Mystery and Suspense Reviews for 2002

Mystery and Suspense Reviews--2002

For the latest mystery and suspense reviews, please see the 2008 mystery reviews page. See also the 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