Press & Reviews

Read reviews about our gripping crime fiction, thrillers and mysteries, detective books, crime stories and page-turning books.

Katja Ivar - Trouble

Trouble Reviews

Hella pursues that cold case as well as disturbing discoveries from her look into Heikkinen’s history. Ivar balances the complex plotlines perfectly. Fans of multifaceted female leads will be riveted.”—Publishers Weekly 
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Harriet Crawley - The Translator

The Translator Reviews

Sunday Times Thriller of The Month: “Harriet Crawley’s The Translator combines a love story and a spy yarn. Enthralling.  There’s no shortage of suspense, but also room for a vivid portrayal of everyday life in Moscow.”
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Ben Pastor - The Horseman's Song

Essay about The Martin Bora series in the LRB

LINK to an excellent essay in the 4 August London Review of Books. This is a major and insightful article celebrating the outstanding literary mystery series by Ben Pastor featuring her larger-than-life character, Martin Bora.
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Sergio Olguin - There Are No Happy Loves

There Are No Happy Loves reviews

"The book does a solid job of connecting the dots between narratives and, like the television series The Wire, between religious, political, and judicial institutions. A solid entry in an impressive series.“---KIRKUS Reviews
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Riku Onda - Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight

Fish Swimming Reviews

"Although the novel could ostensibly be touted as ‘crime’ fiction, as with The Aosawa Murders, the tone is often far closer to psychological horror. Fans of the likes of Ogawa Yoko will find plenty to enjoy here, and the book’s biggest draw can be summed up in its relentless probing and unpicking of the deepest recesses of morality. What drives us to act the way we do? Who are we really? And can we ever - even with those closest to us - know the inner thoughts of another? Time and again, Onda forces us to confront the ugly truths behind these questions. In doing so, she comes very close to conveying in the textual format what it might mean to be ‘human’, with all the messy, fallible connotations associated with it.”  The Japan Society
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Marion Brunet - Vanda

VANDA Reviews

"A taut psychological thriller. This heart-wrenching slice of social realism will resonate with many." --Publishers Weekly
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Hansjörg Schneider - Silver Pebbles

Silver Pebbles Reviews

"A gripping and entertaining read and came away impressed with Schneider’s obvious and considerable talent as a crime writer." CrimeFictionCritic

Silver Pebbles is a short novel and a compulsive read: don’t be surprised if you devour it in one go!" ELN Riveting Reviews

 

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Joachim B. Schmidt - Kalmann

Kalmann Reviews

 An absolute must buy-and-read. It’s 300 pages long and I took it down in one sitting because I was so enraptured by the world, the story, the characters. Very strong stuff indeed. Thank you, Bitter Lemon Press — more please! " --Bookgasm
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Leonardo Padura - The Transparency of Time

Transparency of Time Reviews

STARRED PW REVIEW. "Dressed in the grungy trappings of a crime drama, this literary tour-de-force from Padura offers a colourful cultural history of Cuba and the island’s historical contact with Europe that helped to shape its people’s religious beliefs."

"A grandiose novel of social and magical realism." Wall Street Journal

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Hansjörg Schneider - The Basel Killings

Basel Killings Reviews

Haunting, eerie and strange in its imagery but often grimly humorous, The Basel Killings is a vintage Swiss mystery fiction that appears to only be improving with age. CrimeTime

This is an absorbing story; Hansjörg Schneider paints a disturbing picture of a cruelty that has lain undiscussed behind the façade of Swiss propriety and complacency; and all the while he keeps us guessing right to the end." European Literature Network (ELN)

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Gianrico Carofiglio - The Measure of Time

Measure of Time Reviews

"Deceptively simple and thought-provoking, Gianrico Carofiglio’s The Measure of Time is a compelling trial tale shot-through with the distinctly contemplative personality of its flawed, charismatic protagonist, defence attorney Guerrieri." LoveReading
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James Wolff - How to Betray Your Country

How to Betray Your Country Review

Brilliant sequel to Beside the Syrian Sea. Wolff skillfully portrays an espionage agent on the verge of losing himself to his demons. This is spy fiction like no other." Publishers Weekly
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