Category Archives: Mystery & Thriller

Crime, suspense and endings you won’t forget.

The Moonstone Review: A Victorian Mystery Told in Many Voices

A foundational detective novel told by a brilliant cast of narrators; long, slow in places [...]

Journey Under the Midnight Sun Review: Keigo Higashino’s Saddest Mystery

A murder in 1970s Osaka, two children bound by a terrible secret, and one of [...]

The God of the Woods Review: A Literary Mystery in the Adirondacks

A richly layered literary mystery about a girl missing from a summer camp. It's slow [...]

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Review: Slow Start, Great Heroine

A superb cold-case puzzle bolted to a financial thriller and carried by Lisbeth Salander; bloated [...]

Malice Review: Higashino’s Masterclass in the Whydunit

A cool, clever whydunit that settles the question of who early and then peels back [...]

Magpie Murders Review: Two Whodunits for the Price of One

A clever mystery-within-a-mystery that pays loving tribute to Agatha Christie. The frame story is weaker [...]

The Woman in the Window Review: Slick, Familiar Hitchcock Homage

A slick, cinematic thriller with a strong narrator and real atmosphere, but it borrows heavily [...]

The Girl on the Train Review: A Blackout Mystery That Mostly Works

A gripping, grubby psychological thriller narrated by an unreliable alcoholic commuter; clever use of memory [...]

The Last Thing He Told Me Review: A Gentle Missing-Husband Mystery

A quick, emotionally warm mystery about a missing husband and the stepdaughter he leaves behind, [...]

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Review: The Twist That Broke the Rules

A Poirot mystery with one of the most famous solutions in crime fiction: brilliant, fair [...]

The Silent Patient Review: One Great Hook, One Big Twist

A fast, readable psychological thriller built around a silent killer and a big twist; entertaining [...]

Gone Girl Review: A Marriage Thriller With Teeth

A sharp, nasty, brilliantly structured thriller about a marriage and the stories spouses tell; its [...]