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.

Naked Came the Detective, a Dazzling Debut Murder Mystery by Glendall C. Jackson III

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The Bottom Line: A dazzling debut that will leave fans eagerly anticipating the return of Jackson’s cunning heroine. In Naked Came the Detective, an escort-turned-amateur sleuth investigates the stabbing of a client named “Ben” (she uses fictitious names to protect her clients). The police’s theory is that Ben, an overextended real estate tycoon, surprised a mugger in an alley near his office, resulting in his murder. …

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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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32 Minutes, a Perfectly Paced Whodunnit by Andrew Diamond

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The Bottom line: Everyone is a suspect in this perfectly paced, hard-hitting whodunnit.  When we first met private detective Freddy Ferguson in BestThrillers.com Book of the Year pick Gate 76, Freddy was 34-years-old and still largely defined by his former career as a prize fighter. Now pushing 40, the veteran PI is wiser and more perceptive, but still just as tough. In 32 Minutes, Freddy is hired to …

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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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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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