The nitty-gritty: Full of gorgeous, disturbing imagery and ambitious in scope, Bodies of Work is a unsettling peek into the mind of a killer. Clay McLeod Chapman always comes up with unique ideas, and in Bodies of Work, he’s taken the story of real life artist Henry Darger and built a fictional tale inspired by […]
The nitty-gritty: Unique ideas and a strong first half weren’t enough to save this ultimately confusing murder mystery set aboard a UFO. 30Seven should have worked for me—on paper it’s everything I love in a science fiction horror story. But despite a strong start, it devolved into a messy, over-stuffed tale with a bunch of […]
The nitty-gritty: A killer is on the loose in a retirement community in Philip Fracassi’s latest, a “slasher light” serial killer story with unexpected heart and humor. Who would think that a serial killer story set in a retirement home would work, but Philip Fracassi has proved the universe wrong and written a tense, horrifying […]
The nitty-gritty: A multilayered murder mystery with supernatural overtones, Senseless flawlessly captures the essence of seedy Los Angeles. Senseless is a Los Angeles based murder mystery full of twists and secrets, and I absolutely loved it. This isn’t your typical police procedural, though, although fans of that genre will find lots to love. Malfi adds […]
The nitty-gritty: A grim, bloody delight with pitch perfect black humor, Victorian Psycho will make you gasp and laugh in the same breath. “Mother first tried to kill me when I was thirteen months old. ‘You learned to walk so fast,’ she told me later. ‘I thought I might as well stop you while I […]
The nitty-gritty: Darcy Coates takes the serial killer story and gives it a unique twist in this creepy and unsettling tale. “Doubtful, Illinois was a glue trap. People sometimes came in, but they very rarely left…The longer you spent in the town, the more you felt trapped there. As though there wasn’t any space for […]
The nitty-gritty: With colorful characters and an intriguing setting, What Never Happened is a fun mystery with some great twists. Rachel Howzell Hall is a new author for me, and I’m so glad I had the chance to read her latest book. This was a fun, boisterous, guilty pleasure of a story. It’s not perfect, […]
The nitty-gritty: Secrets, lies and shocking plot twists will have readers scrambling to find out the truth in this excellent thriller. What Lies in the Woods is a slow burn mystery that was nearly impossible to put down. With this book, Kate Alice Marshall has made it onto my auto-buy list of authors, it was […]
The nitty-gritty: Macabre and full of dark humor, All the Blood We Share explores the surprising and complex lives of a family of serial killers. “Maybe it’ll pass,” I said. “This affliction of mine—” “Oh no.” Ma shook her head. “I don’t think one can heal from bloodlust.” Camilla Bruce is a must read author […]
The nitty-gritty: A true crime blogger uncovers some long-buried truths in this stellar murder mystery. This is my first time reading Simone St. James, and I was blown away! The Book of Cold Cases is an intricately plotted mystery with fully developed characters and a twisty plot that will keep readers guessing. The story takes […]