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“Narrator Cynthia Farrell is an asset, handling the Texas accents well…Both Kent and Farrell make it clear that Betty is a strong, complex—and sometimes implacable—woman.”
— AudioFile
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“Terrific.”
— Chicago Tribune
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“What really makes The Dime special is not just the fact that it features a lesbian detective. Rather, it’s the fact that it shoves its lesbian detective into one of the most breathless, inventive and—be forewarned—violent suspense plots I’ve read in a long time. Halfway through, The Dime accelerates into warp speed, and Betty has to draw on all her Brooklyn, Polish, tough-girl moxie to fight her way out of an imprisonment that would have made Harry Houdini hang his head in defeat.”
— NPR
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“The plot revolves around the Asian sex- and drug-trafficking trade run by the cutest little old lady you ever did see, but the broader appeal is Kent’s offbeat humor, which pulls up reins just before it takes the story over a cliff.”
— New York Times Book Review
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One of the Best Books of the Year - Dallas Observer, BookRiot
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One of the most breathless, inventive, and be forewarned, violent suspense plots I've read in a long time.
— Maureen Corrigan, NPR's Fresh Air
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Exciting [and] moving . . . Grisly but likable
— Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal
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Terrific . . . Kent's own ability to avoid predictable outcomes and keep the reader on edge bodes well for future installments in this series.
— Lloyd Sachs, Chicago Tribune
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The plot revolves around the Asian sex- and drug-trafficking trade run by the cutest little old lady you ever did see, but the broader appeal is Kent's offbeat humor, which pulls up reins just before it takes the story over a cliff.
— Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
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Kathleen Kent finds the noir side of Dallas. . . . Betty Ryhzyk [is] a beguiling protagonist. . . . [She] brings freshness and new energy to the role. . . . There's no shortage of Pine Curtain gothic in this landscape of mangy dogs, religious nuts and violent meth-heads.
— Doug J. Swanson, Dallas Morning News
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Gritty and gripping, explosive and emotional, Kathleen Kent's The Dime grabs you from its opening scene and never lets go. Kent tears off the glossy facade of Dallas to show us a dark underbelly of crime. A great start from an exciting new series.
— Jeff Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of The First Order
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[Kent] explodes into the crime genre with a detective who has all the qualities that'll make her stand out from the crowd. . . . Betty is [a] kick-butt detective. . . . Kent's brilliant, sometimes-gentle and humorous observations humanize and set this book apart.
— Barbara Clark, BookPage
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Outstanding . . . Kent never sacrifices robust characters, or biting humor, during scenes of brutal violence, which, though disturbing, are essential to the rich plot.
— Publishers Weekly (starred boxed review)
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Violent, sexy, and completely absorbing. Kent's detective is Sam Spade reincarnated-as a brilliant, modern woman. . . . The mystery succeeds as both whodunit and as a deeper character-driven novel. Kent neatly balances the tough talk and high body count of a traditional hard-boiled detective novel, reminiscent of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, with the modern strength of this complex, flawed, and interesting woman. . . . Every layer of this novel strikes the right note.
— Kirkus Reviews (starred)
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Kent is an effective storyteller and an acute social observer, with a sharp eye for Texas-sized absurdities.
— The Los Angeles Review of Books
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Perfect for the current time
— Flavorwire
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Betty is a terrific character . . . A worthy addition to the ranks of strong female detectives.
— Booklist
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I loved The Dime. Betty is my hero. Smart, determined, and so unique. The writing is as smooth as Texas spring water and the story grabs you by the throat and drags you happily through a briar patch of surprise and excitement and leaves you exhausted under the Dallas skyline. More please!
— Joe R. Lansdale, author of Honky Tonk Samurai
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[A] gritty series debut . . . This fast-paced, adrenaline-producing suspense novel will appeal to Karin Slaughter fans.
— Library Journal
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Smart, gritty, and populated by a rogue's gallery of unforgettable characters, The Dime is relentless. As it races full-bore its way toward a climax that's truly creepy, the best you can do is hang on--and it's a hell of a ride.
— Kelly Braffet, author of Save Yourself
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Kent has written a brilliant detective with hard-edges and heart while striking the perfect balance of humor, violence, action, and procedural.
— Jamie Canaves, BookRiot
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Only a fan blowing in the right direction could flip the pages of this lightning-paced tale any faster. It may be her crime fiction debut, but Kathleen Kent writes with the hard-boiled confidence of a veteran....Betty is buff, brave, and believable. She is a terrific, fully-realized addition to her genre.
— Minneapolis Star-Tribune
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As hard-to-forget as Kent's main character is, the breakout star [is] the city of Dallas.
— Rachel Williams, Dallas Observer
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Kent knows her craft. The Dime's tight plotting and masterful suspense is no surprise.
— Ginni Beam, D Magazine