Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What kind of books do you review at Mysterious Reviews?
We only review the books that would generally be shelved under the "mystery" category at a major bookseller or books that would be available at your local mystery bookstore.
Are there any types of mysteries that you don't review?
Yes. We don't review true crime which we consider to be a separate category altogether.
How do you select which mystery books to review?
We are generally open to reviewing almost any book that would be considered a "mystery", but try to select books for review that we might purchase ourselves. There are many factors that go into a purchase, and hence review decision. Have we read anything by the author in the past? If so, were we impressed or disappointed? Does the book synopsis sound interesting? Is it a subgenre that we enjoy reading? We readily admit there are certain types of mysteries that don't appeal to us and we usually decline requests to review them.
Do you get paid to review books?
No. Although we may receive at no charge advance reading copies or review copies of books, we do not accept any payment from the author, publicist, or publisher to review books.
It
seems as if you grade books on a "curve", with most mysteries getting
"average" reviews.
Is this true?
No. But the fact is that most mysteries are average. That doesn't mean they are bad, only that in our opinion they didn't distinguish themselves in some way. We typically reserve our highest ratings for those mysteries that we rush out to tell our friends and family about. At the opposite end of the spectrum, if a mystery fails to meet our expectations, we will downgrade it and always state our reasons.
Do you review ebooks?
No. We spend plenty of time each and every day in our wired and wireless world. When we read a book, we prefer holding the printed words in our hands and turning the pages.
What's the best way to contact you for more information on getting a mystery reviewed?
Send a message to reviews@hsmb.com. We will promptly respond.
