Reviews
A Bad Nights Sleep
“Fans of gritty PI novels will relish Shamus-finalist Wiley's third mystery featuring Chicago detective Joe Kozmarski. Kozmarski, a well-developed flawed hero, would be right at home in a Chandler or Hammett novel. The relentless pacing makes the pages fly by, and the hard-edged prose is bracing.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred revew)
A Bad Night’s Sleep is “Fast, furious and fun. Readers who like them hard-boiled will love this 22-minute egg.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“The latest Chicago private investigative Kozmarski Noir . . . is a terrific gritty thriller that grips the audience with the opening shootout and never takes a respite as the beleaguered hero struggles to survive on the mean streets. . . . Readers will have A Bad Night’s Sleep as this exciting tale is difficult to put down.”
— The Mystery Gazette
The Bad Kitty Lounge
“is stylish, and ranges from melancholic to howlingly funny.”
— Booklist Magazine
“effectively tells a brutal story. If you like tough thrillers, this is for you.”
— The Washington Times
is “a tidy, gritty tale about the legacy of violence, greed and family ties.”
— The Sun-Sentinel
“expertly shows myriad complex relationships and the motives behind violent behavior.”
— The Miami Herald
“keeps us guessing to the end.”
— The Library Journal (Starred Review)
“combines biting dialogue with deadpan humor.”
—Jacksonville Magazine
is “strong second mystery [that] . . . has plenty of grit, and . . . suits Chicago fine.”
— Publishers Weekly
is “Another winner. If you like PI novels you really need to get this."
— CrimeSpree Magazine
“is a superb Chicago Noir. The audience will enjoy this fabulous investigative thriller as the spins and twists keep the reader off kilter throughout.”
— The Mystery Gazette
is “impossible to put down.”
— Chapter 16
Reviews of The Last Striptease
Wiley has written "a stylish and savvy page-turner of a noir-nuanced thriller . . . a riveting debut."
— Chicago Tribune
If Michael Wiley's goal was to write a murder mystery that would keep readers up past their bed time, he has succeeded. Wiley has turned out a first novel that has an absorbing plot and believable characters. The writing in The Last Striptease is strong and seamless.
—Florida Times-Union
With more white-knuckle excitement and pulse-pounding surprises than a rush hour taxi ride on Chicago's busiest freeways, The Last Striptease is a superb entertainment and the latest winner in the esteemed Best First Private Eye Novel Contest. With vibrant characterizations and shrewdly conceived plotting, this gritty new novel by an impressive new talent in the private eye fiction genre is certain to win Kozmarski (and author Michael Wiley) plenty of committed fans. Don't miss it!
— Book Loons
“This delightful debut is a hoot from beginning to end. Wiley is another writer to watch.”
—Toronto Globe and Mail
“One heck of a mystery! Wiley's first installment in the Private Eye Joe Kozmarski series is a definite winner and ushers in a potent new talent. A terrific debut.”
— barnesandnoble.com, Feature Mystery
"Wiley's first novel is loaded with action, starting with a murder in the opening scene. The body count is impressive, yet there's more to Striptease than wall-to-wall plot."
— Chicago Sun-Times
The Last Striptease "is hard-boiled fiction with tenderness and compassion.”
— Newsday (and The Bloomberg Report)
“The Last Striptease won the PWA/St. Martin's Press Best First PI Novel contest, and for good reason. From the first chapter the plot moves at a brisk pace. Wiley's intimate portrayal of Chicago with its ethnic neighborhoods and multicultural society will please local readers, while other fans of the PI novel should enjoy his descriptions of the city. A highly recommended read for all those who love good storytelling.”
— Mystery Scene Magazine
"The Last Striptease "is seamless, well thought out, entertaining and intelligent crime fiction.”
— Crimespree Magazine
“All hell breaks loose in Michael Wiley’s debut classic detective story. The Last Striptease definitely is a rewarding tale.”
—I Love a Mystery
The Last Striptease is a “fast-paced,” “entertaining read.” Private detective Joe Kozmarski is a “wonderfully flawed everyman” for whom “Readers will applaud.”
— Publishers Weekly
“The Last Striptease is a quick, hard ride down Chicago's mean streets. One of the things I love about PI novels is the way these guys look at a street. From the first line you know Wiley's on the same page when he describes the Chicago street he's staked out and you learn as much about the neighborhood as the man. The Last Striptease is a terrific debut novel.”
—Gumshoe Review
"Why shouldn't a private cop with time on his hands hang out the 'Gone Fishing' sign? Because he might get hooked." In The Last Striptease, Wiley "speak[s] . . . fluent Chandler."
— Kirkus Reviews
The Last Striptease is a “wily Chicago Noir.” “The story line is a fast-paced investigative whodunit with a fabulous dangerous trek around Chicago. Urban Noir fans will appreciate” PI Joe Kozmarksi.
—Midwest Book Review
"Sometimes a case, a kid, and a good-looking woman can make for a sticky mess. The Last Striptease is an enjoyable, fast-moving whodunit that is sure to entertain."
— Fresh Fiction