Kerry Greenwood and Phryne Fisher: Cocaine Blues is Historical Mystery Par Excellence (Book Review)
Author Kerry Greenwood introduces a new mystery heroine in her 2012 book, Cocaine Blues. Phryne Fisher is different from a typical late 1920’s female sleuth in many ways. First, she’s based in Melbourne, Australia instead of the more typical New York, London, or...The Red Lotus: A Prescient Mystery for 2020 from Chris Bohjalian (Book Review)
The Red Lotus is another strong entry in the mystery / thriller genre from Chris Bohjalian. And this time, he chose an oddly prescient topic for a 2020 release. The story centers around Alexis Remnick, a New York City ER doctor. She’s on a bicycling trip to Vietnam...C.J. Sansom: Dissolution—A Chilly Tudor Era Mystery (Book Review)
C.J. Sansom creates an unlikely hero in his character Matthew Shardlake. In Dissolution, the time is Tudor England, and Shardlake is a lawyer working in the service of Thomas Cromwell. He’s just two degrees from King Henry VIII. But he’s still just a lowly guy charged...Hope Rides Again: Obama Biden Mysteries #2 by Andrew Shaffer (Book Review)
Starting Hope Rides Again: Obama Biden Mysteries #2 by Andrew Shaffer right after Election Day was celebratory. And more than a little bittersweet. With Joe Biden now the U.S. President-Elect Shaffer most likely won’t write another of these quirky mysteries. At least...More Gwen Proctor Thrillers: Wolfhunter River & Bitter Falls (Series books 3 & 4)
These two satisfying thrillers follow more of Gwen Proctor and her family, which still comprises her teenage son and daughter and now adds a trusted male friend and love interest. If you remember from my recent reviews, she fights vicious Internet trolls and stalkers...Rachel Caine Thrillers: Stillhouse Lake & Killman Creek (Series books 1 & 2)
Rachel Caine and her main character Gwen Proctor know how to create tight-as-a-drum tension throughout this series based in rural Tennessee. In the first book, Gwen moves to Stillhouse Lake, near the small town of Norton, TN after leaving a long string of other...Alex Michaelides: The Silent Patient is a Thrill Ride (Book Review)
Alex Michaelides builds layers of psychological suspense in The Silent Patient. It’s tempting to think you’ve got it all figured out. But the maze of the characters’ minds is complex. In this drama of betrayal and therapeutic potential, Theo is a psychologist treating...Book Review: Lakewood by Megan Giddings
In Lakewood, the debut novel from Megan Giddings, Lena Johnson is just trying to hold it all together for her family. And that family recently lost its most senior member, her grandmother. That leaves Lena with her ailing mom to care for, as their mountain of debt...Book Review: The Bourbon Thief by Tiffany Reisz
Tiffany Reisz combines one part romance, one part mystery, and two parts family dysfunction in this Kentucky bourbon themed novel. At its center are Paris and Tamara, both women driven to have what they want, logic be damned. It pulled me along like the distillery...Book Review: Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell
Author David Morrell skillfully blends history and mystery in his 2013 novel, Murder as a Fine Art. Morrell uses real-life historical figures and inserts them into likely situations. Plus, he bases events on the history surrounding their lives. In addition, he...Book Review: The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker
Marcus Goldman and Harry Quebert are New York-based writers in this mystery from Swiss-born Joël Dicker. But none of the action takes place in Manhattan. Instead it is set at Harry’s New Hampshire home, in the small town of Somerset. Goldman is a former student of...Book Review: The Holdout by Graham Moore
Graham Moore does courtroom dramas and legal thrillers proud in The Holdout. His characters are believable, the plot is layered and complex, and the conclusion satisfying. I don’t ask for much more in a dramatic thriller. Maya Seale was a young, somewhat aimless...Book Review: The Missing Sister by Elle Marr
Elle Marr tells the story of twin sisters, nefarious dealings, deaths, and the catacombs of Paris in her debut mystery, The Missing Sister. She gathers plenty of action and plot points, with a unique cast of characters in an iconic city. Mix it up, and you’ve got a...Book Review: Takes One to Know One by Susan Isaacs
Back in the day, Susan Isaacs was an auto-buy author for me. But that was literally decades ago. When I happened to read an excerpt of her 2019 book, Takes One to Know One, I thought it was time to give her writing another try. And this was an enjoyable, if not...Book Review: Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
Olga Tokarczuk is a celebrated Polish writer and Man Booker International Prize winner. No wonder my IRL book group decided to read her work in January. And what a wintery, chilling book this is. Titled “Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead,” it references works...Bookshop.Org Affiliate
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