Crime Thriller Books

The best crime thriller book reviews. “Crime thriller” is a catch-all term for thriller subgenres that feature a struggle for dominance between criminals and law enforcement, such as mafia thriller, police procedural, detective fiction, true crime, serial killer fiction and others.

Jackrabbit and the Beast, a Magical Mystery Novel by Bre Garcia

The Bottom Line:  A winning blend of mystery and magical realism. One of the most original PI novels in recent memory.  Set in Tucson, Jackrabbit and the Beast opens as private investigator Jernimo Velasquez is marking the one-month anniversary of the funeral of his girlfriend, Laura. Vel, as friends call him, is working through his grief by making out with Laura’s girlfriend’s best friend, Shoua. Vel and Shoua both

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Deadly Hush, a Mesmerizing Crime Thriller by Douglas Stewart

The Bottom Line: A mesmerizing crime thriller that deftly explores high society’s dark underbelly. Highly recommended.  The third installment in Douglas Stewart’s Detective Ratso series opens in Switzerland as a killer, who is obsessed with rigid adherence to schedules as well as numerical synchronicity, stalks his prey. While careful not to reveal the killers’ identity too early, we understand that he is OCD, highly intelligent and

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The Burying Point, an Unmissable Crime Thriller by Derik Cavignano

The Bottom Line: Cavignano’s second Ray Hanley thriller is a brilliant and unmissable dance with the devil. Salem witch lore has rarely been as terrifying as it is in The Burying Point. As The Burying Point opens, Boston Police Ray Hanley arrives at the scene of what seems like an almost-perfect crime. The body of a young woman has been buried in a freshly dug grave just hours before she would have been covered by

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Psychopathic, a Highly Recommended Psychological Thriller

The Bottom Line: Melby reinvigorates the psychological thriller with a peerless heroine, masterclass pacing and a judicious sense of foreboding throughout.  Psychiatrist Faith Galloway is the epitome of resilience. The blind physician, accompanied by a German Shepherd named Zeus, seems to have a heightened sense of awareness, moving easily through city streets and train stations. She enjoys a strong professional reputation for treating especially troubled patients,

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The Forever Game, a Series-Worthy Thriller by Jeffrey James Higgins

The Bottom Line: DEA Special Agent Adam Locke is a series-worthy action hero whose debut is filled with breathtaking action and a surprisingly exquisite exploration of AI-assisted immortality.  The Forever Game opens as DEA Special Agent Adam Locke is in Haiti, closing in on John Laguerre, the leader of a massive transnational criminal organization. He figures they’ve got just one chance to “cut the head off

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The Spill, a Must-Read Eco-Thriller by Keith Abbott

The Bottom Line: The Spill is a must-read, high-stakes Eco-thriller with fascinating technology at its core. Abbott’s debut novel is a five-star winner. As The Spill opens, it is the middle of the night at the oil terminal in Lagos, Nigeria. A Nigerian worker named Kuno and his supervisor are manipulated into triggering a catastrophic oil spill, unleashing thirty thousand barrels of oil per hour into the Lagos harbor. Two people die in a sudden burst of chaos and

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Missing Values, a Highly Original Crime Thriller by Michael Grigsby

The Bottom Line: A grisly, highly original crime thriller in which an unlikely hero wields data science to solve his son’s disappearance.  Missing Values follows a cross-country crime spree by sibling serial killers Mabel and Kane. While murder is clearly their passion, human trafficking and drugs are their path to earning freedom from a despot named King Carlos. As the siblings are about to leave Texas

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The Manic Mission, a Heartfelt Mafia Thriller by C.J. Simone

The Bottom Line: A smart, heartfelt mafia thriller that deftly explores the danger and fragility facing a contemporary crime family. We can’t wait for Book Two.  The first entry in C.J. Simone’s Children of the Mob series introduces us to the Giordano family. The Manic Mission is told from alternating points of view, opening with the perspective of Gabe Giordano, an Italian American heartthrob who is determined

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The Sellout, a Groundbreaking LA Noir Novel by Andrew Diamond

The Bottom Line: A groundbreaking fusion of LA Noir, satire and time travel that will enthrall readers from start to finish.  The Sellout opens as penniless creative writing teacher Joe McElwee realizes every writers’ dream: to make the New York Times bestseller list. Joe’s blockbuster thriller is already making money, and his publisher assures him that this is just the beginning. He allows himself to dream of a better

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