Killer Books: A Reader's Guide to Exploring the Popular World of Mystery and Suspense

If you are like me you are constantly looking for mystery writers that produce those "too good to put down books". Tired of grabbing books off the library shelves onyl to find that they don't keep your interest at all or they aren't very good? This book enumerates lots of authors. It includes the type of books they write (Private Eyes, Legal mysteries, etc.) as well as awards they've won. They also sometimes list their best books. I'm going to use this book to make my mystery choices from now on!

Jean Swanson and Dean James have created a reference book that needs to be placed in a handy location for the true mystery aficionado. Each chapter is divided into categories: suspense/psychological, historical mysteries, legal thrillers, etc. At the beginning of each chapter is a brief essay about the chapter. This includes TV shows that are representative of each sub-genre. Authors, by sub-genre, are also listed in alphabetical order, with an overview of each writer and his/her special series described in comprehensive detail. As the editors gracefully point out, this the reference book is no means totally inclusive or intended to be so. However, the variety, description, and detail allow readers to choose the type of books, by a wide selection of authors that they would likke to try next. Like the editors who seem to have enjoyed this labor of love, this reviewer found the work to be scholarly but interesting, far from a dry non-fiction read. Harriet Klausner