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.

The Pine Barrens Stratagem, a Smoldering and Timely Crime Thriller by Ken Harris

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The Bottom Line: A contemporary crime thriller that works on every level, from the smoldering investigation to the whipsaw banter between characters you’re bound to love. Ken Harris’ The Pine Barrens Stratagem centers around Steve Rockfish, a private detective hit so hard by the COVID-19 pandemic that he’s on the verge of losing everything. Creditors are even threatening to repossess his car, a 2015 Dodge […]

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Threads, a Mesmerizing Crime Thriller by Bryan Cassiday

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The Bottom Line: A fast-paced, mesmerizing blend of classic LA noir and contemporary whodunnit. Bryan Cassiday’s fourth Scott Brody thriller finds the private investigator framed for the the murder of a controversial LA fashion designer. It doesn’t look good for Brody. The explosion that killed designer Max Reed happens not long after Brody delivers a package from local mobster Sal Andrasi, and he knows the

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Vice & Virtue, a Smart Police Procedural by Justin M. Kiska

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The Bottom Line: This smooth-as-whiskey police procedural proves Kiska’s already smart series is only getting better. Recommended. The trouble with skeletons is that they never stay buried for too long. And novelist Justin Kiska unearths them literally and figuratively in his sophomore novel and continuation of the Parker City Mystery series. Detective Ben Winters and his partner Tommy Mason are back. When we first met

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A Quantum Alibi, The Year’s Best Sci-Fi Thriller

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The Bottom Line: Murder mystery meets quantum fiction in this addictive, cinematic novel from the author of The Newton Code. Honored in the Best Thriller Book Awards as the Best Sci-Fi Thriller of 2021. Liam Fialkov’s latest novel opens with a lecture at Columbia University by Professor Patrick Eldrige, an authority on quantum physics. Eldridge makes a bold claim: after the lecture, he will travel

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Time Out!, a Quirky Romantic Suspense Novel by Kevin Creager

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The Bottom Line: A quirky romantic suspense novel told through the lens of time travel. Time Out! is the story of Wally Stephens’ unusual journey back in time. Faced with his 10-year high school reunion, he finds himself disappointed by how little he’s accomplished in life so far. He’s also obsessed with Cindy Connor, a girl he admired from afar but never had the courage

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Have You Seen Me?, The Year’s Best Horror Novel

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The Bottom Line: One of the Best Thrillers of 2021. A deliciously disturbing whodunnit filled with twists and turns that will appeal to young adults and seasoned mystery fans alike. Aubrey LeRoux has returned to Waverly Prep, her old Southern college-prep school, but this time as the new history teacher. Aubrey was prepared for an icy reception from the hardened headmistress, who has not thawed

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The Reisman Case, a Highly Recommended Detective Thriller by Andrew Diamond

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The Bottom Line: A truly original detective thriller that delivers a relentless cadence of mind-blowing revelations. Highly recommended. Andrew Diamond’s second Claire Chastain mystery delivers an explosive first chapter that all but guarantees to hook all who read it. In nearly all detective fiction, first meetings between private investigators and clients are notoriously quiet affairs in which the detective for hire observes passively as the client

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Shadows of Leonardo, a Thriller Destined for the Big Screen by Will Ottinger

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The Bottom Line: Daniel Silva fans will find a new favorite with this made-for-Hollywood tale of ancient art, mystery and murder. Shadows of Leonardo opens months before the end of World War II, as the Nazi regime is collapsing across the eastern front with Russia. Starving and on the verge of freezing to death, a Nazi SS officer discovers a create bound for Reichsmarschall Göring.

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The Body in the Road, an Engrossing Teen Suspense Thriller by Donna M. Zadunajsky

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The Bottom Line: This engrossing teen suspense thriller puts the fictional town of Craven Falls on the map. Fans of Natalie D. Richards’ small town mysteries may fall for this tale of a teen who makes an unfortunate turn. Seventeen-year-old Ohio girl Sara Nelson is deathly afraid of her psycho boyfriend, Brad. Fearing for her life, she takes her Grandmother’s car in the middle of

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In the Service of Others, an Entertaining and Thought-Provoking Murder Mystery by David William Pearce

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The Bottom Line: Buttman delivers the goods for series fans while tackling one of society’s most gut-wrenching issues. One of the most endearing things about David William Pearce’s Monk Buttman Mystery series is that its hero has never taken himself too seriously. The theme continues here, as the series’ fourth installment opens with Buttman witnessing the bulldozed remains of his beloved home while being threatened

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