To paraphrase the great Sugar Ray Robinson,” I said, “trouble is what I do.” Leonid McGill Walter Mosley is a poet. Sure, he writes detective novels, but the way he writes them can be pure poetry. From the names of the characters, to his descriptions, the words and phrases he chooses are a pleasure to read — but that’s only… Read more
I picked up a copy of The Dime by Kathleen Kent because I requested (and am eager to get my hands on) a review copy of the second book in the series, called The Burn. Makes sense to read the first book first, right? But as I was ordering the first book on Amazon, I noticed a familiar title and… Read more
One of the things I’ve been doing lately is scrolling through the free Kindle books at Amazon. There are some interesting titles for $1 or less! It’s a great way to get to know new authors. There are also a lot of free books — most of them are the first title in a series. It’s a sneaky way to… Read more
The blurb on the front of the book says it all: A contract killer, a detective, and a transgender sex worker: an unlikely team fighting crime and corruption in contemporary Athens. Athenian Blues by Pol Koutsakis is kind of a buddy story – three good friends, solving a murder. One, Drag, is a cop – a brusque homicide detective who is… Read more
This week, I’ve got reviews of two thrillers that I wanted to love — but didn’t. First up: Black Run by Antonio Manzini. I picked this one to go first because overall, I liked it the best of the two. Rocco Schiavone has been exiled form his beloved Rome to a tiny tourist town in the Italian Alps. He made enemies… Read more
When I heard the news of Robert B. Parker’s passing, I was heartbroken. I have been reading his Spenser novels for ages and the thought there would be no more of them — too much to contemplate. Sixkill is the 39th Spenser novel and, according to the book jacket, “the last Spenser novel Parker completed.” Now, that doesn’t sound very…final. It… Read more
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Well, I have found my new detective obsession. I love good detective fiction and I love my handsome detectives, but I am an equal opportunity fan and Keye Street is my new best girl. The Stranger You Seek by Amanda Kyle Williams is a debut novel with great promise. The characters are terrific and the mystery is compelling — I… Read more
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I do love my detectives and their tough-guy sidekicks: Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, Spenser and Hawk, and now Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. Elvis Cole is an ex-Ranger with a Mickey Mouse phone, a bright yellow Corvette and a troubled past Joe Pike is his silent partner — dark shades, distinctive tattoos and very few words. The bonus for… Read more