criminolly's reviews
2415 reviews

Three Smile-Mile by Chad Lutzke

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A fast-paced but thoughtful old school thriller that feels like the kind of forgotten noir movie that might show in the middle of the night on TV. It's tense, moving at times and packed with rich and interesting characters. The 100 or so pages absolutely flew by.

PoppyHarp by Simon Avery

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

At Dark, I Become Loathsome by Eric LaRocca

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Promotion Tour by Terry Harknett

emotional informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

An fascinating glimpse into the paperback publishing world of the 70s, Promotion Tour follows a successful US author in the UK to promote his latest shocking blockbuster. There's more depth than you might expect, and a load of interesting detail on the publishing business.

Nickel Dime Town by Jack Clark

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No

4.0

Mischief in the Wood by Tina Rath

adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This was a very enjoyable urban fantasy style story - with a group of British teenagers meeting a faerie and getting access to another world. It's packed with wonder and humour and moves at a pleasantly fast pace. Overall it has something of a young adult vibe to it, partly because of the young central characters, and it reminded me a little in subject and tone of the Joe Cornish movie 'The Kid Who Would be King'. I had a great time with it, despite not being much of a fantasy fan, and definitely recommend it. Would also make a great pick for younger readers.  

Kidnapped By The Cult! by Francine Pascal

3.0

The Saint-Fiacre Affair by Georges Simenon

3.5

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

adventurous dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

Ways to Die in Tokyo by Thomas Ran Garver

mysterious tense fast-paced

3.5

This is an entertaining, super fast-paced thriller set in Tokyo. It follows an American MMA fighter who gets caught up with local criminals and has all the action and twists you'd expect from that plot summary. It also has a tonne of fascinating background about the the city and local culture that manages to provide a rich backdrop for the breakneck thriller without getting in the way of the story. If you enjoy this kind of book, 'Ways to Die in Tokyo' is definitely worth checking out.