Briar Patch Books

Category: Detective fiction

  • Every page a gem

    Bob Moyer reads a lot and reviews a lot of books. If he had to name his favorite authors, I’m guessing Walter Moseley would be at or near the top of the list. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer EVERY MAN A KING. By Walter Mosley. 324 pages. $28. Joe King Oliver doesn’t really want to…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • What’s going on???

    Do you want to read a mystery that will really keep you guessing? Paul O’Connor found one that came from Sweden. Reviewed by Paul T. O’Connor GEIGER. By Gustaf Skordeman. Translated from Swedish by Ian Giles. Grand Central Publishing. 424 pages. $28, hardback. It’s been a pleasant afternoon for Stellan Boman, the long-retired but still…

  • Still going strong

    Looking for a good detective story? Bob Moyer has a suggestion. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer   Robert B. Parker’s BYE BYE BABY. By Ace Atkins. Penguin. 315 pages, $28 hardcover.   Fifty books. Robert B. Parker’s one-name Boston private detective, Spenser, has quipped, cracked wise, and quoted Shakespeare through that many books, while dispensing his…

  • All this and COVID too

    Bob Moyer reviews a Michael Connelly detective thriller that came out late last year. If you missed it in the holiday/pandemic craziness, you’ll thank him. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer THE DARK HOURS. By Michael Connelly. Little, Brown. 388 pages. $29. She hates taking her mask up and down for a sip of coffee, she…

  • Another delicious crime entre’e

    Thanks to Bob Moyer, I have another addition to my already lengthy must-read list. Martin Walker’s Bruno novels are pure pleasure, even if they do make me hungry. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer THE COLDEST CASE. By Martin Walker. Knopf. 315 pages, $27. In a Bruno, Chief of Police novel, the past is never past;…