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 Lilja Sigurdardottir in the Countdown hot seat: http://crimereview.co.uk/page.php/interview/9636

 

We’re on Twitter at: 

Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK

Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer

Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia

 

This week’s reviews are: 

THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE by Richard Osman, reviewed by Viv Beeby 

The Thursday Murder Club rides out again. This time they’re on the trail of £20,000,000 in stolen diamonds and some violent and ruthless international criminals who surely won't let a bunch of old-age pensioners stand in their way ... 

THE CUTTING ROOM by Louise Welsh, reviewed by Linda Wilson 

When Rilke is called to a house clearance in a respectable Glasgow suburb, he immediately knows he’s sitting on a goldmine, but the auction job turns out to have a darker side. 

THE SECOND CUT by Louise Welsh, reviewed by Linda Wilson 

When Glasgow auctioneer Rilke’s old friend Jojo is found dead in a doorway, the police don’t seem that interested, but unlike them, Rilke isn’t quite so ready to write off Jojo’s death as an unfortunate by-product of a dissolute lifestyle. 

THE DARK HOURS by Michael Connelly, reviewed by John Verpeleti 

Renée Ballard calls in Harry Bosch as her latest case shares a feature with one of Harry’s unsolved cases from ten years earlier. She is also trying to identify two rapists who have been dubbed The Midnight Men. 

THE HOUSE by Tom Watson and Imogen Robertson, reviewed by Chris Roberts 

Labour MP Owen McKenna receives a demand to withdraw a parliamentary question, under threat that his role in the tragic case of a former colleague will be exposed in the press. 

THE ICE COVEN by Max Seeck, reviewed by Kerry Hood 

A man and a woman go missing in Finland. Small clues, painstaking work and huge discoveries drop the Violent Crimes Unit of the Helsinki police department into a world of pain and depravity. 

ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN by James Lee Burke, reviewed by Tim Field 

A Korean War veteran is looking for freedom and enlightenment in the American West in 1962. Peace beckons through his love for an art student but then a meeting with a psychopath makes things start to spin out of control. 

JUDAS 62 by Charles Cumming, reviewed by David Rose 

Secret agent Lachlan Kite faces peril in Dubai as a brutal ghost from his past works his way down a Russian kill list – with Lachlan and one of his key contacts next in line. 

GEIGER by Gustaf Skördeman, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

Grandmother Agneta Broman answers a phone, hears only one word then shoots her husband and disappears, leaving the police at a loss.

BEFORE THE STORM by Alex Gray, reviewed by John Cleal

Superintendent Bill Lorimer, head of Police Scotland’s Major Incidents team, investigates the exposure of undercover officers while at the same time facing a terrorist threat to Glasgow.

BRUNO’S CHALLENGE & OTHER DORDOGNE TALES, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Fourteen short stories featuring Bruno, Chief of Police, set in the heartland of France’s Dordogne region.

RIDER ON THE RAIN by Sébastien Japrisot, reviewed by Chris Roberts

In an out-of-season Riviera resort, a bus brings a solitary visitor who turns the life of housewife Mellie Mau upside down.

SAFE by SK Barnett, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Jenny, kidnapped as a six-year-old, is back. But 12 years have changed her. Some would say beyond recognition.

THE FAVOUR by Laura Vaughan, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan

Ada Howell, brought up in a large old house somewhere in Wales, constantly tries to live up to her start in life. So much so that even the death of a fellow student on a trip to Italy doesn’t change her ambition, until reality is revealed.

ROBERT B PARKER'S FOOL'S PARADISE by Mike Lupica, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Police Chief Jesse Stone grapples with the case of a man who made the journey from Florida to Paradise only to end up dead on the evening of his arrival.

TURF WARS by Olivier Norek, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When a new drug lord is determined to make their mark on the tough Seine-Saint-Denis district of Paris, it’s not long before the area is on the verge of an all-out war between the gangs and the police. Against that volatile backdrop, Capitaine Coste and his team have a murder to solve.

THE LITTLE MAN FROM ARCHANGEL by Georges Simenon, reviewed by Chris Roberts

When his wife fails to return home one night, Jonas Milk finds himself suspected of murder by neighbours who he always regarded as friends – but he comes to realise that what he imagined was acceptance is in truth only skin-deep.

LAST FLIGHT TO STALINGRAD by Graham Hurley, reviewed by John Cleal

Propaganda journalist Werner Nehmann is sent to Stalingrad to put a gloss on the battle that marked one of the turning points of the war for the German people.

HELL GATE by Jeff Dawson, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Ingo Finch visits New York in 1904 on behalf of British spy masters to expose the machinations of pro-German agents in the USA.

THE BOYBAND MURDER MYSTERY by Ava Eldred, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When the frontman of boyband phenomenon Half Light is arrested on suspicion of murdering his best friend, his army of fans are determined to prove his innocence.

A belated happy new year to everyone!

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

Crime Review Update for 8/22/2021

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 Chris Hauty in the Countdown hot seat: http://www.crimereview.co.uk/page.php/interview/9431

We’re on Twitter at:

Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK

Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer

Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia

This week’s reviews are:

WIN by Harlan Coben, reviewed by Linda Wilson

The death of a reclusive hoarder triggers a reappraisal of an FBI cold case involving the abduction of an heiress and the theft of two valuable paintings. Fresh evidence leads the investigators to the door of the rich, violent, amoral Win Lockwood III.

3 HOURS by Anders Roslund and Börge Hellström, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

DCI Ewert Grens starts investigating a strange case of one corpse too many in a morgue. This leads him to a Stockholm’s harbour where he makes a horrendous discovery of 73 refugees suffocated in a cargo container.

BLUNT FORCE by Lynda la Plante, reviewed by John Cleal

DS Jane Tennison feels she has been left to rot in a quiet central London station until the horrific murder of a top agent plunges her into a showbiz world of exploitation, drugs and dodgy deals.

FATAL ISLES by Maria Adolfsson, reviewed by Viv Beeby

In the middle of the North Sea, between the UK and Denmark, lies the island nation of Doggerland. Not much happens there in the way of crime, until one day Police Chief Jounas Smeed's ex-wife is found brutally murdered.

DON’T TURN AROUND by Jessica Barry, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Cait and Rebecca are strangers. But within hours, they realise they must trust one another to survive.

RIGHT TO KILL by John Barlow, reviewed by Kerry Hood

DS Joe Romano is back in Leeds after an unsuccessful spell in France with Interpol. Now working in Missing Persons, and feeling dulled by life, he is given a case that will test his humanity as well as his detective powers – and his heart.

THE SICILIAN METHOD by Andrea Camilleri, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan

Mimi Augello stumbles across a dead body whilst making a hasty escape from his married lover’s apartment. And then another identical dead body turns up elsewhere.

THE CUTTING PLACE by Jane Casey, reviewed by Linda Wilson

A dismembered body found in the mud of the Thames foreshore leads DS Maeve Kerrigan into the more rarefied air of the exclusive and expensive Chiron Club in her search for a killer.

THE MURDER BOX by Olivia Kiernan, reviewed by John Verpeleti

A police chief receives a murder mystery game, seemingly as a birthday present, but it soon becomes clear that the game is live and involves current day crimes.

THE PERFECT LIE by Jo Spain, reviewed by John Cleal

Detective Danny Ryan jumps to his death rather than face arrest by his own colleagues. Less than two years later, his wife Erin is put on trial for her husband’s murder.

THE NOT QUITE PERFECT MURDERER by Margaret Duffy, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler

The death of a small boy and a violent raid on a city jeweller’s pulls former spook Patrick Gillard and his author wife Ingrid Langley back into action to help out Bath police.

THE THERAPIST by Helene Flood, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

A voicemail from her husband Sigurd tells Sara he's arrived at the holiday cabin. Later a call from his friend confirms he never did. And then the search for a missing man turns into something much more sinister.

THE HEIGHTS by Parker Bilal, reviewed by Chris Roberts

When a severed head falls out of a bag on the Tube, Cal Drake makes a connection to the case that led him to leave the police and become a private detective.

FATAL SOLUTION by Leslie Scase, reviewed by John Cleal

Inspector Thomas Chard puts his own life at risk as he attempts to solve two apparently unrelated in a bustling South Wales valleys town.

HEAT STROKE by Hazel Barkworth, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Lily didn’t get home after the girls’ sleepover. She didn’t even get there. She’s gone, and only three people know where.

NEMESIS by Anthony Riches, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Metropolitan police close protection officer Mickey Bale is out for revenge on the gang boss ultimately responsible for his sister’s death from a drug overdose.

ISLAND REICH by Jack Grimwood, reviewed by Chris Roberts

With the Nazis victorious in France, Hitler is preparing for the invasion of Britain from the Channel Islands with the Duke of Windsor at his side. Agents from Britain and from the USA are working to prevent it.

ONE NIGHT, NEW YORK by Lara Thompson, reviewed by John Barnbrook

Frances arrives in 1930s New York to join her brother, leaving her abusive father in rural Kansas. She quickly becomes embroiled in a world beyond her experience with glamorous people, corrupt politicians and violent mobsters.

HOW TO BETRAY YOUR COUNTRY by James Wolff, reviewed by Chris Roberts

August Drummond’s service as a spy has been terminated, but he remains in the game as a distraction from his grief over the death of his wife.

FOREVER ENDS ON FRIDAY by Justin A Reynolds, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Jamal and Q used to be best friends until something came between them. When Q dies, an experimental procedure gives Jamal gives an unexpected chance to put things right between them. But how can he tell his friend that not only is he dead, but that he will also soon die again?

Best wishes

Sharon and Linda

www.crimereview.co.uk<http://www.crimereview.co.uk/>

Crime Review Update: New issue of Crime Review

We’re now featuring 24 new reviews in each issue of Crime Review www.crimereview.co.uk  together with a top industry interview. This time it’s author Caroline England in the Countdown hot seat: http://crimereview.co.uk/page.php/interview/9245

 

We’re on Twitter at:

Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK

Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer

Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia

 

This issue’s reviews are:

 

A Song for the Dark Times by Ian Rankin, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

John Rebus always focused on his job. But family is important which he realises more than ever when his distraught daughter Samantha calls in the middle of the night. Her partner Keith, interested in the old POW camp on the windswept coast, has gone missing. Rebus knows he has to help her.

 

A Prince and a Spy by Rory Clements, reviewed by John Cleal 

Cambridge-based American history professor Tom Wilde investigates the death of George, Duke of Kent, brother of the King of England, in a mystery plane crash.

 

Box 88 by Charles Cumming reviewed by Chris Roberts 

Lachlan Kite, working with top-secret spy agency Box 88, is abducted by Iranians and subjected to questioning about events one summer 30 years ago.

 

What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch, reviewed by Linda Wilson 

While magician and copper Peter Grant is off chasing unicorns and missing children, his 13-year-old cousin Abigail has some missing kids of her own to investigate, with the help of a bunch of talking – and very organised – foxes.

 

Double Agent by Tom Bradby, reviewed by Chris Roberts 

A Russian foreign intelligence agent offers to defect, bringing evidence that the British Prime Minister is in the pay of Moscow.

 

Secret Weapon by Anthony Horowitz, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Seven short stories featuring teenage spy Alex Rider.

 

Blackout by Simon Scarrow, reviewed by John Cleal 

Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke is assigned to investigate the murder of a former well-known actress, but is put under immense pressure by rivalries in the Nazi hierarchy in an atmosphere where ‘disloyalty’ can mean death.

 

Smoke Screen by Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger, reviewed by Viv Beeby 

When a bomb rips through the centre of Oslo as the clock strikes in a New Year, police officer Alexander Blix and journalist Emma Ramm are both at the scene. And so begins a new investigation and a ten-year-old mystery to solve for this unlikely partnership ...

 

The Coldest Case by Martin Walker, reviewed by Linda Wilson 

With the ever-present danger of forest fires adding to his workload, Bruno, Chief of Police, still finds time to help investigate a cold case that has haunted his friend J-J throughout his career.

 

The Finisher by Peter Lovesey, reviewed by John Cleal 

As teacher Maeve Kelly struggles to compete in a charity half marathon, Superintendent Peter Diamond, tasked with crowd control, spots a violent criminal he once jailed – and his suspicions are raised when a runner disappears without trace.

 

The Island by Ben McPherson, reviewed by Ewa Sherman 

Scottish Cal and Norwegian Elsa leave their home in Washington DC to stay for six months in Norway, with their two teenage daughters and a baby son. The change of scene brings a devastating change to their lives: 15-year-old Licia vanishes from a summer camp on a tranquil island where two men shot tens of youngsters.

 

Knife Edge by Simon Mayo, reviewed by Linda Wilson 

Seven journalists are murdered on a single day in London. They all worked for the same news agency. The question in everyone’s mind is who will be targeted next. It’s not a happy thought for Famie Madden, or her colleagues, but that doesn’t stop them when a possible lead turns up.

 

A Double Life by Charlotte Philby, reviewed by John Cleal 

Foreign Office counter-terrorism expert Gabriela finds her life falling apart in a web of lies, while drunken, drug-taking journalist Isobel is in danger as she investigates people trafficking and prostitution.

 

Making Wolf by Tade Thompson, reviewed by Chris Roberts 

Weston Kogi returns to his birthplace in West Africa for the funeral of his aunt and is pushed into investigating the death of a revered statesman.

 

After Dark by Dominic Nolan, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor 

The little girl suffered from man's inhumanity. Now the police must piece together her story because she may never find the words.

 

Good Dark Night by Harry Brett, reviewed by John Cleal 

Tatiana Goodwin, widow of crime boss Rich, has struggled to take over his business as enemies pile up. Now she must learn that power comes at a price.

 

Killing Rock by Robert Daws, reviewed by Chris Roberts 

Gibraltar-based detective Tamara Sullivan joins forces with a colleague across the border to solve murders from the past and present.

 

Like Mother, Like Daughter by Elle Croft, reviewed by John Barnbrook 

Kat has two daughters, Imogen and Jemima. She has a secret about the elder daughter, Imogen, that even Imogen does not know. One day Imogen disappears, and Kat is desperately worried that this is linked to what she knows.

 

Private Moscow by James Patterson and Adam Hamdy, reviewed by John Cleal 

One of PI Jack Morgan’s oldest friends is shot dead at his company’s New York public launch. In Moscow an office worker is murdered in a bomb blast. Morgan finds a link and exposes a deadly conspiracy.

 

Like Flies From Afar by K Ferrari, reviewed by Chris Roberts 

Self-made businessman Luis Machi has made plenty of enemies, but who dislikes him enough to leave a body in the boot of his beloved BMW?

 

The Viper by Cristobel Kent, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan 

Two bodies are found in a remote area of the countryside near Florence. Sandro Cellini is called back into his old police department as a consultant.  He knows why, but is he strong enough to be able to help?

 

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse, reviewed by Viv Beeby 

An isolated hotel in the remote Swiss Alps, which was once a sanatorium, is cut off by an avalanche. A deranged masked predator stalks the residents and the only person who can help them is convalescing fellow guest, Detective Elin Warner.

 

The Last Thing to Burn by Will Burn, reviewed by Chris Roberts 

A young Vietnamese woman smuggled into Britain is imprisoned in a rural hell and as the last of her possessions are taken from her she desperately seeks a means to escape.

 

Slow Burn by Stephen Leather, reviewed by Linda Wilson 

Spider Shepherd is taxed with bringing a former jihadists wife and son back to the UK as the price for his cooperation with the security services but, as ever, there are added complications. 

 

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 for 1/17/2021

 Happy 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 Amanda Lees in the Countdown hot seat: http://www.crimereview.co.uk/page.php/interview/9040  

 

We’re on Twitter at:

Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK

Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer

Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia

 

This week’s reviews are:

PEAKY BLINDERS: THE LEGACY by Carl Chinn, reviewed by John Cleal

The TV series Peaky Blinders turned the fashionably dressed, charismatic, but deeply flawed Shelby family into cult anti-heroes. Now read the sordid facts behind their criminal legacy.

 

THE KINGDOM by Jo Nesbo, reviewed by Viv Beeby

In an enclosed and remote Norwegian mountain community the rules of good and evil are played out in a manner more reminiscent of the Wild West. It's a place where family means everything and guilty secrets are buried deep …

 

BITTER WASH ROAD by Garry Disher, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Constable Paul Hirschhausen has committed the heinous crime of whistleblowing on corrupt colleagues, and as a reward is posted to a rural backwater where life is a challenge.

 

KILL A STRANGER by Simon Kernick, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Matt comes home from a night out with friends to find his girlfriend missing and a dead oman’s body in their bed. The nightmare gets worse when he’s told that Kate will die if he involves the police. To get Kate back, Matt has to do the unthinkable. He has to kill a stranger.

 

FOR THE DEAD by Lina Bengtsdotter, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

Thirty years ago, teenager Paul was found drowned in a lake, and his best friend Francesca vanished from home. His death was considered a suicide. Francesca was never found. When journalist Johan Ro writes about the cold case, DI Charlie Lager gets pulled into the story.

 

BACKLASH by Marnie Riches, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan

Bev Saunders wants to be a private investigator and has started to take on cases. She sets out to go undercover as a cleaner for a colourful local man of doubtful reputation

 

A LONG WAY OFF by Pascal Garnier, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Marc dreams of freedom and abandons his quiet life for a trip with his daughter Anne, but things move in a rather unexpected direction.

 

THE FAMILIAR DARK by Amy Engel, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Junie and her best friend are dead. And Eve will make sure their killer pays.

 

WATCHING FROM THE DARK by Gytha Lodge, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When Aidan Poole logs onto Skype to talk to his girlfriend, he gets a nasty shock. Someone is in the flat with her, but she doesn’t seem to know it.And she’s in danger.

 

FEAR FOR MISS BETONy by Dorothy Bowers, reviewed by John Cleal

Former governess Emma Betony is asked to sort out a series of strange happenings at a friend’s struggling girls’ school.

 

THE SYSTEM by Ryan Gatiss, reviewed by Chris Roberts

The discovery of a gun used in a shooting leads to the prosecution of two young men, one guilty and the other innocent. The case will change the lives of several people.

 

SISTER by Kjell Ola Dahl, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

Frank Frølich works as a private detective after being suspended from duty with Oslo Police. He takes on an assignment to find the missing sister of a young immigrant woman who is just about to be deported to her home country. He also gets involved in searching for an eyewitness from a ferry disaster 30 years ago.

 

THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS by Megan Miranda, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Arden left the story that defined Widow Hills, even though she was the story. She even left her name. But two decades later, her past is shadowing her, and her life is in danger once again.

 

GILLARD’S STING by Margaret Duffy, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler

Ex-military and spook Patrick Gillard and his author wife Ingrid Langley are pulled back into the action as they try to track down a missing top cop.

 

A MATTER OF MURDER by Ann Granger, reviewed by John Cleal

Drop-out Miff Ferguson disturbs a killer disposing of his victim and is forced to flee to escape the man who now wants to dispose of the only witness to the crime. When a second member of the dead girl’s family is found in a blazing van Detective Inspector Jess Campbell and Superintendent Ian Carter must try to solve the mystery.

 

YOUR STILL BEATING HEART by Tyler Keevil, reviewed by Chris Roberts

After the death of her husband, Eira Vaughn is adrift. But her life is given new meaning as a result of a chance encounter in Prague.

 

THE SCOUNDREL HARRY LARKYNS by Rebecca Gowers, reviewed by John Cleal

A 140-year-old cold case investigation into a true crime of passion – the murder of bon viveur and conman Harry Larkyns by one of the fathers on modern cinema.

 

THE STITCHER AND THE MUTE by DK Fields, reviewed by John Barnbrook

In the United Realms there are no elections, instead each year the leading group is chosen by picking which of them tells the most compelling story. As the election proceeds, Detective Cora Gorderheim becomes more embroiled in solving the crime and also resolving personal issues.

 

ARE YOU WATCHING? by Vincent Ralph, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Jess is out to catch a killer. The only problem is that the killer might catch her first.

 

THE POTTERY COTTAGE MURDERS by Carol Ann Lee & Peter Howse, reviewed by

John Cleal

A police manhunt across the snowbound moors. Just one survivor. This is the first definitive account of the horrifying 1977 Pottery Cottage murders that shocked the nation.

 

Best wishes

 

Sharon and Linda

www.crimereview.co.uk