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UnderratedReads is devoted to discovering underrated books and under-represented authors. We highlight hidden gems from around the world–honest reviews only, never pay-to-play.
Category Archives: Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Second Pocket First – Gregory Grosvenor
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Issey had always been a thief, but not a particularly good one. The thrill of lifting someone’s property was overwhelming since he was a boy stealing mail. Lockpicking was his specialty, but as an adult working … Continue reading
Tenth Commandment: A Cat Caliban Mystery (The Cat Caliban Mysteries) – D. B. Borton
(Reviewed by Pat Luboff) “I’m too tired. I just want to go to bed with a book.” In Chapter 1, sixty- one -year-old Cat was asked what she was good at. She thinks: “Certainly not marriage or motherhood or … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged book reviews. fiction, murder
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Trust Issues – Katherine Nichols
(Reviewed by JD Jung) From the moment you pick up Trust Issues and are drawn in by its intriguing cover, you might expect a romance or women’s fiction story. But don’t be fooled—this novel packs a crime thriller punch, brimming … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged Atlanta, corruption, Crime, crime fiction, murder, mystery, suspense
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California Rain – Frank McAdams
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Set against the backdrop of 1950s America, California Rain delivers a gripping noir thriller that blends the intrigue of political scandal, the fight for justice, along with the glamour of old Hollywood. With an evocative sense … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Historical Fiction
Tagged crime fiction, Hollywood, murder, noir
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Pieces: Maddy Reynolds in the Crosshairs – John Netti
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Detective Maddy Reynolds was so burned out from her job that she decided to take early retirement and move to the small, quiet town of Berry Lake, New York. Little did she know that her … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged Crime, New York, serial killers
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Pentimento Mori – Valeria Corciolani
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “It’s simply a matter of yellows, figs, vans, and kites…Why can’t I get a nice simple gang murder or an old-fashioned serial killer?” Public Prosecutor Jacopo Bassi has had enough of this murder case, the victim … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Italian Literature, World Literature
Tagged art history, cozy mystery, Italian literature
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Blood and Mascara – Colin Krainin
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…all the women he had known and loved, the idea of them was there in front of him…and once he had come to love then, had he not carried them about within him forever after, like … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged crime fiction, noir, obsession
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The Blind Devotion of Imogene: The Misadventures of Imogene Taylor – David Putnam
(Reviewed by JD Jung) It’s 1973, and seventy-five-year-old Imogene Taylor has just been released from the Chino Institute for Women after serving time for second-degree murder. As she returns to her home in California’s Inland Empire, readers are immediately … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Humor & Satire
Tagged humor
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Bad Tourists – Caro Carver
(Reviewed by JD Jung) In this riveting novel, three friends in their forties—Darcy, Camilla, and Kate—embark on an extravagant trip to the Maldives to celebrate Darcy’s lucrative divorce. Since their backgrounds and personalities are very different, we wonder how and … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged crime fiction, divorce, friendship, Maldives, suspense
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The Last Shadow – Michael Allen Zell
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Retired New York cop Julius Mosley found a new life in New Orleans. As a martial arts instructor, he is able to find an inner peace that was not available to him in New York. … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged crime fiction, martial arts, New Orleans
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