murder thrillers Archives - Page 5 of 6 - Criminal Element -- Login / Register Search for: -- Search for: Read Excerpts Reviews Author Spotlight Essays Interviews Book Listicles On-Screen Television Film Trailers Cooking the Books Newsletter Login / Register murder thrillers Six Metaphysical Detective Stories with Alex Pavesi, Author of Ink Ribbon Red By Alex Pavesi July 17, 2025 We know how the detective novel is supposed to play out. A crime leads to an investigation that leads to a solution. But sometimes this seemingly simple structure can be derailed by narrative forces.  What if the decisive clue can’t be found? What if the exact crime committed is unclear? Are some mysteries simply unsolvable?… Book Review: Saltwater by Katy Hays By Doreen Sheridan July 10, 2025 The old-money Lingate family has very rigid ideas about their reputation. Ever since the scandal surrounding the death of playwright Sarah Lingate in 1992, they’ve closed ranks even more tightly than before, presenting a strictly enforced united front against the world. Sarah’s daughter Helen finds this suffocating, even if it looks to the entire world… Book Review: Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts By Janet Webb June 13, 2025 A new Nora Roberts thriller is a cause for celebration and Hidden Nature is no exception.  It opens with a bang: “The day Sloan Cooper died began before dawn and ended shortly before midnight.”  Sloan Cooper is “a corporal in the Natural Resources Police” and she and her partner Joel Warren have spent three days… Book Review: Don’t Tell Me How To Die by Marshall Karp By Doreen Sheridan June 10, 2025 Maggie Dunn has always been something of a control freak. She’s pretty sure it was due to her beloved mother dying from a rare, hereditary blood condition when she and her younger sister Lizzie were only in their teens, leaving their entire family both bereft and adrift.  Kate McCormick had done her best to prepare… Book Review: Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister By Doreen Sheridan May 28, 2025 Camilla Deschamps is spending what should be a banner day in her small family’s life feeling deeply annoyed instead. Her infant daughter Polly is about to attend nursery school for the very first time, freeing Camilla herself to go back to work at her literary agency. Her husband Luke, however, has suddenly gone missing. He’s… Book Review: Skin and Bones: And Other Mike Bowditch Short Stories by Paul Doiron By Janet Webb May 13, 2025 Readers have a reason to rejoice—Paul Doiron is releasing a new Mike Bowditch short story, “Sheep’s Clothing.” “Sheep’s Clothing” is one of eight Mike Bowditch short stories in the Skin and Bones collection. We’re in familiar territory—Maine game warden Mike Bowditch has managed to tick off the higher ups to whom he reports to such… Book Review: Dead Money by Jakob Kerr By Janet Webb May 8, 2025 Dead Money is impossible to pin down. Is it a roman à clef set in the Bay area?  Definitely. You’ll wonder, is that Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Kara Swisher, or Sheryl Sandberg, to name a few über-famous denizens of the Bay area tech community.  From Silicon Valley to Burning Man, Oakland lawyer Jakob Kerr has… Featured Excerpt: The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten By Crime HQ April 25, 2025 PROLOGUE  May 12, 2012  The bonfire was starting to die out. It had been a pitiful attempt at a fire to begin with, fueled by optimism and vodka. The few skinny, damp branches they’d managed to find on the island had barely agreed to catch flame after half an hour of gentle coercion at the… Book Review: The Department by Jacqueline Faber By Janet Webb April 22, 2025 A verse from a blues song “about girl troubles,” by bluesman Furry Lewis, encapsulates Professor Neil Weber’s life: the 1928 anthem “I Will Turn Your Money Green” is a bluesy anthem to the troubles Neil feels. I been down so long   It seem like up to me   Woman I love   She done… Book Review: A Long Time Gone by Joshua Moehling By Doreen Sheridan April 21, 2025 Deputy Sheriff Ben Packard has certainly gone through a lot since returning to Sandy Lake at the behest of its dying sheriff Stan Shaw. Packard just couldn’t say no when his mentor asked him to take on the role of acting sheriff. After Stan passed, Packard was persuaded to run for sheriff himself. He looked… « Previous Page 1 … 3 4 5 6 Next Page » About Advertise With Us Terms of Use Privacy Notice Your Privacy Choices Contact Us Site Powered by Supadu The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.