Keigo Higashino writes murder mysteries in Japan. Very popular there.

In translation, his books don’t compare with the sophistication and subtlety of American and British writers. But there is something appealing about the slow pace. The simplicity of the scenes.

Also, his translators are not all that good. They get slang wrong most of the time.

Tokyo Police Detective Kyochiro Kaga is a super likeable protagonist.

Demoted, Kaga was transferred to a new precinct.

Newly arrived, but with a great deal of experience, Kaga is promptly assigned to the team investigating the inexplicable murder of a woman in her own home.

But the more he investigates, the greater number of potential suspects emerges.

It isn’t long before it seems nearly all the people living and working in the business district of Nihonbashi have a motive.

Though seemingly simplistic, a Japanese virtue, each of the 9 chapters of this book is a self-contained story, with its own conflicts, its own resolution. There is much more here than just a whodunnit.

21st book in the series. Possibly the best, so far.

It was one of Stephen King’s favorite 2021 summer reads.

This novel was written during pandemic lockdown on his ranch.

The author had plenty of time to write and fish.

Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett must accompany a Silicon Valley CEO on a hunting trip–but soon learns that he himself may be the hunted …

When the governor of Wyoming gives Joe Pickett the thankless task of taking a tech baron on an elk hunting trip, Joe reluctantly treks into the wilderness with his high-profile charge.

But as they venture into the woods, a man-hunter is hot on their heels, driven by a desire for revenge. Finding himself without a weapon, a horse, or a way to communicate, Joe must rely on his wits and his knowledge of the outdoors to protect himself and his companion.

Meanwhile, Joe’s closest friend, Nate Romanowski, and his own daughter Sheridan learn of the threat to Joe’s life and follow him into the woods.

In a stunning final showdown, the three of them come up against the worst that nature–and man–have to offer.

CJBox.net

Yet another intriguing plot from the Canadian author.

This book did keep me interested throughout.

Tech millionaire Miles Cookson has more money than he can ever spend, and everything he could dream of—except time. He has recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and there is a fifty percent chance that it can be passed on to the next generation. For Miles, this means taking a long hard look at his past…

Two decades ago, a young, struggling Miles was a sperm donor. Somewhere out there, he has kids—nine of them. And they might be about to inherit both the good and the bad from him—maybe his fortune, or maybe something much worse.

… One by one, Miles’s other potential heirs are vanishing—every trace of them wiped, like they never existed at all.

Who is the vicious killer—another heir methodically erasing rivals? Or is something even more sinister going on?

linwoodbarclay.com

A Michelin three-star chef is found dead near Clermont-Ferrand in central France..

Suicide? Murder?

Enzo MacLeod, a man with an Italian mother and Scots father, who teaches forensic science in France arrives 7 years later. He wants to find out what really happened.

The food, wine, and settings are described in great detail. 

This is a mystery for a gourmand.

Once again, Enzo is apparently irresistible to women. God knows why. It usually ends in disaster.

This is Peter May‘s 5th book of the Enzo Files — and the best, so far, in my opinion.

This is a good one.

Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett is investigating a drone killing wildlife–and the drone belongs to a mysterious and wealthy man whose son is dating Joe’s own daughter, Lucy.

Meanwhile, bodies are piling up in and around Joe’s district in shocking numbers.

He begins to fear that a pack of four vicious killers working on behalf of the Sinaloa cartel known as the Wolf Pack has arrived

The new psychological thriller is getting great reviews.

It’s an “unreliable narrator” piece.

Sadly, it didn’t work for me. The plot is interesting, but was too painfully drawn out for too long.

Not one of the main characters held any appeal.

Emma is quickly approaching her 40th birthday — the same age her mother was when she began having trouble sleeping.

As she struggles with intergenerational trauma and balancing 10 hour days as a successful lawyer with life with her family life, Emma’s situation spirals into a dangerous and intense tale.

Without sleep, is Emma hallucinating? Or is she going mad?

On the other hand, if you liked all the other psychological thrillers — Girl on a Train, for example — you’ll likely enjoy this one, as well.

A cute idea.

Queen Elizabeth II secretly solves crimes while carrying out her royal duties.

It is the early spring of 2016 and Queen Elizabeth is at Windsor Castle in advance of her 90th birthday celebrations. But the preparations are interrupted by the shocking and untimely death of a guest in one of the Castle bedrooms. The scene leads some to think the young Russian pianist strangled himself, yet a badly tied knot leads MI5 to suspect foul play.

When they begin to question the Household’s most loyal servants, Her Majesty knows they’re looking in the wrong place. …

Away from the public eye and unbeknownst to her closest friends and advisers, she has the most brilliant skill for solving crimes. …

Amazon

Adrian McKinty is an excellent author, under appreciated until his 2019 hit book The Chain.

An Uber driver at the time, the film option earned McKinty $1.5 million

The Island (2022) is intense.

Hulu has acquired the rights to develop The Island as a limited TV series.

After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. …

When they discover remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram.

But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong. Then a shocking accident propels the Baxters from an unsettling situation into an absolute nightmare. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.