‘Rachel West’ a Starstruck Mystery
Rachel West is a rare murder mystery that holds interest but doesn’t demand a reader’s heart rate spike as they fly through pages.
‘Boomtown’ Juggles Loads of Stories
Pappalardo took on quite a project in trying to tell the story of Borger’s hectic year, particularly his dedication to weaving together so many threads rather than focusing on a single character or sector.
‘Japanese Gothic’ Bloody and Tender
Baker’s pacing is quick enough, and the story compelling enough to keep the violence and characters’ hopelessness from bleeding too heavily into the reader.
‘Yesteryear’ Delves into Tradwife Life
In delving into her main character’s psyche, Caro Claire Burke walks a fine line between psychological exploration and parody, but manages that balance well.
Family, Laws of Universe Clash in ‘Folding Space’
In a story about bending, or breaking, the laws of the universe, you still can’t escape squabbling with your big sister.
‘Forest’ a Rallying Cry for Conservation
When the Forest Breathes is an important book detailing important work. It just also happened to be a very depressing book. But then, that seems less the fault of the trees than the state of the world we’re inflicted with.
‘Only One’ a Swift and Sharp Thriller
It can be daunting to let characters be messy, especially those whose eyes we borrow to experience the story, but Matlin does so with confidence.
‘Blood Relay’ a Thriller Built Around Dark Truths
None of the issues that Mihesuah incorporates into the story are done so subtly. Then again, none of these issues is exactly cutting edge; they’ve been ignored, dismissed, shrugged off for years, decades, over a century. Maybe what they need isn’t subtlety, but to be shouted from the rooftops.
The Past Feels Too Familiar in ‘Fear’
The ideas that led to the shooting and Goetz’s subsequent exoneration are still alive and well, and while it may not be easy, it’s crucial to understand and confront them.
Sherlock More Than a Role in ‘Final Problem’
In glamorous 1960 Europe, a chance encounter between those on both sides of the second world war, and Hollywood’s golden-age camera, makes for a deadly combination. That’s the setup in The Final Problem, the latest from Spanish writer Arturo Perez-Reverte, now translated into English by Frances Riddle. Ormond Basil, a one-time movie star now flirting with…
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