Book Review: THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides

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.

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Book Review: THE HIDING PLACE by C.J. Tudor

The Hiding Place, by British author C.J. Tudor, is, undoubtedly, one of the best books that Mystery in Minutes will read in 2019! I feel quite confident about this, and it’s only the beginning of the year! Ms. Tudor’s sophomore novel is beautifully constructed, with a wonderful sense of place, and a plot that kept me glued to the pages! If you enjoy well-written, crime fiction with a strong dose of horror, this is the book for YOU!

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Book Review: His Perfect Wife by Natasha Bell

Are you a literary fiction fan who is crime fiction-curious? Do you enjoy crime novels, but appreciate those that are on the more cerebral end of the mystery fiction spectrum? With a special focus on women’s issues, as well as on the arts, Natasha Bell’s His Perfect Wife is an ambitious, well-written, psychologically-complex debut that will resonate strongly with many women and provoke much discussion. His Perfect Wife would certainly make an interesting selection for Emma Watson’s Goodreads book club, “Our Shared Shelf”, and/or Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine book club on Audible.

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MINM 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!

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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!

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MINM Review: Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall

Haunting and thought-provoking, with an underlying sense of inescapable menace, Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall is a psychological drama that keeps the reader enthralled and turning the pages right up until its unsettling finish.

Our Kind of Cruelty is, at its heart, the tale of one character's obsessive fixation with another.

Or is it?

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MINM Review: Tangerine by Christine Mangan

An assured, stunner of a debut, Tangerine by Christine Mangan is an eloquent, slow-burning, historical novel of nuanced, psychological suspense. Tangerine is set predominantly in Tangier, during the lead up to Morocco's 1956 independence from France. With its Patricia Highsmith vibe, and its "Casablanca-esque" cover, this literary drama of intrigue is evocative of the medinas, the souks, the casbahs, the fragrant spice markets, and the heat of 1950s North Africa. 

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MINM 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.

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