SHARP PRIVATE EYE thriller follows a detective and his childhood best friend, now an investigative reporter, to Mexico on the trail of a seasoned criminal. Lots of relatable characters and some great descriptions. SOLID B
A LONG-FORGOTTEN LITERARY GEM from 1938, reissued in a sumptuous new edition. Beautifully stark modernist novel traces the gradual diminution of a woman’s life with pitiless clarity. A MINUS
SENSATIONAL WILD-WEST DETECTIVE yarn features the “Holmes On the Range” brothers—a pair of cowboys turned sleuths—guarding a fossil dig in Wyoming with trouble not far behind. Brilliant return of these colorful characters in a sharp, twisty plot. A MINUS
NEAR-FUTURE NOIR THRILLER, set in a Pacific Northwest sodden with “broken weather,” combines lots of action and a colorful cast of characters for a highly entertaining read. B PLUS
GORGEOUS, EVOCATIVE, SPOOKY as hell, Paul Jessup’s latest novel is infused with terror, yearning, and twisted love. Impeccable and poetic prose, powerful characterization, a haunting that lingers on. A MINUS
CON ARTISTS, CRYPTIDS, AND A CARNIVAL with some hidden secrets converge on rural West Virginia in this stylish noir thriller, part of a multi-book anthology series. Smart, atmospheric writing. B PLUS