Reviews

Lori Duffy Foster already has a successful traditional mystery series with the novels featuring journalist Lisa Jamison—A Dead Man’s Eyes and Never Broken—but now she is about to make a name for herself in the suspense/thriller realm as well. The end of the year sees...

Authors take on pen names for a variety of reasons, but the most common is a desire to signal that their new book is very different from what readers have seen from them previously. That is certainly the case for Liv Andersson—the new nom de plume used by Wendy...

Luca Veste is a popular crime fiction author based in the United Kingdom. While many readers in his native land are familiar with his work, he has not yet completely broken through over here in the United States. His latest novel, You Never Said Goodbye, should go a...

Some novels ease you into the story by orienting the reader to a new location, slowly introducing the cast of characters with each of their various personality traits, and stealthily dropping hints of the plot that will soon begin to unfold. Let’s be clear, Dana...

Nothing beats a creepy-as-hell read as the chill of Winter settles in. “The Devil is in Scotland” is poised to become one of those iconic opening lines of literature—one that is uttered in reverence, often imitated, but rarely replicated. With that simple statement,...

As usual, I have taken this task of selecting my Top Reads List very seriously and really struggled to make sure the list commemorates my favorite books of the year. Simply put, sometimes this means splitting hairs and having to leave off books that I truly loved but...

As the Three Pines mysteries make their way to series television on Amazon Prime, Louise Penny continues her impressive output of first-class crime fiction beloved by both fanatics of the genre and the more casual readers of crime fiction. Like all the novels...

As the author of two excellent and wildly popular series, Elly Griffith’s status in the crime fiction community has long been established, but we must not overlook that she has also written an iconic series of loosely-connected standalones featuring the unforgettable...

A new “heart of darkness” beats at the core of Eric Beetner’s wilderness-noir thriller, There and Back, pumping the blood of tainted legacy through the twisted branches of greed, aggrandizement, and survival. When Synergyn Dynamics once again sends their junior...

Lisa Unger’s Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six will most certainly appeal to readers who are enjoying the current trend of “getaway crime”—suspenseful stories constructed around the central premise of a relaxing vacation, holiday rental, or lavish luxury trip—but it will also...

Kiersten White’s Hide can be read on two vary distinct levels: as a thrilling adventure story with horror elements or as a subtle commentary on the horrors of modern society. The fact that both readings work equally well is a testament to Kiersten White’s skill as an...

When Wanda M. Morris released her debut novel–a contemporary thriller set in and around a Georgia law office called All Her Little Secrets—she quickly became a critical darling, a fan favorite, and a multi-award-nominated and multi-award-winning juggernaut....

Readers who inhaled Jordan Harper’s 2017 debut novel, She Rides Shotgun (aka A Lesson in Violence in the UK) can no doubt recall the emotional catharsis wrought as eleven-year-old Polly McClusky and her teddy bear fought for their lives against some of society’s...

After writing a fun and successful cozy mystery series of twelve novels (each tied to one of the months), Jess Lourey shifted gears to write a collection of poignant crime fiction standalones inspired by true crimes that took place in and around her native Minnesota....

By following Mango, Mambo, and Murder with Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking, Raquel V. Reyes establishes that her Caribbean Kitchen mystery series will be delighting cozy crime readers for years to come. Miriam Quiñones-Smith and the diverse community and culture she...

With Under a Veiled Moon, the second in her Inspector Corravan series, Karen Odden weaves together political unrest and societal flaws to craft a page-turning historical mystery. On an evening in September of 1878, London is shaken to its core by a horrific maritime...

Adam Hamdy’s The Other Side of Night is one of those rare books that is truly unclassifiable, which means that it is also the perfect book to be Exhibit A in any discussion of why the whole concept of categorization is illogical, reductive, and ultimately pointless. A...

With 1989, Val McDermid continues her latest series starring Allie Burns. In this unique sequence of novels – each set ten years after the previous entry – McDermid chronicles the life of journalist Allie Burns as she navigates the ever-changing landscape of the...

With By the Time You Read This I’ll Be Gone (Murder, She Wrote #1), Stephanie Kuehn introduces a whole new generation of readers to the mysterious happenings in and around Cabot Cove, Maine. Beatrice Fletcher is the bi-racial great-niece of the legendary Jessica...

In Because I Could Not Stop for Death, Amanda Flower has the inspired idea to center beloved poet Emily Dickinson within a gripping period-appropriate murder mystery. The concept works incredibly well and has enough legs to ensure that this new novel is just the first...