Thriller Reviews

The best thriller book reviews, including crime, fantasy, historical fiction, horror, legal thrillers, medical, psychological thrillers, sci-fi and more.

A Fan of Death and Shakespeare, a Psychological Thriller by Rick Lacey

By

The Bottom Line: One of the decade’s most original and surreal psychological thrillers, Lacey has crafted an impossible-to-put-down murder tale while skewering corporate dysfunction and deftly exploring a rare twin psychopathy. Rick Lacey’s new thriller opens in 1994 – the same day as the O.J. Simpson murders – as BP employee John McCall discovers his boss’ body in his office. McCall calls Cleveland homicide detective […]

A Fan of Death and Shakespeare, a Psychological Thriller by Rick Lacey READ MORE >

Nemesis, a Winning Psychological Thriller by Julie Hodgson

By

Bottom Line: A blistering psychological thriller that will have readers begging for a sequel. Buy it. When it comes to her clientele, psychologist Kathy Smith – who is also a gifted psychic – has become something of a specialist. Smith takes on murderers, rapists, pedophiles, thieves, violence, junkies and other “generally nasty people.” But she’s taking a year off from her practice to take on

Nemesis, a Winning Psychological Thriller by Julie Hodgson READ MORE >

Bring Me Flowers, a Small Town Murder Mystery by D.K. Hood

By

The Bottom Line:  Fans of small town murder mysteries may love this intense, under-the-radar gem. Told with the alluring, foreboding darkness of a Dean Koontz novel, this second installment in D.K. Hood’s Kane and Alton series is a perfect entry point for newcomers. Hidden deep in the forest, schoolgirl Felicity Parker is found carefully laid out on a rock with nothing but a freshly picked

Bring Me Flowers, a Small Town Murder Mystery by D.K. Hood READ MORE >

The Watching, a Must-Read Legal Thriller by Michael Donovan

By

The Bottom Line: Chock full of psychological suspense, and gloriously infused with dread throughout, The Watching is a must for legal thriller fans. London criminal defense attorney Kate Walker has plenty of reasons to be paranoid. Her clientele is packed with repeat offenders who, despite Kate’s astonishingly good track record, are rarely grateful for her efforts. In some cases, they are openly menacing. As Walker’s

The Watching, a Must-Read Legal Thriller by Michael Donovan READ MORE >

End It By The Gun, a Psychological Thriller by Kenechukwu Obi

By

The Bottom Line: An ambitious psychological thriller that reads like a fever dream. Tailor-made for fans of Franz Kafka. Beck Blades, a writer from rural Nebraska, is obsessed with creating a Hollywood blockbuster. Movie studios reply to his queries with rejection after rejection. His wife, Julie, isn’t exactly supportive of his creative endeavors. She’s cruel, jealous, and, apparent by the way he readies himself for

End It By The Gun, a Psychological Thriller by Kenechukwu Obi READ MORE >

Where the Hurt Is, a Sensational Crime Thriller by Chris Kelsey

By

The Bottom Line: This sensational small town crime thriller is a perfect beach read. Set in 1965, Where the Hurt Is tells the story of a tough but inexperienced Oklahoma police chief who chooses to investigate a brutal murder that most would rather forget. Written from the point of view of police chief Emmett Hardy, Chris Kelsey’s novel opens on a horrendously hot Oklahoma night,

Where the Hurt Is, a Sensational Crime Thriller by Chris Kelsey READ MORE >

The Crooked Staircase: A Jane Hawk Novel by Dean Koontz

By

The Bottom Line: Koontz lives up to his reputation as one of the most reliable crime thriller novelists of our time. In Koontz’s latest outing, his fierce heroine Jane Hawk picks up right where she left off in The Whispering Room. That’s great news for Koontz completionists, but this won’t be a great entry point for anyone not already invested in the series. With that said, this

The Crooked Staircase: A Jane Hawk Novel by Dean Koontz READ MORE >

Chameleons, a Fascinating Historical Mystery by Marcus A. Nannini

By

The Bottom Line: World War II buffs will adore this fascinating and immaculately researched historical mystery. In a small town on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, a pool construction crew unearths a mysterious skeleton. Hours later on the Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Lieutenant Karen Yamura inspects the items found with the body: a rusted Japanese imperial navy officer’s pistol, and a black box containing two

Chameleons, a Fascinating Historical Mystery by Marcus A. Nannini READ MORE >

Red Stick Two, a Highly Recommended Action Thriller by Kenneth Kirkeby

By

Bottom Line: Highly recommended. Red Stick Two is an absolute godsend for military thriller fans, in which life and death is determined by skill, not technology. When an American engineer is abducted by communist group The Shining Path, American intelligence taps two of its best to head into the Peruvian highlands: agent Richard Creole, a regional expert, and master tracker Virgil Cleary. Set in the

Red Stick Two, a Highly Recommended Action Thriller by Kenneth Kirkeby READ MORE >

The President is Missing, a Political Thriller by James Patterson and Bill Clinton

By

The Bottom Line: Easily the best James Patterson novel in years. Highly recommended. On a recent Stephen Colbert show appearance, Stephen King mused that James Patterson spends approximately 12 hours working on each book. True, Patterson has become notoriously prolific in recent years as more than 100 books a year are churned out in his name (Patterson still does the outlines). Nobody’s saying how much

The President is Missing, a Political Thriller by James Patterson and Bill Clinton READ MORE >

Scroll to Top