Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




2011 Best of Fiction: Thrillers (page 2)


Cover art for BLOODMONEY
FICTION
Released: June 1, 2011

"A terrific, believable novel about the intersection of politics, ethics and finance."
Ignatius (The Increment, 2009, etc.) continues his series of top-notch CIA thrillers with this fast-paced new entry. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE TROUBLED MAN
FICTION
Released: March 29, 2011
by Henning Mankell, translated by Laurie Thompson

"Though shivering in the winter of his discontent, Wallander will grip the reader hard. Flawed and occasionally exasperating, he is that rare thing: a true original."
Swedish detective Chief Inspector Kurt Wallander (The Pyramid, 2008, etc.) makes a riveting 10th appearance in the strange case of the spy who was and wasn't. Read full book review >
Cover art for TRACKERS
FICTION
Released: Sept. 1, 2011

"A first-rate thriller; a touch slow to get going, but hard to apply the brakes to once it gets rolling."
Oh, what a tangled web those rhinos weave: South African mystery maven Meyers returns with a complex tale of intrigue and mayhem most satisfying. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE SNOWMAN
FICTION
Released: May 1, 2011
by Jo Nesbø, translated by Don Bartlett

"The smart, suspenseful cat-and-mouse game will remind some readers of Erik Skjoldbjærg's 1997 film Insomnia--and that's high praise indeed."
Erica Jong meets Stephen King meets, yes, Stieg Larsson in this superb thriller, the eighth by Norwegian mystery writer Nesbø. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE INFORMANT
FICTION
Released: May 5, 2011

"Beneath the sky-high body count, the twisty plot is powered by Perry's relentless focus on the question of where the next threat is coming from and how to survive it."
Twenty years after a trio of lowlifes forced him out of retirement (Sleeping Dogs, 1992, etc.), the Butcher's Boy is back. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE COMPLAINTS
FICTION
Released: March 7, 2011

"Will readers miss Rankin's long-running protagonist, John Rebus (Exit Music, 2008, etc.)? Don't see why they should. Bonus: Rankin's plotting and prose are as compelling as ever."
Rankin adds another Edinburgh cop to his repertoire. Read full book review >