Book #28 of 2026: Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout (Nero Wolfe #1) This 1934 novel introduces the character of Nero Wolfe, as well as his assistant Archie Goodwin and a few other members of their inner circle. The former is a genius consulting detective in the style of Hercule Poirot (who had debuted in 1920) or …
Tag Archives: detective fiction
Book Review: Nightingale’s Lament by Simon R. Green
Book #103 of 2025: Nightingale’s Lament by Simon R. Green (Nightside #3) Not great, but I like it better than I did on my last read in 2019. I’ve described the Nightside books before as having rhythms similar to a police procedural TV show, and after a pilot outing and a fairly thrilling followup, this …
Continue reading “Book Review: Nightingale’s Lament by Simon R. Green”
Book Review: Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall
Book #99 of 2025: Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall This 2025 title is the debut novel of author Chris Chibnall, better known as the former showrunner behind Doctor Who and — more relevant here — Broadchurch. Like the latter show, it’s a murder mystery set in a coastal English village and investigated …
Continue reading “Book Review: Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall”
Book Review: Agents of Light and Darkness by Simon R. Green
Book #92 of 2025: Agents of Light and Darkness by Simon R. Green (Nightside #2) [Note: this is a modified version of my review from 2018.] This urban fantasy series still has issues like an oversexualization of its female characters, but this second novel is better than I remembered and a vast improvement over the …
Continue reading “Book Review: Agents of Light and Darkness by Simon R. Green”
Book Review: Never Flinch by Stephen King
Book #87 of 2025: Never Flinch by Stephen King (Holly Gibney #4) In the afterword to this new novel, author Stephen King acknowledges that it was difficult to write before saying that he’s “happy enough” with the final version. That’s largely how I feel as a reader, too. This is pretty far from the writer …
Continue reading “Book Review: Never Flinch by Stephen King”
Book Review: Nightshade by Michael Connelly
Book #85 of 2025: Nightshade by Michael Connelly (Detective Stilwell #1) This 2025 release is the start of a new series for author Michael Connelly, although there are a few subtle indications throughout that it’s set in the same continuity as his long-running Bosch and Lincoln Lawyer titles. I’d be shocked if there aren’t crossover …
Continue reading “Book Review: Nightshade by Michael Connelly”
Book Review: Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green
Book #81 of 2025: Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green (Nightside #1) [Note: this is an updated version of my review from 2017.] The Nightside series was my introduction to the urban fantasy genre back in high school, and I still have a bit of a soft spot for it. This 2003 title …
Continue reading “Book Review: Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green”
Book Review: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
Book #80 of 2025: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman (We Solve Murders #1) Mixed feelings on this one. I like the interpersonal dynamics of the private security officer, her father-in-law the retired detective, and their eccentric author friend, and it’s fun to watch them bounce around the globe dodging their enemies while trying to …
Continue reading “Book Review: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman”
Book Review: Carnacki, the Ghost-Finder by William Hope Hodgson
Book #177 of 2024: Carnacki, the Ghost-Finder by William Hope Hodgson This 1913 short story collection consists of six entries initially published in various British magazines a few years prior, all concerning the titular occult detective, Thomas Carnacki. His methods are somewhat like those of Sherlock Holmes, but his domain is the supernatural and especially …
Continue reading “Book Review: Carnacki, the Ghost-Finder by William Hope Hodgson”
Book Review: The Waiting by Michael Connelly
Book #152 of 2024: The Waiting by Michael Connelly (Ballard and Bosch #5) As usual for author Michael Connelly’s stories about now-retired LAPD cop Harry Bosch and his extended network of supporting characters, this latest title juggles several subplots, mostly in the form of active police investigations. Since the protagonist here is Renée Ballard, that …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Waiting by Michael Connelly”
The Lesser Joke: book reviews and more 