Book Review: AFTER SHE'S GONE by Camilla Grebe

Winner of the 2018 Glass Key Award, Swedish crime novel After She’s Gone is the follow-up to Camilla Grebe’s 2016 release, The Ice Beneath Her, which was one of my favorite books the year that I read it! While Ms. Grebe has some powerful messages to impart in her latest work, After She’s Gone is not as strong in its execution as the first in the series.

Read more

MINM Book Review: Button Man by Andrew Gross

Andrew Gross’s homage to his grandfather is a period piece with heart-tugging emotion, gripping suspense, a surprising twist, and a wonderful sense of place (even if the place at that time wasn’t always so wonderful for everyone). Button Man reminds us that acts of courage by even just “a few good men”, and standing up for what is right, can often make a difference of lasting and positive change for many.

Read more

MINM Review: A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo

Suspenseful, chilling, and thought-provoking, A Gathering of Secrets by American writer Linda Castillo is number ten in her Kate Burkholder series, but can easily be read as a standalone. With this installment, Ms. Castillo has, once again, authored a winner!

Read more

Book Review: THE LAST TIME I LIED by Riley Sager

Wonderfully haunting and atmospheric, The Last Time I Lied, by American author Riley Sager, is a Mystery in Minutes favorite of 2018, in a year of great, crime fiction reading! From its eye-catching, blue cover, to its breath-holdingly suspenseful, climactic action sequence, and its absolute zinger of a final twist, The Last Time I Lied just may be the quintessential summer psychological suspense!

Read more

On MINM: Jar of Hearts Video and Excerpt!

Happy Summer, crime fiction readers! Last month, Mystery in Minutes read, and LOVED, Jar of Hearts by Canadian crime writer, Jennifer Hillier. Jar of Hearts became available to the public on June 12th, and in celebration, Mystery in Minutes is sharing a video of the author discussing Jar of Hearts, plus, a three-chapter excerpt of this buzz-worthy novel!!

Read more

MINM Book Review: SHARP OBJECTS by Gillian Flynn

Sharp Objects is the multi-award winning and nominated, 2006 debut by Gillian Flynn, the American author of a little book that you may have heard of, called "Gone Girl". So why is Mystery in Minutes reviewing this in 2018, you might ask? First, because Sharp Objects was the only full length novel of Ms. Flynn's that I had not yet read, and second, because the crime fiction world is all atwitter about the highly anticipated, July 8th premiere of HBO’s Sharp Objects mini-series, starring Amy Adams as Camille Preaker, and Patricia Clarkson as her mother, Adora.

Read more

MINM Review: JAR OF HEARTS by Jennifer Hillier

Put this Jar of Hearts in your beach bag with the sunscreen, or slip it into your carry-on; this tightly-plotted, yet multifaceted, book of character-driven, psychological suspense is a recommended, buzz-worthy addition to your summer - or anytime - TBR! Perfect for a long flight or train ride, once started, you will not want to stop reading! In the midst of all of the red herrings, the twisty, page-turning goodness, as well as a blossoming, romantic attraction between characters, Jar of Hearts addresses how sex can be weaponized for self-validation, manipulation, and dominance, and explores what exactly constitutes a "healthy" sexual, and loving relationship.

Read more

MINM Review: Dying Truth by Angela Marsons

Building to a breath-holding, heart-pounding, race-against-time climax, Dying Truth is installment eight of the Detective Inspector Kim Stone crime thriller series, written by Angela Marsons. Dying Truth opens with an action-packed prologue that foreshadows its denouement. The remainder of the novel counts down toward its life-or-death-hanging-in-the-balance-finish!

Read more