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.

Breakage, an Instant Classic by David-Michael Harding

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The Bottom Line: Breakage reads like an instant classic, delivering the crackling mobster bravado of Goodfellas with the emotional heft of A Beautiful Mind.  Donnie Chariot, the unparalleled genius of horse racing handicapping, dominates the betting lines nationwide. Known as “The Book,” his uncanny ability to decipher data – including past performances, weight, weather, track, bloodlines, jockey and much more – has earned him immense […]

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D for Daisy, a Remarkable World War II Mystery by Nick Aaron

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The Bottom Line: A highly engaging World War II mystery with a remarkable amateur sleuth at the helm.  Set during World War II, D for Daisy begins as the eponymously named British bomber returns to base. The landing is a harrowing one, as the plane’s pilot, Ralph Prendergast, is dead on arrival. It’s up to the flight engineer to take the controls while the rest of the crew hangs on

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Two Lists, a Highly Recommended Murder Mystery by Thomas Thorson

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The Bottom Line: Two Lists deftly blends an unusual murder case and decidedly unorthodox crime-fighting tactics. Highly recommended.   Trouble easily finds its way to Vinn and Malcolm’s front door, even when they’ve sworn it off for good. The two academics teaching at the University of Illinois at Chicago have become an unlikely crime-fighting duo, taking on gruesome murder cases, doing covert work for government agencies and getting tangled up in

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The Consular Official, a Jaw-Dropping FBI Thriller by Bill King

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The Bottom Line: A gritty FBI Thriller with jaw-dropping twists. King’s portrayal of the convoluted world of cross-border criminality, politics and business feels completely fresh.  The Consular Official opens in Houston, Texas, as 23-year-old Juan Carlos Alonso – known as Pepe – leaves his office at the Mexican Consulate early to spend the weekend with new girlfriend, Suzy. But Suzy isn’t who Pepe thinks she

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Steve Shockley

Duty Strong, a Simmering Page-Turner by Steve Shockley

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The Bottom Line: Steve Shockley’s soldier sleuth shines in this page-turner set in 1970s North Carolina. Set shortly after the United States’ withdrawal from Vietnam in the 1970s, combat veteran Sergeant Major Zinny Zubell is hastily released from the army after two decades of service as part of a reduction in force. Loyalty to a friend in need takes him to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he

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Funeral Daze, a Hilarious High-Stakes Mystery by Dorian Box

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The Bottom Line: A hilarious page-turner that effortlessly blends crime, humor and South Florida beach culture. Recommended for fans of Richard Osman and Alexander McCall Smith.   Funeral Daze begins as broke lottery winner and widower Danny Tweakwell receives an invitation from the Slagger-Jewell Funeral Home. He’s had no contact with the home since the Jewell family helped him out of a major jam five years earlier. This time, the service

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Stable, a Harrowing Rescue Thriller by Cam Torrens

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The Bottom Line: A harrowing rescue thriller with a truly magnetic hero at its core. In Cam Torrens’ debut novel, nine-year-old Janae is visiting her aunt and uncles’ rural home in the Colorado Rockies when she’s mistaken for a girl named Kendall. She’s abducted, hooded and driven to a secluded barn – a place known as “the stable” – where a man known as Jefe markets

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License to Die, a Fun and Action-Packed Bond Satire by Haris Orkin

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The Bottom Line: The good times roll in License to Die, perhaps the best entry yet in Haris Orkin’s action-packed, fun and touching Bond satire series.  We first met international super spy James Flynn in Orkin’s hilarious James Bond parody Goldhammer. As a resident of a City of Roses Psychiatric Institute, he believed he was at the headquarters of His Majesty’s Secret Service. License to Die takes Flynn to a

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Havana Hangover, a Jaw-Dropping Destination Thriller by Randy Richardson

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The Bottom Line: A jaw-dropping destination thriller featuring exotic locations, mortally divisive characters and a won’t-see-it-coming twist. Havana Hangover begins in Miami International Airport in 2016, as 30-year-old attorney Tanner Ford and estranged best friend Jackson Swift are about to board a flight to Cuba. From the beginning, it’s clear that something is badly amiss. First, the pair fly into Cuba’s beach resort town, Varadero, instead of

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Alaska Deadly, an Absorbing Detective Thriller by J.L. Askew

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The Bottom Line: A fully absorbing detective thriller with a highly original PI you can’t help but root for. Fans of Dennis Lehane and Tana French will love Askew’s atmospheric style. Alaska Deadly finds private detective Race Warren working his first case, and the Memphis PI is under the impression it’s going to be like a paid vacation. All he has to do is travel to

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