Category: Detective fiction

  • 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;…

  • Madness in paradise

    Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson   THE MADNESS OF CROWDS. By Louise Penny. Minotaur Books. 436 pages. $28.99. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is back in Three Pines, the Quebec village faithful readers know and love, for the 17th novel in Louise Penny’s wonderful series. But that does not mean that all is well. The previous novel,…

  • Hollywood noir gets a new star

    Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer A MAN NAMED DOLL. By Jonathan Ames. Mulholland Books. 208 pages. $26. For some time, the niche of mystery novel called Hollywood noir has been depleted. Not L.A., but Hollywood. The territory was once inhabited by the likes of Stuart Kaminsky’s Toby Peters, who helped Hollywood stars out of trouble,…

  • The City of Devils

    Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE. By Louise Penny. Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s). 439 pages. $28.99. Among the many things I missed during the year of COVID was a long-awaited new novel from Louise Penny, one of my favorite authors. Sometime in 2020, All the Devils Are Here, the latest mystery…

  • A treat for Spenser fans

    Bob Moyer reviews the latest in a venerable detective series that has outlived its creator. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer Robert B. Parker’s SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME. By Ace Atkins. Putnam. 306 pages. $27. Since Ace Atkins took over the Spenser franchise, he has aptly inhabited not just The Spenser voice, but the habits,…

  • A voice of pain and passion

    Bob Moyer reviews the latest in a venerable detective series that’s set decades ago but, he finds, has much to say that’s relevant to today’s readers. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer BLOOD GROVE. By Walter Mosley/ Mulholland Books. 307 pages. $27. Long before Black Lives Matter, before George Floyd, a voice articulated the plight of…

  • The most important client

    Bob Moyer has a way of making we want to get a book and start reading right away! This one sounds particularly good. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer THE LAW OF INNOCENCE. By Michael Connelly. Little, Brown. 42 pages. $29. Mickey Haller is the Lincoln lawyer. He does most of his business in the back…

  • Has crime fighting ever been so enchanting?

    What could be better than to be transported to the Perigord in France at a time not so long ago when no one had heard of COVID-19 and spend a little time with Bruno, chief of police and chef extraordinaire as he solves crimes, prepares delicacies and lives the good life? Bob Moyer suggests that…

  • Not Bosch, but a determined reporter

    If you need a good detective story to read, Bob Moyer can help you out. Here he takes a look at the latest from Michael Connelly. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer FAIR WARNING. By Michael Connelly. Little, Brown and Company. 417 pages. $29. He’s not Harry Bosch. Poor Jack McEvoy. He has appeared in only three Michael…

  • A dangerous trap

    Bob Moyer reviews the latest John Sandford Prey novel starring Lucas Davenport. If you like what he’s describing, and haven’t yet encountered this series, you have some reading to do. Enjoy. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer MASKED PREY. By John Sandford. G.P. Putnam. 416 pages. $29. Over the course of 29 previous Prey novels, John Sandford…