General Reference Sites

• Stop Your Killing Me: StopYoureKillingMe.com Use the alphabet across the top of the home page to search for authors or main characters alphabetically. Use the left menu bar for all other features.
• PROS:
• Site is devoted only to the mystery & thriller genres
• Easiest place to find all mystery books by an author on one page, listed by series, and listed in published order
• All awards are listed by the organization giving the awards
• Other search features include: search by a series' main character's name, search by sub-genre, search by geograpohical setting, and more
• The vast majority of listed books link to the book listing on Amazon where book blurbs and previews are available.
• CONS:
• Site is run by two people, who do a fantastic job!! ...And thus has built-in limits. It is a labior of love, but any Amazon-linked purchases help support their endeavors.
• A smattering of the books are read by the site owners who write a short "Review" which is more like their own blurb. These are helpful!! But only a small percentage of the books get such a reading.
• All awards are listed by the organization giving the awards
• Other search features include: search by a series' main character's name, search by sub-genre, search by geograpohical setting, and more


• Goodreads: Goodreads.com Use the search box to find authors and all their books or to find specific book titles. Use the menu item "Listopia" to find lists of best mystery, thriller, or any sub-genre of books. Set up an account to keep track of what you read or want to read.
  • PROS:
  • Individual pages for each book allow you to see a blurb about the book, how other readers rated the book (4.0 or above is ideal).
  • Numerous reader reviews - some well-written, some not. (Scroll down the page for this.)
  • A button that links to a preview - usually the first chapter or sometimes more. The button is always in the upper left, under the picture of the book cover.
  • CONS:
  • So much stuff and not always easy to navigate.
  • Book lists cannot be sorted by ratings (or maybe by anything).
  • Popular by readers does not always tell the whole story as to whether it is a good book. Remember - book ratings by less than 750 (at minimum) do not mean much, whether here or on Amazon or elsewhere. Happily, many books there are rated by 3,000 or more readers.