Lesa's Book Critiques
Sharing Books and Authors, with an Emphasis on MysteriesRecent Posts
Dark Humor by Matt Goldman
For some reason it seems appropriate that it's been a few years since Matt Goldman's last Nils Shapiro novel. It's been two years since Shapiro's wife,, the Minneapolis police chief, was gunned down in a parking garage. Nils has patiently given all of law...
The Tale of the Wicked by John Scalzi
John Scalzi can say more in a short story than many authors can in an entire novel. "The Tale of the Wicked" is a satisfying, surprising story with clever plotting. Even in a short story, his characters can grow and change, including a battle ship itself. Captain...
What Are You Reading?
I'm going to say this once, and then I'll drop it for those who are not yet retired. I love retirement. I hate snow, driving in it, walking in it. We had snow in the middle of the night on Sunday, and it continued into rush hour on Monday. And, I didn't hae to go...
The Curious Poisoning of Jewel Barnes by Terry Shames
While I'm a big fan of Terry Shames' character Police Chief Samuel Craddock, I'm not a big fan of her latest book, The Curious Poisoning of Jewel Barnes. I love Craddock and the familiar characters in the series. However, there are a few too many people in the...
The Snow Lies Deep by Paula Munier
I used to turn to Louise Penny's Armand Gamache books when I wanted beautiful writing. Now, I do the same with Paula Munier's mysteries. In The Snow Lies Deep, the seventh Mercy Carr mystery, Munier describes a Vermont Christmas with poetic, magical turns of...
January Treasures in My Closet
Are you ready for a sneak peek into January 2026? Let's forecast a few of the books of that month. Let me know which ones you want to read. And, don't forget to tell us what books I missed that are January releases. Let's kick off January with A.D. Bell's The...
