The Trespasser is the sixth book in the Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. Whereas most detective/crime/mystery series follow the same narrative style, Tana French never does. Each story is told from a different point of view and more than that, feels unique and somewhat daring. This story is told by Antoinette Conway, a tough detective who does not … Continue reading →
A Sight for Sore Eyes is a compelling but disturbing psychological thriller written by master storyteller Ruth Rendell. She has written about 70 books and over the years I have read about 1/3 of them. Every one has been engaging, providing deep insights into characters that are reflections of ourselves and the people we know. Like Stephen King, she asks … Continue reading →
A Question of Blood is a Scottish crime novel by Ian Rankin, part of the John Rebus series. Rebus is a bit of an incorrigible character that gets the job done, but he can be hard-to-get-along with and prone to repeated bad habits and poor communications. The plot involves a school shooting and the suspect seems obvious, but the motive … Continue reading →
Robert Galbraith’s (J.K. Rowling) fifth book in the Cormoran Strike series is a a 927 page detective story about a 40 year old cold case concerning a missing doctor. It is intricately plotted and full of well-developed characters – investigators, suspects, and witnesses. The author takes great care to keep the dialogue fresh, characters believable, and plot development without resorting … Continue reading →
The Secret of Chimneys was published in 1925. It was one of Agatha Christie’s first novels and compared to her other earlier books at that time – The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, and the earliest Poirot books, it doesn’t compare, nor does it age well. She wrote 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections. … Continue reading →
Career of Evil is the third book in the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith, the pen-name for JK Rowling. We read the first two books and enjoyed them so we will continue to work our way through the series. This book was the best yet with some clever and skillful storytelling to keep us interested and intrigued. … Continue reading →
Dark is the Grave is a Scottish crime thriller, the first in the DCI Bone series. The book fits the billing – a thriller with many twists and turns, a crime unit working to find the killer, a damaged detective with his own demons, police-politics to manage, and a climax at the end. But, it felt like one long cliche … Continue reading →
The Thursday Murder Club is a whodunit novel featuring a small group of seniors living in a retirement home who get together once a week to discuss unsolved crimes. Some members of the group have a police background. Others were professionals who bring skills to any enquiry. When murders occur in their area, they set to solve the mystery. This … Continue reading →
Michael Connelly started the Harry Bosch series in 1992 and the Bosch character has now appeared in 23 books. The latest book (2022) features Bosch and Renee Ballard (5 books) working cold cases in Los Angeles. All of the books are police/detective procedural stories. In this book, there are two cases on the desk, one which follows forensic clues to … Continue reading →
The Long Call is a mystery/crime novel by Ann Cleeves, the author of the Vera and the Shetland series. Ann Cleeves is a master storyteller, writing procedural detective books with well-developed characters and complex lives. For much of the book, the pace is slow and the small team of detectives in rural Devon follow possible leads, without much success. As … Continue reading →
The Mysterious Affair at Styles was Agatha Christie’s first book. She wrote in on a dare in 1916 and tried to get it published, unsuccessfully until 1919. It was then releases in serial format with 18 parts. It was not published as a full book until 1920. In the book we are first introduced to Hastings, the narrator of the … Continue reading →
The Silkworm is a British detective story in the Cormorant Strike series, written by Robert Galbraith which is the pen name for J.K. Rowling. The first book of the series was The Cuckoo is Calling where we are introduced to a private detective, Cormorant Strike and his assistant Robin. In this book Strike takes on another case, in … Continue reading →
An Unkindness of Ravens is a murder-mystery novel, part of the Inspector Wexford series (#13). It is a tale of well-developed characters, most with secrets. Ruth Rendell’s books lean toward a sub-genre she established – psychological thrillers. There are a variety of suspects and the whole story of the murder requires understanding the “whys” as much as the facts (who, … Continue reading →
A Sleeping Life is the tenth book in the Inspector Wexford series of mystery novels by Ruth Rendell. She is a master of the craft of storytelling and she does not disappoint with this book. It is a police procedural format, with Wexford and his team investigating the murder of a woman in their territory. What makes this mystery different … Continue reading →
A Master of Djinn is the first book in the Dead Djinn series by Phenderson Djéli Clark. It was the winner of a number of Fantasy Awards and is the part of the Dead Djinn Series. Set in 1912, it is a world filled with magic, djinns, and various magical beings. The protagonist is Fatma el-Sha’arawi, an agent of the … Continue reading →
The Girl on the Train has been a bestseller for years, and for a good reason. It is a mystery, a psychological thriller, and a story about secrets that can ruin relationships. There are three narrators, all unreliable, but most of the story is told by Rachel. She means well, but her drinking, her obsessiveness, her self-pity, and her self-destructive … Continue reading →
