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.
Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing […]
The Woman in Cabin 10, a Crime Thriller by Ruth Ware READ MORE >
A mysterious killer who calls himself The Artist is assassinating wealthy lawyers in San Francisco. When photo-journalist Jake Wolfe accidentally takes his picture during a murder, The Artist adds Jake to his kill list and he becomes a target in a deadly game of cat and mouse that only one of them can survive. Jake is a military veteran with a secret black ops past
Dead Lawyers Don’t Lie, a Crime Thriller by Mark Nolan READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: One of the year’s best crime thrillers. Mary Maddox just may be the dark princess of suspense we’ve all been waiting for. What would you do if your best friend went missing? That’s the compelling question at the core of Darkroom, which puts Boulder resident Kelly Durrell in the role of anyone who has ever realized that they are all that stands
Darkroom, a new Crime Thriller by Mary Maddox READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: For fans of the serial killer genre, this shattering autobiography by the child of a real-life mass-murderer will be absolutely unforgettable. “I first contemplated suicide at the age of four,” writes Shannon O’Leary, who uses pseudonyms to protect family members. “I devised my death plan down to the very last detail but never had the courage to see it through to completion.
The Blood on My Hands, a True Crime Thriller by Shannon O’Leary READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: This charming, classically-told crime thriller is a must for noir fans. Ed Duncan’s debut crime thriller revolves around a stolen necklace with sixteen colormatched rubies, each a prized pigeon-blood red. The necklace – which comes with quite a pedigree – belongs to Chicago loan shark Frank Litvak, who entrusts it to rank-and-file muscle Rico Sanders and his colleague, Jerry. If you’re thinking
Pigeon Blood Red, a Crime Thriller by Ed Duncan READ MORE >
Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden. In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens. When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents
The Butterfly Garden, a Mystery by Dot Hutchison READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: If you’ve read the first two books in King’s Bill Hodges trilogy, you can’t possibly miss the finale. If you haven’t read them, shame on you (see our reviews for those books here and here). In Room 217 of the Lakes Region Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic, something has awakened. Something evil. Brady Hartsfield, perpetrator of the Mercedes Massacre, where eight people were killed
End of Watch, a new Crime Thriller by Stephen King READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: The sequel to Bryndza’s first Erika Foster novel is every bit as chill-inducing as the first. A must for fans, and a “strong buy” for those new to his work. In the dead of a swelteringly hot summer’s night, Detective Erika Foster is called to a murder scene. The victim, a doctor, is found suffocated in bed. His wrists are bound and his
The Night Stalker, a Serial Killer Thriller by Robert Bryndza READ MORE >
On a foggy summer night, eleven people–ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter–depart Martha’s Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs–the painter–and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul’s family. With chapters weaving between the aftermath
Before The Fall, a New Suspense Thriller by Noah Hawley READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: With Robin Wasserman at the helm, it’s never too early or late for Halloween. This barnburner of a novel about intense obsession is a must-read. Halloween, 1991. A popular high school basketball star ventures into the woods near Battle Creek, Pennsylvania, and disappears. Three days later, he’s found with a bullet in his head and a gun in his hand—a discovery that
Book Review: Girls on Fire, a New Crime Thriller by Robin Wasserman READ MORE >
