I love my crime hard-boiled and unforgiving! (Unless it's a thoughtful, smartly written mystery which I enjoy too.)
Wow! An incredibly original take on the locked-room mystery. THE. BEST. MYSTERY. I'VE. READ! - randy's July Staff Pick, 2019
This is nothing like your typical crime novel. Inspector Imanishi diligently follows up every lead and mislead until he puts everything together. And his partner, Yoshimura, is so earnest that you wouldn't expect to find him in a serious mystery. But he fits in perfectly. Matsumoto's prose is beautiful, and I loved the change of pace from all the hard boiled detectives we love and get most of the time. - randy
Carlotto continues to expose corruption by highlighting actual events in a meaningful way without losing the true grit of a great crime novel. The Alligator books are top notch! - randy
This is what a crime novel should be. Gerry is a former contract killer in Northern Island during The Troubles. He drinks a lot and has conversations with people who aren't there. But these are not voices in his head. These are the ghosts of his contracts tormenting him. They want justice and they want Gerry to get it for them. I couldn't put it down! - randy
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"Beware of the curse: Snake eats Frog. Frog eats Slug. Slug dissolves Snake."
Kenzo's lover has been murdered, and he decides not to tell his brother, Detective Chief Inspector Daiyu Matsushita, about their tryst but rather try and solve the case himself. When he fails to do so, he reaches out to an old classmate for help. The first of the Kyosuke Kamizu mysteries, this is another wonderful mystery from Japan set in the mid-20th century. Two thumbs up! - randy
Not at all what I was expecting! Sal Cupertine has worked for his cousin getting rid of problems most of his adult life. And then one day, Sal kills 3 FBI agents and Ronnie sells him to Vegas. After several months recovering from plastic surgery and reading the Talmud as well as other Jewish texts, Sal is reborn as the rabbi David Cohen. But that’s just his day job. With a really original setup and great, colorful characters, Gangsterland is awesome! - randy
Another great “Alligator” story! This time the crew is working on the behalf of a child looking for a killer. As gritty as you’ve come to expect from Italy’s greatest crime novelist. - randy
A young girl is found strangled on a beach. Magnus, accused in the disappearance of another young girl several years earlier, is the number one suspect but Inspector Jimmy Perez doesn’t want to jump the gun. Set in the Shetland Islands, Ann Cleeves weaves a wonderfully dark and intimate mystery befitting of the environs. If you like In the Woods by Tana French, you’ll love Raven Black! - randy (And the follow up, White Nights, is great too!)
Phryne Fisher is awesome! She takes what she desires and is always looking for an adventure. It's 1920's Melbourne and Phryne has returned from Europe to find out who's poisoning the aristocratic daughter of acquaintances back in England. A wonderful cast of characters, both competent and not, who follow Phryne anywhere she takes them to solve the case. Such a delightful mystery. - randy
Phenomenal! The building that houses the K Apartments for Ladies needs to be moved to clear a path for a road. But there’s a secret buried in the foundation that someone doesn’t want discovered. Chance cannot be directed or maybe Fate just revels in its own mischief! - randy
Giorgio has no intention of going back to prison. He owns a restaurant, is happily married, and has a buffer between himself and his last nefarious activity. But, his glad-handing lawyer can't be trusted, and he's pulled right back into the world of crime. And Giorgio is no one to mess with. Dark, unrepentant noir at its best! - randy
Really love the reveal! Amber is in a coma. Thing is she can hear what's going on around her. She slowly starts to remember what happened the week leading up to her "accident" and there are plenty of suspects - her sister, her husband, her co-worker and more. But don't ever forget that sometimes Amber lies. - randy
There’s a murder to investigate, and all of the leads point to it actually taking place in another city. This is not your basic oil & vinegar cop mash up though. These 2 cities are physically interwoven, from street to street, with one another, and it’s a crime in both to even acknowledge the existence of the other. The setting is ingenious and ratchets up the tension unlike any crime novel I’ve read. I love this book! - randy
Private detective Maisie Dobbs is Sherlock Holmes with a soul. During an investigation, she stumbles across some gravestones with no surnames. This leads her to Major Jenkins of The Retreat, an estate for wounded veterans of The Great War. Struggling with her own ghosts, Maisie is determined to find out why these veterans are dying. A great mystery written with some of the best prose I’ve read in quite a while. Maisie Dobbs is wonderful! - randy
And you'll love Messenger of Truth!
A great murder mystery with a wonderful character. Cara Black does a terrific job with ratcheting up the tension and that keeps the pages turning. Highly recommend! - randy
Julie is released from an insane asylum and is hired as Peter's nanny. Peter's uncle, Michel, hires a hitman to kill him. And off we go! Never an unnecessary word, always a brisk pace, no one writes a chase story like Manchette! - randy
And down the rabbit hole we go! Maddie and Ned are each writing a book. Thing is, both happen to be the protagonists of the other's work. Two great stories entwined and heading for a dark place. Really original idea that will keep you full of dread waiting to find out what happens. - randy
If you’re wondering about AI and it’s benefits, you may want to start with asking not just can we but should we. A great thriller unlike any I’ve read. You’ll love it! - randy
My favorite Maisie Dobbs story so far. Such a clear picture of what the world is at its worst and at its best. This book has life! - randy
A dark, gritty read that I loved! And I'm not so sure it's dystopian as much as it is a drama reminiscent of Shakespeare. - randy
My second Masako Togawa book and I was no less amazed! She walks you through the narrative in a very straightforward way that is a pleasure to read. But you can never assume your conclusions will hold up no matter how direct the plot appears. Just masterful! - randy
Sal Cupertine continues his transformation into the Rabbi David Cohen, but he won't leave his old life behind. Gangster Nation brings back many of the great characters from Gangsterland, as well as introducing a new one that will wreak havoc on the Rabbi's life like none other. Goldberg does a masterful job of delving deep into each of his characters without losing the pace of a well crafted crime novel. What a great sequel! - randy