Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve Crime fiction relies heavily on the plot. It must be gripping in the clichéd page-turning manner. Character adds to the attraction. Setting may play a significant role too. Sherlock Holmes’ exploits would be a greatly reduced in their ability to entertain us if he did not live in Victorian London, but
Reviewed by Ian Lipke This story is set in post-collapse America. It is reputed to be in the years after 2031 following the collapse of the republic, the formation of a new style California and individual States attempting to function in the face of gangs of brigands. It begins immediately after a Second Civil War.
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve Joanna Jenkins’ first two crime novels were very well received. Her first, How to Kill a Client, was set in her familiar territory, Brisbane, and the second, The Bluff had a small outback town as its setting. Bad Neighbours has the beauty and changing mood of Sydney Harbour, and a stunning
Reviewed by Rod McLary Musicians who have great success with their first album often say that creating their sophomore album is the more challenging. How do you replicate the success of the first without replicating the content? If that holds true for writers as well, then Alex Dook has managed it very well. His sophomore
Reviewed by Ian Lipke An exploration of Jane R. Miles’s debut novel, Stay Buried, reveals a masterful blending of atmospheric terror and psychological depth. Described as crossing the claustrophobia of Room with the eerie outback mystery of Picnic at Hanging Rock, the novel utilizes its historical backdrop and sharply drawn figures to explore themes of
Reviewed by Rod McLary Hero is the fifth in the crime series featuring DS Lucas Walker and, though there are links and references to the earlier books, each one can be read as a stand-alone. Previously, DS Walker was with the Australian Federal Police where he had successfully arrested the Vandals leader Stefan Markovich. But
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve This, the latest of Karin Slaughter’s crime novels which are now published in over 120 countries, is further evidence of her mastery of the genre. It is difficult to deny that she is a talented author and writes with an assurance that continues to produce books that are irrefutably among the
Reviewed by Ian Hamilton It takes confidence as a storyteller to create a novel with an unattractive main character. Matt Nable has chosen to do this in Mire. Furthermore, the other characters are, almost without exception, also unappealing, not to say morally repugnant. Perhaps that is not a surprise if the chosen genre is gangster
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve Lauren Williams is fresh to the genre of crime fiction and she brings a lively and diverting touch to it. Themes she uses ensure the novel is currently appealing to a wide audience. Domestic violence, community cohesion, family dynamics, corruption in both the police force and the judiciary and a woman
Reviewed by Ian Lipke I admit that it took me some considerable time to warm to reading this book by Petronella McGovern. One has to assume that the reader can suspend disbelief on more than one occasion as the events unfold. Maybe I have been reading too much in the field of rationalist argument. The
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke The title of this book may sound a little bizarre, but the story is set in France, in an area near the Eiffel Tower and this district is a micro city with its sidewalk cafes, traditional bakeries, old fashioned bistros, florists, and a library. There are also a perfumery and a
Reviewed by Gayle Williams Red Lake by Australian author Jason Summers launches what promises to become the Harper Quinn Mysteries. Former Homicide Detective Sergeant Harper Quinn has returned with her family to the country town of Koorinda, New South Wales, where she grew up, to take up the role of Sergeant at the small local
Reviewed by: Gayle Williams People often find themselves at a metaphorical crossroads in life. In The Crossroads by C. J. Box, Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett is found at a literal one — slumped over the wheel of his pick-up truck with a bullet through his head. Three roads run out from that lonely junction,
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Few readers would turn away from a gripping murder and the mystery that accompanies it. Imagine a yarn, fiercely told of a murderer in your community and the excited buzz of police carrying out their investigations. The belief that this is what I could expect is sold clearly to new readers
Reviewed by Ian Lipke The first part of this book is a story of hunger for power, of ambition in the raw, of naked corporate greed. The book is based on the elite technology industry in Japan and tells the story of six high achievers who have beaten all opposition to compete for a highly