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BOOK REVIEWS: Craft-focused reviews and analysis from our editorial staff on popular titles—geared toward writers.

THE CRIME WRITER, by Gregg Hurwitz: A Riveting Novel and a Masterful Lesson in How to Write Mystery/Suspense

[by Ross Browne]

If there were ever a novel that writers and editors could take special pleasure in devouring like candy, The Crime Writer by Gregg Hurwitz is it. Putting aside the clever plot device that makes the book so naturally irresistible to novelists, The Crime Writer is a smartly written novel that stands […]

By |2025-02-12T22:23:19+00:00|Book Reviews|Comments Off on THE CRIME WRITER, by Gregg Hurwitz: A Riveting Novel and a Masterful Lesson in How to Write Mystery/Suspense
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Reviewing BLUE MOON by Lee Child Considering what works and what could work better in Jack Reacher # 24

[by Ross Browne]

Author’s note: As a reader, I’m a loyal fan of the Jack Reacher series, awaiting each release with rabid anticipation. As a professional editor, I’m a longtime admirer of what Lee Child does well and, at times, a constructive critic of what I believe he could do better. I write about Lee Child often […]

By |2024-01-06T22:42:02+00:00|Book Reviews|Comments Off on Reviewing BLUE MOON by Lee Child Considering what works and what could work better in Jack Reacher # 24
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Reviewing SUDDEN PREY by John Sandford Considering characterization and its impact on story in a bestselling crime series

[by Ross Browne]

Anyone familiar with my taste in books probably knows how much I love John Sandford and admire his skills as a writer. One reason I like his Lucas Davenport series so much is that these deftly plotted novels usually go deep into the minds of deranged killers in seriously […]

By |2024-01-19T23:23:47+00:00|Book Reviews|Comments Off on Reviewing SUDDEN PREY by John Sandford Considering characterization and its impact on story in a bestselling crime series
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Reviewing CASINO ROYALE, by Ian Fleming: A Most Pleasant Surprise Considering thriller craft and the delights of the unexpected in the first James Bond novel

[by Ross Browne]

Up until last week, one notable blind spot in my reading life was Ian Fleming’s James Bond series. I loved the movies of the Sean Connery and Roger Moore era but, unimpressed by a later book in the series (written by one of four authors who took the helm after Fleming […]

By |2025-02-11T21:18:47+00:00|Book Reviews|Comments Off on Reviewing CASINO ROYALE, by Ian Fleming: A Most Pleasant Surprise Considering thriller craft and the delights of the unexpected in the first James Bond novel
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Reviewing A GAME OF THRONES by George R.R. Martin A “first 50” review

[by Shannon Roberts]

George R.R.Martin’s A Game of Thrones turns 20 this month! In honor of twenty years in print, and a hugely successful twenty years at that, here’s a breakdown of the first 50 pages of the book that started it all.

Aside from the prologue, the first 50 pages of ‘A Game of Thrones’ […]

By |2024-01-07T00:17:06+00:00|Book Reviews|Comments Off on Reviewing A GAME OF THRONES by George R.R. Martin A “first 50” review
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Reviewing CAREER OF EVIL by Robert Galbraith A reflection on J.K. Rowling's talent as a mystery writer

“When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman’s severed leg. Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible–and Strike knows that any one of them is […]

By |2024-01-06T22:08:33+00:00|Book Reviews|Comments Off on Reviewing CAREER OF EVIL by Robert Galbraith A reflection on J.K. Rowling's talent as a mystery writer
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