I kept seeing the word noir used to describe Edgar Award winner Jordan Harper’s latest, Everybody Knows. After a few hmmms, I looked it up, thinking I was unclear as to what it really meant. I got this: “a genre of crime film or fiction characterized by cynicism, fatalism, and moral ambiguity.” Thanks to Mulholland …
I was intrigued by the blurb and promo material for The House In The Pines by Ana Reyes. I mean, even Reese spoj=ke highly of it…but hmmm not all her choices resonate with me. But WTH, it is the dead of winter (at least what passes for winter on the central coast of California), and …
Seems like it is an actual THING to make a living as an “influencer,” and while I had read a couple of stories about the risks and rewards of this way of life (!), reading about Kimberly Belle’s female protagonist, a young woman named Alex, really made it all seem real/possible. Alex and her husband …
I’ve been a big fan of Robert Dugoni’s Tracy Crosswhite series, and am always happy to see he has a new book coming out. Then, seeing the story features an entirely new set of characters, I think “hmmm…we’ll see.” I received a copy of Her Deadly Game , which was sent to me (in exchange …
As I noted last year when I read and reviewed Janet Evanovich’s Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight, I have been reading and enjoying Stephanie Plum’s adventures as a bond enforcement agent (bounty hunter?) for twenty-five+ years (gasp!), ever since One For The Money. And everytime a new one comes out, it makes me happy to know …
I am a big fan of “unputdownable psychological thrillers,” and a huge fan of B.A. Paris’s Behind Closed Doors (2016), Bring Me Back (2018), The Dilemma (2020), and last year’s The Therapist, I was happy to receive a copy of The Prisoner from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley in return for my honest review. …
I’m positive I have read other books by Sara Paretsky that featured “plucky heroine” V.I. Warshawski, Chicago PI – but I couldn’t name one or recall a plot – just went into this one expecting a well-written story to take my mind off the pandemic, crime, corruption, etc. And Overboard is definitely well-written, as expected. …
If you enjoy stories with unreliable narrators, possibly unstable women, annoying characters in general, and a nice dose of gaslighting, here’s a book for you! Or possibly you just want something twisty and turny to get your mind off the death of democracy and a worldwide pandemic for a day or two, well, buckle up! …
In 1993, I read a book by Philip Margolin, recommended by my sister, and since then have enjoyed nearly all of his 20+ books. Legal thrillers are among my favorite genres, and he is often referred to as “the master of the courtroom thriller,” so I was pleased to receive a copy of The Darkest …
Author Karen Cleveland has a solid background for writing thrillers that revolve around intelligence agencies and personnel: she was a Fulbright Scholar, earned a master’s degree from Trinity College in Dublin and Harvard, and was a CIA analyst for eight years, focused on counterterrorism – and she also worked with the FBI. So, bottom line: …
If asked whether I was a fan of John Grisham, my best answer would be “sometimes.” I have loved some of his stuff (esp earlier books), but some have been “meh.” Last year’s A Time for Mercy, #3 in the Jake Brigance series, was a big disappointment for me (three stars — I’m an easy …
Lisa Unger has another solid thriller out, with Last Girl Ghosted following Confessions on the 7:45 onto the list of woman-in-danger thrillers. I’m not the intended demographic, being totally not interested in dating apps, quickie hookups, or advice bloggers, but I was quickly taken in by the story. (TBH I did find myself getting annoyed …
I have been a fan of Phillip Margolin for a long time…and while I haven’t read every one of the books in either the Amanda Jaffe or the Dana Cutler series, I had read and enjoyed the first three Robin Lockwood books — so was happy to receive a copy of A Matter of Life …
I really wanted to like this book? I like Ms. Hall, and it sounded like it would appeal to my appreciation for the plucky-heroine genre (Stephanie Plum, Kinsey Millhone). The protagonist, Grayson Sykes, is a PI who is looking for a woman named Isabel Lincoln. Isabel MAY have left town with her boyfriend’s dog. As the …
I’ve been reading Philip Margolin for almost twenty years, and although there were one or two that were sort of “meh” for me, I usually REALLY like his books, so I was happy to get a copy of The Perfect Alibi from St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. …
Sara Gran has published two previous novels featuring “the world’s best private detective” Claire DeWitt, and The Infinite Blacktop is the third in the series. Not having read the first two, I was concerned I might be lost when I read it, having received an advance copy from Atria Books and NetGalley in exchange for …
In December 2016, I reviewed Out of Bounds by Val McDermid. Back then, I said, “I’m not sure why I haven’t read Val McDermid before, or why I wanted to read this one, but I am so glad it happened…McDermid fans may already be familiar with Chief Inspector Karen Pirie of Police Scotland, as Out of …
Beautiful Bad sounded like just my thing: psychological thriller, plucky heroine, remote locations, etc. So I was happy to provide an honest review in return for a copy from Harlequin/Park Row and NetGalley. This one has several of the things I like (listed above), and a few that maybe I have just gotten tired of, …
I am generally a fan of Thomas Perry’s books, so I was happy to get a copy of The Burglar from Grove Atlantic/Mysterious Press and NetGalley in return for my honest review. As the story opens, we meet the protagonist, a petite blonde named Elle who is a successful burglar in the rich neighborhoods around …
“Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.” I was happy to receive a review copy of “An Anonymous Girl,” the second novel by the duo responsible for “The Wife Between Us” (thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley) – so, in return, here is my honest …