A Criminal Game: a Christian mystery thriller

A Criminal Game by D.L. Wood is the first book in The Criminal Collection series. After the death of her husband three years ago, Evie Diaz’s mission in life is to keep life steady for her young daughter. From her little Queens apartment to her night manager position at a luxury Manhattan hotel. Her one reprieve from the realities of life is liaising for a high stakes poker game held at the hotel. From movie stars to millionaires, big tips and flirty moments, it was a nice break for Evie. Until one night, when the game ends in trouble and all evidence points to Evie, the host goes after her with vengeance. Now she is on the run, she must unravel the plot and clear her name. Can she reveal the real culprit before she pays the ultimate price for a game she never played? 

Tagged as a Christian mystery thriller and with an opening prologue that was thrilling, I was eager to dive into this story of cat and mouse. However, I was not hooked. The events of the story take place within 24 hours and yet it was uninteresting. I didn’t quite understand why Evie was framed and the chase that ensued to find her. I liked Evie and her devotion to her daughter. I liked the Christian perspective that was nicely done, not overly preaching but very real. While it was like reading an action movie with near misses and car chases, which by design should have been exciting, but overall, I was bored. It may be that thrillers are a hit and miss for me that I don’t actively read in this genre.  However, if you enjoy mystery thrillers with a Christian perspective, I recommend A Criminal Game. 

A Criminal Game is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder: a young adult mystery thriller

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is the first book in the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy. In the small town of Fairview, Connecticut, everyone knows the story. Andie Bell, the pretty and popular high school senior, disappeared and was believed to be murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself after confessing to the crime. It is a story everyone still talks about and it haunts the town. For a senior project, Pippa Fitz-Amobi decides to reexamine the case, to cast doubt on the original investigation and the accepted narrative. She knew Sal as a child and she can’t shake the feeling that he did not kill Andie. As she begins to question the people who knew Andie and Sal, she finds clues of darker secrets and proof that Sal is actually innocent. However, someone in Fairview doesn’t want Pip digging around as the threatening notes begin. Could her own life be in danger? 

I have seen A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder on social media for a while and it wasn’t until my preteen daughter was interested in reading the book and Netflix's new series that I decided to give it a try. Popular BookTok books have been hit and miss for me but I enjoy young adult books and mystery thrillers. I also wanted to read the book before checking out the series. I loved Pippa and her determination to cast a shadow on the accepted story. She was smart and intuitive. There were plenty of suspects and people who had secrets to hide. The twists and turns kept me guessing and the revelations at the end were unexpected but looking back on the clues, the hints were there. I enjoyed this story so much that I will be continuing the trilogy. If you enjoy young adult stories and mystery thrillers, you will enjoy this story. I highly recommend A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. 

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook