Read reviews about our gripping crime fiction, thrillers and mysteries, detective books, crime stories and page-turning books.
In this solid spin-off from Cuban author Pedro’s Havana Quartet, police detective Mario Conde investigates the 1989 murder of 73-year-old Pedro Cuang, a dry cleaner, in Havana’s Chinatown. Fans of the Havana Quartet will welcome Conde’s return. Publishers Weekly
How nice it is to watch a high-powered talent at work on a form that too often relies on flat-footed prose. Booklist
Padura on his very best form. Once again, we have Padura’a irresistible combination of quirky storytelling and a vivid evocation of the city of Havana –the translation by Peter Bush does full justice to the novel, which was inspired by the author’s work as a journalist when investigating the history of Havana’s Barrio Chino. ELN Barry Forshaw
Publishers Weekly Starred Review: Set in 1937, Pastor’s outstanding sixth mystery featuring German investigator Martin Bora (after 2017’s The Road to Ithaca) makes effective use of the death of Federico García Lorca, the celebrated poet, during the Spanish Civil War… Pastor does an excellent job of creating a back-story for her lead that fits in well with the previous books.
Midwestern Book Review: An expertly crafted mystery by a master of the genre, that is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.95), "The Horseman's Song" is an especially recommended addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. Also very highly recommended for dedicated mystery buffs are the other novels by Ben Pastor that feature the character of Martin Bora.
NB Literary Magazine: An accomplished historical thriller set in Spain in 1937. This novel is confidently plotted and the tempo is judged to perfection… a thoughtful intelligent thriller that plays with a historical mystery in a manner respectful of the known facts. Documents released in 2015 appear to verify the claim that the Grenada fascists killed García Lorca in 1936, but his body has never been found.
Foreword Reviews: Pastor weaves a poignant, convincing portrait of life during wartime. Bora himself is a compelling protagonist, erudite enough to recite Aristotle to himself while repelling an ambush and innocent enough to fall for a local lass who changes his perspective on love.
“I read it in one sitting. It’s thrilling." Cecilia Ekbäck, author of Wolf Winter.
“This is a remarkable debut — the best novel I’ve read this year. A historical thriller with a heart that keeps you enthralled to the final page." David Young, author of A Darker State and STASI Child, both part of the Oberleutnant Karin Mueller series.
"A memorable character with just the right disdain for authority and its amoral attitudes to justice and women." Maxim Jakubowski, author of The Louisiana Republic.
IAN RANKIN TWEET: This hugely imaginative collection of (mostly crime) (mostly Barcelona-based) short stories comes out in August. The ‘Connections’ sequence in particular is terrific.
Very highly recommended – for those with a taste for murder, the surreal, and possibly – the stories of Saki. Euro Crime
This subtly inventive story collection from Spanish author Solana (The Sound of One Hand Killing) floats effortlessly from whimsy to horror, from exploring the inner life of ghosts to witnessing a murderous gang fight. Publishers Weekly
The streets of Athens prove as mean as those of Raymond Chandler’s L.A. in Koutsakis’s brilliant second noir featuring Stratos Gazis...While the plotting matches James Ellroy’s best work, Koutsakis does a better job of making the twists flow organically from the characters. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Like Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter Morgan and Andrew Vachss’ Burke, Athenian “problem solver” Stratos Gazis kills only those he feels deserve execution. An absorbing entry in this must-read hard-boiled series, which offers thoughtful characterization and a noir take on Athens’ postcrisis underbelly. BOOKLIST
The solution to the subsequent murders that Kafka eventually learns of is particularly clever, and Nykänen is careful to plant the clues to whodunit and why fairly. Readers will look forward to Kafka’s next outing. Publishers Weekly
...intricate in its layers upon layers of corruption, murder, suspect cops and public officials, and seriously dirty secrets. Kirkus
A political debate familiar to American and European readers undergirds Swiss author Verdan’s stellar U.S. debut. Publishers Weekly
A tight mystery that doubles as an informative political thriller. Terrific atmosphere. The Times
Evangelos's dilemmas and the strength and weaknesses of his character are vividly brought to life. But it is the sheer poetic beauty of the writing (despite the sleaziness and brutality of the storyline), and the haunting descriptions of the landscape, that remain solidly in the mind. Shotsmag
The intensive, richly detailed narrative is at once a portrait of Daniel’s Cuban upbringing, a meditation on anti-Semitism, and an intriguing account of the painting. Highly recommended. Library Journal
This is a major novel and a testament to Padura’s stature as a writer. Booklist