Mystery Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Spent Identity by Marlene M. Bell

Mystery and murder vie with a decades-old secret in Spent Identity by Marlene M. Bell, the second book in the Annalisse series, following the riveting Stolen Obsession.

Mired by pressures at work and worried about her stalling relationship with her tycoon boyfriend, Alec Zavos, antiquities expert Annalisse Drury heads for the comfort of her Aunt Kate’s farm in upstate New York. Shortly after arriving at her childhood home, she learns from her aunt that her cousin, Jeremy, wants to sell her aunt’s beloved farm – news that is quickly trumped by the discovery of a decomposing body in the […]

Marta Cheng2020-05-20T05:17:24+02:00January 2nd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Mystery Book Reviews|

Review: Catwalk Dead: Murder in the Rue de L’Histoire Theatre by F. Della Notte

A nearly century-old mystery, an historic theatre and fears of the Macbeth curse make for an irresistible trifecta in Catwalk Dead: Murder in the Rue de L’Histoire Theatre, F. Della Notte’s newest whodunit in her Housekeeper Mystery series.

Life has become much more exciting as of late for Mrs. B. since her son and daughter-in-law moved to Austin and have accepted positions as artistic directors of the Bernardi-Bono Ballet Company, situated in the old Rue de L’Histoire Theatre. What Mrs. B. doesn’t know is that the theatre’s stage manager had voiced his concern about strange goings-on at the theatre […]

Marta Cheng2020-02-06T10:42:58+02:00December 11th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Cozy Mystery Book Reviews, Mystery Book Reviews|

Review: Exploration’s End: A New Orleans Mystery by George Sanchez

Southern charm and an old-fashioned mystery make for a great duo in Exploration’s End by George Sanchez.

After returning home to New Orleans, actor Jeff Chaussier has put his mediocre acting career on hold in order to find out what’s going on with his cousin, Cal. Rumor has it that his cousin is in the theater and is even dating an actress.

After some roundabout digging, Jeff suspects that drugs or sex may be involved but he also has other problems he has to deal with that involve facing the beautiful Bryna – who family and friends call his girl […]

Marta Cheng2019-11-14T08:28:33+02:00October 21st, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Mystery Book Reviews|

Review: All Fall Down (Furnass Towers Trilogy Book 3) by Richard Snodgrass

In All Fall Down, the epic conclusion to Richard Snodgrass’s Furnass Towers Trilogy, the characters and families that loyal readers have come to know so well all come together for one final piece of the puzzle – centered dramatically around the murder of Dickie Sutcliff.

The Sutcliff family, specifically Dickie and his brother Harry Todd, have featured heavily in this trilogy, being at the center of the real estate market in the mill town of Furnass. However, over those many decades and deals, Dickie has certainly made enemies along the way, so when he turns up dead, it is […]

SPR2019-03-11T12:05:00+02:00February 4th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Literary Fiction Book Reviews, Mystery Book Reviews|

Review: The Winner Maker by Jeff Bond

English teacher and football Coach Bob Fiske disappears from Evanston Township High School, and a small group of former students who were “Winners” – a secret group of high-achieving students cultivated by Fiske over his career – attempts to solve the mystery in The Winner Maker by Jeff Bond.

Ten years on, jealousies, rivalries, and old feelings still rise up among Steph Reese, her husband and former quarterback Doug, computer nerd Eric Pinkersby, shy Lydia Brockert and now school counselor Becky Brindle. They all cherish their ties to Fiske, and set out to find him. As before, they don’t want […]

Greg Rideout2019-05-21T09:49:32+02:00October 2nd, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Mystery Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

The Moving Blade by Michael Pronko

Couching a noir detective storyline in an Eastern setting, The Moving Blade by Michael Pronko is the second installment of the Detective Hiroshi series, and delivers another thrilling ride for this clever curmudgeon.

When a top diplomat is murdered, his daughter, Jamie, takes it upon herself to dig into the dangerous underworld of Tokyo. After partnering up with Detective Hiroshi Shimizu, they both put themselves between the crosshairs of a sinister killer who will stop at nothing to achieve his dastardly aims. The plot is fast-paced and thrilling, but the author also takes time to paint a visceral portrait of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-09-06T04:45:30+02:00September 5th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Mystery Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Shopping Cart Annie by Cordy Fitzgerald

Conspiracies and intrigue abound in Cordy Fitzgerald’s entertaining debut mystery, Shopping Cart Annie.

Retired schoolteacher, Dr. Inez Buchanan is approached by Dolly David, a former neighbor’s godmother, who begs her to help find her granddaughter, now in her mid-thirties. She disappeared years earlier and Dolly believes that her granddaughter is alive, living in Afghanistan with a Taliban husband. She tells Inez that her granddaughter had recently contacted her, asking for money.

Days later, Inez learns that Dolly has committed suicide, naming her as the primary executor of Dolly’s billion dollar estate. A shocked Inez becomes determined to carry out […]

Marta Cheng2018-08-24T09:58:34+02:00August 23rd, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Mystery Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Isabella’s Painting (A Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1) by Ellen Butler

The first book in the Karina Cardinal Mystery series, Isabella’s Painting introduces a highly entertaining protagonist who navigates this mystery thriller with wit and gritty determination.

Karina Cardinal is smart, hardworking and, to her dismay, a good girlfriend, who instead of spending quality time with her boyfriend, is putting on airs at her in-laws annual holiday party. It is her attendance at this party that sets the story into motion when she catches a glimpse of a Vermeer painting in her father-in-law’s possession. Caught between contacting the police, which would inevitably lead to her boyfriend’s family’s demise, Cardinal makes the […]

SPR2018-06-11T10:20:07+02:00June 10th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Mystery Book Reviews|