Reviews
After I’m Gone –
BOLO Books Review
Over the course of seventeen years and nineteen novels, Laura Lippman has continued to stretch the bounds of what readers can and should expect from crime fiction. She has repeatedly shown that by encompassing all of society’s ills, the mystery novel can hold a...
The Deepest Secret –
BOLO Books Review
There are certain authors who know how to tap into the fears of everyday people. They excel at putting their characters in extreme situations, but situations readers can still easily picture themselves in. Writers like Linwood Barclay, Harlen Coben, and Carla...
Murder with Ganache –
BOLO Books Review
Even before opening the cover of Murder with Ganache, the latest Key West Food Critic mystery by Lucy Burdette, it is clear that this is going to be an enjoyable and entertaining reading experience. The delightful pink, purple and green color scheme of the cover...
Beyond Belief –
BOLO Books Review
Beyond Belief is the second book in Helen Smith’s delightful Emily Castles mystery series. Readers are once again entertained by Emily’s investigative escapades and the unique individuals she meets on her journey to uncover the truth. Just as in the first book in the...
What We’ve Lost is Nothing –
BOLO Books Review
The Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois is most immediately associated with the presence of Frank Lloyd Wright designed homes and Ernest Hemingway’s birthplace, but it was also a community which strived for racial integration during the turbulent 70’s. The effects...
In The Blood – BOLO Books Review
The Hallows is a small community located in upstate New York. It is also once again the setting for the latest Lisa Unger novel, In the Blood. Unlike most series, Unger has chosen this fictional setting as the link between her books, and although some characters...
Apple Tree Yard released in the US
From the Booking Desk: Last year, I reviewed the UK release of Louise Doughty's Apple Tree Yard. I enjoyed the book so much that it then made it on to my Top Reads of 2013 list. This week, the US version of the book was released and I just wanted to remind my...
True Detective –
BOLO Television Review
With shows ranging from The Sopranos and The Wire to Boardwalk Empire and now True Detective, HBO has proven that they know how to choose crime-related television projects. With only the first episode, True Detective has set itself as the bar by which future shows of...
Independent Study –
BOLO Books Review
From the Booking Desk: Today's review is the second book in Joelle Charbonneau's "The Testing" series. If you missed the review of The Testing or my interview with Joelle Charbonneau last summer, please be sure to check them out when you have time....
Dangerous Women –
BOLO Books Mini-Reviews
From the Booking Desk: Followers of this blog and my twitter feed (@BOLOBooks) likely know that I am a huge fan of George R. R. Martin and Diana Gabaldon. While I do not cover their books here on the blog, since they do not fit its focus of crime fiction, I still buy...
The Burglar Who Counted the Spoons –
BOLO Books Review
Every so often, you come across a book in which you know from the very first page that the story within is going to be a pure joy to experience. The Burglar Who Counted the Spoons, the new Bernie Rhodenbarr novel by Lawrence Block, is just such a novel. Readers will...
Blood of the Lamb –
BOLO Books Review
Readers would be forgiven for thinking that they have already seen every possible permutation of the vampire legend, and yet authors continue to find ways to mine this mythos for our reading entertainment. The latest author to succeed on this front is Sam Cabot and...
BOLO Books’ Top Reads of 2013 – Part 2
From the Booking Desk: The above slideshow reveals the covers of BOLO Books' choices for Top Reads of 2013. The are presented in alphabetical order by author name. Follow the...
BOLO Books’ Top Reads of 2013 – Part 1
From the Booking Desk: It is hard to believe that it is that time again, but as the snowfall on the lawn indicates, winter is coming and along with it, the end of the year. As you have no doubt noticed, the end of the year also brings out those Best Of lists from...
The Murder Code –
BOLO Books Review
It would not be a stretch to assume that most fans of crime fiction appreciate the sense of justice found in many of the genre novels. There is something eminently satisfying in witnessing the “wrong-doer” being exposed and punished. Readers are used to crimes that...
Once Upon a Lie –
BOLO Books Review
Fans of Maggie Barbieri’s Murder 101 series have come to expect impeccably crafted mysteries with an added emphasis on humor and romance. When those readers come to Once Upon a Lie, the first in her new series, they may experience a bit of a shock. Barbieri has...
The Absence of Mercy –
BOLO Books Review
One of the debut novels found in many Bouchercon swag bags this year was The Absence of Mercy by John Burley. This stand-alone novel is a tightly constructed serial killer story, as well as a portrait of a small town besieged. Both of these constructs are filtered...
Cross and Burn –
BOLO Books Review
When it comes to series novels, readers have a variety of motivations for returning book after book, but what most fans agree on is that the central reason for the success of a series resides with the characters themselves. Val McDermid’s Tony Hill and Carol Jordan...
S. – BOLO Books Review
There are as many different ways to approach reading S. as there are unique readers out there to consume the book. No two people are going to work their way through S. in the same manner. Conceived by J.J. Abrams and written by Doug Dorst, S. is a wholly immersive...
Dead Harvest / Chris F. Holm – BOLO Books Inter(Re)view
From The Booking Desk: The saying goes "there is nothing new under the sun," but this is not necessarily true. You may have noticed that the title of this post does not indicate if it is an interview or a review. That is because it is BOTH. In an effort to try...