2023-06-26 15:33
The reviews are shorter now, and less formal, but with fresh energy. Don't miss the recommendations for new books, especially Chris McKinney's Eventide, Water City. Here you go: https://beth… Read More
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Kingdom Books, Mysteries -- Classic To Cutting Edg Blog
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Reviews of mystery books, classic to cutting edge, cozies to hard-boiled to espionage.
2023-06-09 20:14
Book recommendations ARE continuing ... over on my author blog, https://bethkanell.blogspot.com. Come read today's material Read More
2023-05-31 21:38
Dave and I took huge joy in creating Kingdom Books, first as a specialty bookshop (mysteries, poetry, Vermontiana) and then as a review blog. Dave's been gone four years, and I miss him all… Read More
2023-05-31 21:24
Tamara Berry's wicked sense of humor is a great match for her neatly twisted plots in her "By the Book Mysteries," set in the Big Woods country of the Northwest. Crime novelist Tess Harrow's… Read More
2023-05-30 23:04
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books]
“Nesbø never releases the heartstrings through an otherwise
classic dark police procedural.”… Read More
2023-05-23 20:18
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books]“Weizmann’s updated LA noir storytelling is pitch perfect, so this
quirky investigator stands in for each of us, committing in… Read More
2023-05-23 20:12
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books]“How could a
former US President finally be able to take over an action-hero team? And what
might the costs of that effort become? Or… Read More
2023-05-23 20:06
[Originally posted at New York Journal of Books]
“What neither
can say aloud is, Strafford failed to save Quirke’s wife in a shooting the year
before, and there… Read More
2023-05-21 17:19
I generally review books pretty close to the publication date -- so if the review intrigues you, you'll be able to get the book soon afterward. As a result, I won't post a full review of THE… Read More
2023-05-10 15:55
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books]
“Because Mason places the killer and his excuses openly among his
protagonists, and the threats to Field and his f… Read More
2023-04-29 17:20
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books]
“Lawton’s approach to espionage lacks the multiplying deaths and
poignant self-blame of a Le Carr&eacu&hell…Read More
2023-04-29 17:14
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books]
“By positioning a vital threat to Cathbad, the most mysterious and
loyal and honorable person in the series, Griff… Read More
2023-04-17 17:02
[Originally posted at New York Journal of Books]
“Crime fiction readers may think they know what’s ahead, based on
other noir work. But Salzberg is way funnier… Read More
2023-04-15 20:49
My home-grown measure of a good crime novel is the number of people I'd like to give a copy to. On that scale, alas, OZARK DOGS by Eli Cranor scored really low. And it's not because of… Read More
2023-04-15 20:30
Did you seriously consider turning part of your home into an Air-type bed-and-breakfast right before the pandemic? Are you still longing to jump into the short-term rental market to make som… Read More
2023-04-15 00:13
Run Amok Crime Fiction releases today/tomorrow a new hard-boiled detective novel from Vern Smith. SCRATCHING THE FLINT continues to wind his dark twists tighter, until explosion is inevitabl… Read More
2023-04-14 23:41
(Author Anne Perry in 2012. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.)Dave and I met one of the great mystery authors of our lifetime at a reader/writer conference, Bouchercon, when it was held in Albany… Read More
2023-04-11 15:59
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books]
“A tenderness for Cuban life and the way the island draws people
back to their roots colors the determined women… Read More
2023-04-10 14:34
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books]
“Sherlock Holmes: The Final Problem in the hands of Hannes
Binder is a must for any collection of Baker Stre… Read More
2023-03-07 22:11
[Originally posted at New York Journal of Books] “Black's work is leaping ahead in power and energy, and Night Flight to Paris is one of the notable thrillers of… Read More
2023-02-24 22:20
Crime and war. Unfortunately, they go well together. Especially in the hands of James R. Benn, whose 17 Billy Boyle mysteries place an Irish-American cop at various sites and trenches of Wor… Read More
2023-02-24 20:12
The opening chapters of TINA, MAFIA SOLDIER go very slowly, as the narrator—would-be author of a biography of Cettina, now Tina, a Mafia youth—renews her acquaintance with Gela… Read More
2023-02-24 15:58
Collecting international crime fiction? Ghana-born physician and author Kwei Quartey's Darko Dawson series, set mostly in Ghana, has been a pleasure; Quartey's current series is a spinoff th… Read More
2023-02-15 00:52
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “Fergus’s writing lays out both the struggles of a new nation, and the pains of growing into determined… Read More
2023-02-07 12:58
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “It’s unusual to find a crime page-turner that’s this compelling while also probing affection and loyal… Read More
2023-02-01 00:27
The third Plum Lockhart mystery in the Trouble in Paradise series is at least as much fun as its predecessors, It Takes Two to Mango and Something's Guava Give. At first glance, Plum's plung… Read More
2023-01-02 15:19
Is it crime fiction or is it magical realism? Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri Paiboun forensic tales, set in the collapsed corruption and congenial community of working Laos, have already s… Read More
2023-01-01 20:32
The town of Cold Storage, Alaska, is John Straley's best invention: a place where almost any sort of humane criminal activity can and does happen, with a steady twang of Alaskan country musi… Read More
2022-12-29 16:28
Considering how tough life on a desert island can be, adding Tamara Berry's engaging mysteries to the packing list seems very wise—from the nicely complex characters to the neat plotti… Read More
2022-12-29 15:30
A good traditional British mystery is a great gift to a reader in this genre, and Peter Lovesey provides yet another in his December 2022 offering, SHOWSTOPPER. The premise is clear and clev… Read More
2022-12-07 00:18
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “Cumming effectively ramps up suspense, in this hefty page-turner revelatory of modern espionage’s methods. … Read More
2022-12-07 00:13
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “Fowler reports that his literary agent said (with delight) ‘Oh, it’s a Bryant & May book, ju… Read More
2022-12-07 00:06
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “There’s a lot of entertainment in seeing Eliza apply the methods of a fictional detective to the hazar… Read More
2022-12-06 23:55
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “With a set of clever twists, Berkeley finally lays out the issue of how best to see justice served, and the… Read More
2022-12-06 19:43
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “It all comes together in a grimly satisfying series of events, showing more clearly than ever that Mohlin an… Read More
2022-11-21 23:10
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “Diversions like this add the layers of human interest that make a Jeffery Deaver novel so much more than a p… Read More
2022-11-21 00:08
British author Clare Mackintosh exceeds high thriller expectations in THE LAST PARTY, a pulse-pounding investigation of the harsh effects of class and abuse that whips up an emotional storm… Read More
2022-11-17 17:16
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “This skillfully written and well-polished ‘new classic’ mystery is a perfect winter read, ideal… Read More
2022-11-17 17:09
Maybe you read about the way Nantucket, the island enclave off the coast of Massachusetts, protected its residents (seasonal and year-round) from COVID. But Nantucket Police Chief Meredith (… Read More
2022-11-03 18:26
Were you (are you still?) a Godfather fan as all the books came out? Do you love long novels that probe history, culture, and crime? Have a special interest in Japan, with its sharp differen… Read More
2022-11-03 17:57
The best part about this season's Catherine Bruns "cozy" mystery A DOOMFUL OF SUGAR is the plot -- Leila Khoury's family farm in Sugar Ridge, Vermont, offers a prosperous business that she r… Read More
2022-10-25 00:22
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “The story of the story—the remarkable production and author–reader loyalty during a global pande… Read More
2022-10-23 17:25
On November 8, the newest Michael Connelly crime novel will be released, and it features both Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch. Deftly plotted, neatly twisted, and with sharp stakes and… Read More
2022-10-04 21:01
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “A good gift for readers over a wide spectrum, especially those who like their exploration laced with a hint… Read More
2022-09-27 21:33
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “Treasure State is an action-packed page turner, with enough peeks into the minds of the local villains that… Read More
2022-09-15 18:52
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “The book’s suspense rests on whether and when Cal will finally turn to face his lifelong attacker. What will… Read More
2022-09-14 14:58
[Originally published at new York Journal of Books] “The Enigma of Room 622 can’t be read quickly, but it provides humor and insight throughout the long jo… Read More
2022-09-13 15:55
What a pleasure to ride through an Italian crime novel in the hands of a gifted storyteller! Camilla Trinchieri's new addition to the escapades and investigations of widower Nico Doyle, an a… Read More
2022-09-10 20:11
What fun to have a new mystery from Eileen Brady, featuring "Dr. Kate" Turner and her busy animal care practice in upstate New York -- and the winter holiday setting of LAST BUT UNLEASHED is… Read More
2022-09-09 20:42
If you've been asking yourself whether the communes of the 1970s really were what you recall (or reall learning)--passionate about freedom, love, and justice, as well as drenched in music an… Read More
2022-08-18 16:33
As the 17th Billy Boyle investigation opens, it's October 1944, and the long-hoped-for end to World War II is still a long way off in terms of daily life. Sure, the Germans are retreating fr… Read More
2022-08-03 23:41
Drugs, crime, poverty, and a dying mother—17-year-old Minerva Guitiérrez has a job at an ice cream shop that comes with off-the-books payments, a creepy boss, and, as this fast… Read More
2022-08-03 23:24
The mysteries by Michael Stanley—a pen name for the team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip—have a somewhat muddled publishing history. A DEADLY COVENANT is the seventh in the… Read More
2022-07-24 23:09
Key West newspaper writer Hayley Snow, foodie and food critic for the island's Key Zest magazine, is back from her Scotland honeymoon, settling in with her police detective husband and at pe… Read More
2022-07-24 20:05
Tony Casella's dream life may be a lot more satisfying than the awake part. He's just been pitched a job as a hit man, while riding a train to a funeral. It's got him confused, but also temp… Read More
2022-07-24 19:42
Fans of Tony Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Navajo crime novels have a new direction for their reading, as Diné writer and filmmaker Ramona Emerson offers SHUTTER, a thriller set i… Read More
2022-07-16 23:30
After a four-year wait, Ed Lin is back with the fourth in his humorous and atmospheric "Taipei Night Market" mystery series. Drenched in delicious details of Taiwan food and food preparation… Read More
2022-07-16 22:14
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “Fans of this series will enjoy the extended romp with Logan and his demands for revelation; newcomers can re… Read More
2022-07-03 15:55
In a collaboration with Penguin, Soho Crime has now brought out an American printing of THE GOLDENACRE, a deeply mournful novel of art crime and greed, set in today's Edinburgh, Scotland. De… Read More
2022-07-03 01:36
THE THIEF is a remarkable work of crime fiction built on postmodern narrative, issued by Soho Crime as a powerful translation from the Japanese by Satoko Izumo and Stephen Coates. Our review… Read More
2022-07-03 01:18
Most of the great confidence men (con artists) of mystery and thriller fiction are exactly that -- men. In THE LIES I TELL, Julie Clark establishes two powerful and compelling women willing… Read More
2022-06-21 20:24
It's sometimes said that the great literature offers two great themes: "A stranger comes to town" and "Someone leaves on a journey." In EYES OF THE RIGEL, Roy Jacobsen weaves together both o… Read More
2022-06-14 13:56
Hurrah, the new Junior Bender mystery, ROCK OF AGES, is released today! This rollicking crime and caper novel from Timothy Hallinan unfolds one of the goofiest propositions Junior (his real… Read More
2022-06-06 01:34
It's time to build up the summer reading stack -- and if you savor a good traditional British mystery with neat clues and a somewhat eccentric sleuth, then the newest from Robert Thorogood s… Read More
2022-05-21 02:15
Whether you met her in one of the series on Public Television, or in one of the 21 earlier books by Kerry Greenwood, it's not surprising if you wish you ran into her more often. Australian s… Read More
2022-05-19 14:46
It's such a great feeling: plunging into a really good mystery that also makes me choke with laughter, then looking up the author for the first time and realizing: She's written other books… Read More
2022-05-10 00:20
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “One of Vic’s friends makes a comment near the end that sums up why this investigator finds her work wo… Read More
2022-05-10 00:17
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “Herron’s plot is packed with twists and delightfully sardonic conversations, and the book’s only major flaw is tha… Read More
2022-04-25 19:37
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “This fine traditional LA crime novel with its Jewish tang and its quandaries of the elderly provides enjoya… Read More
2022-04-25 17:04
If your crime fiction reading is dominated by the books that get advertising dollars, that's completely understandable -- because those are the ones you hear about often.But where's the adve… Read More
2022-04-25 15:30
The seventh in the Seaside Café Mystery series, PLEADING THE FISH, sends Everly Swan into a desperate dive for research that may prove it's safe for her to marry Detective Grady Hays… Read More
2022-04-11 16:30
Dennis Lehane did it for Boston: gave us the gritty lives of people growing up impoverished not just in terms of money and power, but self-esteem and affection. And then Lehane turned each n… Read More
2022-04-11 15:11
This 20th adventure of the style-conscious and cash-poor Parisian detective Aimée Leduc takes the single parent into a collision of dates and pressures, and Cara Black ramps the tensi… Read More
2022-03-30 14:16
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “Scottoline’s flawless plot twists create a bond with this scrambling, desperate dad in his new-found courage… Read More
2022-03-20 21:52
The March 2022 release from Harlan Coben, THE MATCH, is a taut and fast-paced thriller charged with dangers and dark deeds -- and underlaid with honest affection and a craving for justice.Th… Read More
2022-03-08 22:28
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “The Lightning Rod will suit readers of James Patterson, Stuart Woods, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and John Gilstrap. Don… Read More
2022-03-08 22:23
Spring's delights can also mean long days, adding gardening and strolling (maybe even without a mask, at last!) to the regular work week. So a really well-written cozy mystery is a gift to y… Read More
2022-02-22 14:41
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “Elizabeth George can really spin a great investigation when she’s not trying so hard to teach the shoc… Read More
2022-02-22 14:35
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “This all adds up to why a John Gilstrap thriller, crammed with violence and testing of the soul, might be the perf… Read More
2022-01-23 23:25
Peter Lovesey's British police procedurals have stacked up enjoyably over the past 50 years, without growing stale. If you're already a fan, the new collection of his stories, READER, I BURI… Read More
2022-01-23 16:54
If your TBR (to be read) stack is getting a little short, or too "heavy" with crime, you can lighten it up with new January releases from seasoned authors Carrie Doyle and Linda Reilly.Doyle… Read More
2022-01-21 02:17
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] Fadeout marks the debut of one of the twentieth century’s most memorable investigators. With this re-issue, a new g… Read More
2022-01-20 23:23
[Originally published in New York Journal of Books] “In The Final Case Guterson clearly denounces the forces of destruction in people who choose a dark and abusive ang… Read More
2022-01-20 02:49
Poisoned Pen Press has cleverly caught a new bibliomystery, written by a Toronto librarian and book reviewer. In THE DEPARTMENT OF RARE BOOKS AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, Eva Jurczyk offers a gl… Read More
2022-01-15 23:38
Ever wonder what happens to the papers of an author after they're gone? Here's an intriguing event that Sisters of Crime New England asked me to mention. Hey, it's a pandemic -- you might as… Read More
2022-01-12 00:32
At the opening of TWILIGHT AT MOORINGTON CROSS, many a mystery reader might guess at villainy: Mrs. Amelia Pembroke, a lovely young widow, is a long-term patient at Cluett's Mesmeric Hospita… Read More
2022-01-12 00:32
Real-life romance comes with doubts and concerns, not just amazing kisses — and seasoned author Colleen Coble presents that kind of well-rounded romance once again in her new book A ST… Read More
2021-12-30 02:47
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “Ryan once again shows her flair for spinning, from a life similar to her own, a set of intense and spiraling threa… Read More
2021-12-30 02:40
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “The twists in what “love” means and how people create their own strange moral universes are classic Ke… Read More
2021-12-10 21:19
It's been far from ordinary all along -- that is, John Straley's Alaskan crime fiction series featuring Cecil Younger, a not-quite-lawyer who at this point has served four years so far in th… Read More
2021-12-07 21:13
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “Knox knows how to spin a great thriller, and in True Crime Story he reveals a new way to entangle the threads whil… Read More
2021-12-07 01:06
There's something very worrying about a free lunch: It could be provided with a dangerous ulterior motive. That's what Cuban-born Mercedes Spivey and her American professor husband igno… Read More
2021-11-23 23:06
[Originally published at New York Journal of Books] “As more violence enters her tense investigation, and the inner madness of others takes on outer forms, how w… Read More
2021-11-14 17:28
There are plenty of mentions that FAREWELL BLUES is the end of Maggie Robinson's light-hearted and romantic Lady Adelaide series (including on the author's website), so this is not really a… Read More
2021-11-14 17:08
As for so many of the crime fiction series from Soho Crime (Soho Press's dedicated imprint), there's a lot of eager anticipation for each year's new novel from Martin Limón. WAR WOMEN… Read More
2021-11-08 17:15
Fathers and daughters. In a swift opening chapter that has more action and revelation than many a crime novel might witness in fifty pages, Texas/New York author Kathleen Kent turns her red… Read More
2021-11-08 16:03
In her third Italian Chef Mystery, Catherine Bruns offers restaurant owner Tessa Esposito a chance at a great holiday season, and a possible new love in her life. Tessa's husband Dylan, vict… Read More
2021-10-19 21:27
[Originally published in New York Journal of Books] “Every private eye from Sherlock Holmes to Matt Scudder needs a line into the factory. Sam Spade had his tame… Read More
2021-10-19 19:58
Martin Edwards has a marvelous mystery series of his own, featuring Rachel Savernake, set in the Golden Age. A perfect transformation has turned him into the editor of several collecti… Read More
2021-10-05 00:01
[Originally published in New York Journal of Books] “If you’re looking for distinctive international bouquet in your “Scandi noir,” this isn’t… Read More
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