Tag Archives: Detective

Laura Lippman, Lauren Oliver, Lloyd Alexander + more

American Literature, British Literature April 12, 2015 Superfast Reader

Oh, I have had so many disappointments lately when trying to read Important Books by Important Authors that I needed to spend my spring break immersed in good genre. And even though not every book I read was entirely successful, my plan worked–consider my palate cleansed and my love for reading restored. The best of them was Hush Hush by Laura Lippman. It’s “A Tess Monaghan Novel” which should put me off, because I generally do not like series fiction with a recurring character. For…

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

British Literature August 3, 2014 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: In this book about Cormoran Strike, beleaguered amputee veteran turned private eye, an egotistical novelist has gone missing, and all signs point to a literary puzzle with potentially deadly consequences. Review: Listen, writing mysteries is harder than it seems. The best writers (Barbara Vine) conceal the works so deftly that you forget how necessary machinations and contrivance are to the genre. So don’t think I’m picking on The Silkworm just because I want to take JK Rowling down a peg (I don’t) when I…

Space Case by Dan Fiorella

American Literature September 11, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Another hardboiled story featuring PI Nick Flebber, whose caustic take on the world stands at odds with his romance with the daughter of Santa Claus. Review: Space Case is a light bite by comic wordsmith Dan Fiorella. He has a wonderful way of milking seemingly small moments for comic gold, and I found myself snickering frequently as I read the story. The plot and story are beside the point, but he does a great job connecting all the dots and making it look easy.…

A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George

British Literature August 7, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: When a young woman is suspected of murdering her father, a mismatched team of detectives, both haunted by their own ghosts, seek out the truth and risk losing themselves. Review: I am very picky about the detective novels I will read, and A Great Deliverance had everything I look for–emphasis on character over procedure, excellent sense of place, and complicated interpersonal dynamics. The story was definitely dark but not edgy, which I also like, and I fell in love with the partnership between public…

Broken Harbor by Tana French

Irish Literature July 28, 2012 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Detective Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy has a spotless record of solves, but when he’s partnered with a street smart rookie on the murder of a family in a boom economy development turned recession slum outside of Dublin, the ghosts from his past threaten his ability to play by the straight and narrow. Review: I am a huge fan of Tana French and Broken Harbor definitely lived up to my expectations. First of all, her sense of mood and place is just brilliant. She sets the…

Don’t Look Back by Karin Fossum (Inspector Sejer)

Norwegian Literature June 14, 2012 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: When a popular teenage girl is found dead by a mountain lake, the innocence of an idyllic town is shattered. Review: While I enjoyed Don’t Look Back, I wasn’t hooked on the series. The mystery is very well-plotted and kept me guessing to the end, but the psychological complexity wasn’t there the way I wanted it to be. And the reveal at the end had some elements that felt forced and overly dramatic. However, I loved the Norwegian setting and the mention of Sigrid…

The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman

American Literature January 18, 2011 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: On bed rest and housebound, detective Tess Monaghan gets concerned and starts an investigation when she stops seeing a stylish woman walking her dog. Review: I do love Laura Lippman, who sets her stories in Baltimore, where I was born and raised, but haven’t lived since 1991. Reading her books is at once nostalgic and fresh, and I enjoy trying to figure out the geography and have a thrill when I recognize a reference. The Girl in the Green Raincoat was a satisfying entry…

Point of Hopes by Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett

American Literature February 16, 2009 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: A host of missing children prompts an investigation led by Adjunct Pointsman Rathe, in a world reminiscent of 17th Century Europe where astrology is the governing religion and worldview. Review: Point of Hopes was a refreshing change of pace from the fantasy I’ve been reading lately. Instead of an epic tale spanning the whole of the human experience in the midst of catastrophic upheaval, Point of Hopes is a simple police procedural set among the ordinary middle class. Within the genre, it’s a fairly…

In the Woods by Tana French

American Literature October 30, 2008 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: A murder investigation cuts too close to the bone for a detective who was once part of a missing persons case himself. Review: The other Sunday, Superfast Husband had to go to Home Depot after church, and since Superfast Toddler would certainly fall asleep in the car, I needed a book to read while listening to her dulcet snores. We stopped into the murder mystery bookshop nearby, where I asked if they could request anyone who loves Barbara Vine, and likes Ruth Rendell but…

In the Face by Lorelei Armstrong

American Literature October 1, 2008 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: When a famous movie star appears to have dumped a body on his plastic surgeon’s balcony, a simulation-obsessed detective delves into a seamy world where there are no limits to what people will do for fame. Review: Babies getting plastic surgery–that’s all I needed to hear to get interested in Lorelei Armstrong’s debut, In the Face. Melding a hard-boiled style in the tradition of James M. Cain and Andrew Vachss with a cyberpunk sensibility, Armstrong delivers a fast-moving, intellectually stimulating thriller with a strong…

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