Crime Fiction Book Reviews

Pro athletes, stolen millions and murder make for an irresistible cocktail in Santa Fe Mojo, the first murder mystery in the Vincent Malone series by Ted Clifton.

Former legal investigator, Vincent Malone, is heading to Albuquerque where he’s hoping to live on the cheap until his Social Security benefits kick in. He makes it as far as Santa Fe where he impulsively finds work as a driver for a new bed and breakfast – only to find himself soon mixed up in the murder of a high-profile sports agent.

Charged with the crime is the dead man’s client, a […]

Hard times and dark days set a grim tone for Wyatt Hamby’s hardboiled crime tale, The Haunted Streets, Book 1 in The Vacant Exordium series.

The year is 1937. Seasoned Detective Frank Palmer and his young partner, Charlie Callaghan, are called to the home of prominent radio host, Morgan Maxwell, who’s been murdered. There are no bullet casings or murder weapon – only a .38 slug and two leather-bound ledgers with cryptic entries. Maxwell’s death has also coincided with the passing of seventy-two-year-old Salvadore Barone, head of the Barone crime family. As Palmer digs deeper into the murder investigation, […]

The Spy Who Hated Me! by Shaun Chapman is a rip-roaring race through a shadowy noir world of dames and danger, with a healthy dose of technological surrealism that gives this world a slightly unpredictable edge.

James Spillaney epitomizes the stereotype of private detectives, and the novel is an immersive and enjoyable dive into this dramatic style. The colloquial speech and affectations are constant, but within a few chapters, it becomes easier to read – and believe.

The high-speed nature of the novel keeps you interested, even if some of the plot points seem superfluous – a little too much […]