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Chris Wolak

Chris Wolak is an avid reader of crime fiction, history, and classics. She writes about books at WildmooBooks.com and is the cohost of the podcast Book Cougars. You can also find her on Twitter @chriswolak.

Book Review: You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce

By Chris Wolak

April 24, 2020

You Let Me In delivers a stunning tale from debut author Camilla Bruce, combining a sinister domestic atmosphere with otherwordly thrills. You Let Me In by Norwegian writer Camilla Bruce is a mixed genre novel that will grab you by the throat and not let you go. This “modern fairy tale” is in the tradition of…

Book Review: The Companion by Kim Taylor Blakemore

By Chris Wolak

January 16, 2020

In her debut historical mystery, The Companion, Kim Taylor Blakemore takes readers to New Hampshire in 1855, where Lucy Blunt revisits the events that landed her on death row.  I first came across Kim Taylor Blakemore on Instagram. The photos she posts of her research drew me in. Many were in relation to her writing…

Book Review: The Hollows by Jess Montgomery

By Chris Wolak

January 15, 2020

The Hollows by Jess Montgomery is the second book in the Kinship series, a powerful, big-hearted, and exquisitely written follow-up to her highly acclaimed debut, The Widows. The Hollows is Jess Montgomery’s second book in the Kinship historical mystery series set in Southern Ohio. The first book in the series, The Widows, introduced readers to…

Book Review: Thin Ice by Paige Shelton

By Chris Wolak

December 4, 2019

First in a new series by Paige Shelton, Thin Ice follows thriller author Beth Rivers as she tries to escape a fanatic’s obsession in the wide-open spaces of Alaska. Paige Shelton is a prolific mystery writer with several popular series already under her belt: the Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series, the Country Cooking School Mystery Series, the…

Book Review: Ain’t Nobody Nobody by Heather Harper Ellett

By Chris Wolak

September 23, 2019

Ain’t Nobody Nobody by Heather Harper Ellett is a riveting debut novel about family and loyalty, old grudges, and new lives—a cross between Faulkner and Breaking Bad from a talented new writer with an authentic Texas voice. Heather Harper Ellett is a vibrant new voice in the mystery scene. Ain’t Nobody Nobody was a delight to…

The Last Woman in the Forest by Diane Les Becquets

Book Review: The Last Woman in the Forest by Diane Les Becquets

By Chris Wolak

March 7, 2019

The Last Woman in the Forest by Diane Les Becquets is thriller about a woman whose greatest threat could be the man she loves.  Disclaimer: this review was written by a dog lover. This mystery got off to a bit of a slow start for me. It seemed a bit choppy, but once the plot was…

Book Review: Wild Bill by Tom Clavin

By Chris Wolak

March 4, 2019

From Tom Clavin, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dodge City, Wild Bill is the story of the first lawman of the Wild West. What do you know about Wild Bill Hickock? True or False. Wild Bill was a: Folk hero Scout Spy Soldier Abolitionist Wagon master Gambler Gunfighter Snazzy dresser Devoted husband New York City…

Book Review: The Lost Man by Jane Harper

By Chris Wolak

February 7, 2019

The Lost Man by New York Times-bestseller Jane Harper is a stunning new standalone novel about two brothers who meet in the remote Australian outback when the third brother is found dead. British-born, Australian writer Jane Harper has quickly established herself as a writer you can trust to deliver a great read. Her first two novels,…

Review: Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller

By Chris Wolak

October 11, 2018

From Claire Fuller — the author of Our Endless Numbered Days and Swimming Lessons — Bitter Orange is a seductive psychological portrait, a keyhole into the dangers of longing and how far a woman might go to escape her past. Bitter Orange, Claire Fuller’s third novel, is a literary mystery that fans of Sarah Waters, Daphne Du Maurier, and Shirley…

Review: Bimini Twist by Linda Greenlaw

By Chris Wolak

June 25, 2018

Bimini Twist by Linda Greenlaw is the fourth book in the Jane Bunker Mystery series, another thrilling, small-town mystery set in Down East Maine. Linda Greenlaw’s Bimini Twist is a perfect summer read. If you like the water, boats, and Maine—or have always wanted to visit—Greenlaw’s Jane Bunker series is an exciting way to experience it via armchair travel.…

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