character and perhaps some of the secondary players over the course of time. However, it is more rare that readers are given access to re-visit with a character who was...
Since We Fell – The BOLO Books Review
When news breaks about the release date of a new Dennis Lehane novel, a buzz justifiably begins to build within the crime fiction community. Things followed that existing standard when Mr. Lehane’s latest novel, Since We Fell, was announced at the beginning of the...