WONDERLAND by Robert B. Parker and Ace Atkins

Wonderland is the second Spenser novel by Ace Atkins, and it is possibly the most densely plotted of all the books. Usually I breeze through these novels, including Atkins’s last entry into this long-lived series, but this one took some time to digest. There are a lot of players, and there are a lot of […]

DEAD AIM by Joe R. Lansdale

Joe Lansdale’s latest book snuck up on me. I didn’t know it was already out until I tripped across it yesterday on Amazon. I downloaded the ebook and tucked in, instantly transported to East Texas crime noir with series heroes Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. I’ve been reading the Hap and Leonard books for a […]

LEVERAGE: THE CON JOB by Matt Forbeck

The television show Leverage has been a staple around my house for the last five years. I can’t believe it’s been that long, and I can’t believe it won’t be back next summer. Learning that was a total bummer because I totally enjoyed the characters. When I learned that there would be some original novels […]

SUSPECT by Robert Crais

I’ve been an Elvis Cole/Joe Pike fan for years, and I was really looking forward to January and catching up with my fave L. A. PIs, but that wasn’t in the cards this year. However, Robert Crais’s newest serving of cops and suspense was entirely awesome, with two characters that kept me nailed to the […]

GUN MACHINE by Warren Ellis

Warren Ellis is an amazing comic book writer whose career has spanned DC Comics and the Marvel Universe and independent comics companies. He wrote Red, which became a hot Bruce Willis action/comedy movie so successful a sequel is coming out. He’s one of those writers whose every move is watched by comics fans and Hollywood […]

SAILOR by Tom Epperson

When I first saw the book Sailor and read the premise, I figured I be getting a Lee Child/Jack Reacher type of story. I was happy with that because I like the run and gun novels a lot. Instead of being a tightly woven kill or be killed tale, it shakes loose story threads all […]

THE LOST ONES by Ace Atkins

I was kind of tepid on the first Quinn Colson novel by Ace Atkins. I thought The Ranger had a great sense of place and character, but there just wasn’t enough going on to suit me. The pot needed a little more stirring. However, after reading and being suitably impressed with the author’s Spenser novel, […]

LULLABY by Robert B. Parker and Ace Atkins

When I lost Robert B. Parker in 2010 shortly after meeting him for the first time at a book signing down in Dallas, I didn’t know what to think. Well, actually I did. I’ve been reading the Spenser series since 1978 when I got Promised Land from the Mystery Book Club. That single book hooked […]

COLD CITY by F. Paul Wilson

I love Repairman Jack! He is easily one of the greatest fictional characters ever invented. I first stumbled across him in a short story, “Day in the Life” in the Stalkers anthology, and started looking for novels featuring the character. At the time, there was only The Tomb, which wasn’t the same kind of story, […]

AU REVOIR, CRAZY EUROPEAN CHICK by Joe Schreiber

I’ve been reading Joe Schreiber’s books for a few years now. He hasn’t written many so he’s one of those writers at the moment that is easy to catch up with, but the ones he’s written have had impact in the field. One of his claims to fame is that he brought zombies to Star […]