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.
The Bottom Line: A remarkable superhero origin story that manages to inject plenty of new life into the genre. Reese Roberts, a vigilante crime fighter known as the Roach, has been on a half-decade bender in the years since a rookie cop put a bullet in his spine. Now confined to a wheelchair and deeply depressed, the novel opens as Reese rolls to the edge […]
The Roach, One of the Year’s Best Thrillers READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: Duped delivers the excitement of a heist film with the exotic adventure of a globetrotting spy tale. Hotelier Sam Marsh drives a Maserati and has a boat he sails off the Southern California coast when the mood strikes. But underneath the dreamy exterior, his life is in a downward spiral. Sam’s Palm Springs hotel is in financial trouble and he owes his
Duped, a Fast-Paced Financial Thriller by Stephen Maitland-Lewis READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A standout holiday murder mystery that is a must-read for fans of A Christmas Carol. Highly recommended. Pour yourself a brandy, slide into a pair of velvet loafers and cozy up by the fire to savor this perfectly timed murder mystery that centers around one of Charles Dickens’ little-known Christmas novellas (fact: The Chimes is actually one of five Christmas novellas written by the beloved
Secrets of the Chimes, a Standout Holiday Murder Mystery by John Vance READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: Blaise Ramsay breathes new life into the vampire romance genre with this clever, atmospheric paranormal crime thriller set in 1920s Chicago. Fans of both Annie Rice and Stephanie Meyer may love Bloodlaw. Bloodlaw opens as assistant district attorney Alastair Maddox awakens in the woods near Lake Michigan. It’s the 1920s, and prohibition is the law of the land. Fearing he may have
Bloodlaw, a Clever and Compelling Vampire Romance Thriller READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A seductive, action-packed thriller that has a stiletto-clad foot on the gas for the entire ride. In T.K. Wolf’s debut novel, a career assassin gets recruited for one last job with the shadow organization she had escaped. After finally slipping free from Delphi, the multinational shadow organization that molded Harker into a highly skilled, one-woman killing machine as a young woman, Sam Harker
Fatal Decision, a Seductive Thriller by T.K. Wolf READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A stirring and unusual tale of teenage love, adventure and murder. When a Navajo teenager disappears under mysterious circumstances in Arizona, a search ensues to help find him. Meanwhile, another group of teenagers from Wisconsin forges ahead with a hunting expedition in the area, unaware that they will become the hunted. While author Joseph Lewis has filled Betrayed with a large and
Betrayed, a Stirring Adventure Novel by Joseph Lewis READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A refreshing legal thriller packed with courtroom drama, scrappy litigation and a whodunnit that will surprise even the most perceptive readers. Limited Damages begins as nurse Gabriella Rivera looks after an injured prisoner at a state-run facility. When the prisoner asks for a moment of privacy, she obliges, only to return and find him dying with a syringe in his lap. The hospital
Limited Damages, a Refreshing Legal Thriller by John W. Dennehy READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: This rollocking action thriller set in the American west has much to say about wealth inequality. The sequel to Nick Kolakowski’s thriller about bounty hunter Jake Halligan picks up right after the first novel left off. In the first installment, Jake, sister Frankie and once-and-future wife Janine were kidnapped by a billionaire who had hunted them Idaho backwoods. Having killed their way
Rattlesnake Rodeo, a Rollicking Neo-Western Action Thriller by Nick Kolakowski READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: This tasty 1950s L.A. noir crime novel goes down smoother than an Old Fashioned. Highly recommended. Start with an intriguing balance of icy underworld, a down-on-his luck detective and his bitter past. Add tart and zesty characters that you can’t help but root for from the get-go, and stir vigorously. Veteran fighter pilot-turned-detective Augy Small is down on his luck with no
The Lumbermill, a Compelling LA Noir Crime Novel by Laya V Smith READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: An unforgettable small town crime thriller by one of the genre’s most exciting new voices. Charlie Tyler’s debut novel begins as six-year-old Lily discovers a dead body and, with the help of her sister, dumps it in a lake. The deceased is Amelie Townsend, a student of Lily’s father, who is a teacher at the local village school. Ten years later, she
The Cry of the Lake, an Unforgettable Crime Thriller by Charlie Tyler READ MORE >
