New issue of Crime Review

The final 2022 issue of Crime Review is up and there's a vaguely festive feel to it (and that's not just the editors scoffing mince pies and wondering whether you can ever have too many roast potatoes ...) We've gathered together a load of short story collections that will see you through the holiday season or provide a quick stocking filler if you need last-minute pressies. Thank us later.

There are a range of writers there, including Georges Simenon, Agatha Christie, CJ Tudor and the late and much-missed Reginald Hill. But it's not all cosies - if you fancy sloping off to Addis Ababa, the Antarctic or Sweden, there's plenty of noir on offer.

And we welcome author CL Taylor to the Countdown seat. Season's greetings to everyone and we'll see you in 2023.

http://crimereview.co.uk/page.php/editorial/10117

Best wishes

Sharon and Linda

www.crimereview.co.uk

New Issue of Crime Review

We feature new 20 reviews in each issue of Crime Review (www.crimereview.co.uk), together with a top industry interview. This time it’s author Isabelle Grey in the Countdown hot seat:   http://crimereview.co.uk/page.php/interview/9478

We’re on Twitter at:

Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK 

Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer

Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia

This week’s reviews are:

A COMEDY OF TERRORS by Lindsey Davis, reviewed by John Cleal

While Roman detective Flavia Albia tries to come to terms with a new role, her magistrate husband becomes involved in a case which threatens not only the family but also the future of the empire itself.

THE SENTINEL by Lee Child and Andrew Child, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan

Jack Reacher arrives by chance at a small town near Tennessee, where there appears to be a power cut. Also, by chance, he manages to avert a kidnapping. By which time he is too involved not to let it all go.

GALWAY EPIPHANY by Ken Bruen, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler

Maverick PI Jack Taylor is finally hoping for a quiet retirement. But when he emerges from a coma after being hit by a truck, the incident is being hailed as a miracle and the children who tended him as saints. But he isn’t the only one looking for the kids, who have gone missing …

PASSENGER 23 by Sebastian Fitzek, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Police psychologist Martin Schwartz lost his wife and son five years ago on a cruise. When someone tells him there was more to their disappearance than a tragic accident, he has to find out more.

THE MIST by Ragnar Jónasson, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

Erla and Einar live in an isolated farmhouse in the eastern part of Iceland. Their daily toil remains unchanged for years until a strange visitor arrives during a snowstorm just before Christmas. As the telephone stops working and electricity dies, the unsettling atmosphere intensifies.

THE WHOLE TRUTH by Cara Hunter, reviewed by Viv Beeby

DI Fawley and his wife Alex are expecting a much longed-for child and everything in the garden looks lovely – until the release from prison of a vicious and vengeful rapist and murderer threatens to blight their happiness.

SAVAGE ROAD by Chris Hauty, reviewed by John Verpeleti

The President of the United States is a Russian mole and it is for his handler and covert agent, Hayley Chill, to keep him in line and ensure that a current series of cyber-attacks does not escalate into war.

THE MOON TUNNEL by Jim Kelly, reviewed by Kerry Hood

A body is found in one of the escape tunnels dug by POWs held in a World War Two camp in Cambridgeshire’s fenlands. Journalist Philip Dryden is drawn inescapably to the case when it is revealed that the man discovered in the collapsed tunnel was on the way into, not out of, the compound.

BLACKWOOD by Michael Farris Smith, reviewed by Chris Roberts

The dying rural backwater of Red Bluff, Mississippi, is briefly awoken from its slumber when new arrivals appear in town and locals go missing in the sinister nearby blackwood.

THE HOUSE OF WHISPERS by Anna Kent, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Grace is back in Abi’s life, dripping toxins into an already fragile status quo.

BREAK OUT by Paul Herron, reviewed by Linda Wilson

With two hurricanes on collision course, the staff of Ravenhill maximum security prison decide to evacuate, leaving the inmates to fend for themselves. But in the middle of a riot and a superstorm, all ex-cop Jack Constantine wants is revenge.

CITY OF SPIES by Mara Timon, reviewed by Chris Roberts

SOE agent Elizabeth de Mornay flees Paris in 1943 for neutral Lisbon, where she finds plenty of enemy intrigue to keep her occupied.

FUTURE PERFECT by Felicia Yap, reviewed by John Barnbrook

In the near future, software has been devised that predicts the future with surprising accuracy. The only problem is that being given the probability that you will die the next day is not necessarily what you want to hear. Nor do you want to discover that analytic software identifies you as a potential murderer.

MURDER ON THE MOORLAND by Helen Cox, reviewed by John Cleal

Librarian-turned-detective Kitt Hartley heads for the moorland village where her boyfriend’s ex-wife was murdered five years before to solve what looks like a copycat killing – right down to the runic symbols carved into the victim’s hand!

EIGHT PIECES OF SILVA by Patrice Lawrence, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Eighteen-year-old Silva is meant to be looking after her 16-year-old stepsister Becks while their parents are on a belated honeymoon to Japan, but when Silva doesn’t come home, Becks decides to check out her bedroom and then her worries really kick off.

HOTEL CARTAGENA by Simone Buchholz, reviewed by Chris Roberts

A top-floor Hamburg hotel bar with a party of police amongst the guests is invaded by a dozen men with weapons who take everyone hostage.

THE OTHER YOU by JS Monroe, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Kate may have lost her outstanding memory for faces, but she is certain the man in front of her is not the man she loves.

RUN FOR COVER by Michael Ledwidge, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Ex-Navy Seal Michael Gannon insists on helping a friend and former colleague to investigate the murder of his brother by a sniper in a national park.

THE GLASS KINGDOM by Lawrence Osborne, reviewed by Chris Roberts

After defrauding her New York employer, Sarah takes refuge in a crumbling tower complex in Bangkok. The people she meets seem friendly, but she has the impression that someone is watching her.

LAST SURVIVOR by Tony Park, reviewed by John Cleal

A group of ageing enthusiasts set out to recover the only example of the world’s rarest plant stolen from the private game reserve of a Kuwaiti prince

Best wishes

Sharon and Linda

www.crimereview.co.uk

New Issue Of Crime Review

We’re now featuring new 24 reviews in each issue of Crime Review (www.crimereview.co.uk), together with a top industry interview. This time it’s author Patrice Lawrence in the Countdown hot seat: http://crimereview.co.uk/page.php/interview/9121

 

We’re on Twitter at:

Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK

Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer

Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia

 

This issue’s reviews are:

WHAT WILL BURN by James Oswald, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Former DCI Tony McLean has been busted back down to DI, but he’s still the go-to guy when something odd happens in Edinburgh, and this time it’s an old woman beaten to death and then burned in her remote cottage. And that’s only the start of things …

THE LAST TRIAL by Scott Turow, reviewed by Chris Roberts

In his last trial, Sandy Stern and his daughter Marta defend a Nobel Prize-winning doctor against accusations of fraud and murder arising out of the marketing of a new cancer medication.

THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE by Katrine Engberg, reviewed by Viv Beeby

A body is floating in the waters of an historic fountain, right in the centre of Copenhagen's main city square. A body that's been drained of all its blood. So begins a new and gruesome case for Investigator Jeppe Korner and his assistant Anette Werner.

GREED by Marc Elsberg, reviewed by John Cleal

With the world on the brink of a new financial crisis, a Nobel prize-winning economist with a possible solution is murdered on his way to an international summit.

A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY by MT Edvardsson, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

When 18-year-old Stella is arrested for the murder of a rich charming businessman, her pastor father and lawyer mother are desperate to fight for their daughter and to do anything possible to stop destruction of their family. But the lies and the truth might be too much for them.

BLACK WIDOWS by Cate Quinn, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Blake Nelson is dead, and the police must ignore the lies and their own prejudices if they are to find out who killed him.

THE OLD GUARD: OPENING FIRE by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez, reviewed by Linda Wilson

A team of mercenaries hide a huge secret, that of apparent immortality. They don’t understand it and don’t necessarily want it, but someone else does. And that someone is determined to get what they want at any cost.

CROCODILE TEARS by Mercedes Rosende, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Diego is grateful to be released from prison when the wife of the man he kidnapped declines to identify him. Unfortunately, his freedom comes with demands quite beyond his capacity.

VALE OF TEARS by Sarah Hawkswood, reviewed by John Cleal

A wealthy horse dealer is found dead in a mill leat. He was stabbed, but not robbed. Under Sheriff Hugh Bradecote, veteran Sheriff’s Sergeant Catchpoll and his young trainee Walkelin face a series of mysteries as their investigations go far beyond the obvious to a web of greed, obsession and murder.

ONE EYE OPEN by Paul Finch, reviewed by John Barnbrook

A car is found crashed deeply into trees off the A12. The two passengers may not survive. The car has fake plates and numbers and holds a large amount of cash but there are no signs as to who the occupants are.

BLINDED BY THE LIGHTS by Jakub Zulczyk, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Kuba deals cocaine to the wealthy of Warsaw, affects a cool attitude, but under increasing stress plans an overseas holiday, if he can just make through one last week.

STOP AT NOTHING by Michael Ledwidge, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When a plane crashes in the sea off a remote island in the Bahamas, diving instructor Michael Gannon ends up in possession of a very dangerous secret and on the run from some ruthless enemies.

THE GHOST TREE by MRC Kasasian, reviewed by John Cleal

Inspector Betty Church must mobilise the incompetent police she leads to investigate the disappearance of her childhood best friend and to battle several forms of discrimination as she follows a trail of murder.

A QUIET DEATH IN ITALY by Tom Benjamin, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan

The body of an elderly man is found in one of the canals beneath Bologna. Daniel Leicester, an Englishman who works in Bologna as a PI, sets out to investigate with his boss, the Commandante, who happens to be his father-in-law.

GUILTY – UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE by GF Newman, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Judge John Deed finds himself doing battle with ministers of government and at personal risk in his determination to constrain the executive.

A QUESTION OF TIME by James Stejskal, reviewed by John Cleal

Master Sergeant Kim Becker and his Special Forces ‘A’ Team are tasked to bring out a vital highly placed intelligence source from behind the Iron Curtain that divides 1979 Berlin.

THE WITCH HUNTER by Max Seeck, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

Detective Jessica Niemi begins a complex investigation into a brutal ritualistic murder of Maria Koponen, wife of the famous writer Roger Koponen who’s fascinated by occult and witch hunters. As the body count in Helsinki increases, Jessica realises that the killer’s motives might be personal.

A STRANGER ON THE BEACH by Michelle Campbell, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Caroline already regrets her revenge one-night stand, because Aidan can’t or won’t accept the idea of one night.

CITY OF VENGEANCE by DV Bishop, reviewed by John Cleal

Court officer Cesare Aldo must find the killer of a prominent Jewish moneylender in a Florence riven by internal plotting, rivalries and strife.

CROSSED SKIS by Carol Carnac, reviewed by Viv Beeby

When the victim of a ruthless murder is found in a room at Mrs Stein's guest house burnt beyond recognition, little remains in the way of clues – except the distinctive impression of a ski stick left in the mud outside the front door.

THREE-A-PENNY by Lucy Malleson, reviewed by John Cleal

A fascinating insight into a woman ahead of her time during and after World War I and how she was forced to pose as a man to establish a career as a crime writer.

BREAK THE FALL by Jennifer Iacopelli, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Audrey Rey is a young gymnast with her sights set on the Olympic Games in Tokyo. But her back injury is a complicating factor and then the ultimate shock rocks the team when one of the girls fails a drugs test and their coach is accused of sexual misconduct.

SECRET NARCO by Wensley Clarkson, reviewed by John Cleal

A new look at the life and death of Great Train Robber and career-criminal Charlie Wilson.

PURE NARCO by Luis Navia and Jess Fink, reviewed by Chris Roberts

The autobiography of Luis Navia, who for 25 years organised shipments of cocaine from Colombia to US and Europe.

 

Best wishes 

Sharon and Linda 

www.crimereview.co.uk

Crime Review Update: New Issue of Crime Review for 12/21/2020

Here’s our final issue of 2020. Season’s greetings to everyone and thanks for all your support. We’ll see you in the new year …

We feature new 20 reviews in each issue of Crime Review (www.crimereview.co.uk), together with a top industry interview. This time it’s author Craig Robertson in the Countdown hot seat: http://crimereview.co.uk/page.php/interview/8969

We’re on Twitter at:

Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK

Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer

Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia

 

This week’s reviews are:

 

THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB by Richard Osman, reviewed by Viv Beeby

The Thursday Murder Club meet once a week in the Jigsaw Room at Coopers Chase luxury retirement village - to keep their brain cells working by 'solving' cases from long ago.  But when the members witness real-life murder, they employ all the tricks of their former trades in the race to solve a series of brutal killings.

 

THE FEY AND THE FURIOUS by Ben Aaronovitch and Andrew Cartmel, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Peter Grant is roped into the fast, dangerous world of illegal street racing, and thrust into a world he has absolutely no desire to visit again.

 

SHERLOCK: THE COMPLETE SERIES ONE BOXSET by Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Steve Thompson and Jay, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler

The BBC’s adaptation of Sherlock Holmes gets the manga treatment in this boxset that includes The Great Game, The Blind Banker and A Study in Pink.

 

GALLOWS ROCK by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

Detective Huldar and child psychologist Freya join forces again to work on a complicated case where a banker is found hanging from Gallows Rock, an ancient execution place, and a ysterious small boy is in the man’s luxurious empty flat.

 

MIDNIGHT AT MALABAR HOUSE by Vaseem Khan, reviewed by Chris Roberts

In an India still adjusting to independence, a junior female detective is assigned to investigate the murder of a prominent English diplomat.

 

ALEX RIDER: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL COLLECTION by Anthony Horowitz and Antony Johnson, reviewed by Linda Wilson

The first five Alex Rider books in graphic novel format plunge the reluctant teenage spy into a variety of dangerous missions.

 

THE BURYING GROUND by David Mark, reviewed by John Cleal

Disgraced academic Cordelia Hemlock is in the graveyard of a village in the shadow of Hadrian’s Wall when a storm brings down a tree which crushes a mausoleum, revealing a fresh corpse among the crumbling bones.

 

THE MARCH FALLEN by Volker Kutscher, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Gereon Rath and his fiancée Charley Ritter tackle a series of murders involving ex-servicemen, as the Nazis consolidate their grip on Germany.

 

DEAR CHILD by Romy Hausmann, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Hannah and her mother Lena have escaped hell. But Lena is injured, and the world around Hannah is alien and terrifying.

 

THE DANCE OF THE SERPENTS by Oscar de Muriel, reviewed by John Cleal

Paranormal investigators Inspectors Frey and McGray find their lives under threat by Royal order in a Gothic world of blood, bats, folklore, superstition and murder.

 

THE WINDSOR KNOT by SJ Bennett, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When a visitor to Windsor Castle is found dead in suspicious circumstances, everyone hopes the investigation can be wrapped up before it hits the press. But when the police and MI5 seem no nearer to a solution, the Queen has to take time out of her day job to make some enquiries of her own.

 

THE MESSAGE by Mai Jia, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Crucial information is leaked from a wartime intelligence unit. There follows a battle of wits between ‘Ghost’, who leaked the intelligence, and the man sent to uncover Ghost’s true identity.

 

THE DEVIL AND THE DARK WATER by Stuart Turton, reviewed by John Cleal

Does the devil haunt a ship bound from Indonesia to Holland? Soldier Arent Hayes must find out.

 

LOST by Leona Deakin, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Naval officer Captain Harry Peterson is caught up in a terrorist bomb blast and goes missing for three days. Psychologist August Bloom is called in by Peterson’s girlfriend to investigate. When he’s found, he’s lost all memory of the last few years.

 

ONE DARK, TWO LIGHT by Ruth Mancini, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Solicitor Sarah Kellerman discovers a police sergeant in a critical care ward, apparently unidentified. When her client is questioned about the officer’s injuries, Sarah has suspicions about the police accusations.

 

ANGOLA by Fabien Nury, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Tough anti-hero Tyler Cross accepts a job in the ultimate profit-making prison, Angola. His chances of getting out again don’t look good, but Tyler doesn’t give up easily.

 

WHEN HELL STRUCK TWELVE by James R Benn, reviewed by John Cleal

Boston detective Billy Boyle is on the track of a French traitor betraying the Resistance movement in the run-up to the liberation of Paris.

 

THREE by DA Mishani, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Orna, Emilia and Ella have questions and insecurities, causing each of them to turn to Gil. And he may have all the answers, but Gil is a liar.

 

BLACK SOULS by Gioacchino Criaco, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan 

Three boys born into poverty in southern Italy stay together as they grow up and eventually make a lot of money in the big cities in the north of the country. But it comes at a cost.

 

SAVE ME FROM DANGEROUS MEN by SA Lelchuk, reviewed by John Cleal 

Private investigator Nikki Griffin takes an apparently run-of-the mill case involving tech secrets, which snowballs into murder, involvement with the FBI, and a team of hitmen.

 

Best wishes

 

Sharon and Linda 

www.crimereview.co.uk

Crime Review Update

We feature new 20 reviews in each issue of Crime Review (www.crimereview.co.uk), together with a top industry interview. This time it’s author Harriet Tyce in the Countdown hot seat: http://www.crimereview.co.uk/page.php/interview/8906

 

We’re on Twitter at:

Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK

Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer

Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia

 

This week’s reviews are: 

ZERO 22 by Chris Ryan, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Despite an ambush that leaves Danny Black the only survivor of an SAS unit, it’s not long before he’s deployed again, this time to assist in the assassination of the man ultimately responsible for the attack that left so many of his teammates dead.

 

THE POSTSCRIPT MURDERS by Elly Griffiths, reviewed by Viv Beeby

Ninety-year-old Peggy has two main interests in life – observing the comings and goings beneath her bay window in Seaview Court and murder.  So when Peggy is found dead in her favourite chair, notebook by her side, it must surely be from natural causes – mustn't it?

 

BROKEN by Don Winslow, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Six short stories set in the US featuring people on the wrong side of the law and those who oppose them.

 

THE CORPSE IN THE GARDEN OF PERFECT BRIGHTNESS by Malcolm Pryce, reviewed

by John Cleal

Railway detective Jack Wenlock, thrown out of work by the 1947 nationalisation of the industry, searches the Far East for his mother, whom he has always believed dead.

 

THE SUMMER OF ELLEN by Agnete Friis, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

The realities of modern Copenhagen and of Jutland farmland from the 1970s clash as Jacob Errbo, an architect drinking through his bitter divorce, must return to the area he has not visited for nearly 40 years. His very old great-uncles Anton and Anders want to find out what happened to a beautiful hippy Ellen who moved in with them from a local commune.

 

NEVER SAY DIE by Anthony Horowitz, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Alex Rider, traumatised by the murder of his best friend and guardian, is determined to learn more about her death, even if his quest might extinguish the tiny flicker of hope kindled by an inexplicable email.

 

HOUSE OF CORRECTION by Nicci French, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Tabitha Hardy is arrested for the murder of Stuart Rees. She has little recollection of the day he was killed, but is convinced she is innocent, although it seems everyone else believes she is guilty.

 

SAFE HOUSE by Jo Jakeman, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Charlie has a new life to go with her new name. But her past is closing in.

 

FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH by Sarah Hawkswood, reviewed by John Cleal

When the Prince of Powys’ messenger fails to reach his English destination, lord sheriff’s men Bradecote, Catchpoll and Walkelin must check a dead man’s identity.

 

THE CHEMICAL REACTION by Fiona Erskine, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Chemical expert Dr Jaq Silver is in desperate need of some income. She’s got debts mounting up and no easy way of paying them off, so when she gets a job offer that involves a trip to China, beggars can’t be choosers.

 

MIDNIGHT ATLANTA by Thomas Mullen, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Atlanta 1956. When the black owner of the Atlanta Daily Times is shot and killed, reporter Tommy Smith is determined to find the culprit.

 

INVITATION TO DIE by Barbara Cleverly, reviewed by John Cleal 

DI John Redfyre discovers a body and uncovers a story of wartime betrayal and multiple murders.

 

CALL ME EVIE by JP Pomare, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

A quiet beach town should be the place where Evie can heal. But Evie isn’t her name, and she is not there of her own free will.

 

SCAR TISSUE by Ollie Ollerton, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When former special services operative Alex Abbott’s son goes missing, he’s determined to do what he can to help, even if it means walking into a trap.

 

SECOND SISTER by Chan Ho-Kei, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Nga-yee is devastated when her younger sister Siu-man jumps from their Hong Kong tenement flat to her death.  She finds someone who can help her satisfy her desire for revenge on the people who drove her to it.

 

IMPOSTER 13 by Rob Sinclair, reviewed by John Cleal

Aydin Torkal – the former terrorist known as Sleeper 13, now working with MI6 – infiltrates a sinister new terror cell that’s planning a series of devastating worldwide attacks

 

THE TROPHY TAKER by Sarah Flint, reviewed by John Barnbrook

A murderer cuts off ring fingers, rips out hearts and discards them, replacing them with a token and leaves the bodies in graveyards in London. DC Charlie Stafford and her team are desperate to find this killer.

 

THE BRAMBLE AND THE ROSE by Tom Bouman, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Policeman Henry Farrell is called in when a body is found, suspected to be the victim of a bear. Events prove there is more than one predator in the woods.

 

THE FLIGHT by Julie Clark, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor  

Claire and Eva meet at JFK Airport, New York. But their encounter is brief, and their destinations could be their last.

 

CAST NO SHADOW by Julie Newman, reviewed by John Cleal

Young journalist Samantha investigates the story of an Indian hotelier cleared of a rape charge when he is revealed to be a she. The trail takes her into the dangerous Indian underworld, where money always talks – and life is cheap.

 

Best wishes

 

Sharon and Linda

 

www.crimereview.co.uk

Crime Review Update

We feature new 20 reviews in each issue of Crime Review (www.crimereview.co.uk), together with a top industry interview. This time it’s author Caz Frear in the Countdown hot seat:

http://www.crimereview.co.uk/page.php/interview/8742

We’re on Twitter at:

Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK

Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer

Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia

This week’s reviews are:

THE GOLDEN TRESSES OF THE DEAD by Alan Bradley, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When a finger is found in her sister’s wedding cake, young sleuth Flavia de Luce is determined to identify its erstwhile owner.

BLACKTOP WASTELAND by SA Cosby, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Beauregard ‘Bug’ Montage tries to extricate himself from money problems by driving for a jewellery heist, but the outcome threatens to destroy his life.

LAUNCH CODE by Michael Ridpath, reviewed by John Cleal

An order for a nuclear first strike in the paranoia of the 1980s Cold War threatens world apocalypse. Thirty-five years later, as a writer threatens to reveal what really happened, the family of a key player in the drama is threatened by unknown forces trying to keep the incident secret.

COLD FEAR by Mads Peder Nordbo, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

Danish journalist Matthew Cave is in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. Faced with the disappearance of his half-sister Arnaq and a murder inquiry that might have involved his father Tom, he finds himself in a strange search for the killers across the vast frozen land.

CRY BABY by Mark Billingham, reviewed by Linda Wilson

A seven-year-old boy has gone missing while playing with a friend in a wood next to a park, with his mother nearby. A police officer is determined not to have another child’s death on his conscience.

ALL IN HER HEAD by Nikki Smith, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Jack is back, and Alison is terrified – for her safety, her sanity and her life. But she cannot remember why.

THE WOMAN DOWNSTAIRS by Elisabeth Carpenter, reviewed by Viv Beeby

When the bailiffs are called in to a ground floor flat, they make a gruesome discovery. And the residents of Nelson Heights discover that they know very little about their neighbours.

THE NIGHT LAWYER by Alex Churchill, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Barrister Sophie Angel defends a young man accused of rape while facing some issues in her own life both current and past.

DEATH IN FANCY DRESS by Anthony Gilbert, reviewed by John Cleal

The dissolute Sir Ralph Feltham is murdered at a fancy-dress ball at his former home Feltham Abbey. Lawyer Tony Keith and his adventurer schoolfriend Jeremy Freyne, there to look into possible links to a

blackmail ring, investigate.

SEVEN LIES by Elizabeth Kay, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Jane and Marnie have been inseparable since childhood. And Jane will make sure that never changes, whatever it takes.

SEVEN YEARS OF DARKNESS by You-jeong Jeong, reviewed by Chris Roberts

After tragic events at a remote Korean reservoir, a young man is persecuted wherever he goes. After seven years he receives a package which reveals the truth about the past.

MAGPIE LANE by Lucy Atkins, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When the eight-year-old daughter of an Oxford academic goes missing, there are a limited pool of suspects, with the spotlight falling first on her parents and their live-in nanny.

FINDERS, KEEPERS by Sabine Durrant, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan

Verity Ann Baxter tells the story of her developing relationship with new neighbours Ailsa, Tom and family. It is a love-hate relationship, as Verity and Ailsa become more and more involved in each other’s lives. But who is guilty of Tom’s murder?

DISTURBANCE by Marianne Kavanagh, reviewed by John Barnbrook

Sara lives in a beautiful isolated house with an irrational abusive husband and two sons, one off to university and one autistic. Serious events cause dramatic changes to her life, but dog walker Katie is always there to protect her.

NO BAD DEED by Heather Chavez, reviewed by Linda Wilson

No good deed goes unpunished, as Cassie Larkin finds out when she stops to help a woman being attacked by the side of the road.

THE HONJIN MURDERS by Seishi Yokomizo, reviewed by Chris Roberts

A newly-wed couple are found dead inside a house locked from the inside, with the weapon, a bloody samurai sword, stuck in the snow outside. Renowned detective Kosuke Kindaichi is on the case.

COME BACK FOR ME by Heidi Perks, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Questions compel Stella to return to the island when she sees the TV report that someone has found a body at the bottom of her childhood garden.

KRAYS: THE FINAL WORD by James Morton, reviewed by John Cleal

Madness, assault, robbery, arson, murder, protection rackets, murder – a new look at the rise and fall of the East End of London’s most notorious gangsters.

MANHUNTERS by Steve Murphy and Javier F Pena, reviewed by Chris Roberts

The true story of two agents of the US Drug Enforcement Agency, in the words of the subtitle, telling ‘How we took down Pablo Escobar’.

CRIMINAL BRITAIN by Mirrorpix, reviewed by John Cleal

A look at some of Britain’s darkest criminal cases in a picture anthology from the files of the Daily Mirror.

Best wishes

Sharon and Linda

www.crimereview.co.uk

Crime Review Update

We feature new 20 reviews in each issue of Crime Review (www.crimereview.co.uk), together with a top industry interview. This time it’s author Lottie Moggach in the Countdown hot seat:

http://crimereview.co.uk/page.php/interview/8683

We’re on Twitter at:

Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK

Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer

Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia

This week’s reviews are:

TROUBLE IS WHAT I DO by Walter Mosley, reviewed by Chris Roberts

New York-based PI Leonid McGill accepts a job delivering a document to a woman establishing her black ancestry, something her corrupt father is unwilling to accept.

MACHINES LIKE ME by Ian McEwan, reviewed by John Barnbrook

Charlie spends his large inheritance on Adam, a newly developed synthetic human, one of only 25 made. Adam integrates himself into the life of Charlie and his new girlfriend Miranda. But Miranda has secrets and Adam is limitlessly curious and well-equipped to solve problems.

JUST WATCH ME by Jeff Lindsay, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Master thief Riley Wolfe has his sights set on a prize beyond price, the centrepiece of the Iranian crown jewels, but FBI agent Frank Delgado is determined to stop him.

FIND THEM DEAD by Peter James, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler

A seemingly pillar of the community solicitor is up in court on a drug-dealing charge, but he will stop at nothing to ensure he’s found not guilty.

THE POWER GAME by Meg and Tom Keneally, reviewed by John Cleal

Ticket-of-leave gentleman convict Hugh Llewelyn Monsarrat and his fiery Irish housekeeper Hannah Mulrooney are sent to the penal colony of Maria Island to investigate the killing of the local boatman and blackmailer – and are offered a politically convenient suspect.

THE PERFECT WIFE by JP Delaney, reviewed by Viv Beeby

When Abbie Cullen disappears from her Californian beach house and is never seen again, her husband Tim is cleared of any involvement. But when, five years later, he brings her back to life in robotic form the old doubts soon resurface.

DEEP AS DEATH by Katja Ivar, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

Detective Hella Mauzer, fired from the police and trying to survive as a private investigator, searches for a serial killer who might have been responsible for several deaths, including those of local prostitutes.

BURIED by Lynda La Plante, reviewed by John Cleal

DC Jack Warr discovers the truth of his own birth through links between a charred body in a burnt Victorian cottage and a series of major historical crimes.

FORGET MY NAME by JS Monroe, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

She has no name, no memory, just a train ticket to a Wiltshire village and a need to go home.

MAN AT THE WINDOW by Robert Jeffreys, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Detective Sergeant Cardilini is assigned the case when a schoolteacher is killed by a bullet. Everyone but Cardilini is sure that the shooting was an accident.

KILLING FLOOR by Lee Child, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan

Jack Reacher gets off a long-distance bus near to the small town of Margrave. His subsequent arrest is the beginning of a mystery that he needs to solve. Exactly who can he believe? This is a new Folio Society illustrated edition.

TIME FOR THE DEAD by Lin Anderson, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod takes a much-needed break on Skye, but soon finds herself caught up in an unexpected investigation.

GRAVE'S END by William Shaw, reviewed by John Cleal

When an unidentified naked body is found in a freezer, the case is handed to DS Alexandra Cupidi. Then a second body turns up and the case gets even more complicated.

THIS IS GOMORRAH by Tom Chatfield, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Azi Bello spends his life in a shed with his computers, so a real-life plea for help is unexpected and calls for skills in unfamiliar areas.

CUT TO THE BONE by Roz Watkins, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Unlikely social media personality Violet Armstrong, famed for barbecuing in a bikini to extol the virtues of eating meat, has disappeared, and feelings are running high amongst a group of animal activists. DI Meg Dalton has the unenviable job of investigating the local abattoir where the missing woman worked.

THE BODY IN THE DUMB RIVER by George Bellairs, reviewed by John Cleal

The body of Jim Lane is found in a Cambridgeshire river with a knife wound in his back. Scotland Yard Superintendent Tom Littlejohn, in the area on another case, is asked to assist by local police and quickly discovers popular showman Lane is not who he seems to be.

CEMETERY ROAD by Greg Iles, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Journalist Marshall McEwan returns to Bienville, Mississippi, where he fights local corruption while revisiting the scenes of his youth which impelled him to move away.

SHED NO TEARS by Caz Frear, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When an old murder case is reopened, Cat Kinsella soon develops doubts about the key witness, but when she delves into the past, she’s unprepared for the hornets’ nest she’s just stirred up.

THE SCORCHED EARTH by Rachael Blok, reviewed by John Cleal

A body, possibly connected to a killing for which a man is already in prison for his brother’s murder, is found in a churchyard. DCI Maarten Jansen, head of St Albans CID, sets out to solve the mystery – and so does the imprisoned man’s girlfriend.

DARK BLUE RISING by Teri Terry, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When an unexpected accident brings Tabby to the attention of the authorities for the first time in her life, she loses everything she’s ever known and has to face the unwanted truth that her whole life has been built on a lie.

Best wishes

Sharon and Linda

www.crimereview.co.uk