Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Starred 2011 Mysteries & Thrillers


Cover art for ECHOES OF THE DEAD
FICTION
Released: April 1, 2011

"Shifting seamlessly between past and present versions of the case, Spencer produces a tour de force readers won't quickly forget."
A convicted murderer's dying declaration prompts an unexpected investigation for DCI Monika Paniatowski (The Ring of Death, 2010, etc.) and a world of trouble for her beloved Charlie Woodend. Read full book review >
Cover art for DEAD BY MIDNIGHT
FICTION
Released: March 29, 2011

"Hart's latest cozy puzzler casts a net that will ensnare a wide audience."
A mystery bookseller once more finds real-life murders harder to solve than the ones in the books she loves. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE KING OF DIAMONDS
FICTION
Released: March 15, 2011

"A thick web of family tensions and psychological dysfunction with a whodunit chaser, Tolkien's third novel (The Inheritance, 2010, etc.) is elegantly written, with Masterpiece Theatre pacing and embellishments. "
A prisoner escapes on the very night that his ex-girlfriend is murdered. Could it possibly be a coincidence? Read full book review >
Cover art for BLOWBACK
FICTION
Released: March 1, 2011

"May's flair for narrative, characterization and evocative descriptions of various locales and historic tidbits makes his formulaic whodunit fresh and delightfully readable--catnip for armchair sleuths."
Mon dieu! Someone has killed the Great Chef of Europe. Read full book review >
Cover art for PAST TENSE
FICTION
Released: March 1, 2011

"The latest in Aird's long string of slyly humorous mysteries featuring Sloan and Crosby (Losing Ground, 2010, etc.) is a classic English police procedural sure to delight her many fans."
Finding a connection between the recently deceased Josephine Short and a young woman found drowned is a thorny problem for DCI Sloan and his dense sidekick, Constable Crosby. Read full book review >
Cover art for RIZZO'S FIRE
FICTION
Released: March 1, 2011

"Bar none, Joe Rizzo is the most authentic cop in contemporary crime fiction."
In the gripping sequel to Rizzo's War (2009), maverick Detective Sergeant Joe Rizzo investigates the murder of a man too unimportant to murder. Read full book review >