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: One of the year’s best thrillers. Fans of Michael Connelly’s Bosch series will love Agent Garrison Chase. When FBI Agent Garrison Chase’s old mentor Slim shows up unannounced and badly beaten, he knows trouble can’t be far behind. Years earlier, Chase and Slim had been recruited to kill a Thai General and human trafficker called The Rat. They failed, and now Slim […]
A Thin Line, One of the Year’s Best Thrillers READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: In Pine, Baldacci achieves his deepest characterization yet. Highly recommended. In Baldacci’s second Atlee Pine novel, the FBI agent explores the kidnapping and presumed death of her twin sister 30 years earlier. Like Harry Bosch in Michael Connelly’s similarly emotional crime thriller series, Pine decides to head back to the scene of the crime in order to solve it. As we all
A Minute to Midnight, a Riveting New Thriller by David Baldacci READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: Cemetery Road will make Greg Iles a household name. At 18, Marshall McEwan left his Mississippi hometown, and his family’s newspaper business, to become an iconic journalist. His inevitable return is sparked by his father’s terminal illness. Naturally, he’s got unfinished business to take care of. He finds that his family’s 150-year-old newspaper is on the brink of disaster. To make matters
Cemetery Road, an Epic Conspiracy Thriller by Greg Iles READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: If you haven’t caught Harry Bosch fever yet, I dare you to read The Night Fire and not be hooked. Amazon doesn’t provide ratings information on its magnificent Bosch series, but going by the success of Michael Connelly’s Bosch books, it’s bound to be a juggernaut. The Night Fire is a more-than-worthy volume in the expansive book series, and a decent entry
The Night Fire, a New Harry Bosch Novel by Michael Connelly READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: Grisham proves again why he’s one of the greatest authors of our time. Legendary author John Grisham’s latest novel focuses on Quincy Miller, a man convicted of killing his attorney despite having much evidence against him. Miller consistently proclaims his innocence during 22 years in prison. His case is finally taken up by Cullen Post, a lawyer, Episcopal minister, and founder of
The Guardians, a Satisfying Legal Thriller by John Grisham READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: Buzzworthy. The Ninth House is a truly magical take on the secret society thriller. Yale’s freshman class may look homogenous, but there’s at least one outlier within: Galaxy “Alex” Stern. Alex has survived attempted murder, loser boyfriends and a hippie upbringing. Lightning strikes when she receives a full ride to Yale. But nothing in life is free, and Alex’s sponsors ask her to
The Ninth House, One of the Year’s Best Thrillers READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A fast-paced, suffocating psychological thriller featuring a series-worthy heroine. One of the year’s best thrillers. Dr. Alicia Reese’s first encounter with new patient Lucas Ferro begins as she finds him suffering from a crippling panic attack in her darkened office bathroom. Ferro has been in therapy before, and he’s worried that nobody can help him. By their third meeting, he discloses vague
The Ninth Session, One of the Year’s Best Thrillers READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: One of the most impressive debut thrillers of the past decade. Readers who love LA noir are in for a treat with Lisa Gray’s gripping debut novel, Thin Air. The driving force in the novel is a photograph sent anonymously to private investigator Jessica Shaw of a three-year-old girl who has been kidnapped. The little girl, it turns out, is her. Who
Thin Air, an Impressive Work of LA Noir by Lisa Gray READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: An edge-of-your seat detective thriller that crackles with gore and wit before delivering a stunning knockout blow. Fans of The Silence of the Lambs should flock to Derik Cavignano’s new series debut. Boston Police Detective Ray Hanley has seen a lot of gory crime scenes in his career, but he’s never seen anything quite like the body of murdered mob soldier Danny
The Art of Dying, a Stunning Crime Thriller by Derik Cavignano READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A jaw-dropping work of contemporary California noir. Fans of James Ellroy will fall hard for Casey Dorman. When the daughter of an oil tycoon goes missing in Southern California, he hires legendary private investigator Ben Murphy to find her. At first glance, it doesn’t look good. Murphy learns that blood and hair were found in the backseat of the woman’s car, and
The Oedipus Murders, a Jaw-Dropping Crime Thriller by Casey Dorman READ MORE >
