Praise for Death at Greenway
“Irresistible… a Golden Age homage, an elegantly constructed mystery that on every page reinforces the message that everyone counts.” —New York Times Book Review
“A richly nuanced mystery… Fans of both Christie and Rader-Day will relish this.”—Publishers Weekly STARRED review
“Something special…” —Airmail
“Superior example of historical crime fiction.” —Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
“…suitably suspenseful novel…” Wall Street Journal (a March 2022 Book of the Month)
“Rader-Day, known for masterfully weaving historical elements into her female-focused literary thrillers, imbues this wartime whodunit with palpable emotion…” —Booklist
“Riveting… The novel evokes Christie’s style, complex plots, and atmosphere, but with impressive updates in terms of intimate relationships and psychology…Readers of historical novels will love the mix of history and fiction, admiring the way facts are easily feathered into the flow of the story. Highly recommended.” – Historical Novels Review • Editor’s Choice
“Rader-Day has done a superb job in paying homage to the great writer without losing her own identity.”—BookTrib.com
“Death at Greenway is as taut as a bow string, with every character capable of snapping at a moment’s notice.”—BookPage
“Agatha Christie would be pleased with Rader-Day’s sixth novel . . . An intriguing mystery with well-developed characters and fascinating historical details.” —Library Journal
“Lori Rader-Day has never been an author who was content with the status quo – each of her books is unique in style, execution, and intention…There is no telling where Lori Rader-Day’s writerly journey will take her next, but readers can rest easy knowing she will approach whatever it is with the same level of commitment and clear talent which she bestowed on this, her first venture into historical territory.” —Bolobooks.com
“..This book is more powerful in subtle ways. The author lays in clues in such a way that even the mistress of misdirection, Agatha Christie, would be proud. If you are a fan of Christie, or just of historical fiction, place this book on your to-read list.” —Reviewing the Evidence
Praise for The Lucky One
“Riveting.”—Library Journal
“A tantalizing effort… unexpectedly moving.” —Chicago Tribune
“Rader-Day creates deeply believable, empathetic characters and puts the power in the hands of women, including older women. Pacing is fast but not frantic, and the story’s constant surprises and reveals evolve naturally and come together satisfyingly free of loose ends. The tightly crafted storytelling brings heat back into the familiar cold case plot, digging deep into those aches that never really fade.”—Publishers Weekly
“[Rader-Day’s] gifted storytelling makes this a fine read.” — Booklist
“…compulsively readable… quite possibly her best book yet.” —BOLOBooks.com
Praise for Under a Dark Sky
“Fans of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None will be riveted by Rader-Day’s (The Day I Died) latest psychological thriller, which makes you question who you really know and trust and whether you should be afraid of the dark.” —STARRED Review, Library Journal, June 2018
“Inventive… Rader-Day expertly plots an ingenious mystery in Under a Dark Sky. A shrewd plot and realistic characters also soar.” —Associated Press
“Rader-Day juices her young-widow setup with enough soul-searching, menace, and dirty linen to make you think of Mary Higgins Clark with teeth bared.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A tense tale of murder among old friends featuring an evolving protagonist and high-stakes mind games.” —Booklist
“…a masterful suspense tale that readers won’t soon forget.” —Suspense Magazine
“One of the best books of the year…”- BOLOBooks
Praise for The Day I Died
“Mary Higgins Clark Award winner Rader-Day’s (Little Pretty Things) third novel will thrill readers who can’t get enough of the psychological suspense genre.” — Library Journal
“Beautiful prose and tack-sharp observations round out this slow-burning but thought-provoking meditation on the ravages of domestic violence.”— Publishers Weekly
Praise for Little Pretty Things
“Rader-Day again proves herself (after The Black Hour, 2014) a deft manipulator of dark atmosphere, witty dialogue, and complex, charismatic characters. Highly recommended for psychological thriller groupies, especially those who walk on the literary side of the genre and favor books like Tana French’s Faithful Place (2010) and Cornelia Read’s Madeline Dare series.” ―STARRED Review, Booklist, May 2015
“Rader-Day…writes absorbingly.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The musings on roads taken and not taken will resonate with anyone wishing they could rewrite their youth.” —Publishers Weekly
“Once again, Chicago author Rader-Day delivers a breathless psychological thriller with a killer first line, an irresistible mystery and lean chapters soaked with suspense. Comparisons to Tana French (A Secret Place) and Paula Hawkins (The Girl on the Train) have become all too common in the mystery genre, but with two consistently great novels now under her belt, Rader-Day has proved their equal in crafting taut, literary mysteries with fascinating heroines.” —Bookpage
“The writing style allows the mystery to unfold slowly, giving readers time to swallow everything they’ve learned, making the surprising end and reveal of the culprit more shocking and full of impact. It’s a great read for the mystery lover who prefers to leave the suspense for the final pages. Compelling. Page-Turner.” —RT Book Reviews
“Pack this one in your beach bag and get your book clubs ready – I think we’ve found this year’s hottest summer title!”—Rachel Kray, Overdrive Book Bytes
“Little Pretty Things is like a literary mash-up of Judy Blume and Megan Abbott…With Little Pretty Things, Lori Rader-Day has written a modern classic…”—BOLOBooks.com
“Little Pretty Things reads rather like a combination of Grosse Pointe Blank and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. Or like a re-write of Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion where Romy gets murdered in the first five minutes and Michele forgets all about blue binder guy and spends the whole movie solving Romy’s murder while reexamining every facet of her and Romy’s life. Readers of Megan Abbott, Tana French, Mette Ivie Harrison, and Jamie Mason should get plenty of enjoyment out of Lori Rader-Day’s work, but there’s a limit to any exact comparison – Lori Rader-Day’s got a style and sensibility all her own. But don’t take my word for it – thanks to Seventh Street Books and their affordable paperback releases, you can find out for yourself.”—Book People
Praise for The Black Hour
Publishers Weekly gave The Black Hour a STARRED REVIEW and says it is an “exceptional debut” that provides “an irresistible combination of menace, betrayal, and self-discovery.”
Booklist gave The Black Hour a STARRED REVIEW and says it is “unputdownable…This accomplished debut bears favorable comparison to the work of Gillian Flynn (more Sharp Objects than Gone Girl) Cornelia Read, and S. J. Watson.
Libraryreads.com chose The Black Hour as the #3 book out in July 2014, selected by librarians: “This first novel about two broken people is a psychological thriller like the best of Alfred Hitchcock.”
Library Journal named The Black Hour their debut of the month for July 2014 with a STARRED REVIEW. LJ’s verdict: “This reviewer was bowled over by the novel’s alternating points of view, superb storytelling, and pitch-perfect take on academia.”
Bookpage called it “a perfect thriller for summer…Rader-Day’s addictive prose is atmospheric and laced with dread.”
Bookish.com put The Black Hour on a list of anticipated summer mysteries alongside the new Stephen King book, saying it is “a novel that is both difficult to put down and even more difficult to forget.”
RT Book Reviews said “Rader-Day’s compelling novel pits the worst of human nature against those merely trying to survive. 4 Stars. Compelling.”
