Over the years, Rankin has put his iconic Edinburgh police detective John Rebus through the wringer. In the latest, MIDNIGHT AND BLUE, Rebus is 60-something and in jail for the murder of his longstanding frenemy, Morris Gerald Cafferty, one-time lord of the city’s...
#reviews category
Book Review: KARLA’s CHOICE by Nick Harkaway
Apr 21, 2025 | #reviews
The master of spy fiction, is of course, John le Carré. TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY is the classic Cold War counterintelligence tale. There’s a Soviet mole within the Circus, the author euphemism for British Intelligence. George Smiley is the retired spymaster called...
7 Teeny Tiny Illustrated Instant Book Reviews
Mar 24, 2025 | #reviews
Every other Sunday, my Mystery Review newsletter carries a review of a book I loved and think you will, too. Basically, I'm recommending what to read while you wait for my next book! But if you're a big reader like me, one book every two weeks is not going to cut it....
Book Review: The 8th Detective by Alex Pavesi
Jan 21, 2025 | #reviews
This is a Russian nesting doll of a book, with multiple literary devices nested inside a wider puzzle. The pundits have called it a thriller, which is stretching the definition in my view, but it sure drips with intrigue and deception! The book has a mathematical...
BOOK REVIEW: ALL OUR WARS by Stephanie Vasquez
Nov 22, 2024 | #reviews
It's been 12 years since I released THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY. On the eve of Mexico's presidential elections, an attorney discovers collusion between the country's powerful Minister of Public Security and a notorious drug cartel leader, making him a target...
Book Review: DEAD WATER, a Cornish Crime thriller by Berrick Ford
Oct 23, 2024 | #reviews
DEAD WATER is a deep dive into a British police investigation, set against the beautiful light and harsh seas of the Cornwall coast. First in Berrick Ford’s new Cornish Crime series, the compelling atmosphere and relatable characters make it a fast, page-turning read....
Book Review: TANGLED ISLA by Lynda L. Lock
Oct 8, 2024 | #reviews
It’s the long-awaited next book in the mystery series set on Mexico’s Isla Mujeres on the Caribbean coast. TANGLED ISLA is full of island atmosphere, familiar characters, and the real places that have made the series such a fan favorite. When last we saw her, Jessica...
Book Review: THE STREET KING by Mike Ludden
Jun 13, 2024 | #reviews
With a propulsive pace, this Savannah, Georgia police procedural delivers a compelling plot and an unlikely duo of cops who will steal your attention and (possibly) your heart. Tate Drawdy is a homicide detective in Savannah, Georgia, by way of Princeton and a wealthy...
Book Review: COVERT ACTION by David Bruns and J.R. Olson
May 1, 2024 | #reviews
Clear your schedule! Coming at you fast and low is a top-notch espionage military thriller with an eye-opening lesson in how China projects power around the world today. Don Riley is the Deputy Director of Operations (DDO) at the CIA, in charge of all HUMINT...
Book Review: THE SPY COAST by Tess Gerritsen
Apr 18, 2024 | #reviews
THE SPY COAST by Tess Gerritsen This excellent thriller, with a cast of characters to root for and deft plotting, is one in a recent string of bestsellers built on the trope of retired spies called back into action because of an operation in the distant past that went...
Book Review: THE BONE RECORDS by Rich Zahradnik
Mar 7, 2024 | #reviews
THE BONE RECORDS by Rich Zahradnik is a wonderfully edgy “everyman” thriller but don’t expect a Clark Kent action story. THE BONE RECORDS gives us a down-on-his-luck drama with a compelling sense of place and villains who are still fighting the Cold War. Raised by his...
Book Review: THE SECRET HOURS by Mick Herron
Feb 22, 2024 | #reviews
The Secret Hours by Mick Herron is a must-read spy vs spy thriller. Like John le Carré’s A LEGACY OF SPIES, which tells the backstory of his iconic spy thriller THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD, this tale of espionage cross and double-cross reveals past lives of...
Book review: The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
Feb 9, 2024 | #reviews
Molly Gray is the crime-solving Head Maid at London’s Regency Grand Hotel in THE MYSTERY GUEST the second book in the adorable and bestselling Molly the Maid series. Socially challenged, Molly has an eye for details that others miss. The Regency Grand is thrilled to...
The Forgotten Masters of World War II Thrillers
Jan 19, 2024 | #reviews
In the aftermath of World War II and horror of the Holocaust, the now-forgotten masters of World War II thrillers including Herman Wouk, Ken Follett, and Leon Uris wrote sweeping sagas of lives torn apart by war for an audience that had lived through the violence and...
Shepherd is a better Goodreads with a unique recommendation feature
Dec 15, 2023 | #noticed, #reviews
It's time to celebrate! Shepherd.com is your new go-to book recommendation wonderland. Shepherd.com, is a new(ish) platform to find books. It's considerably more interesting than Goodreads and has fewer trolls, too. What makes Shepherd so different is the vast number...