Steps to Heaven
Written by Wendy Cartmel — A soldier sharpens his knife on a whetstone. He says a silent prayer to his God. And then he commits an act of appalling savagery. But this is not Afghanistan, or Iraq. It is the garrison town of Aldershot. Sergeant…
Whiskey Beach
Written by Nora Roberts — For many years, Nora Roberts has been my guilty pleasure and I’ve read her romances with relish. She also writes science fiction and crime crossover books under the pseudonym of JD Robb, but they hold no appeal for me, and…
The Black Lizard and Beast in the Shadows
Written by Edogawa Rampo — Here, Kurodahan Press has collected together two of Japanese author Edogawa Rampo’s longer mysteries in one book, with an introduction by Mark Schreiber and illustrations in a pulp style by Kawajiri Hiroaki. Rampo, whose real name was Taro Hirai, was…
Suspect by Robert Crais
During the time I’ve been writing reviews for Crime Fiction Lover, I’ve laughed, screamed, jumped in fright, and even startled my husband with cries of anguish at the final, shocking twist of a book. Now, dammit, Robert Crais, you made me blub. I’m ashamed to…
Snow White Must Die
Written by Nele Neuhaus — There is a wonderful Cinderella story behind this book, or rather its author. Only seven years ago, German writer Nele Neuhaus was a self-published debut author timidly cold-calling local bookstores in her native Germany. Since then, however, she has proved that…
What You See in the Dark
Written by Manuel Munoz — What You See in the Dark contrasts two murders. One is the on-screen killing of Marion Crane, as played by Janet Leigh in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film, Psycho. The other is that of Teresa Garza, a rather plain young lady…