Reviews
Pretty Girls – The BOLO Books Review
Karin Slaughter first came on the radar of crime fiction fans back in 2001. Since then, she has released a string of very successful series novels, short stories, and one critically acclaimed historical standalone. Next week, Slaughter opens a new chapter in her...
Splinter the Silence –
The BOLO Books Review
(UK Edition)
The best crime fiction often reflects on the society in which we live. Few authors can so successfully tap into the zeitgeist as can Val McDermid. With Splinter the Silence, McDermid returns to her most popular series characters – Carol Jordan and Dr. Tony Hill – and...
The Girl Without a Name –
The BOLO Books Review
Last February, Sandra Block introduced readers to Dr. Zoe Goldman in Little Black Lies, one of the strongest debut mysteries of the year. Now, Zoe has returned in The Girl Without a Name. While some things in Zoe’s life are different, what has remained the same is the...
Violent Ends –
The BOLO Books Review
One book, seventeen chapters, seventeen different authors. If your first thought is that this can never work, you would be forgiven, but in actually it does work and in the case of this new young adult novel, it works very well indeed. Violent Ends was conceived by...
The Little Men – A BOLO Books Short Story Review
Vintage Hollywood and Megan Abbott is like Chocolate with Strawberries – a perfect pairing. Megan has already shown readers that she can write damn fine novels (such as Dare Me, The Fever, and Bury Me Deep) and she has written one of my favorite overlooked short...
The Killing Kind –
The BOLO Books Review
The Killing Kind is Chris Holm’s debut with Mulholland Books. It is a movement away from the paranormal milieu of his previous series with Angry Robot. This novel is decidedly noir in nature and a perfect fit for Holm’s gritty writing style. The novel’s protagonist,...
Idyll Threats – The BOLO Books Review
In just three years, Seventh Street Books has assembled a stellar roster of authors. Winning awards and attracting critical praise, their authors have turned this imprint into the place to go for solid, literary crime fiction. Even their debut authors – such as Lori...
Fortitude – A BOLO Books Television Review
Fortitude is a Sky Atlantic produced television series starring Stanley Tucci, Michael Gambon, Sofie Gråbøl, and Richard Dormer. Season One runs roughly ten hours over the course of 12 episodes. Fortitude is an inventive hybrid between a procedural mystery and an...
A Curious Beginning –
The BOLO Books Review
Not only is A Curious Beginning the title of the new novel from Deanna Raybourn, but it is also an apt description of this series debut itself. “Curious” not in the way that it is strange or odd – although there are certainly portions that fit those labels – but...
Two BOLO Books Mini Reviews – Historical Mystery Edition
From the Booking Desk: Today, I have two mini-reviews to share with readers. These are two very different, but equally enjoyable historical mysteries – both part of well-established and on-going series. It is also worth noting that both series feature main characters...
No Other Darkness –
The BOLO Books Review
Last year, Sarah Hilary burst into the arena of crime fiction with her excellent debut novel, Someone Else’s Skin. People certainly noticed and quickly the critical acclaim and award wins began to pile up. Now with the release of her second novel in the Detective...
Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes –
A BOLO Books Short Story Review
Anyone who has read Karin Slaughter’s work knows that she rarely pulls any punches. Writing some of the most intense and realistic crime fiction out there, it will come as no surprise that her latest short story, “Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes” follows this same formula....
The Nature of the Beast –
The BOLO Books Review
As Chief Inspector for the Sûreté du Québec, Armand Gamache has been instrumental is bringing to justice various criminals who put at risk what Gamache loved most – both personally and nationally. However, now in retirement, Gamache is called upon to unearth secrets...
A Game for All the Family – The BOLO Books Review (UK Edition)
Cracking the cover on a Sophie Hannah book is like diving into a jigsaw puzzle without the benefit of a photograph showing the desired final image. Every one of her novels has been original, addictive, and above all, unpredictable. Sophie Hannah’s latest novel, A Game...
Trust No One –
The BOLO Books Review
Heartfelt and thriller are not two terms that readers expect to see joined together to describe a new novel, but that is exactly what Paul Cleave’s new book, Trust No One is – a heartfelt thriller. In this stand-alone novel, Paul Cleave has created a conceit that is...
Woman with a Secret –
The BOLO Books Review
From the Booking Desk: Followers of BOLO Books know that I will occasionally review a book when it is released in the UK. This is typically because I can't wait to read the book and with Internet-commerce today, it's easy enough for readers to obtain a copy if they so...
Pretty Baby – The BOLO Books Review
In Mary Kubica’s sophomore novel, Pretty Baby, the voices of a trio of narrators blend and clash to tell the story of three broken individuals trying to make themselves whole again. Readers who sampled Kubica’s debut novel, The Good Girl, already know that she is a...
First One Missing – The BOLO Books Review (UK Edition)
Reading books about the abduction and murder of children is never easy, but in her new book, First One Missing, Tammy Cohen presents one of the most harrowing reads of the year. What is truly remarkable is that she does it without the graphic violence so prevalent in...
After the Storm – The BOLO Books Review
After the Storm is the seventh book in Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder series. From the beginning, Castillo has managed to mine the depths of Amish society by highlighting the culture clash between this isolationist group and the public at large. Castillo continues...
The Case of the Dotty Dowager / Cathy Ace –
A BOLO Books Inter(Re)view
From the Booking Desk: If you are a long-time follower of BOLO Books, you might remember an experimental project I tried a few years back. I wanted to combine a review with an interview. I called it an Inter(Re)view and Chris Holm was my first "victim." While it was...