Mystery Crime Books

An intriguing page-turner -- Mr. Jevons has commenced a new genre: An Academic Thriller ! : )
Who knew learning could be so much fun. Thank you for this great series.

If Milton Friedman liked it then hey - gotta argue with him right? :)

This is a great book. Its interesting and provides a lot of thought behind it. At the same time, its not challenging in any way. Thankfully, the book is explained well, the concepts are explained even better. Even if you don't understand basic economics concepts (which you should), the book will explain to you quite well in a very fun context.

It will leave you a bit curious and wanting a bit more at the end, yet the writer has weaven a great story with an economics setting. A bit dark and gloomy at times though.

I do wish there was more mystery at the end, but the novel is a very short read. I believe the writer didn't want to neccesarily bore the readers with too much economics. If you like mysteries, read this book! It'll give you a little thought and a lot of fun.

I read this book as part of a study on how detective fiction mirrors society. The class was taught by Prof. William Breit at Trinity University, one of the co-authors of the book. Being an Econ major myself, I found this book's novel approach to blending economic concepts with a murder mystery to be unique and entertaining. Not your typical mystery novel, but one worth checking out.

Marshall Jevons collaborates both a great mystery novel while presenting economic applications that people face in the world. Henry's explanation on the ecnomics of love and romance can be seen as strange, interesting, but most of all, comical. I truly recommend this book for those who plan on taking economics in college or are interested in the field of study. My economics class at the University of Chicago read this book which many enjoyed. After completing the book, we were asked to analyze the economics this book contains at a "deeper" level. Humanities clashed with economics without causing any type of argument among literature and economics majors.

Fatal Equilibrium reminded me of early science fiction (written by scientists about scientists for an audience of other scientists). This book is definitely written by an economist about economists. If you're part of that clique, it's a great book.

Not everyone will consider it light reading, though. If you don't have at least one econ class somewhere in your background, some significant parts of the book (and the plot) will go over your head. There were sections that felt like they were cut-and-pasted right from the author's lecture notes. I kept hoping that the book would be more like Larry Niven's work - grounded in theory, but first and foremost, a gripping story with compelling characters. I'd rather absorb my knowledge along the way than be lectured to.

I enjoyed it and I'll read it again.

Just about as flawless as any procedural in any nation, gets! Amid 1968 Vietnam War Protests, in Weather-worn, Chilling December Stockholm and Suburbs, a mass murder in a night- time bus spreads horror and chills thruout Sweden. Eight Dead, including an off-duty cop, known to the entire force. And the criminal apparently loose amid minimal clues. Some great portraits of the police, including the huge, cynical no-nonsense one (name forgotten here), social and cultural commentary, outstanding detecting by just about all, makes this one first class all the way. The "Laughing Policeman" is given two direct references, and just figuring this out will keep you thinking, and detecting all the way to the very end! In truth, as good as it gets, and a trip into late 1960's Stockholm to boot!

In November 1968 there was a big demonstration by the American Embassy in Stockholm in spite of the pouring rain. Two policemen find a bus that went off the road. Eight bodies, one a detective, and a lot of shells. Detective Martin Beck is called from home for this mass murder. Chapter 8 has the press conference; little was known. Could a madman have planned this so carefully? When they question the girlfriend of the slain detective they learn he had been working hard on a secret investigation (Chapter 13). Martin Beck and the other detectives began questioning the people who knew the victims. The last victim mentioned a name before dying (Chapter 14). They identified the murder weapon: a Finnish Suomi Lahti from WW II (Chapter 18). Their psychologists wrote a profile on a mass murderer. Usually quite normal and polite until they suddenly erupt. (Is this profile right?)

Chapter 19 recapitulated what they know about the nine victims from the bus. They know detective Stenström was skilled at shadowing. How could he have been surprised? Following the leads results in the name of the unknown victim (Chapter 22). Another lead results in the arrest of narcotic dealers (Chapter 23). Martin Beck figures out the 16-year old unsolved murder that Stenström was investigating, the most hopeless case (Chapter 24). The police activity affected the underworld, they helped in the hunt. The investigation continued. Then there was a break on the identification of a car seen where a body was dumped 16 years ago (Chapter 28). Newly recovered facts point to a person on the list of suspects (Chapter 29). The solution to the crime occurs in Chapter 30. At the end Martin Beck received a telephone call from the detective who searched Stenström's apartment and found a name. Beck began to laugh.

This story seems implausible in having people killed in public when only one is a danger to a murderer. The authors have used a mass murder to create an unusual plot. Could over 60 shots be fired with no one hearing them?

George Santayana

On a rainy Stockholm night a gunman opens fire on Stockholm bus, killing eight passengers and critically wounding a ninth. The crime scene is bloody and chaotic. Critical clues may have been destroyed when the first police officers arrive on the scene and trample through the bus. Police Superintendent Martin Beck is placed in charge of the investigation. There appear to be no clues and no apparent motive. His task is the monumental one of taking this chaotic scene and imposing enough order on it so that clues may be found, leads followed, and the criminal or criminals brought to justice. The physical and mental burdens of the job are compounded by emotional burdens once Beck discovers that one of the victims happens to be a detective who worked in Martin Beck's unit. That is the plot that unfolds in the opening pages of Per Wahloo and Maj Sowall's remarkably well-crafted "The Laughing Policeman".

The Laughing Policeman, published in Sweden in 1968 and in the U.S. in 1971 (winner of that year's Edgar Award for Best Novel), was the fourth in a series of ten Martin Beck mysteries written by the Swedish, husband and wife team of Per Wahloo and Maj Sjowall. The plot and structure of the four Beck mysteries I've read to date do not deviate from the standard format found in any well-written police procedural. However, what sets the Beck mysteries apart is their location and character development. Naturally enough, each book is a small window into Swedish life and culture in the 1960s and 1970s when the books were written. Further, as the series develops the character of Beck and his colleagues evolve and the reader slowly obtains a real feel for Beck and his fellow police officers. By the fourth book, the personalities of Martin Beck and his police colleagues have developed to the point where the reader almost has an instinct for how each will react to a given situation. At the same time the characters, especially Beck, remain far from predictable. However, they are already fully formed in the authors' minds and for that reason I suggest reading these books in order.

I do not think it appropriate to divulge any details about a police procedural such as this so I will leave it to the reader to see how Martin Beck and his crew slowly put together the pieces of the puzzle behind the killings. The authors are quite good at keeping the pot boiling. They don't reveal too much too early and they do not rely on Sherlock Holmes-like deductions to take the place of crafting a story. Additionally, the writing is filled with funny moments and asides. In its own way the Beck mysteries provide a very interesting glimpse into Swedish life and culture in the 1960s and 1970s. In the hands of Wahloo and Sjowall, Beck's conversations are filled with both blunt exchanges and very sly, sardonic comments that kept me chucking throughout. I was also impressed with how the authors have slowly continued to build up their protagonists back stories. By this volume in the series the reader has a pretty good idea as to the home lives and personal idiosyncrasies of all the major characters. They are free from stereotype and make reading the book a more enjoyable experience.

The Laughing Policeman was a good read, one of those books that you feel you must finish just one more chapter before heading off to bed or back to work. Highly recommended. L. Fleisig

Martin Beck and Lennart Kohlberg are playing chess. They are police officers assigned to the homicide squad. It is November 1967 in Solna, a suburb of Stockholm. The officers discover a double decker bus filled with dead people including a dead policeman. On that date there had been a demonstration at the American embassy protesting the War in Vietnam. The dead policeman was one of the officers assigned to the homicide unit, Ake Senstrom. His service-revolver is pulled out. Senstrom always kept his watch on the precise time and thus it is possible to measure the time of the assault accurately since the watch has stopped. The officers assume the attack on the bus was made by one man. The weapon is probably a submachine gun. The officers interview the family members and friends of the deceased persons. A clue emerges. The gun used may have been Finnish. The police have no Swedish precedents for mass murder. They have to use American cases as their models! The dead policeman, it seems, was good at shadowing. The dead policeman's girl friend tells the officers she believes that Ake was using her as a sort of guinea pig. It is determined that Senstrom was shadowing a blackmailer. The victim of the blackmail, the perpetrator of an unsolved murder, killed Senstrom and everyone else on the bus to maintain his cover. The solution to the crime is worked out winningly. The portraits of the officers and their families are interesting and charming.

The Laughing Policeman is the best known book of the multi-volume Martin Beck series by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. Despite the title there is little laughing in this grim and gloomy yet classic police procedural. The book is marked by the sparse dialogue and buttoned-down personalities of the Swedish characters. (The book was later made into a movie of the same name starring Walter Matthau and Bruce Dern, but set in San Francisco!)

The entire detective force of Sweden is assigned to solve the murder of 9 people on a Stockholm bus in 1968 (an anti-war - Vietnam that is - demonstration is the backdrop for the book's opening). One of the murdered is Ake Stenstrom, a Stockholm detective. His presence on the bus begins to unravel the mystery of this seemingly random and insane mass murder. Insane it may be, but never random.

Each detective obsessively follows their own path and the paths lead into Stockholm's underworld. Could an old unsolved murder somehow be related to this insane bloodshed many years later? Mass murder so un-Swedish after all - the police don't even have any psychological profiles they can use. Can the always miserable Beck or his top-notch partner Lennart Kollberg crack the case?

Highly recommended for fans of detective stories with an international bent.

This book was very well written with a strong mystery. I sort of had a hard time getting into the plot until about page 110. I don't know what happened but after that the pace of the story picked up considerably. I love this series and have already started on book three.

Kay Hooper is a new to me and I have totally enjoyed this series. A good read.

Excellent book, suspenseful, a definite page turner. This is another one of the series of "Shadows" books by Kay Hooper. You as the reader are drawn into the world of the paranormal and murder, and cannot help but feel for her characters. Her books are well written, and you cheer on the good guys. Highly recommend her books. Received in perfect condition, and quick and easy transaction.

I've read all of the Noah Bishop books 5+ times and every time I enjoy them. However, that is NOT the case with Hiding in the Shadows. I really didn't like this book at all. Unlike the other Bishop books, this one is not a crime mystery... although it is a mystery just not a very interesting one. It didn't keep my attention and didn't seem to be as put together as her other books.

I was most disappointed with this book being that it is in the Shadows Trilogy.

Waking up from a coma, Faith Parker learned a few thing. One is that she has completely lost her memory, the other that no one came to see her at the hospital except for one friend, who has disappeared two weeks before Faith woke up. After her release from the hospital, Faith learns that Dinah, her friend, has arranged to pay off her medical bills and has set up a trust fund in her name for a very large amount of money before she disappeared. Faith also learned that she has a psychic ability, she could feel what Dinah is feeling, hear Dinah's voice in her head, and relive Dinah's memories. With that information, Faith figures out that Dinah was kidnaped because of Faith, and Faith is willing to put her life on the line to save the only friend she has, or die trying.

I have always been a fan of romantic suspense, especially if the mystery is the main focus of the plot (like in this book) and when a book introduces a unique angle, I love it even more. In this series, the unique angle is the psychic characters. Even though I'm a cynical person, I found the psychic aspect of this book to be refreshing and exiting. The mystery plot was also great and very suspenseful. The pacing was perfect. The romance of the book was also slowly developed and wasn't rushed. The book didn't drown in the romance which is a flaw in most romantic suspense novels. The only real problem I had with this novel is the ending. The whole identity switching game left me a little confused and I though that was too far fetched and not explained enough. Besides that, this novel was absolutely an entertaining read.

For effort alone I've given this book three stars otherwise this book was a rather large letdown. This book is the second in her "Shadow series" and so far as been my least favorite.

What's the problem you ask yourself? Well, it's simple. This story had too much. Plenty of red herrings to stear the reader in wrong directions but at the same time this had a "de-railing" factor for this reader. Perhaps it's because this is more of a consipracy theory type storyline instead of the serial killer storyline that I'm used to with this author she changed gears. This is great from the creative few-point but...

Characters were another problem with this read. Faith was to put it bluntly an annoying character. Perhaps this was due to her description from the author...fragile...helpless. Eventually she does manage to put together an attitude but for this reader it was a little to late. Kane was another annoying character. So in love with Dinah but soon so in love with Faith. Okay...sure.

All in all by the time we get to the ending and the bad guy is unveiled it's not a huge surprise and to be honest I got to a point where I didn't care. This story did have potential but I feel that Ms. Hooper was just off her game when she was penning this story. Noah Bishop is included but not as often as I would have liked to have seen. I look forward to the next and last in the series and suggest that yes, pick up this read but come with much lower expectations.

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

As the second in the "Hawke" series, this novel fleshes out the lead character's history and back stories, as well as giving us more insight into the engaging cast of supporting characters. It's what really pulled me into the concept of these characters in an ongoing series, and hopefully, a feature film or two.

Bell takes the reader to exotic locations worldwide and paints a detailed picture masterfully. He has an ability to maintain a proper build of suspense while switching back and forth between sub-plots that reminds me of my favorite Stephen King novel, The Stand.

This is one of the best series in the international spy thriller genre ever written, and I can hardly wait to receive my copy of the upcoming release of the series' latest title - Tsar.

Mr. Bell certainly likes to see himself write. He could have cut out a hundred pages and still have too many. It was very difficult getting through the overuse of adjectives. I will not be reading any other Bell tomes.

Ted Bell can really write. This series is exciting and somewhat scary. He's created a great heroic figure in Alex Hawke. The storyline is, hopefully, not out of tomorrow's headlines. We'd better start paying much more attention to the Islamic radical jihad against our Western way of life. Good book, but very scary in its implications and possibilities.

I really enjoyed this follow up to Hawke. The adventure was great, and it wasn't trying too hard to be "bond-like" Highly recommended

This was the third Alexander Hawke book I've read (previously Spy and Pirate: A Thriller (Hawke)) and this was my favorite so far.

I see the critics talk about how Hawke's larger than life persona has reached comic book status. I say pour on some more Mr. Bell!

Bell brings a very plausible plot (terror, nukes, pox, etc.) togtether in an interesting international adventure story.

I can hardly wait for the new book!

Wish I could get a copy of "Hawke" the original book.

PARADISE LOST is a fast paced tale of murder and breaking the rules that deserves a place on Young Adult shelves because it doesn't tell, it shows the consequences of actions taken.
Joanna Brady, as usual, has her hands full with a new husband turned writer, a pre-teen who sneaks out for a cigarette with her tent mate and discovers a body. The mate is also added to the death toll as the Cochise County sheriff manages her limited resources with some loose ends.
I enjoy the brevity of the tale, just enough to execute the story line and no more.
Writing as a Small BusinessQualifying Laps: A Brewster County NovelNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil War

I am listening to this book on CD and am ready to scream if i hear the words Crown Victoria one more time. "I parked the Crown Victoria behind" etc...What's wrong with I parked behind? We'd already been told at least 50 times that she drives a Crown Victoria. And that's only the 3rd of 9 disks.

Really poor writing and insulting to the reader... We get it!! She drives a CV. Who cares? There are other things that are repeated over and over. Does this author get paid by the word?

I am a new J.A. Jance fan, and am thoroughly enjoying the Joanna Brady series. She does a good job of depicting a strong woman battling career and family. Her "who done it" mysteries have good plot developments. My only comment would be that she rushes the endings on occasion.

Even though this was J A Jance's latest book in this series of Joanna Brady,Sheriff,it was not written this way. in this newest one, she had the sheriff married just 2 months,whereas in the previous book she had her married for sometime and just had a baby. As well as her teenage daughter in Paradise Lost was almost 13, but the previous book she was 16 yrs old. What gives ? hard to follow the characters, however, the story was at its best, and the ending surprising as usual.

J.A. Jance is one of the best writers out there. This book starts out a little slow because she is telling the reading about the Sherrif & her family but once the crimes start you can not put it down. The crimes are very violent & scary. She is short staffed & she has two murders she has to solve. It all takes place in Arizona & because she is short staffed she has to go out into the field herself.

The characters are colorful, very human and so fresh! I really had a great time reading it, diving into the mysterious story and the great ideas of the author. Fred Vargas's style is definitely unique and I love it. I'm going through her other books, this particular one "the three evangelists" is very good.
Recommending it!

Tired of reading mystery books with the hackneyed Inspector/Sergeant couples mooching around? Here's the cure: fresh characters, humour, plot - all wonderful! From the opening pages where, in Paris, a protagonist finds a handy pebble to kick along ahead of him on his route, these are people you like immensely.

If you enjoy "Monk" on USA, "Bones" on Fox, or "Cold case" on CBS, this is the book for you: quirky but lovable characters, a weird crime that digs deep, games and winks and humor even in darkness, a realistic plot, and a very unique universe you can't bear to leave. Little bonus: it's not ghoulish or gross, it contains no sex, and it's overall quite "clean" (unlike many mysteries these days.)
Plus how often do you find unemployed history majors/grad students as sleuths?

I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this mystery - such a wonderfully entertaining group of sleuths. I really like the way the author mixes a bit of history into her plots and I think this is her best book yet.

From the opening few pages, this mystery hooks you quickly. The characters are some of the most fascinating I've ever read - in many ways, I wish the author would write more stories involving them. So original.

The mystery itself is very well set up, the story flows at a good pace, and at the end, you will be amazed that you saw all the same pieces but still didn't "get it right."

Certainly this is Vargas' best work to date. Can't wait for her next book to be translated.

If you hold off buying this book for a couple of months, the "Dollar" Stores should be flooded with this item.

Something about interactive books always gets me! This book is no exception. The clever narrative writing is complemented with "evidence" collected by "Dr. Watson." Read the book, check out the clues and try to solve the case! If, like me, you're too lazy to apply a little brain power to figure it out, there's a handy solution explanation tucked away in the back. Great read!

I purchased The Crimes of Dr. Watson: An Interactive Sherlock Holmes Mystery for my husband who absolutely LOVED it. It was unexpected and he has a great time solving the mystery. His only wish was that he book was longer. Otherwise, he was extremely satisfied. True Sherlock Holmes fans will get a kick out of this book. I think it would be a GREAt stocking stuffer.

The production values of the book try to reflect the time of Dr Watson and Holmes, from the slightly yellowed pages to the Victorian endpapers that look like the wallpaper pattern common at the time.

The mini-story contained within, 'The Final Problem', was a treat. The clues held within were reproduced well and felt that you were holding the actual pieces of evidence.

It's a fascinating book to pass the time by and to try to solve the mystery. I'd recommend it.

This isn't your typical James Grippando book. This is more of a suspense thriller than his normal mystery books. I liked it because I love his main character of Jack Swytek, but found it harder to stay interested in than his other books. In this one, you know who is doing all the bad things, but you don't know why. That's the primary plot of the book. Why is all this happening and how does all of it fit together. Mr. Grippando takes and introducing you to the political mayor and his daugther. He throws in the daughter's ex-boyfriend who is blind but doesn't really give him much. I found that a lot of characters were just there for a chapter or two and then never went back to. I definitely didn't like where the flashbacks fell in the story. It didn't make a lot of sense. I guess I also missed Theo and Jack's interaction that is a huge part of the rest of the series. I enjoy how Mr. Grippando writes and how he brings new twists into the plot, but this one just fell short for me.

I found the book to very interesting. I was unable to put it down after reading the first chapter. This the second book of James Grippando that I have read but I will be reading more in the future.

Although written in a catchy prose, and having rhythm, the utter lack of interest of the storyline spoils this book.
At most, it looks like a bad episode of "CSI Miami".
All the resources of an action paperback are explored by Mr. Grippando: Throwing in some Latino stereotypes, police jargon, odd-couple tics, crime scene crudity, love story.
But alas, those isolated resources, by themselves, don't make up for the utter inability of Mr. Grippando's narrative to stir your interest.

This was my first exposure to Grippando, and hooked I am. This novel, in the sub-genre of police/hostage thrillers, grabs your attention and never lets go. I particularly enjoy contemporary thrillers with a solid historical hook, and this one does not disappoint -- it gives us a whiff of something long fallen below our collective radar, the "dirty war" in Argentina a few decades ago. The main characters are well-depicted and the plot moves briskly along with a satisfying denouement. A great read.

When Darkness Falls is my first James Grippando book. The first book I read by an author, especially one who has written several, is very important. The first book is possibly the only chance the author will get to hook me into reading more of their novels. This novel didn't overwhelm me with a great plot or gripping characters, but it was interesting enough to cause me to read more of Grippando's novels.

The plot is quite simple actually, and that is the biggest flaw of the novel. Falcon, a homeless man, is called down from a bridge while contemplating suicide. Once on the ground, he retains the services of lawyer Jack Swyteck. Falcon had one demand, to talk to the mayor's daughter, the beautiful Alicia Mendoza. When Falcon is denied the opportunity to talk to her, he strikes again, this time carjacking Jack and his best friend Theo. In attempt to be pulled over by the police, Jack loses control of the car and slams into the front of a motel room. In the resulting chaos, Jack escapes, and Falcon is left in the hotel room with three hostages, including Theo. And that's it. The entire book consists of the hostage stand off. Of course, the plot deviates into who Falcon is, why he has $200,000 in a bank in the Bahamas, and why he just has to talk to the Mayor's daughter, who happens to be a police officer.

While the plot is simple, there is still a lot going on, especially between Vincent Paulo, the hostage negotiator, and Alicia. Paulo is blind and there relationship showed a lot of warmth and growth. Grippando manages to keep the story moving along, jumping from story line to story line and introducing several new twists regarding the history of the man calling himself Falcon.

This book is an easy read and I recommend it to fans of Patterson, Grisham and Coben.

These books by Anne George are so funny....they are Southern and such light hearted reading. I have sisters and have been to Birmingham several times so I love the characters and Steel Magnolia southern women.
I had already read all of her books but bought these to replace the ones I had loaned out and had never come back to me. When they came I read them all over again....love it!

I have read all eight books in this series. They are wonderfully entertaining. I found myself laughing out loud at Patricia Ann and Mary Alice. These two sisters remind me so much of my mother and her sister. If you anyone wants to read a fun, entertaining mystery I highly recommend all eight of these books. I only wish Ann George was still here to write more southern sisters mysteries.

I too found the end of this book a little confusing, but I enjoyed the book just the same. The antics that these two sixty-something sisters get up to are a lot of fun. I always feel that I want to get to know these two old girls. In this book, things seem to be happening to Patricia Anne's neighbour. First he's accused of murder, then his house burns, and finally he gets shot (in the backside of all places). Patricia Anne knows that there are some dirty dealings underneath all this, and she and her sister Mary Alice begin to do a little "follow the money". These books are very funny, and the characterizations are very real.

I love this series of books by Anne George. These southern sisters are a hoot. When I found out Anne George is deceased, I decided to collect the whole series so I can enjoy them over and over again. - Kathleen Novotny

Patricia Anne Hollowell (Mouse) and Mary Alice Crane (Sister) are sisters in their sixties who couldn't be more different if they tried. From their pets to their personality to their finances these two sisters are the very epitome of a divergent gene pool. Still they love each other dearly and their sisterly relationship is the corner stone on which this series is built. Anne George had a wonderful talent for creating dialogue between her characters that was both believable and entertaining and the dialogue between Sister and Mouse is absolutely brilliant.

In previous entries in this series the sisters have become involved in murder investigations for all sorts of reasons, most often to prove that a friend of theirs is innocent of the crime. That is the case again with this book as Mouse's next-door neighbor Arthur Phizer is accused of killing his first wife. Well, she isn't technically his first wife but then again there was a legitimate ceremony. As you can see, this author's storylines are also extremely imaginative and quite funny as you will see when you find out which of the characters gets shot in the behind and also as you discover why Sister bashed the bank president over the head with her umbrella. How in the world did a sweet looking little lady from Birmingham think this stuff up?

As with many cozy mysteries, the mystery tends to take a back seat in these books but in this installment the mystery is a little more noticeable than usual. Unfortunately though when the mystery is solved the solution gets so convoluted that it is all a little hard to grasp. I think that maybe the author was reaching a little when she finished up this book but after a little head scratching and rereading it will all finally make sense.

Despite a little weakness toward the end however this is another fine entry in this series. Mouse, Sister and crew are as entertaining as ever and I assure you that you won't be able to read this book without a loud chuckle or at least a broad smile. It's worth the price of the book and more just to hear Sister explain how she "accidentally" lost her innocence back in high school.

I've read the first couple of 100 Bullets, and never really got into them - maybe it's the writing that's so predictably obtuse and intentionally vague, or maybe it's the fact that it reads like something that a 12-year-old thinks would sound really cool. Dunno.

Either way, I thought I'd pick up one of these later issues, to see whether things have gotten any better since then. In a word, no. This collection exemplifies everything I said above, and has nothing of the "standalone episodes" that characterize the early series (thus making it impossible for newcomers to even get *one* layer of enjoyment out of this tripe). Maybe I'm just feeling grumpy today, but Azzarello really lost it for me.

Brian Azzarello, 100 Bullets: Once Upon a Crime (Vertigo, 2007)

There are times over the course of its run when 100 Bullets has been the best comic series going. Once upon a Crime is not one of those times, but a new book in the series, no matter how far it slips off the rails, is still going to be better than a good deal of what you read in the same month.

This is a setup volume, where we spend time getting ready for the big final bangup while learning backstory on some characters. Nothing much happens in this volume-- there's one big plot-related bang, and that's it-- but Azzarello and Risso are so involved with these characters, and are so good at getting into their heads and doing their voices, that even little vignettes about minor characters or stand-ins are well worth your time. ****

Evil men come to evil ends. Thus, the saga continues of Agent Graves and his Minutemen, former allies, enemies and their twined interactions in a very dark, twisted and morally confusing world where nothing is as it appears to be and everyone is out for revenge.

Highly recommended!

An awesome new chapter to 100 Bullets. Things are really starting to heat up as plans are but into motion, alliances change, and you find out the one things that disgusts Lono. Basically, if you've been reading 100 Bullets, you know you are getting this book. If you haven't read 100 Bullets, why the hell aren't you? Pick up the first 2 books and start reading from there and catch up. Do not even think about not starting at volume 1, there is no way you'll be able to follow what is going on. I honestly suggest read the first 2 volumes before deciding how you feel about 100 Bullets because the first book is just an introduction book that doesn't even begin to touch on the greatness that is 100 Bullets.