Reviews

For many US readers, the name Sabine Durrant is likely an unfamiliar one. It is a real shame as she has been writing some of the strongest psychological suspense novels for years now. This reviewer is partial to Lie With Me, but fans of the subgenre will be more than...

Michael Koryta is one of those consistently excellent authors who seem virtually incapable of letting their readers down. This is most surprising because every Michael Koryta book is different than the previous. He has written series and standalones, thrillers,...

The name Alice Feeney should be at the top of every domestic suspense fan’s “must buy” list. With five books released, Feeney has proven that she is both skilled at devising complex plots and has a knack for developing characters readers truly care about. That Alice...

Historical fiction is at its best when it can both educate the reader about the past and elucidate something about our present at the same time. This is a tricky balance, but Sujata Massey has made it look easy across the first three novels in her historical India...

Maybe perfectly timed to end the recent debate about what small town America is really like, Kelly J. Ford’s The Hunt is a snapshot of Presley, Arkansas—a fictional locale that feels more real than anything depicted on country radio. With a writing voice that...

Michael Craft has been…well…crafting crime novels for over twenty years. He is justifiably considered a legend in the LGBTQ+ mystery arena, with his Mark Manning Mysteries often referenced as prior generations gateway into LGBTQ+ crime…reading. Last year he launched a...

Chandler Baker’s first crime novel, The Whisper Network, dealt with women in a corporate environment and the near-universal specter highlighted by the #metoo movement. She followed this with The Husbands, a psychological suspense narrative that aimed its satire at...

Alex Hay’s debut crime novel, The Housekeepers, is a dastardly and delightful romp through Edwardian London with the servant class as the reader’s guide. The Housekeepers is a confection—almost like a bon-bon served beside a flute of expensive champagne while lounging...

The release of a new Carol Goodman novel is always an exciting moment. Fans of Carol Goodman know that while each novel will be different, there will be a consistency in her ability to bring to life a complex cast of characters, a sure-handedness in her sculpting of a...

As we head into Iceland Noir weekend, Ann Cleeves has gifted her fans with a new Shetland short story. And the best part is that it is FREE. "Missing in the Snow" is told from Tosh's point of view and was inspired by an incident that happened to Ann Cleeves last year...

Many of the reviews praising The Anatomy of Desire—the debut novel from the writing team calling themselves L. R. Dorn—acknowledged the innovation built into the very structure of that deep-dive psychological portrait of a crime, so it will be no surprise to readers...

When the pandemic hit, readers wondered how that would be incorporated into their favorite long-running contemporary crime fiction series. And while it may seem slightly odd, some extremely devoted fans even found themselves wondering how their favorite characters...

There is something undeniable about the thrill of discovering an impressive new author with their debut novel, knowing that you are about to start an extended journey with this individual that could potentially span years. Readers will have that feeling when they pick...

Ivy Pochoda is not as prolific as many of her contemporaries in crime fiction, but she is arguably one of the most unique and distinctive voices in the genre. Case in point, her new novel Sing Her Down is a compact (288 pages), tightly wound juggernaut of a narrative...

With Killing Me, Michelle Gagnon has crafted a wholly-original take on the vigilante narrative. In her own unique style—which incorporates a blend of both light slapstick and dark humor—Gagnon captures the readers attention from page one and refuses to let go of that...

Megan Abbott is an author whose career is the envy of other creative types. In a writing journey that spans twenty plus years, Abbott has written novels, short stories, non-fiction, screenplays, graphic novels, and more—each of them unique, but containing that...

All the Sinners Bleed continues S. A. Cosby’s smooth onslaught against the complacent crime fiction genre, determined to confront casual fans and devoted fanatics of the genre with honest and compelling stories told from perspectives that have too long been...

Sarah Strohmeyer’s We Love to Entertain is a gripping domestic suspense novel combining elements of mystery, thriller, and even the cozy sub-genre. This tale will have wide-spread appeal and it satisfies on multiple levels. After securing the property at a deep...

Scholarly works on any topic—including crime fiction—come in a vast array of styles and tones seeking out a plethora of desired reactions ranging from deep respect to grudging acknowledgement and everything in between. Often the target audience is a learned group and...

Countless members of at least one generation of crime fiction fans can trace their initial obsession with the genre back to Where Are the Children? by Mary Higgins Clark. That novel is an indisputable classic that has not only delighted even finicky readers but also...