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.

In the Service of Others, an Entertaining and Thought-Provoking Murder Mystery by David William Pearce

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The Bottom Line: Buttman delivers the goods for series fans while tackling one of society’s most gut-wrenching issues. One of the most endearing things about David William Pearce’s Monk Buttman Mystery series is that its hero has never taken himself too seriously. The theme continues here, as the series’ fourth installment opens with Buttman witnessing the bulldozed remains of his beloved home while being threatened […]

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At Daddy’s Hands, a Realistic and Harrowing Thriller by Jacob Paul Patchen

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The Bottom Line: A realistic and harrowing tale about children who are forced to do the unthinkable. “We’re not seriously talking about… killing dad, are we?!” That seminal line of dialogue comes in the book’s first few pages, far sooner than one might expect in a typical thriller. But in light of Jacob Paul Patchen’s heartbreaking prologue, in which he describes his experiences working in

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Absolution, a Must-Read Crime Thriller by Henry Hack

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The Bottom Line: A must-read crime thriller about an NYPD detective attempting to solve his own parents’ murder. Sun Tzu may have said “Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer,” but Henry Hack gives the phrase new meaning in his simmering thriller, Absolution. Hack’s story follows the plight of NYPD homicide lieutenant Michael Simon attempting to solve the decades-old murder of his own parents.

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On the Devil’s Knee, a Richly Drawn Historical Thriller by Craig A. Godfrey

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The Bottom Line: A richly drawn historical thriller filled with murder, intrigue and shocking twists. Craig A. Godfrey’s historical thriller begins in Tasmania on Boxing Day, 1914. What appears to be a hat box is delivered to 22-year-old Protestant Frankie Mulberry, who lives at her parent’s home despite secretly marrying a young Roman Catholic named Brady. But upon opening the present, a bomb detonates, killing

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Stadelheim: Tower of Torment, a Highly Original Thriller by Skye Smith

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The Bottom Line: A highly original thriller featuring one of the creepiest neo-Nazis in contemporary literature. Recommended for fans of serial killer thrillers and contemporary horror. Set in the early 1990s, Skye Smith’s debut novel tells the story of a wealthy neo-Nazi predator named Dale and the twisted obsessions that threaten a group of unsuspecting Minneapolis residents. The book’s title is a reference to Stadleheim,

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FLASHBACK: The Best Thriller Books of 2019

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2019 was an amazing year for fans of mystery and thriller books. An abundance of endlessly entertaining choices came from all categories, including crime thrillers, medical thrillers, legal thrillers, psychological thrillers, fantasy novels and more. Narrowing the list down from the hundreds of books our team has read this year to just a handful was daunting. In terms of authors, our 2019 list of the

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Stalker Stalked, a Hugely Entertaining Thriller by Lee Matthew Goldberg

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The Bottom line: Goldberg turns the conventional stalker thriller on its head with a tale that is fresh, suspenseful and hugely entertaining. Lexi Mazur is every bit as awkward, relatable and dysfunctional as Bridget Jones. Thirty-year-old pharmacy sales rep Lexi Mazur has practically made a profession out of stalking boyfriends. But what happens when the hunter becomes the hunted? The novel opens with a breathless

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Mr. Simpson and Other Short Stories, a Deliciously Ruthless Collection by Stephen Maitland-Lewis

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The Bottom Line: Deliciously ruthless predators rule in this collection of stories about deceit, deception, fraud and power. Highly recommended. Stephen Maitland-Lewis, author of the pulse-pounding financial thriller Duped, is back with a collection of suspenseful stories that succeed wildly in chronicling the relentless pursuit of success, status and survival. The book opens with a tale centered around Ernest Simpson, the American-born British shipbroker who

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Crickets, a Stunning Debut Thriller by Lee Chappel

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The Bottom Line: A small-town psychological thriller with a big-time payoff. This stunning debut novel is a must-read for Gillian Flynn fans. “Mine’s one of those stories that can’t be true,” says Kara Peterson in the first chapter of Crickets. Kara, the daughter of Paige, Ohio’s former Sheriff, accused Dalton Rolenfeld of rape a decade earlier. Her father’s sudden death has brought her back to

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Now & Then, an Expertly Paced Serial Killer Thriller by Justin M. Kiska

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The Bottom Line: This expertly paced tale of a resurgent serial killer and his seasoned adversary delivers multiple shockers that fans won’t soon forget. First-time novelist Justin M. Kiska puts a delicious spin on the “one last job” trope as small town police chief Ben Winters is thrust into a career-defining nightmare just before retirement. Forty years earlier, then-rookie detective Ben and his partner, Tommy,

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