Mystery and Suspense Reviews for 2002

Mystery and Suspense Reviews--2002

For our latest reviews of mystery, suspense, caper, and spy novels, please see Latest Mystery Reviews. See also the 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 mystery reviews page. See also the 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 and 2002 listings.

For a complete listing of reviews, sorted by author, title, and category, see:Mystery Review Central

December 2002 Reviews

MATCHSTICK MEN by Eric Garcia Villard Books, 2002 ** Reviewed 12/29/02
THE INQUISITOR by Catherine Jinks St. Martin's Minotaur, October 2002 **** Reviewed 12/17/02
THE SMOKE by Tony Broadbent Thomas Dunne, St. Martin's Minotaur September 2002 **** Reviewed 12/11/02
BONE OF CONTENTION by Roberta Gellis FORGE, September 2002 **** Reviewed 12/10/02
A BODY IN THE BATHHOUSE by Lindsey Davis Warner Books, 2002 (2001 in the U.K.) **** Reviewed 12/06/02

November 2002 Reviews

DARK END OF THE STREET by Ace ATkins William Morrow, 2002 *** Reviewed 11/30/02
BLUE MOON by Peter Duchin and John Morgan Wilson Berkley Prime Crime, October 2002 ** Reviewed 11/28/02
THE EDGE OF DOOM by Amanda Cross Ballantine, November 2002 ** Reviewed 11/19/02
THE BAD WITNESS by Laura Van Wormer MIRA, 2002 **** Reviewed 11/15/02
DELUSION by G. P. Ephron St. Martin's Minotaur, October 2002 **** Reviewed 11/14/02
JAMAICA BLUE by Don Bruns St. Martin's Minotaur, October 2002 *** Reviewed 11/12/02
STUDIO SEX by Liza Marklund ATRIA BOOKS, 1999/August 2002 (English translation) **** Reviewed 11/07/02
MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH by Kinky Friedman Simon & Schuster, 2002 *** Reviewed 11/07/02
MAGGIE NEEDS AN ALIBI by Kasey Michaels Kensington, July 2002 **** Reviewed 11/01/02

October 2002 Reviews

HOT DOG by Laurien Berenson Kensington, September 2002 *** Reviewed 10/30/02
THE SLAYERS OF SETH by P. C. Doherty St. Martin's Minotaur, 2001/2002 *** Reviewed 10/29/02
SHRINK RAP by Robert Parker G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2002 **** Reviewed 10/23/02
THE BIG GAMBLE by Michael McGarrity Dutton, July 2002 ** Reviewed 10/19/02
THE BISHOP IN THE WEST WING by Andrew M. Greeley FORGE, July 2002 *** Reviewed 10/15/02
THIN WALLS by Kris Nelscott St. Martin's Minotaur, September 2002 **** Reviewed 10/11/02
SLOW DOLLAR by Margaret Maron Mysterious Press, August 2002 **** Reviewed 10/09/02
PALE COMPANION by Philip Gooden Carroll & Graf, 2002 *** Reviewed 10/04/02

September 2002 Reviews

A.K.A. SHEILA DOYLE by Pat Jordan Carroll & Graf, 2002 *** Reviewed 9/30/02
BLOOD LIES by Marianne MacDonald Thomas Dunne, 2001/August 2002 (U.S.) *** Reviewed 9/29/02
I'M OKAY, YOU'RE DEAD by Joyce Spizer Intercontinental Publishing, 2000 ** Reviewed 9/28/02
LAST SCENE ALIVE by Charlaine Harris St. Martin's Minotaur, August 2002 ** Reviewed 9/21/02
A MIST OF PROPHECIES by Steven Saylor St. Martin's Minotaur, May 2002 **** Reviewed 9/20/02
KILLING TIME by Elise Title St. Martin's Minotaur, July 2002 ** Reviewed 9/18/02
THE BAWDY BASKET by Edward Marston St. Martin's Minotaur, August 2002 *** Reviewed 9/13/02
THIS PEN FOR HIRE by Laura Levine Kensington, June 2002 *** Reviewed 9/13/02
BEYOND SUSPICION by James Grippando HarperCollins, 2002 ** Reviewed 9/11/02
BAD BOY BRAWLY BROWN by Walter Mosley Little, Brown, and Company, 2002 **** Reviewed 9/07/02
BEST MURDER OF THE YEAR by Jon P. Bloch St. Martin's Minotaur, May 2002 *** Reviewed 9/06/02
THE GODLESS MAN by Paul Doherty Carroll & Graf, 2002 **** Reviewed 9/04/02

August 2002 Reviews

DOUBLE EXPOSURE by Susan Ford with Laura Hayden Thomas Dunne, St. Martin's Minotaur, April 2002 *** Reviewed 8/29/02
THE ALIENS OF TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY by Patrick Bone The Overmountain Press, 2002 *** Reviewed 8/25/02
A FINE AND BITTER SNOW by Dana Stabenow St. Martin's Minotaur, June 2002 *** Reviewed 8/24/02
MURDER BY SUICIDE by Veronica Heley HarperCollins, 2002 *** Reviewed 8/23/02
WHITE MALE INFANT by Barbara D'Amato FORGE, June 2002 ** Reviewed 8/14/02
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNESTINE by Dorothy Cannell Viking, 2002, **** Reviewed 8/08/02
SEVENTH INNING STRETCH by Elizabeth Gunn Walker & Company, 2002 **** Reviewed 8/08/02
CHOPPING SPREE by Diane Mott Davidson Bantam, July 2002 *** Reviewed 8/07/02
SEEING IS DECEIVING by Roderic Jeffries Severn House, 2002 **** Reviewed 8/05/02
McNALLY'S ALIBI by Vincent Lardo G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2002 **** Reviewed 8/05/02
THE RAMPANT REAPER by Marlys Millhiser St. Martin's Minotaur, July 2002 ** Reviewed 8/02/02

July 2002 Reviews

TORNADO BAIT by Amy Eastlake A BooksForABuck.com $1 Exclusive, July 2002 **** Reviewed 7/26/02
APRIL FOOL DEAD by Carolyn Hart William Morrow, 2002 *** Reviewed 7/21/02
IN THE CLEAR by Steve Lopez Harcourt, Inc. 2002 * Reviewed 7/21/02
ASH CHILD by Peter Bowen St. Martin's Minotaur, April 2002 *** Reviewed 7/13/02
HARD EIGHT by Janet Evanovich St. Martin's Press, June 2002 *** Reviewed 7/08/02
BERMUDA GRASS by Keith Miles Poisoned Pen Press, 2002 ** Reviewed 7/07/02
THE BURYING FIELD by Kenneth Abel G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2002 *** Reviewed 7/05/02
PRIVATE HEAT by Robert Bailey M. Evans and Company, 2002 *** Reviewed 7/03/02

June 2002 Reviews

STEPS TO THE ALTAR by Earlene Fowler Berkley Prime Crime, April 2002 **** Reviewed 6/30/02
CHICAGO CONFIDENTIAL by Max Allan Collins New American Library, June 2002 **** Reviewed 6/30/02
THE DREAM OF THE BROKEN HORSES by William Bayer Pocket Books, February 2002 **** Reviewed 6/26/02
CAT IN A MIDNIGHT CHOIR by Carole Nelson Douglas FORGE, May 2002 **** Reviewed 6/24/02
FACE DOWN ACROSS THE WESTERN SEA by Kathy Lynn Emerson St. Martin's Minotaur, April 2002 ** Reviewed 6/21/02
BLUE SUEDE CLUES by Daniel Klein St. Martin's Minotaur, March 2002 *** Reviewed 6/16/02
DEAD CROWD by Dan Barton Thomas Dunne, St. Martin's Minotaur, May 2002 **** Reviewed 6/14/02
THE GOLDEN ONE by Elizabeth Peters William Morrow, 2002 **** Reviewed 6/12/02
HABEAS CAMPUS by Wendi Lee St. Martin's Minotaur, March 2002 ** Reviewed 6/08/02
THE NIGHTWALKER by Roy Lewis Allison & Busby, 2001 ** Reviewed 6/07/02
MURDER IN THE SENTIER by Cara Black SOHO, 2002 *** Reviewed 6/05/02

May 2002 Reviews

THE WAILING WIND by TONY HILLERMAN HarperCollins, 2002 **** Reviewed 5/29/02
STREETS ON FIRE by John Shannon Carroll & Graf, 2002 **** Reviewed 5/20/02
THE WOODEN LEG OF INSPECTOR ANDERS by Marshall Browne Thomas Dunne, St. Martin's Minotaur, 1999 **** Reviewed 5/17/02
PEACHES AND SCREAMS by G. A. McKevett Kensington Books, January 2002 *** Reviewed 5/15/02
BLACK WATER by T. Jefferson Parker Hyperion, 2002 **** Reviewed 5/14/02
MURDER IN THE ROUGH by J. S. Borthwick St. Martin's Minotaur, March 2002 *** Reviewed 5/13/02
THE CAT WHO WENT UP THE CREEK by Lilian Jackson Braun G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2002 ** Reviewed 5/12/02
DEATH OF A CELEBRITY by M. C. Beaton Warner Books, January 2002 **** Reviewed 5/08/02
MOBTOWN by Jack Kelly Hyperion, 2002 **** Reviewed 5/06/02
THE MUMMY'S RANSOM by Fred Hunter St. Martin's Minotaur, February 2002 *** Reviewed 5/06/02
HIT TIME by Yolanda Joe/Ardella Garland Simon & Schuster, 2002 *** Reviewed 5/03/02
PRISON BLUES by Anna Salter Pocket Books, January 2002 **** Reviewed 5/01/02
WHITE SHELL WOMAN by James D. Doss William Morrow, 2002 **** Reviewed 5/01/02

April 2002 Reviews

CATCH AS CAT CAN by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown Bantam, March 2002 *** Reviewed 4/17/02
THE SCARED STIFF by Judson Jack Carmichael Carroll & Graf, 2002 ** Reviewed 4/14/02
TISHOMINGO BLUES by Elmore Leonard William Morrow, 2002 **** Reviewed 4/12/02
GOODNIGHT SWEET PRINCE by David Dickinson Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2002 (U.K. 2001) **** Reviewed 4/07/02
DEATH DU JOUR by Kathy Reichs Scribner, 1999 *** Reviewed 4/05/02

March 2002 Reviews

KALEIDOSCOPE by Dorothy Gilman Ballantine Books, January 2002 ** Reviewed 3/21/02
THREE FOR A LETTER by Mary Reed & Eric Mayer Poison Pen Press, 2001 **** Reviewed 3/14/02
JANE AND THE PRISONER OF WOOL HOUSE by Stephanie Barron Bantam, December 2001 **** Reviewed 3/11/02
THE BODY FROM IPANEMA by J. R. Ripley Long Wind Publishing, 2002 ** Reviewed 3/07/02
MURDER ON THE MINNESOTA by Conrad Allen St. Martin's Minotaur, January 2002 *** Reviewed 3/01/02

February 2002 Reviews

DEATH AT DARTMOOR by Robin Paige Berkley Prime Crime, February 2002 **** Reviewed 2/27/02
SKELETON AT THE FEAST by Patricia Hall St. Martin's Minotaur, 2000/January 2002 (U.S.) ** Reviewed 2/22/02
CONFLICT OF INTEREST by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg Hyperion, 2002 *** Reviewed 2/19/02
MAKING A KILLING by Warren Dunford Alyson Books, November 2001 **** Reviewed 2/12/02
AUSTIN CITY BLUE by Jan Grape Five Star, 2001 *** Reviewed 2/04/02
A SUNSET TOUCH by Marjorie Eccles Thomas Dunne, St. Martin's Minotaur, 2000/December 2001 (U.S.) ** Reviewed 2/01/02

January 2002 Reviews

WHISPERS IN THE DARK by Eleanor Taylor Bland St. Martin' Minotaur, November 2001 *** Reviewed 1/29/02
SUB ROSA by Ralph McInerny Five Star, 2001 *** Reviewed 1/28/02
THE SLAYING OF THE SHREW by Simon Hawke FORGE, December 2001 **** Reviewed 1/23/02
COFFIN'S GHOST by Gwendoline Butler Thomas Dunne, St. Martin's Minotaur, 1999/December 2001 (U.S.) * Reviewed 1/18/02
SHADOWS OF SIN by Rochelle Krich William Morrow, 2001 **** Reviewed 1/18/02
KILLER STUFF by Sharon Fiffer St. Martin's Minotaur, September 2001 *** Reviewed 1/13/02
SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME by Ed Gorman Carroll & Graf, 2002 *** Reviewed 1/12/02
PURSUIT by Thomas Perry Random House, December 2001 **** Reviewed 1/09/02
STRAWMAN'S HAMMOCK by Darryl Wimberley Thomas Dunne, St. Martin's Minotaur, November 2001 *** Reviewed 1/07/02
CHAPEL NOIR by Carole Nelson Douglas Forge, October 2001 *** Reviewed 1/06/02
DEATH IN PARADISE by Robert B. ParkerG. P. Putnam's Sons, 2001 **** Reviewed 1/02/02
JACKDAWS by Ken Follett Dutton, December 2001 **** Reviewed 1/01/02