The mystery shelves of many bookstores and libraries often make up of the largest genre sections. As authors like Agatha Christie, Sue Grafton, and Mary Higgins Clark could likely have testified, the reason why is because there are many readers that love a good mystery. For an author, writing a mystery can be as enjoyable as reading one. As they develop the plot, they get to set the balance between suspense and action, and they get to determine just how many clues and diversions to reveal to the readers. Due to the intricate plot and diverse cast of characters in most mysteries, mystery authors spend countless hours developing, writing, revising and rewriting their stories. Afterwards, time and money are often required to get their book edited, proofread, formatted, and the cover designed. Once a book is complete, however, comes what many authors feel is the hardest part: Marketing. While there are many options available for marketing, the success of a book is largely dependent upon having plenty of positive book reviews, as these are heavily relied upon by readers to determine the quality of your book. Thus, many mystery authors wonder “How do I get book reviews? And who are the best reviewers for mystery novels?”
Book reviews come in various forms. A few examples of the review options available are Amazon customer reviews, Goodreads reviews, book blogger posts and editorial reviews, and sometimes these options overlap. For instance, many book bloggers, in addition to posting their reviews on their blog, will post their reviews on platforms such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads or Librarything. Similarly, while most editorial reviewers only post their reviews on their websites, Amazon and other retailers allow authors to prominently share editorial reviews of their books.
Whether your book is a cozy mystery, a hardboiled detective novel, or anywhere in between, you’ll need to discover the best mystery book reviewers to submit your book to. At Indies Today, we have taken the time to consider hundreds of book reviewers to identify the top book reviewers for your book’s genre. Listed below are the current top reviewers for mystery books. In addition to these reviewers, make sure that you search for “mystery” in our complete list of indie book reviewers to find dozens of other great options for getting your book reviewed.
TOP MYSTERY BOOK REVIEWERS
- JaneCairns.com The title for the JaneCairns.com is actually Mostly Mystery Reviews, so the reason why it made the list is clear. Reviews are posted to Goodreads in addition to the blog, and Mostly Mystery Reviews, like all sites mentioned on Indies Today, accepts independent and self-published authors.
- IdeasFlyHigh.com Ideas Fly High, also known as Confessions of a Reading Freak, primarily reviews mysteries and thrillers. Their reviews are thorough and books are rating on a 1 to 5 scale. In addition to the blog, reviews are posted to Goodreads.
- VigilantReader.com Mystery, crime and detective are on a short list of genres accepted by Vigilant Reader. They only post reviews that receive a 4 or 5 star rating, and their reviews are honest and genuine.
- IndiesToday.com Okay, listing ourselves may seem like a bit of self-promotion, but it’s true that our reviewers love reading indie authors and many of them also love reading mysteries. Besides that, we offer by far the lowest price in the industry for an editorial review and book award contest entry. Our editorial reviews include quotable phrases that you can add to Amazon or other retailers to influence potential customers.
