Mystery Book Reviews

The best mystery book reviews. Mysteries are typically crime stories in which readers follows a detective or amateur sleuth attempting to solve a criminal puzzle. Compared with “crime thrillers,” mysteries often feature less graphic violence and shocking subject matter.

Justice for Emerson, a Deeply Engrossing Murder Mystery by Karen E. Osborne

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The Bottom Line: Five stars for this deeply engrossing, serious-as-a-heart-attack murder mystery that has profound things to say about social justice, loyalty and the human condition.  Karen E. Osborne’s chilling new novel opens at the headquarters of a local not-for-profit organization 45 minutes North of New York City. If you’re the kind of reader who warns characters about the dangers of dark basements, prepare to get started […]

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Incident at Devil’s Finger, an Unmissable Crime Thriller by Larry Witham

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The Bottom Line: A wonderfully weird crime, spectacular landscapes and big-time character development make Incident at Devil’s Finger unmissable.  The third book in Larry Witham’s art-crime series opens in visually spectacular Sedona, Arizona. Having somehow secured a permit to perform a stunt among the iconic red rocks, performance artist Magnifica plans to jump from a helicopter and parachute through the Red Rock Pinnacle monuments – all in

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The Tangled Mane, a Compelling Cozy Murder Mystery by Charlie Tyler

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The Bottom Line: Cozy murder intrigue at its finest. Charlie Tyler has a winner in series-worthy PI Cally Simmonds.  Set in an English suburb, we first meet 32-year-old private investigator Cally Simmonds as she’s trying to locate a missing crate of vintage champagne. Having been hired to work undercover at a local hotel to ascertain whether the staff have been stealing, she soon finds far more than she bargained

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The Haunted Artist, a Fascinating Art-Crime Mystery by Larry Witham

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The Bottom Line: The Haunted Artist is a taut, refreshing and fascinating work of detective fiction you can easily finish on a coast-to-coast flight.  The fourth installment of the Julian Peale Art-Crime Mystery series begins with a small town funeral for 28-year-old Sam Mason. Regarded as a rising young star in the art world, Sam had apparently sold enough paintings to pay off his mothers’ mortgage. His

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Danger Inside the Beltway

Danger Inside the Beltway, a Fast-Paced Thriller by Terri Greening

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The Bottom Line: A fast-paced and timely thriller about the outsized influence of wealth in American politics.  Reporter Tarryn Blue secured her dream job right out of Georgetown graduate school – an investigative journalism role that landed her in the White House Press Briefing Room. Overall, Tarryn’s life seems to have nothing but upside. An impending marriage to the man of her dreams, access to

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Dirty Deeds, a Clever Murder Mystery by Deborah Shlian and Linda Reid

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The Bottom Line: A cleverly-constructed murder mystery with a one-of-a-kind heroine at its core. The fourth book in the Sammy Greene series opens in New York City, as smug real estate tycoon Vince Garibaldi is lured into a midnight hour meeting. After handing over a thumb drive and denying accusations of being a snitch, he’s summarily bludgeoned to death, belted into his Porsche, and sunk

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Stuntman

The Stuntman, an Impeccably Paced Action Thriller by Evan Graver

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The Bottom Line: Don’t miss this sharply funny, impeccably paced action thriller. Amidst an ocean of heroes who take themselves far too seriously, Luke Wesson is a breath of fresh air. The Stuntman opens on a Hollywood movie set as Luke Wesson – doubling for actor Jordan Reese – prepares to jump his motorbike onto the roof of a moving train. After a bee sting triggers

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The Best C.J. Box Books, Ranked in Order

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What are the best CJ Box books? For newcomers to Box’s work, deciding which book to pick up first is a serious challenge. That’s because Box has been incredibly prolific in the years since the publication of his first novel. Box is best known for his Joe Pickett series, featuring an honest, upright, hardworking and faithful Wyoming Game and Fish warden. Pickett’s famous flaw is

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Don’t Look Down, a Surprise-Filled Murder Mystery by Matthew Becker

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The Bottom Line: Brimming with strong personalities, Don’t Look Down is a surprising and propulsive murder mystery, as well as a worthy follow-up to Run.  The follow-up to Matthew Beckers’ must-read debut novel Run opens on Theodore Roosevelt Island with the murder of a United States Senator. As homicide Detective Emilia Brown and her new partner begin investigating the Senator’s disappearance, she interviews Ben Walsh in an attempt to get insight into a

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