Briar Patch Books

Category: Mysteries

  • Bad guys beware: This guy has perseverance and a bag of crafty tricks

    Bob Moyer knows a good mystery/thriller when he reads it. He says Thomas Perry is in fine form with this new one. THE MURDER BOOK. By Thomas Perry. Mysterious Press. 394 pages. $27.95. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer If you’ve read a Thomas Perry novel before, or if you’ve seen the Netflix adaptation of The…

  • Looking for love and a whole lot more

    If you’re looking for a good detective novel, Bob Moyer is the man to ask. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer RACING THE LIGHT. By Robert Craig. Putnam. 355 pages. $29. In the pantheon of L.A. crime writers, Michael Connelly stands head and shoulders above a crowded field. His Hieronymous “Harry” Bosch manifests a modern-day version…

  • ATTENTION: If you’ve missed Burke’s latest, don’t wait any longer

    This book has been out awhile, but Bob Moyer just got around to reviewing it.  He says it’s one of the best from one of our best novelists. EVERY CLOAK ROLLED IN BLOOD. By James Lee Burke. Simon and Schuster. 278 pages. $27. In this 13th novel of the Holland family series, novelist Aaron Holland…

  • You may care…

    One mark of a worthwhile, useful book review is whether it gives the reader a good idea of whether she or he would want to read the book. By that standard, Bob Moyer excels in this review. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer A DEATH IN DOOR COUNTY. By Annelise Ryan. Berkeley. 322 pages. $27. When…

  • Fighting the invisible monster

    Bob Moyer has produced a review in which he manages to use, correctly,  the word “antepenultimate.” He even spelled it correctly. Impressive. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer. DESERT STAR. By Michael Connelly. Little, Brown. 388 pages $29. “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.” A witness being interviewed by…

  • Murder at the salvage yard

    Here’s a remarkably good first novel by the latest addition to my list of outstanding North Carolina authors. Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson IT DIES WITH YOU.  By Scott Blackburn. Crooked Lane Books. 304 pages. $27.99. When Hudson Miller was just a boy, his dad “dismantled” what had been a reasonably happy, church-going, middle class…

  • Twists and turns in a fast-moving thriller

    Bob Moyer reviews a new thriller that sounds like a great choice for those long winter nights – or any time you want to lose yourself in an entertaining book. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer THE LIGHTNING ROD. By Brad Meltzer. William Morrow. 419 pages. $28.99 The good news is Brad Meltzer writes a big…

  • Charlie Lovett’s new novel is a thriller, for sure

    Charlie Lovett turns his considerable talents to writing an international thriller, with results that measure up to his fans’ high expectations. Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson THE ENIGMA AFFAIR.  By Charlie Lovett. Blackstone Publishing, 350 pages, $26.99, hardcover. Through four fine novels now, Charlie Lovett has proved that he is an imaginative, skilled, thoughtful, intelligent…

  • Soldiers, assassins, music and food – Bruno is on the case again

    What can persuade Bob Moyer to take time out from his busy schedule to read a book and write a review? The answer is simple: a new Bruno, Chief of Police novel by Martin Walker. The Bruno novels are always a delicious treat, and it sounds as though this one keeps the tradition alive. Reviewed…

  • Intricate, believable and gripping

    Paul O’Connor is a relatively new convert to the ranks of fans  who read thrillers involving crime and politics, and he can be a tough reader to impress. This novel impressed him. Reviewed by Paul T. O’Connor TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON. By Chris Pavone. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux. Hardcover. 433 pages. $28. When Ariel Pryce…