An assured, stunner of a debut, Tangerine by Christine Mangan is an eloquent, slow-burning, historical novel of nuanced, psychological suspense. Tangerine is set predominantly in Tangier, during the lead up to Morocco's 1956 independence from France. With its Patricia Highsmith vibe, and its "Casablanca-esque" cover, this literary drama of intrigue is evocative of the medinas, the souks, the casbahs, the fragrant spice markets, and the heat of 1950s North Africa.
Read moreMINM Review: The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
Well-written, intricately plotted, and thoroughly absorbing, The Broken Girls by Canadian author Simone St. James provides readers with "the best of both worlds": a gothic, historical ghost story set at a "haunted" boarding school for girls in Vermont, and a contemporary mystery featuring a journalist with a connection to that same school, who begins her own investigation into the long-abandoned school's change of ownership and proposed renovation, only to discover more than she bargained for about Idlewild Hall's shadowy past.
Read moreMINM Review: THE SANDMAN by Lars Kepler
A breath-holding, heart-stopping thriller, The Sandman is the fourth in the internationally acclaimed Joona Linna series, written by new-to-Mystery in Minutes husband and wife duo "Lars Kepler". With a mysterious and complex plot, iconic and compelling characters, and content that should appeal equally to men and to women, this highly immersive novel can be read as a standalone.
Read moreMINM Review: The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn
Is The Woman in the Window a highly entertaining and atmospheric psychological suspense debut? Absolutely! But it can also be thought-provoking. Kudos to A. J. Finn for "opening a window" on mental health, the importance of support and treatment, and the possibility, often, of healing.
Read moreMINM Review: The Legacy by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Voted Best Crime Novel of the Year by the Icelandic Crime Authors' Association, The Legacy is the first installment in the Children's House series, written by "Iceland's Queen of Crime", Yrsa Sigurdardottir. The Legacy is an intelligent, slow-burning, character-focused police procedural that methodically reveals layer upon layer of ingenious plotting involving cryptic, coded messages, dark family secrets, and some of the most creatively horrific methods of dispatching victims this reviewer has ever read.
Read moreMINM Review: LOOK FOR ME by Lisa Gardner
Bestselling author Lisa Gardner has written an engaging police procedural with a plot, characters, and a finale almost operatic in their poignancy. Look For Me resonates within the current cultural shift toward empowerment of survivors, and the reckoning of those that abuse their positions of power.
Read moreMINM Review: Into the Black Nowhere by Meg Gardiner
Building to a gripping, race-against-time crescendo, Into the Black Nowhere is an immersive, meaty thriller for readers to sink their entertainment teeth into.
Read moreMINM Review: The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
Twisty and expertly plotted, The Chalk Man is a terrific, character-driven, psychological suspense debut recommended to be at the top of your 2018 reading list.
Read moreMINM: Wishes our readers Happy Holidays with an excerpt from Magpie Murders
We will return in the beginning of 2018 with our review of British author C.J. Tudors's debut, The Chalk Man, which releases in the U.S. on January 9th. Mystery in Minutes wishes all of our readers and subscribers pleasurable reading, and peaceful and joyous holidays!
Read more for an excerpt of our most recently reviewed book, Magpie Murders, by London author Anthony Horowitz.......
Read moreMINM Review: Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
A tour de force valentine to books and reading, in general, and to the British whodunit murder mysteries of the golden age, in particular. Magpie Murders wins the award for the most highly developed plot read by Mystery in Minutes in 2017, and it would make a wonderful choice for the bookish traditionalist on your holiday season gift list.
Read moreMINM Review: The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen
One of the most accomplished crime fiction debuts read by Mystery in Minutes in 2017, with a plot that draws the reader in, and refuses to let go until the riveting resolution and beyond, The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen is.......
Read moreMINM Review: You Can Run by Steve Mosby
An altogether satisfying British police procedural, You Can Run is suspenseful, tense, poignant, and very cleverly plotted. Steve Mosby has, once again, shown himself to be a terrific storyteller.
Read moreMINM: is Thankful
To our readers and subscribers everywhere: Mystery in Minutes is THANKFUL for your support!
Look for our upcoming review of You Can Run, the December 5th crime fiction release by talented British author, Steve Mosby!
MINM Review: NIGHTBLIND by Ragnar Jonasson
Richly evocative of the hauntingly beautiful, yet bleak, Northern Icelandic autumn and early winter, Nightblind is a slow-burning, character-focused Nordic Noir, with a resolution that.......
Read moreMINM Review: Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo
Irresistibly atmospheric with the sights, sounds, and mouth-watering aromas of fictional Amish communities in northeastern Ohio, and the not-so-quaint mysterious and murderous happenings that find their way to these, otherwise, sleepy hamlets, Ms. Castillo has.......
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