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.

Black Yéʼii, a Must-Read Small Town Crime Thriller by Joseph Lewis

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The Bottom Line: A must-read small town crime thriller that will please new and old fans. Black Yéʼii opens in Waukesha, Wisconsin, as Carmen Benevides finds three terrifying strangers on her doorstep. The trio is searching for her teenage son, Angel, and they won’t take no for an answer. Minutes later, Angel receives a text message from his mother’s phone: I need you to come home right away. It’s […]

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NIGHTMARE BEFORE MARDI GRAS, an Unflinching Police Thriller by Robert Sterling Hecker

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The Bottom Line: A fast-paced, unflinching police procedural about a detective’s personal mission to solve a heinous child sex crime. In Robert Sterling Hecker’s debut novel, The Accidental Vigilante, detective Jeremy Porter quickly transformed from a rookie in New Orlean’s Child Abuse Section into an unstoppable force for justice. Hecker’s second novel featuring Porter, who is now the squad supervisor for the New Orleans Police Department’s Child

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Last Call, a Brilliantly Told Crime Thriller by Travis Tougaw

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The Bottom Line: Brilliantly told, this nail-biter about the effort to free a convicted killer will make you question everything you know about our legal system. Highly recommended.  Last Call opens in a hole-in-the-wall bar in Denver, Colorado. It’s 2004, and bartender Paul Humphries is worried about a boisterous troublemaker sitting at a corner table named Dennis. After Dennis starts aggressively hitting on three much younger women,

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Chained Birds, an Emotional True Crime Memoir by Carla Conti

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The Bottom Line: An emotional, eye-popping and personal expose of the American prison system that begins with an orchestrated stabbing and ends with a realistic exploration of second chances.  Chained Birds begins on a snowy Pennsylvania day in 2011, as Lewisburg prison inmate Steven “Oakie” Tremblay throws a snowball at a correctional officer named Captain MacDonald. Tremblay is then placed in a rec cage with two other inmates,

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EIGHT BALL, a Must-Read Assassination Thriller by Howard Seaborne

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The Bottom Line: A must-read assassination thriller that pits a lovable superhero against a sniper targeting American extremists.  The eighth book in Howard Seaborne’s DIVISIBLE MAN series returns lovable superhero Will Stewart to a crisis that threatens to rip America apart. A pilot by trade, Will doesn’t need the assistance of a stealth aircraft in order to fly, vanish and reappear. With a touch, he can help

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Lost Grove, a Hypnotic Murder Mystery by Charlotte Zang and Alex Knudsen

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The Bottom Line: A perfect choice for fans of Wayward Pines and Twin Peaks, Lost Grove is a hypnotic murder mystery that crackles with supernatural intrigue.  Shortly after his father’s debilitating stroke, Seth Wolf resigned from his post as a homicide detective in the San Francisco Police Department. His return to hometown Lost Grove – home to 1,500 residents, quaint Victorian homes, farms and nearby picturesque beaches – comes with

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The Reluctant Reckoner, a White-Knuckled Financial Thriller by J. Lee

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The Bottom Line: Another white-knuckled gem from J. Lee. Financial thriller fans, move The Reluctant Reckoner to the top of your reading list.  In the years after the death of his wife, career accountant Mark Richter has created a stable life for him and his eight-year-old daughter. They live a quiet life in a Chicago suburb where Mark keeps a tidy and organized home, plays racquetball with the same friend every Friday night, and is obsessive about checking off the detailed task

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Lethal Impulse, a Highly Recommended Crime Thriller by Steve Rush

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The Bottom Line: A small town crime thriller that hits all the right notes. Recommended for fans of Harlan Coben.  Reverend Neil Caldera’s calling takes him to Madison, Georgia, a small town graced with antebellum homes, delicious southern cuisine and a strong sense of community. But as Neil eventually discovers, the town has a dark underbelly. When the seasoned former detective is summoned to a

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Lady in White, a Gripping Heist Thriller by Karen S. Gordon

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The Bottom Line: Drawing upon real-world figures, Lady in White is a gripping and believable tale of ransom, rebellion and political intrigue.  There’s no such thing as a normal day at the office for money laundering duo Lauren Gold and Vance Courage. Their latest adventure begins as Vance drops Lauren off at Miami International Airport, where she’s set to fly to the Caymans to check out their next

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Their Little Lies, a Terrifying Psychological Thriller by Quinn Avery

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The Bottom Line: Buried family secrets, steamy romance and a terrifying serial killer add up to a masterfully told psychological thriller. Coming off a botched murder investigation, Detective Josephine Kelly is contemplating early retirement. Feeling the need to regroup, she uses her father’s declining health as an excuse to take time off and return home to Ames, Iowa. But thanks to a troubled childhood, the truth

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