detective novel

The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith – Book Review

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The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith - Book Cover

Joanne K. Rowling, writing under the pen name Robert Galbraith for the Cormoran Strike novels, has recently found herself in the spotlight over several hot-button issues. She’s no stranger to the internet’s relentless storm of public backlash, so it’s not entirely surprising that the fifth installment, The Ink Black Heart, dives into this territory. Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott find themselves investigating an online harassment case that soon takes a deadly turn, immersing them in the darkest corners of the internet.

Incidentally, Rowling may have also set her sights on breaking the Guinness World Record for the thickest crime novel of all time…

The Ink Black Heart Makes Its Way to Netflix

The title, The Ink Black Heart, seems fitting for an exceptionally twisted villain. But instead, it refers to a surreal, bizarre, yet somehow endearing animated series that quickly achieves cult status. One of its creators, Edie Ledwell, becomes the target of an internet troll. But Anomie, as it turns out, is no ordinary troll; they’re the creator of an online game based on a character from this cult YouTube series, and a master manipulator with a massive fanbase. Strike and Robin are certainly in for a challenging case…

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Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie – Book Review

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Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie – Book Cover

The last time I read an Agatha Christie book was around 35-40 years ago. I’d worked my way through most of her collection, thanks to my Aunt Maggie, who spent decades amassing mystery novels, so naturally, the works of the Queen of Crime were included. Then, suddenly, I had enough. I got tired of the Belgian with the big mustache, just as I did with the nosy Mrs. Marple. But a book review blog offers a good opportunity to give this classic British author another chance. And, of course, it’s wise to start with one of her most famous works. Like Murder on the Orient Express.

The Mystery of the Sealed Express Train

The Orient Express, spanning the width of continental Europe from Istanbul to Paris, seems like the perfect setting for a murder. You board, do what you must— preferably at night, when everyone’s peacefully snoozing in their sleeping compartments – then get off at the next stop and sayonara, leaving the rest to those left on the train.

Of course, accidents can always happen. Like a snowstorm that leaves you stuck on the train in the middle of nowhere in Yugoslavia. And then, even worse, the famous Belgian private detective, Hercule Poirot, is also on board and is immediately asked to investigate. But let’s be real, even if they hadn’t asked, I’d bet my rusty pocketknife he’d look into it anyway.

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Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Daniel Silva – Book Review

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Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Daniel Silva – Book Cover

Gabriel Allon, the legendary Israeli master spy, has finally retired. About time! Honestly, he should have done it at least four books ago. After all, a Mossad director in his seventies, still running field operations, was getting a bit ridiculous. Well, maybe more than a bit. So, what’s ex-assassin Grandpa up to now in the latest installment, Portrait of an Unknown Woman? Well, pretty much the same stuff he always did…

Portrait of an Unknown Woman: A Clever Forgery

Julian Isherwood, the absent-minded art dealer, has a knack for getting into trouble. And this time is no different. And honestly, in his shoes, who else would you call when things go sideways, especially when one of your best pals is the former head of Mossad?

A newly discovered painting called Portrait of an Unknown Woman has surfaced in the art world, supposedly bearing the mark of Van Dyck. Along with the skillful hand of a forger. Behind the forger looms a whole network flooding the market with countless fake works of art. Exposing these forgers? That sounds like the perfect job for a retired super-spy…

Portrait of an Unknown Woman: A Clever Crime Novel

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Snow by John Banville – Book Review

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Snow by John Banville – Book Cover

Ireland’s national pride and holder of numerous literary awards, John Banville, has added another crime novel to his repertoire. Snow is one of those rare books considered to have literary value while still being a crime novel.

Masterful Atmosphere Creation

In the library room of the Osborne family’s country manor, the well-liked Father Tom is found dead… It sounds like the opening of an Agatha Christie story, doesn’t it? Banville himself playfully draws attention to this multiple times. However, the author quickly moves beyond this setup thanks to his unusually deep character portrayals.

Readers accustomed to Agatha Christie and her light style, who might pick up Snow on a whim, are quickly captivated by the masterful ease with which Banville introduces his main character, Inspector Strafford. Strafford is unusually uncertain, doubtful, and even seems a bit ridiculous in his own eyes—a far cry from the typical detective.

However, beyond its excellent characters, the main strength of Banville’s Snow lies in its vivid depiction of late 1950s Ireland.

The country, groaning under the dominance of the Church and unable to move beyond Catholic-Protestant tensions, stands at the threshold of the revolutionary 1960s.

Meanwhile, the upper classes, stagnating in the boredom of rural life, are on the verge of being swept away by the winds of change. Until then, they rely on time-tested distractions: hunting, sex, alcohol, and morphine.

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The Secret by Lee Child – Book Review

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The Secret by Lee Child – Book Cover

In the 28th installment of the series, Lee Child’s uncomprimising protagonist, Jack Reacher, revisits an old adventure. The year is 1992, and Reacher, recently demoted to captain, finds himself assigned—almost as a punishment—to a special investigative unit probing a decades-old CIA operation. Someone is systematically eliminating the scientists who were once part of this ultra-secret mission. Behind it all lies a deeply buried, grave secret. But with Jack Reacher on the case, it won’t remain hidden for long…

Andrew Child Finds His Groove

We all know what it means when co-authors start appearing in a series. Usually, nothing good. “The Secret” is the fourth installment in the long-standing Jack Reacher series where Andrew Child has lent a hand. Or, to be more precise: he likely wrote it entirely by himself. The previous three books were noticeably weaker than their predecessors.

Andrew Child, of course, tried his best. In fact, he tried quite skillfully. However, long-time fans of the series could instantly sense that something was off. The little details didn’t quite click. Reacher wasn’t putting as much effort into analyzing the clues. The tactical finesse in the confrontations was missing. Sometimes, the major developed incredible, almost superhero-like abilities. And even his sense of humor seemed to have dulled.

Yet, when reading The Secret, if you didn’t know beforehand, you might not even notice the co-author’s involvement. The Secret almost feels like a classic Reacher tale.

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The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Book Review

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The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Book Cover

I first read the most famous of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s four Sherlock Holmes novels during my elementary school years. Admittedly, It’s been quite a while since then, but I can tell you that the wretched beast scared me so much that I could hardly sleep. I vividly imagined its fire-breathing snout and its eyes blazing in the flames as it roamed the moors, hunting for prey and howling at the moon, so fiercely that it sent shivers down my spine. However, it’s been 120 years since the writing of The Hound of the Baskervilles, so it wouldn’t be too surprising if the notorious hound’s fur had thinned out a bit by now. And most of its teeth might have fallen out as well…

The Hound of the Baskervilles is a Terrifying Monster

It’s easy to understand why the tale of the bloodhound, which has been haunting the Baskerville family for centuries, is the Scottish writer’s most popular work. It’s self-evident, due to its supernatural aspects. The otherworldly creature that haunts the family as a vengeful spirit has become a local legend. The crime scene is an abandoned, dangerous moor populated by eccentric characters. All these elements serve to heighten the reader’s sense of dread.

Moreover, considering the impact of the story at the time of its release, it’s not hard to imagine the reaction it must have provoked. Doyle, who revitalized and pioneered the crime fiction genre, had an influence on his field comparable to, that of The Beatles on the music of the 1960s.

The unsuspecting Victorian-era readers, accustomed to a more leisurely pace of life, probably reacted the same way I did as a child: they were so excited that they ended up filling their pants.

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Hunting Evil by Chris Carter – Book Review

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Hunting Evil by Chris Carter – Book Cover

Chris Carter has an uncanny ability to tap into the zeitgeist: his crime novels, which verge on slasher horror, manage to satisfy fans of multiple genres at once. His infinitely detailed descriptions of gruesome crimes fill readers with both a shudder and a morbid curiosity. And just when you think Carter is merely rewriting the same book over and over again, the American author delivers An Evil Mind, a true monument to human depravity. Hunting Evil is the sequel to this work.

Experiments of a serial killer

In the preface to Hunting Evil, Chris Carter himself suggests starting with the preceding novel, a recommendation that’s hard to disagree with. Without the context of the sixth installment (see An Evil Mind) of the Robert Hunter series, this book is far less impactful.

Without this background, as you progress through the pages of Hunting Evil, you might mistakenly believe that Lucien Folter is just another annoying, attention-seeking, and thus particularly irritating, subtype of serial killer—a mere clown, so to speak.

You couldn’t be more wrong. An Evil Mind makes it clear that this elusive human chameleon, who aspires to create an encyclopedia of serial killers, is the devil himself!

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Holly by Stephen King – Book Review

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Holly by Stephen King – Book Cover

Stephen King read a newspaper article about an elderly couple who had committed murder. Everyone considered them to be kind and decent people—until the buried bodies were found in their backyard. “Perfect material for a novel,” thought King. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic was raging worldwide. All that was needed was Holly Gibney, the beloved character from the Mr. Mercedes books who had since become a private detective, and the result is the thrilling and chilling crime novel titled Holly.

Ultra-conservatives, beware!

Why?

Because you’ll get angry right at the beginning of this book.

One of the main threads in Stephen King’s Holly is the coronavirus. Interestingly, and almost inexplicably, anti-vaxxers primarily come from the staunchly right-wing voting demographic worldwide. I’m not entirely sure, but many believe these people are also the ones more susceptible to conspiracy theories.

(For example: The Earth is flat and is carried on the backs of four bristly armadillos.; or the Moon is made entirely of Emmental cheese. Watch out! These theories might seem entirely plausible at first glance, but they are not true!)

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The Last Move by Mary Burton – Book Review

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The Last Move by Mary Burton – Book Cover

Mary Burton is the author of dozens of romance novels. This fact alone might scare off many crime readers from picking up The Last Move. However, if you enjoy living dangerously, go ahead and give it a try.

The Last Move: A Decent Serial Killer Thriller

If you’ve already read a thousand crime novels where some vicious madmen is murdering innocent American citizens, it might be hard to surprise you. Mary Burton doesn’t really manage to do so either. But that’s not necessarily a problem, as it doesn’t seem to be her goal.

There’s a minor hiccup, though: theoretically, the Samaritan is already behind bars, but we’ve seen enough copycats, mentees trained by serial killers, or wrongly convicted criminals. It’s up to Dr. Hayden and Mazur to figure out which category the Samaritan falls into.

Minimal Romance Factor

Naturally, the protagonists have to work together. And here Burton surprises us: neither of them is unbearable, they don’t hate each other, and they don’t immediately want to rip each other’s clothes off. Instead, they work together excellently. Both are smart and dedicated, so it’s no wonder they develop a mutual attraction, right?

No.

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The Silence of the White City by Eva García Sáenz De Urturi – Book Review

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The Silence of the White City by Eva García Sáenz De Urturi – Book Cover

If you’ve read tons of crime novels, you’re well aware that American, British, Scandinavian, etc., detectives work their guts out when there’s a case. They know that as time goes by, it only gets harder to catch a criminal. But what do the Basque cops do in comparison? At least, if we’re going by The Silence of the White City. Well, they just don’t give a good goddamn about the whole thing.

They take it easy over the weekend—even if Spain’s most brutal serial killer in history is massacring half the city. They head to the countryside for a little gardening, plan their upcoming weddings, that sort of thing. Meanwhile, the bodies are piling up like nobody’s business.

Something’s Off with The Silence of the White City

Eva García Sáenz De Urturi’s book feels a bit… off. The foundations are mostly solid, but the quality fluctuates wildly. There’s nothing catastrophically wrong with it, but the constant little irritations keep it from rising above average.

Like what?

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