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
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Detective Sergeant Anastasia Brown suffers heartbreak and humiliation. Her ex-boyfriend cannot handle her promotion above him, and her superior officers consider a woman in the force to be out of her place. Ana, upset as she is, welcomes the chance to do well in this new community where a man has
Reviewed by Gayle Williams Stuart MacBride’s Blood, Rust, and Steel is yet another reminder of why he remains one of Britain’s most accomplished crime writers. The next instalment in the spin‑off from the Logan McRae series, the novel centres on Acting Detective Inspector Roberta Steel — one of MacBride’s most distinctive and compelling anti‑heroes. After
Reviewed by Ian Lipke It’s not a new idea. Writers of many generations have considered the tale that is told when a young innocent decides to fix a worldwide problem only to discover that her colleagues are not as innocent as she first thought. Now, an innocent girl is on the run. Meg Maher joins
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Set in 1930s Paris, this book has a cover that suggest dark deeds in mind, and characters with poison in their souls. Actually, it is a romp, ‘a glorious historical mystery of murder, fashion, food, secrets, and danger’ in the French capital in that exciting era of 1938. At a glitzy
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Fleur McDonald is a name associated with fine writing, a name that almost guarantees an enjoyable time for the reader. I wondered, therefore, just what I was dealing with when I’d read the first eighty-eight pages of The Witness. Only one salient point was made in the early part of the
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Australian author, Kate Solly, has published two novels in her ‘Paradise Heights’ mystery fiction series. The latest, The Paradise Heights Miniature Railway Bust-up, was released in April 2026. Her first book – Tuesday Evenings with the Copeton Craft Resistance –was a stand-alone novel. These stories are based around a craft group who
Reviewed by Ian Lipke The latest book by David Baldacci, Hope Rises, presents all that it promises. We are assured that the hero, FBI informant Walter Nash will tread into dangerous waters when he tangles with master criminal Victoria Steers. Under her direction the once gentle and sensitive Nash discovers he has a hidden, lethal
Reviewed by Rod McLary Detective Inspectors Georgie Lennox and Richard Stewart from Police Scotland return in this new crime thriller set in the Scottish Highlands. It is indeed an atmospheric and bleak narrative. While it is a stand-alone novel, there are a number of references back to The Wolf Tree – the author’s debut novel
Reviewed by Rod McLary Set in Cottesloe Beach and surrounds in Western Australia, this novel could not take place in a more beautiful setting but the storyline is at odds with the setting. The Shark is about a serial killer who targets teenage girls and the two teenage girls who are determined to track him
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke John McMahon, the author of Inside Man, is an American crime writer of some renown. Among his work is a series based on a particular group within the FBI. The series known as Head Cases highlights Gardner Camden and the PAR team (Patterns and Recognition). Their job is to identify peculiarities
Reviewed by Rod McLary J P Pomare’s previous novels – of which there are seven – are generally set in Australia or New Zealand. A number of them have won awards including the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best First Novel for Call Me Evie [2018]; and Tell Me Lies [2020] was shortlisted for both the
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Steven Carroll first wrote about a Detective Sergeant Stephen Minter in his novel, Goodnight, Vivienne, Goodnight. This character was the son of Austrian Jews who were detained in England as enemy aliens and tragically died while interned. Now, he reappears in The Afterlife of Harry Playford, where he has a greater