Don’t Look Down by Hilary Davidson is a fast-paced, twisty, classic city crime thriller that leaves one fully satisfied with the conclusion but perhaps thirsting a little more for the inner lives of the characters. The book begins not with NYPD Detective Sheryn Sterling, but with Jo Greaver, who is headed to an assignation to…
Sherry Thomas’ “Lady Sherlock” series may be the most female-centric reimagination of the great detective that I’ve ever read. And, as a die-hard reader of all things Sherlock Holmes, who’s also written books inspired by the original Arthur Conan Doyle series, I can say that The Art of the Theft, the fourth book in the…
The Spotted Dog by Kerry Greenwood is the seventh book in the Corinna Chapman Mystery series. When a military veteran comes to Corinna’s bakery, Earthly Delights, in search of his missing dog, Corinna and Daniel try to reclaim the missing pup while steering clear of the drug runners who set everything in motion. To enter…
In Mary Lawrence’s The Alchemist of Lost Souls—the fourth book in the Bianca Goddard Mystery series—a dangerous element discovered by Bianca Goddard’s father falls into the wrong hands… leading to a chain of multiple murders. Henry VIII rules England but, in this fourth installment of Mary Lawrence’s Bianca Goddard mysteries, the king is a distant…
Murder Knocks Twice by Susanna Calkins is the first mystery in a captivating new series that takes readers into the dark, dangerous, and glittering underworld of a 1920s Chicago speakeasy.
How can Gotham be an interesting show if it doesn’t have Batman? It’s a question I’ve been asked numerous times since Fox Television announced that Gotham would join their fall schedule. The show will focus on a young Jim Gordon investigating the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne and track the evolution of the city…
Invisible City by Julia Dahl is about a murder in a Hasidic NYC community, and the only way for hopeful big-city reporter Rebekah to catch the killer is to must immerse herself in the traditionally closed-door culture (available May 6, 2014). World building is something readers often associate with fantasy worlds or stories set on…
With Chicago P.D., executive producer Dick Wolf may have the beginnings of a new dynasty on his hands, this time set in The Windy City instead of New York. Spun-off from the surprise success of Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. looks to be around for a while, if the show’s initial ratings remain stable. P.D. already…
Who Thinks Evil by Michael Kurland is the fifth in a historical mystery series that takes a look at an alternative portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Professor Moriarty (available February 4, 2014). There are two famous characters who yet appeared only once in the Sherlock Holmes Canon by Arthur Conan Doyle. And despite those…
Just as Middle Earth is essential in J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories, Gotham City is an important element of the Batman mythos. Somewhere out there, Gotham is a real place where citizens struggle to hold onto hope, and where its heroes, past and present, provide protection. Tim Burton understood this when he recreated the Batman myth for…
