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.

A Fan of Death and Shakespeare, a Psychological Thriller by Rick Lacey

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The Bottom Line: One of the decade’s most original and surreal psychological thrillers, Lacey has crafted an impossible-to-put-down murder tale while skewering corporate dysfunction and deftly exploring a rare twin psychopathy. Rick Lacey’s new thriller opens in 1994 – the same day as the O.J. Simpson murders – as BP employee John McCall discovers his boss’ body in his office. McCall calls Cleveland homicide detective […]

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Nemesis, a Winning Psychological Thriller by Julie Hodgson

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Bottom Line: A blistering psychological thriller that will have readers begging for a sequel. Buy it. When it comes to her clientele, psychologist Kathy Smith – who is also a gifted psychic – has become something of a specialist. Smith takes on murderers, rapists, pedophiles, thieves, violence, junkies and other “generally nasty people.” But she’s taking a year off from her practice to take on

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Bring Me Flowers, a Small Town Murder Mystery by D.K. Hood

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The Bottom Line:  Fans of small town murder mysteries may love this intense, under-the-radar gem. Told with the alluring, foreboding darkness of a Dean Koontz novel, this second installment in D.K. Hood’s Kane and Alton series is a perfect entry point for newcomers. Hidden deep in the forest, schoolgirl Felicity Parker is found carefully laid out on a rock with nothing but a freshly picked

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The Watching, a Must-Read Legal Thriller by Michael Donovan

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The Bottom Line: Chock full of psychological suspense, and gloriously infused with dread throughout, The Watching is a must for legal thriller fans. London criminal defense attorney Kate Walker has plenty of reasons to be paranoid. Her clientele is packed with repeat offenders who, despite Kate’s astonishingly good track record, are rarely grateful for her efforts. In some cases, they are openly menacing. As Walker’s

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Where the Hurt Is, a Sensational Crime Thriller by Chris Kelsey

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The Bottom Line: This sensational small town crime thriller is a perfect beach read. Set in 1965, Where the Hurt Is tells the story of a tough but inexperienced Oklahoma police chief who chooses to investigate a brutal murder that most would rather forget. Written from the point of view of police chief Emmett Hardy, Chris Kelsey’s novel opens on a horrendously hot Oklahoma night,

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The Crooked Staircase: A Jane Hawk Novel by Dean Koontz

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The Bottom Line: Koontz lives up to his reputation as one of the most reliable crime thriller novelists of our time. In Koontz’s latest outing, his fierce heroine Jane Hawk picks up right where she left off in The Whispering Room. That’s great news for Koontz completionists, but this won’t be a great entry point for anyone not already invested in the series. With that said, this

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The Quisling, a High-Stakes Psychological Thriller by Lawrence Matrick M.D.

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Bottom Line: High-stakes action meets psychological thrills in this satisfying tangle of cartels, star-crossed love and tested loyalties. The Quisling is chock-full of surprises. While author Lawrence Matrick juggles a large cast, The Quisling is primarily focused on three well-drawn characters: psychiatrist Dr. Zack Scarlatto, who is focused on extracting himself from the Mexican cartels in one piece; Zack’s sexy mistress, Maria, step-daughter of the

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Gate 76, One of the Year’s Best Thrillers, by Andrew Diamond

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The Bottom Line: One of the year’s best thrillers. 34-year-old private detective Freddy Ferguson, a man still largely defined by his former career as a prize fighter, is waiting to board a flight to Washington D.C. when he spots Anna Brook. She is attractive in a hassled sort of way, but it’s her interaction with her male companion – a knucklehead gripping her arm in

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In Your Head, a Series-Worthy Supernatural Thriller by Matthew Tamney

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The Bottom Line: A series-worthy supernatural thriller about a gifted telepath who finds himself over his head in murder and mayhem. Expat Pete Erickson had left the U.S. for Taiwan to escape the labels he had grown up with: loner, sociopath, narcissist. But only a select few know that Peter, in fact, has a superpower: the ability to plant ideas in unsuspecting stranger’s heads (think

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The Bishop Burned the Lady, a Stellar Murder Mystery by Bill Percy

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The Bottom Line: This stellar mountain murder mystery will stick with you long after turning the last page. In Bill Percy’s vivid new novel, a devastating Montana wildfire season has worn out Deputy Andi Pelton and her boyfriend, psychologist Ed Northrup. But there will be no rest anytime soon, as they are tipped off about a mysterious fire in a remote forest clearing. They discover

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