GRAVES END

J.L. ABRAMO

I was enchanted and enthralled by this outstanding crime novel. But it was much more than a novel about good guys and bad. It was a magic roller coaster ride through Brooklyn and the rest of New York.

The characters are as accurate as life and as complex and memorable. Every page describes people and situations that have or could happen to any of us. The police are fragile and vulnerable, and their families suffer from their devotion to duty. We want the detectives to overcome adversity, make the arrest, and clear the case. But like life, some issues are too difficult to close, and sometimes nobody gets collared.
The bad guys in this gorgeous story are evil and deserve their fate. Their victims are innocents who are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Make sure that you buy this book. See Brooklyn and its inhabitants like you have never seen them. What a book.

THE NIX

NATHAN HILL

The Nix is one of the best books I have had the privilege to read in the last few years. I had heard great news about it and was not surprised. It lived up to its notice in spades. Nathan Hill is one helluva writer.

A Nix is a ghost, something that follows us until we die. The protagonist in this involving and amusing story is an emotionally stilted, frustrated, lonely, and bright English professor at a small university. His passion is video games and lamentation while dealing with today’s byzantine academic rules and procedures that plague anybody in academia, including this reviewer. When he was a small child, his mother and father deserted him. Twenty-some years later, he has an opportunity to reunite with her. His mother has become infamous for an event that I will not mention.

The Nix is a beautiful story that reminds us of what families are and what we wish they could be. Considering that Halloween is here, The Nix is one ghost that will haunt you long after you have finished this remarkable novel.

WHERE THEY WAIT

SCOTT CARSON

Scott Carson, A.K.A. Michael Koryta, is a multi-talented author who knows how to scare the h**l out of you. With the ubiquity of apps, why not have one that will improve your mental state and outlook? That is what happens in Where They Wait. Nick Bishop tests an app that promises big rewards, increased sleep, and a perfect perspective. What he encounters is far more than what he bargained for. Truths about his life and past emerge in ways unbeknownst and frightening. Where They Wait offers a fresh take on what disturbs us the most—our lives and regrets.

MATTERS OF DOUBT

WARREN C. EASLEY

Matters of Doubt by Warren C. Easley is the first of an eight-book series. It features a straight-ahead, honest, and determined attorney, Cal Claxton, who lives in rural Oregon. Cal's client is a young man whose mother has been murdered. This egregious offense motivated Cal to do what he could to bring the killer to answer for his crime. Taking up the cause of his client offends Cal’s friends and some of his associates. But no matter what, Cal must collect the evidence and solve the murder. We became familiar with Cal's personality and work habits along the way. We also gain a picture of Portland, Oregon, and its problems, typical of a large city in the United States. Matters of Doubt is a stand-alone winner and an outstanding springboard for the author's future work.

THE PLOT

JEAN HANFF KORELITZ

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz is a strikingly excellent novel that combines the best of literary fiction and commercial readability. With the publication of The Plot, Jean Hanff Korelitz has captured a willing audience that is always on the lookout for a fantastic story told in a gripping and unpredictable manner. The Plot centers on a failed writer who happens to come across a manuscript shown to him by a student. The undeveloped story has potential but remains stillborn until the failed writer decides to resurrect his career. What happens next is the stuff of one of the best novels of this or any other year. Fiction is a window to our souls. The Plot rips open our skin and delivers a red-hot flame that burns until the reader is left gasping for air.

THE DOLLAR-A YEAR DETECTIVE

WILLIAM WELLS

William Wells is a guy I love to read. He authors an involving story full of excellent police procedural jargon. He also includes enough humor to remind me of Paul Levine, SV Date, and even the king of the Florida caper, Carl Hiaasen.

The Dollar-A-Year Detective starts with a couple taking a romantic sail off the coast of Florida. A minute later, they are dead from two headshots from an unknown assailant.

Jack Starkey, our protagonist, is a retired Chicago homicide detective living on his houseboat and running his bar. Occasionally, he is asked to look at a case and lend a hand to the locals. That is precisely what he does in The Dollar-A-Year Detective. We meet your typical scummy politicians and others who populate that weird place called Florida. Why the victims are murdered and by whom is what this entertaining book is about. Throw in an extraordinary police sense of humor, memorable characters, and terrific scenery. You then have a must-read P.I. novel that will keep you up all night, laughing and wondering what happened. And keep in mind the author’s initial entry, Detective Fiction. It's worth the read.

PENDULUM

ADAM HAMDY

Pendulum by Adam Hamdy is just that. The story kept me swinging back and forth, racing along London and New York streets, trying to avoid a nameless and faceless killer who was particularly good at his job. What captured my attention and held it long into the night was an elemental yet frightening question. Who is trying to kill our hero, and why? Along the way, we meet unknowing and undeserving victims from all occupations in this entertaining and wild ride. But are they what they seem? The truth is revealed late in the game, meaning you must race to the end. The ride is wild, bewildering, and fantastic. I loved this book and hope for more by this talented and innovative writer.

FATAL OPTION

CHRIS BEAKEY

This twisty and unpredictable psycho-thriller reminds us how vulnerable we are to doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. The plot is straightforward; a family-oriented person gets into a traffic accident, but the results are far from uncomplicated. The book gains momentum, and the reader must turn the pages to discover what happens to this ordinary family battling far from ordinary events. My advice to you is to not drive in the snow, and if you do, avoid what happens in this involving and irresistible look at something that could happen to all of us.

THE DRY

JANE HARPER

I was unfamiliar with the brilliant writer of the equally excellent mystery, The Dry. Ms. Harper’s writing is piercing while developing fascinating plots and backstories. I read The Dry in two days. The descriptions of Australia rang true, which added authenticity to this mesmerizing, beautifully crafted debut mystery. The characters were mightily conceived and believable. The Dry transported me to a foreign land where anything could happen. Grab this book as soon as possible; you will have no regrets.

WRECKED

JOE IDE

I review a lot of mysteries and thrillers. Many are mediocre, and only a few stand out, especially from first-time writers. Joe Ide has written excellent puzzles, I.Q. and Righteous. Both are captivating. Wrecked is the third of the I.Q. series. Isaiah Quintabe, IQ for short, is a Long Beach, California-based P.I. He earned his rep by solving small and big cases.

In Wrecked, Isaiah is asked to find a missing person, the mother of his putative girlfriend. The action starts from page one and never stops until the novel concludes. I will not reveal much of the plot. Only those humans are capable of horrendous behavior, especially during war. Pictures, videos, and blackmail are all fragrant ingredients in Wrecked, the third entry into what should be a terrific series.

INVISIBLE DEAD

SAM WIEBE

Sam Wiebe is an impressive writer. I loved his first novel, Last of The Independents. As soon as I started it, I wanted him to draft another book. And he just did, writing another moody, atmospheric, grey, and reflective novel, Invisible Dead.

It takes place in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. The plot is initially straightforward. A girl went missing a long time ago. Dave Wakeland, an earnest P.I., wants to discover what happened to the missing girl. Unfortunately, more than a few good and evil people do not want her found. We accompany Dave as he deals with Vancouver’s meanest, deadliest, and scummiest. This is what being a P.I. is like—just hard-nosed reality in all its glory and gloom.

How Dave carries himself propels the reader rapidly through the story. Take a day or two to familiarize yourself with Dave Wakeland, a P.I. who has lived through a lot but can still talk about it. Once you read Invisible Dead, you will cheer and root for another outstanding Dave Wakeland novel. I know I will.

BRIGHTON

MICHAEL HARVEY

I will quote Stephen King, “Brighton is the f**king bomb.” I started this outstanding and superb novel yesterday and finished it this afternoon. Brighton reminds me of Dennis Lehane at his best, which is the highest praise I can offer. Every page provides subtleties and inferences that ask the reader to keep reading. And believe me, the rewards are worth the effort.

Brighton has it all. Crime, criminals, drugs, scumbags, inveterate gamblers, cops, lawyers, and reporters. This recipe for trouble starts in Boston in the 1970s. Families and friends are doing what they must to survive. So, what if people are shot, strangled, drowned, and stabbed? All part of the fabric of America. The beauty is how the writer seams together all the events and characters to make Brighton one of the most intriguing, fascinating, and time-monopolizing novels I have read.

THE FIELDS

ERIN YOUNG

The Fields by newcomer Erin Young is outstanding from the first page until the last. The action is detailed and sometimes graphic, encouraging readers to remember Thomas Harris and The Silence of the Lambs.

The Fields takes place in the American Midwest, evoking images of millions of acres of farmland populated by never-ending corn stalks. It is here where newly promoted investigator Sgt. Riley Fisher of the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office starts her day. Farmers discover a body while using a drown. When Sgt. Fisher inspects the scene, she finds that the victim was a friend many years ago. Bodies pile up as quickly as clues as Fisher attempts to untangle a frightening and logic-defying series of homicides.

The author plans on a series with Sgt. Fisher is the star attraction. Readers will hope that the author can write as quickly as they can read.

A VOICE FROM THE FIELD

NEIL GRIFFIN

This is another winning entry in the Newberg Novels written by Neal Griffin. This time out, Tia Suarez is in the middle of a human trafficking ring that threatens to destroy her career when she investigates a missing girl. The locals do not want the case. Eventually, the feds—led by an unidentified and mysterious security agency—big foot the case, leaving Tia and her boss out in the cold. Tia does not doubt that a girl has been kidnapped, but the federal boys have a different objective in mind. They want to bring down a pervasive gang that claims to want to defend America and what it stands for. Tia must convince her chief and her colleagues that a missing girl is hiding in the small town of Newberg.

Readers will instantly like and care for Tia as she battles police department bureaucracy and the Federal government security agency that nobody seems to have heard of. I read this in a few days. When you buy A Voice from the Field, be prepared to do nothing but get involved in a splendid and absorbing story.

COLD BLOODED TRADE

KERRY COX

Cold Blooded Trade by third-time novelist Kerry K. Cox has written an intriguing and uncommon procedural. The novel sheds light on the obscure and horrifying business of tracking, killing, and delivering rare and unusual reptiles to the highest bidder. Undercover agent Nick Tanner of the U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service is assigned to track down and arrest a violent and well-connected group of international smugglers based in Louisiana selling snakes, turtles, lizards, and crocodiles.

The story is well thought out, and the characters are engaging and heroic.

Fans will cheer for agent Nick Turner as he seeks justice in this enthralling procedural.

A LONESOME PLACE FOR DYING

NOLAN CHASE

A Lonesome Place For Dying by Nolan Chase is the real deal. What reader can resist experiencing a blue-eyed coyote? And a heart in butcher paper left on a back porch. And that is just the beginning of A Lonesome Place For Dying by Nolan Chase, a first-time novelist who has already out-paced most of his peers in the police procedural genre.

Ethan Brand is the newly appointed police chief of Blaine, Washington, a small town near the Canadian border. His first case is a homicide and missing person case involving drugs, money, and fraud committed by a multi-generational crime family.

The writer uses bright-line imagery of the police chief and his deputies. We also gain an understanding of the crooks and their motives. A cat-and-mouse game soon develops, and the reader is compelled to live inside this well-told, exciting, and realistically drawn story. Here is hoping that Nolan Chase has a long and illustrious career.

THE FOURTH ENEMY

ANNE PERRY

The Fourth Enemy: A Daniel Pitt Novel by multi-talented author Anne Perry once again shows what an excellent storyteller she is. The book unfolds when Malcolm Vayne, an influential businessman and newspaper publisher, finds himself in legal trouble. Daniel Pitt is a well-known lawyer consulted by his friend and policeman Ian Frobisher to ascertain Pitt's outlook on convicting the wealthy and powerful Vayne.

Pitt has problems within his law firm as a new head partner takes the case and soon runs into trouble as an essential witness is killed, and conviction is in doubt.

The Fourth Enemy: A Daniel Pitt Novel reminds the reader that some things never change. Money, influence, and political power ruled Edwardian England, and the legal machinations look similar to those around us in the 21st century.

Anne Perry again dazzles the reader with detail, perfect plotting, and pacing, keeping the reader on edge throughout this well-written and imaginative story.

EARLY GRAVE

PAUL LEVINE

It has been my pleasure to read all of Paul Levine's novels, especially his Jake Lassiter books, of which there have been many. And unlike some writers, every Lassiter mystery is enthralling, witty, and raucous. Paul Levine started this fantastic series with To Speak For The Dead and has now concluded it with  Early Grave.

Jake Lassiter, formerly of the Miami Dolphins, became a rough-and-tumble everyman's lawyer after his career petered out in the N.F.L. Killers, drug dealers, extortionists, you name it, and Jake defended the alleged perpetrator. All the while having a romantic time with the ladies and even taking over guardianship of his nephew, Kip. Now Jake is old and in mediocre health. One night, he watches his friend's son playing high school football and takes a vicious hit. The coach sends him back in, and therein lies the problem. The player seems paralyzed and deathly injured. Jake sees this and decides that High School football is too dangerous and contributes to Chronic Traumatic encephalopathy, the illness that can lead to grave diseases and strokes. Jake decides to file suit to stop football from playing in Florida until safety reforms are integrated. What follows is a topical and necessary examination of America's most popular sport, centered around realistic, sympathetic, and greedy people who stand to lose financially if Jake and his legal team pull off a miracle.

Paul Levine provides a well-written, logical, and entertaining novel that shines a bright light on Jake and all that has been endearing to his readers over the past 32 years.

SLEEPLESS CITY

R.F. COLEMAN

R.F. Coleman is as good a police procedural writer as there is. And that says a lot in a sometimes overcrowded field filled with mundane and banal writing and writers. Coleman has many novels, most recently writing for the late great Robert Parker estate.

It has been a few years since Coleman's last effort using characters of his imagination. And the reader is better off for it. The Sleepless City focuses on Nick Ryan, an Afghanistan veteran who worked undercover for NYPD. Nick's father was also NYPD and became a modern-day Serpico, exposing corruption and deceit among his fellow cops, and for that, there are consequences. A few wealthy citizens hire Nick. While on this job, he also agrees to help a young cop, the son of a major power player within NYPD. The tension mounts as he continues his initial investigation. Eventually, a reporter for a small paper attempts to discover what Nick is up to; as this happens, fires, shootings, and mayhem occur. The Sleepless City is a vastly entertaining procedural that will leave readers begging for more. And who better to meet that demand than R.F. Coleman, a master crime fiction writer.

CATCH AND RELEASE

TRACE CONGER

Catch And Release by Trace Conger grabs its audience at page one and never lets up. Readers stay engaged and laser-focused in Conger’s newest and memorable Connor Harding thriller.

Somebody needs finding, and Connor Harding is the go-to when trouble brews. Harding is asked, A.K.A. forced to find the person who killed a hit man's family. Connor has few clues and not much time to succeed.

He follows a trail of postcards sent to the hit man, each describing the violence suffered by the victims. The action is swift, and the writing concise as Connor gets closer to finding the doer of the crime. Or so we think.

Catch And Release is captivating, unpredictable, and great fun. Conger is an established crime writer with an extensive back list that should be read by anyone who appreciates a great crime novelist.