Roger Stelljes is the author of the bestselling Mac McRyan series and it’s clear he knows his way around a mystery. Silenced Girls, the first book in a new series that features FBI agent Tori Hunter, is a solid, exciting read.Set in Minnesota, the novel begins with a flashback to the murder of Tori’s twin sister Jessie on the Fourth of July. Tori hasn’t been back to Manchester Bay since and ..read more

When I first started reading Ellen Alpsten’s historical novel I had to put it down. Not because it wasn’t good—quite the opposite. The cover and title gave me the impression Tsarina would be another Cinderella story a la Disney+ with some steamy sex scenes thrown in for good measure. Poor girl with a heart of gold captures a king’s love and becomes wealthy not to mention powerful.Yada, yada.Don’t ..read more

 Ellery Hathaway has a problem. The Boston PD detective may have survived an abduction by a serial killer and she has solved a few pretty important crimes since she became a cop. She's even trying to learn how to use the word “boyfriend” without freaking out. What she can't handle is hanging out with a little girl who carries around a purse full of colored plastic ponies.She isn't the only one ..read more

Okay, I admit it: despite my three-star rating I could not put this book down. It is a wild ride—no doubt about it. Told from three alternating POV’s, the first half of the book does a fabulous job of building suspense and character. For whatever reason, I’ve read quite a few books lately that feature protagonists with psychological challenges—whether they’re battling schizophrenia, agoraphobia ..read more

A Question of Betrayal is the second installment in Anne Perry's spy series set on the cusp of World War II. Like Death in Focus, the new novel features Elena Standish, an M16 spy who poses as a professional photographer when working overseas. This time around she travels to Trieste in 1933 to locate a missing British spy whose handler has disappeared. It's Elena's first official mission—or ..read more

Two confessions. First, I heard about this book late, requested it at the last minute, and set it aside after I started it. I had so many other books to review and the release date was already past...so, I put it back onto my TBR pile after a couple of chapters. Second, I cried at the end of the book—from 94 percent on my Kindle to the end. I was still crying when I read the author's note ..read more

I don't know what it is about Nordic crime novels that I find so compelling. Okay, not totally true. There are qualities that draw me back again and again: the depth and complexity of the characters, the moral ambiguity, the intricate plots, the well-drawn settings and the measured tone for starters. One thing that seems markedly different from American mysteries is the pacing and I still ..read more

Apparently I'm living under a rock because I'd never read anything by Ann Cleeves and had no idea there's a TV series that features protagonist Vera Stanhope. I can't say I'm sorry though, because now I've got a new author to devour. Cleeves knows her craft and The Darkest Evening is a well done whodunit Agatha Christie style. It's beautifully written, expertly plotted and every character ..read more

Anne Frasier's latest novel centers on the relationship between a serial killer and his daughter. Not only did Benjamin Wayne Fisher bring his child along on his murder nights, he also used her to lure victims to their deaths. Years later, Reni Fisher still grapples with her role in the deaths of more than twenty women. For a time she assuaged her guilt by working an as FBI profiler but now ..read more

The Shadows is Alex North's second novel, a follow-up to his wildly successful debut The Whisper Man. Like Whisper Man, this book centers on an eerie decades-old killing and features DI Amanda Beck. The original murder has become an urban legend of sorts and now a copycat has emerged. According to the legend, “Redhand Man” is a ghostly figure who lives in the forest and can make people ..read more