A Criminal Element Best Book of 2024
The elements of a scandalous crime are everywhere: a dubiously employed moll who could be a ringer for Jean Harlow, a former boxer with big money problems, a nattily dressed gangster insisting he shot his assailant in self-defense and the illegal nightclub whose patrons are rumored to include the mayor, various council members and even the chief of police. Alida Becker, New York Times Book Review
Williams romantic coming of age takes up almost as many pages as his journalistic work, giving parts of A Killing on the Hill a poignant sweetness reminiscent of Thornton Wilder. But Williams forays into his new hometowns shadier regions are as hard-boiled as any pulp-magazine novella. Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal
One of the best crime writers in the business. Associated Press
Dugoni scores a decisive win with this tale of greed, lust, and bloodshed: its chock-full of expertly drawn characters and plenty of historical lore, and its note-perfect noir atmosphere could accommodate James Cagney. Heres hoping this gets the series treatment. Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Author Robert Dugoni is firing on all cylinders. His best-selling Tracy Crosswhite novels set in the world of the Seattle police number ten (and counting) in the series. Dugoni also has a spy series, a legal thriller series and stand-alone novels including one set during the Vietnam War and another spanning decades. Now hes gone deep into historical fiction with this crime novel set in the 1930s. Seattle is in the grip of the Great Depression and Prohibition. So naturally vice is at an all time high. Cub reporter William Shumacher stumbles onto a great story: an ex-prize fighter murdered by a mobster, with a gangsters moll just one of many unreliable witnesses. Itll be the launch of a new series for Dugoni, assuming Shumacher survives. Parade
Dugoni is a superb storyteller. The Boston Globe
Dugonis plotlines flow fast through twists and dead ends to page-turning but believable resolutionsSeattle, its hills, harbor area, slums and fancy homes, trolleys and busy traffic all feel authentic. Highly recommended Historical Novel Society, Editors Choice
The best stories are those often not constrained by the truth. But digging around to find the answers could get a fellow killed. The truth here wasnt simple. In fact it often became suspect. Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine
The case is compelling, the characters are stellar, and the prose takes the reader back to a time when DNA and technology were not available to make a slam-dunk prosecution. Is it too early to say that this will be remembered as the best legal thriller of the year? Jeff Ayers, FirstCLUE
Dugoni can flat-out write. Whether its a standalone (5) or one of his series (3), all of his books are terrificA Killing on the Hill will keep you enthralled throughout. The Book Sage
I would follow Robert Dugoni anywhere. Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author
An author who seems like he hasnt met a genre he cant conquer. Bookreporter
Crime writing of the absolute highest order. Providence Journal
The bottom line is that theres not much Robert Dugoni cant do. He can write anything. Which is why his latest book, on the heels of his already impressive backlist, is so intriguingTo call it gripping doesnt begin to do it justice. The fact is, its special and unlike anything else hitting bookstores right now. Ryan Steck, author of The Real Book Spy
Though Dugoni is primarily celebrated as a thriller writer, A Killing on the Hill evokes comparisons with the likes of E. L. Doctorows Ragtime and Caleb Carrs The Alienist in that its drawn on a broad canvas that weaves fact into the fiction. Jon Land, BookTrib
A Killing on the Hill is a great mystery and a fun read. Dugoni perfectly captures a time when newspapers, rather than the internet, delivered the stories that captivated the public and left readers eager for more. Woman Around Town
A Killing on the Hill by Robert Dugoni is undoubtedly a must-read thriller of the year, offering a riveting blend of intrigue, romance, and suspense that will leave readers eagerly turning the pages until the very end. The Book Decoder
