Please Note: Effective June 6, 2024, I no longer post book reviews on Amazon. It has been my experience that Amazon now routinely rejects as a matter of policy all reviews from advanced review copy (ARC) books published by independent publishers (self-published) and some small presses. Apparently, this is the company’s feeble attempt to address the massive problem of fake reviews published on its website. This practice is unfair, discriminatory, and harms independent publishers and small presses. I can only draw this conclusion because I have never had Amazon reject a review I’ve posted for ARC books received from major publishers or galley sites like NetGalley. Since I cannot in good conscience participate in Amazon’s unethical practices, I will not post reviews on Amazon for any book I review regardless of source.
Crime Fiction Critic Review Policy
I am always happy to hear from publishers and authors inquiring about book reviews. But, please read the Crime Fiction Critic review policy in its entirety before contacting me. If you request a book review, I will assume you have read and agree to the terms outlined below. I DO NOT solicit or accept payment or other valuable consideration for reviews besides acceptance of advanced review copies of books I choose to read and provide an honest, unbiased review.
General
I will accept a print or digital (at your option) advance reader copy of books I’m interested in reading and reviewing.
I accept books for review from major publishing houses, small press publishers, and self-published authors.
Expect Only Honest Reviews
Expect an objective, honest review. Please understand reviews I provide are only my opinions and that I always strive to give constructive critiques. I will do my best to explain what I enjoyed about a book or why I didn’t find it to my liking.
As a writer, I understand the effort and work that goes into writing a book, so I am always respectful in my reviews and never overly negative. If you request a review, please be open to accepting my honest opinion of your work. All reviews are final. My opinion won’t change. I won’t engage in email arguments over the merits of your work. If you feel unwilling to accept the possibility of an unfavorable review, please reconsider requesting me to review your work.
My Focus
When I review a book, I try to cover the plot, pacing, place, theme(s), and characters. I endeavor to explain how the book made me feel, helping prospective readers understand whether I loved, liked, or didn’t like a book so much.
Rating System
Formerly, I didn’t use star ratings for reviews I post on this blog because I didn’t feel they have any particular merit. I still hold the same opinion. Such ratings are too subjective to have any real value. For this reason, the vast majority of my early review here are not starred reviews. But because many authors have told me they want starred reviews, I have changed my policy and now assign book ratings on the common 1 to 5 star scale used by book retailer sites, Goodreads, NetGalley, etc, with one caveat. I do not publish reviews for books on any public website when I cannot honestly rate a book as three-stars or above. I follow the same policy here. When assigning star ratings I place the most weight on two factors, character development and how much I enjoyed reading the book.
Timing of Reviews
I read and review books in the order they are received. I realize there are situations where a publisher or author is seeking reviews to coincide with a date of publication. But, I cannot guarantee a time frame unless we have discussed and agreed in advance on a particular date. This blog isn’t my job. It’s my passion. I review books in my spare time and have other responsibilities to attend to beyond reading and reviewing.
What I Read and Review
As should be evident from the blog title, I read crime fiction and more crime fiction— thrillers, mysteries, suspense, and police procedural novels. While I occasionally read outside these genres, these are the genres I enjoy most and all that I review on this blog. I do not review erotica, romance, chick-lit, dystopian, YA, children’s books, fantasy, or science fiction.
Acceptance Not Guaranteed
I consider all requests, but I cannot accept them all. Please don’t take it personally if I decline to review your book, as it is in no way a judgment on the merits of your work. In a perfect world, I’d be reading 24/7 and could read every book I want to. But we live in an imperfect world.
While I endeavor to reply to every email in a timely fashion, life sometimes gets rather busy and mail volume rather high. If I haven’t responded to your request within ten business days, please assume that I have respectfully declined to review your book.
Please do not send me a book until we have corresponded and I’ve agreed to review it. I accept no responsibility for reviewing books that show up in my mailbox unannounced.
I guarantee I will read and review every advanced reader copy I accept in a timely manner. I maintain a 100% review average on NetGalley and here. Should my “to be read pile” grow too high, I will notify anyone requesting a review of foreseen delays.
Where I Publish Reviews
I publish starred reviews here on the website, Goodreads, and NetGalley where applicable. I may at my option post reviews on Barnes & Noble where possible. Effective June 6, 2024, I no longer post book reviews on Amazon for any book because of Amazon’s whimsical, and completely opaque review approval process that disadvantages self-published authors and many small presses.
Buy Links
As a convenience to visitors of this website, I include “buy link” buttons with every review. The links associated with the buttons are “clean.” I’m not associated with any affiliate programs and do not earn money from anyone clicking on a link anywhere on this site. This is not a “for profit” website. Also, I do not collect any personal information when someone chooses to click a link on this site. The buy links direct only to selected online booksellers for digital books and Bookshop.org for print books. I no longer provide buy links that direct to Amazon.
Requesting a Review
I accept requests for reviews by email only. Please email your request to info@crimefictioncritic.com and put “Review Request” in the subject line. As a minimum, include the following in the body of the email.
Book Title
Date of publication (MM/YYYY)
Publisher (Or indicate self-published)
Author’s name
Genre
Brief synopsis (or include a link where I can read it online)
After you’ve covered the basics above, feel free to add any additional information you wish me to know.
Questions? Please contact me at the email address given above.