In August 1990, during a sweltering London heatwave, baby Bella Carpenter is abducted from a hotel room, launching a high-profile investigation led by DI Martha Allen. When a woman named Nell Beatty seemingly returns the missing child days later, the case is quickly closed, despite Allen’s lingering doubts. Thirty years later, Nell is found dead,…
Category: Police Procedural
How to Get Away with Murder
How to Get Away with Murder is a clever debut thriller that blends a traditional murder investigation with a chilling meta twist. After six months away from work recovering from a breakdown, Scotland Yard detective Samantha Hansen returns to duty when a fourteen-year-old girl is found murdered in a local park. The only clue is…
She Fell Away
She Fell Away is a gripping international thriller set against the stunning backdrop of New Zealand. State Department diplomat Lake Harlowe is used to moving from country to country, both for her job and to stay ahead of the ghosts of her past. Hoping for a quieter assignment after a difficult posting in Cambodia, she…
Innocence Road
Detective Leanne Everhart swore she’d never return to her hometown near Marfa but after her father’s death and with her brother needing support, she finds herself back in a town still fractured by a decades-old murder. When a Jane Doe is discovered at the edge of the desert, Leanne begins to suspect the new crime is…
Inside Man
If you know me, you know I love my police procedurals and I’ve been craving a strong detective/police procedural lately. I’ve been looking for something to tie me over until the next Karin Slaughter book comes out, and John McHahon’s upcoming release Inside Man was just what I wanted. In this sequel to Head Cases, John…
Beast of the North Woods
When a local ice fisherman is brutally mauled to death in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, the only explanation offered is a hodag, a mythical creature long believed to be nothing more than a local hoax. The claim isn’t taken seriously by the townsfolk, especially since the hodag is deeply tied to the town’s identity and tourism. As…
Wildwood
Return to the rugged beauty and hidden darkness of small-town Wisconsin, delivering a compelling story of crime, grief, and redemption. Deputy Sheriff Eli North, a recovering alcoholic and veteran battling PTSD, is determined to rebuild his life and repair the bond with his mother, the town sheriff. But when an undercover informant vanishes and a…
Still See You Everywhere
I’m a big Lisa Gardner fan, and I’ve absolutely loved the Frankie Elkin series so far. There’s something about a missing persons investigator who’s not a cop, not a PI, just stubborn and driven, that always pulls me in. That said… spoiler alert: this is my least favorite installment of the series so far. The…
A Stolen Child
In A Stolen Child, detective Maggie D’arcy returns to Ireland and joins the GardaÃ, diving into a chilling case involving a murdered nanny and a missing toddler from a wealthy family. As Maggie follows the tangled threads of privilege, secrecy, and trauma, the case leads her through layers of deception and a community full of…
The Silent Wife
In The Silent Wife, Karin Slaughter returns with another gripping installment in the Will Trent series, this time weaving together two timelines—past and present—to unravel a chilling mystery. Will Trent is called to investigate a murder inside a state prison, but the case quickly spirals into something far more sinister when an inmate claims he…