With a clever and thought-provoking plot worthy of Agatha Christie or Alfred Hitchcock, plenty of red herrings for the reader to puzzle over, a confined main setting, as well as some unexpected twists and turns, The Silent Patient may very well appeal to fans of the work of Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling’s mystery-writing alter-ego), and fans of the book, The Woman in the Window.
Read moreBook Review: THE LOST MAN by Jane Harper
A richly evocative, beautiful, and important book, character-driven and expertly-plotted, with an ending that packs a wallop that screams to be pondered and discussed with others, Jane Harper’s The Lost Man is one of those novels in which atmosphere and landscape become an integral “character” in the story. The Lost Man would be a terrific choice for a mystery fiction book club!
Read moreBook Review: Broken Ground by Val McDermid
If you are looking for a proper UK police procedural to tuck in to this festive season - or anytime - look no further than Broken Ground, fifth in the Inspector Karen Pirie series, and written by prolific, internationally best-selling author, Val McDermid. Ms. McDermid has been called by many “the Queen of Scottish crime”, as well as “one of the best crime writers of her generation”. Her latest entry is, as they say in the UK, a corker!
Read moreMINM Book Review: The Wife by Alafair Burke
This layered, well-plotted, richly-characterized story sucked me in from the beginning, and called my name whenever I was unable to listen to Xe Sands’ engrossing audio book narration! The Wife ramps up to a twist-upon-twist crescendo, and, ultimately, finishes with an ending that will haunt readers, long after the final sentence. The Wife has been added to my list of Mystery in Minutes favorites for 2018! Author Alafair Burke has a new fan!
Read moreYOU by Caroline Kepnes Book Review and Video Trailer of the Series Adaptation
Season Two of the totally binge-worthy, series adaptation of the debut that generated, arguably, the most crime fiction buzz the year that it was originally published, coming soon!
Daring, captivating, and with a taboo quality that has readers that love it declaring it a guilty pleasure, and others being equally offended by it, YOU by Caroline Kepnes is, still, one of the freshest, most original novels I have read in years!
Read moreMINM Book Review: Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
Two thumbs up! Way up!! Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman hit all the sweet spots for this reviewer, and is a Mystery in Minutes 2018 favorite! If, like me, you love to "shout" at book characters during highly suspenseful scenes, then get those vocal cords warmed up and buckle your seat belts, because Something in the Water becomes an increasingly tense, immersive, and utterly gripping ride, as it taps into primal fears that many of us share! Ms. Steadman’s novel also takes the amateur detective plot device, and turns it on its head!
Read moreMINM Review: Resurrection Bay by Emma Viskic
Confident and razor-sharp in its authenticity, Resurrection Bay is an extremely impressive debut that has won numerous awards. Talented Australian author Emma Viskic has crafted a pacy procedural that demands for readers to take notice. What sets this contemporary private eye novel uniquely apart is the portrayal of its central character, who, at around the age of five, and while only in primary school, lost his hearing after a bout of meningitis. Caleb Zelic, the chief investigator of the book, is deaf. Imagine, if you will, only being able to guess if someone is coming up behind you in the dark by sensing a change in the air, or by feeling vibrations in the floor. Imagine not knowing whether or not your adrenaline-fueled breathing is loud enough to reveal your hiding place. These are just two of the scenarios that create pulse-pounding tension within the novel.
Read moreMINM Review: The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn
Is The Woman in the Window a highly entertaining and atmospheric psychological suspense debut? Absolutely! But it can also be thought-provoking. Kudos to A. J. Finn for "opening a window" on mental health, the importance of support and treatment, and the possibility, often, of healing.
Read moreMINM Review: Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
A tour de force valentine to books and reading, in general, and to the British whodunit murder mysteries of the golden age, in particular. Magpie Murders wins the award for the most highly developed plot read by Mystery in Minutes in 2017, and it would make a wonderful choice for the bookish traditionalist on your holiday season gift list.
Read moreMINM Review: Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land
Good Me, Bad Me is a dark, psychological suspense debut that is enthralling from the first page to the last. There may be nothing quite better than the synergy between a captivating, subtly sinister and creepy work of crime fiction, and.......
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