The reviewer for the "Los Angeles Times", Robert Kirsch, did not enjoy the book and considered Fleming to be "a second-rate reporter, filled with the irritating prejudices and pomposities of a middle-class English traveller." For Kirsch, Fleming's style was a combination of Sax Rohmer and James Fitzpatrick, although he also considered that "Fleming's wit is provincial". Writing the review for "The Boston Globe", Marjory Adams thought "Thrilling Cities" to have "an acid gaiety in its descriptions", which contributed to her overall summary of the book: "it is fun!"