Whereas Random, the first novel in this series focused on Detective Sergeant Rachel Narey, this one has police photographer Tony Winter in the main roWhereas Random, the first novel in this series focused on Detective Sergeant Rachel Narey, this one has police photographer Tony Winter in the main role. Rachel and Tony are romantically involved, although keep their relationship secret for professional reasons. Glasgow is being terrorised by a lone sniper and his targets are some of the city’s most infamous criminals. The media soon give him the moniker The Dark Angel and only thinly disguise their opinion that he is a hero vigilante doing what the police, so far, have failed to do. This is an investigation Rachel Narey is keen to be a part of, however, much to her chagrin, she is assigned the seemingly routine case of a murdered prostitute. However, it soon becomes obvious to her that somehow this murder is linked to the sniper case. Unbeknownst to the police, Winter is conducting his own investigation when he realises a couple of missing details in his photographs. In some ways this novel reminded me of Robert Pobi’s City Of Windows, although this novel was written several years before that. It is a well-constructed story with some memorable characters which keeps one guessing right until the end....more
The latest novel in the long-running Dave Robicheaux series is the first narrated by Dave’s long-term partner and best, possibly only, friend, Clete PThe latest novel in the long-running Dave Robicheaux series is the first narrated by Dave’s long-term partner and best, possibly only, friend, Clete Purcel. Like Dave, Clete is a man who has witnessed more evil and heartbreak in his life than some would in a hundred lifetimes. Here we have a man who is continually haunted by his inner demons. When he discovers some lowlifes ransacking his car he finds himself drawn into a case involving a deadly new drug called Leprechaun, not only lethally addictive but also contagious. His main suspect for the brains behind this racket is local bigwig Lauren Bow, who made his fortune via a Ponzi Scheme for soap. Bow’s ex-wife Clara first hires Clete to investigate her former husband and later tries to get him to star in a new Civil War film she is producing. As with some of the previous novels in the series, there is a strong supernatural element in this one with the central character seemingly in contact with a famous figure from the past. Whereas with Dave it was Robert E. Lee, Clete believes he is haunted, albeit in a benign way, by Joan Of Arc. Whenever Clete is in mortal danger, Joan seems to turn up and save him. In many ways the plotline doesn’t vary too much from previous novels, but hearing it all told from Clete’s viewpoint gives it a fresh, new perspective....more
This novel is a prequel to the author’s excellent Alexandra Cupidi series where Detective Sergeant Cupidi has just been transferred to Kent Police froThis novel is a prequel to the author’s excellent Alexandra Cupidi series where Detective Sergeant Cupidi has just been transferred to Kent Police from London and moved to a home near Dungeness Power Station – a move her teenage daughter Zoe is extremely unhappy about. The story, however, mainly centres around Sergeant William South - the Birdwatcher of the title - a man with a terrible secret buried in his past which he is desperate to conceal. It begins with the brutal murder of a man William considered his best friend, although investigations reveal he was not whom he claimed to be. These are followed by the deaths of a local drug dealer and a man William knew in his childhood and was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. Each chapter contains a section at the end which tells of William’s turbulent childhood back in Northern Ireland at the height of The Troubles. In those days he had a different surname. The story doesn’t end happily for William, although, as the events unfold, in some ways that seems inevitable. It does, however, stand as an excellent introduction to the series and the descriptions of the bleak Kent coastline and its wide variety of wildlife are highly evocative....more
A family of three mysteriously disappear whilst taking a dinghy out on a small remote lake in the middle of Dartmoor. A year previously, a billionaireA family of three mysteriously disappear whilst taking a dinghy out on a small remote lake in the middle of Dartmoor. A year previously, a billionaire is murdered in a London casino and killer escapes, only to return a week later. After being arrested by hotel security he is locked in a holding cell awaiting the arrival of the police. However, by the time they do arrive, he has managed to escape. A feat both police and security consider impossible. Is it possible these two totally different cases could be linked? Not only to each other but to a series of brutal murders which happened in California and Nevada over the previous thirty years. That’s the mystery missing persons investigator David Raker and his ally, former Met. Detective Colm Healy need to unravel. Like previous novels in the series the plot here is quite complex, encompassing several time zones and timelines and with a whole host of unexpected twists and turns. However, it is remarkably easy to follow; probably because the characters and locations are so memorable. It turns out that several central characters are, in reality, nothing like they initially appear to be. Many series run out of steam even before they reach double figures. This novel however is 15th in a series which, on current evidence, looks as if it still has a long future ahead of it. Nothing less than five stars will suffice....more
At long last, GBI agent Will Trent and Dr. Sara Linton have got married and are spending their honeymoon at the McAlpine Family Lodge; a secluded retrAt long last, GBI agent Will Trent and Dr. Sara Linton have got married and are spending their honeymoon at the McAlpine Family Lodge; a secluded retreat in the mountains of north Georgia. However, they soon come to realise they could have chosen a better location to celebrate their marriage. Both their hosts and their fellow guests are, to put it mildly, downright weird. Then, late on the second night of their stay, Mercy McAlpine, far and away the nicest of their new acquaintances, is brutally murdered by being repeatedly stabbed. Will finds her but is too late to save her life. Although her husband Dave (whom Will knew when they were both at the same children’s home) is the primary suspect, the actual suspect list includes virtually everyone at the retreat. Eventually other GBI personnel manage to arrive, including boss Amanda Wagner and Agent Faith Mitchell. Together with Will and Sara they slowly mange to unravel a whole series of lies and false identities linked to the highly dysfunctional McAlpine family. As always, the author never shies away from the more unsavoury details. Although I’m a huge admirer of Karin Slaughter’s work, I did feel the storyline here was somewhat convoluted and the narrative dragged at times. Still, even slightly below par Karin Slaughter is better than most....more
The story begins with the now retired John Rebus being hired by his arch nemesis crime boss Big Ger Cafferty (now confined to a wheel chair) to find aThe story begins with the now retired John Rebus being hired by his arch nemesis crime boss Big Ger Cafferty (now confined to a wheel chair) to find a former associate Jack Oram, ostensibly to apologise, although Rebus has strong doubts about that. Meanwhile Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke is in charge of an investigation into the corrupt goings on at Tynecastle Police Station, once ruled with an iron fist by Sergeant Alan Fleck who is now owner of a high-end used car business. In this she receives some often unwelcome assistance from Complaints Officer Malcolm Fox, who was the main protagonist in two earlier novels. In a way, this story has echoes of previous ones like Saints Of The Shadow Bible and In A House Of Lies, where Rebus’s previous associations with known criminals and dodgy police officers threaten to come back and bite him. In all it was a readable enough novel but, despite the dramatic and unresolved ending, I felt it didn’t really offer anything new. This is now the 24th novel in a series which has run for about thirty years. As the central character is now officially retired, I do feel it’s time for the series to follow suit....more
In the early 2000s, office worker Ashley and a group of colleagues decide to go on a chartered sea fishing trip from Wells-next-the-sea in north NorfoIn the early 2000s, office worker Ashley and a group of colleagues decide to go on a chartered sea fishing trip from Wells-next-the-sea in north Norfolk – a three and a half hour trip catching mackerel with skipper Nigel and his oldest son Kenneth. But, whereas her friends viewed this trip as a merely once in a lifetime experience, for Ashley is was merely the beginning of a lifelong obsession. Over the next few years she regularly made fishing trips with Nigel and slowly began to learn the art of fishing and spent much of her spare time assisting Nigel in his work until in 2018, he offers her a full time job. It’s then Ashley decides to ditch her secure office job with paid holiday and pension scheme for the dirty, dangerous and financially insecure world of offshore fishing. A decision she’s never regretted. It’s not just the arduous nature of the work itself which would be a barrier to most of us, but the seemingly endless bureaucracy with a whole host of regulatory bodies. Even Ashley and Nigel dread this but can’t escape it. Foremost is the disastrous Brexit; something which promised fishers and farmers so much but delivered nothing more than more counter-productive regulations. There is a wonderful section in the middle of the book where Ashley and Nigel sail a new (to them) boat they’ve just bought, the Fair Lass, from her former home in South Uist, Outer Hebrides through the Caledonian Canal and down the east coast of Scotland and England back to Wells. Later on there is a repeat adventure with their second boat the Saiorse, which they sail from Kilkeel, Northern Ireland back around the south coast of England, having to deal with a couple of storms on the way. This book was a real eye-opener for me. Told in a no-nonsense, often humorous style, Ashley manages to convey a tangible sense of her precarious yet essential profession. A must read for anyone who enjoys les fruits de la mer so the next time you’re enjoying some fish and chips or a prawn cocktail you’ll realise all the hard work necessary to get the food on your plate....more
Craig Robertson’s debut novel is somewhat unusual, in that it is narrated by a serial killer. Known as “The Cutter” (the previously annoying, press-asCraig Robertson’s debut novel is somewhat unusual, in that it is narrated by a serial killer. Known as “The Cutter” (the previously annoying, press-assigned “Jock The Ripper” being abandoned), his victims seem to bear no relationship to each other; all male, but different age groups, professions, backgrounds etc. This makes it impossible for the Glasgow police to guess where he’ll strike next. For much of the book, the author manages to pull off the near impossible feat of making the narrator sympathetic. He has suffered a devastating tragedy in the past and none of his first four victims are particularly pleasant characters. This is the first novel of a series featuring Rachel Narey (here a Detective Sergeant), although for most of the novel she is just a name in newspaper reports and doesn’t appear in person until later on. The Cutter could have made a big mistake when he kills a drug dealer. The victim himself may be small time, but he has links to one of Glasgow’s biggest and most ruthless crime lords. Now The Cutter has two sets of people on his trail and the police could be the lesser of his worries. However, he could still be ahead of them all. He has obviously carefully planned things out beforehand and has a convenient fall guy in place, even before he begins his killing spree. This is a superlative effort for a debut novel and, although it ends rather sadly, that, all things considered, seems inevitable....more
This is an unusual police procedural in that the identity of the main villain – a serial rapist and murderer – is known from near the start of the novThis is an unusual police procedural in that the identity of the main villain – a serial rapist and murderer – is known from near the start of the novel. What grabs the attention is the way married couple Detective Inspector Rachel Narey and photo-journalist Tony Winter manage to independently gather enough information to attain a conviction. A near impossible task considering that the crimes date back more than twenty years. Throughout the narrative we get to share their frustrations as their attempts often result in dead ends. However, in the end, the villain’s hubris gets the better of him and a satisfying conviction is secured. I’m normally a bit dubious about novels featuring a husband and wife duo, but this seems to be one of the better ones....more
In his latest novel Chris Brookmyre manages to successfully combine two seemingly incompatible sub-genres of crime fiction: the classic English mysterIn his latest novel Chris Brookmyre manages to successfully combine two seemingly incompatible sub-genres of crime fiction: the classic English mystery of the inter war years and the modern hard-boiled L.A. Noir thriller. Miss Marple meets Harry Bosch. In this case the former is represented by Penny Coyne, a little old lady who has solved numerous crimes, much to the annoyance of local villains and embarrassment of Police Scotland. For the latter we have maverick LAPD homicide detective Johnny Hawke, always willing to bend the rules to uphold the law. In the first section of the novel, through alternating chapters, Penny manages to solve the murder of a local cake shop owner whose body was discovered in the confessional of the local church. She also receives an invitation to a posh wedding where she’s unfamiliar with both the bride and the groom. Meanwhile, in Hollywood, Johnny is attempting to solve a murder which the authorities are happy to write off as a suicide. In doing so his latest partner is killed and he only just escapes himself from a fire. He is then suspended and decides to follow his main suspect who just happens to be attending the same wedding Penny has been invited to. And that is where they eventually meet, but not before they encounter another murder disguised as a suicide. When it turns out even the police cannot be trusted, Johnny and Penny find themselves fugitives trying to solve three murders which, although two decades and continents apart bear remarkable similarities with casts of characters which seem to mirror each other. Once back in California they descend further down a rabbit hole where even their sense of reality is challenged. This was quite a long novel with a large cast of characters and numerous plot twists which strained the boundaries of the genre. However, the meticulous plotting and originality, interlaced with the author's trademark social observations and sense of humour, made it highly satisfying. Admittedly, there are several strong contenders but this could well be Chris Brookmyre’s finest novel to date. I’ll have to settle with awarding it five stars, although it deserves six....more
Marjorie has lived in the remote Scottish village of Kilgoyne for over twenty five years but is still considered an outsider. Twice every day she takeMarjorie has lived in the remote Scottish village of Kilgoyne for over twenty five years but is still considered an outsider. Twice every day she takes the same walk around the village in an anti-clockwise direction. Then, during her late morning walk she discovers local teenager Charlie McKee hanging from an old elm tree. However, when the police begin to investigate, it turns out that, although Charlie is definitely dead, someone saw him alive in the village over an hour later. When another village teenage boy goes missing, Marjorie becomes the prime suspect amongst the villagers and is subject to a tirade of abuse both in person and on social media. When Marjorie discovers the body of a teenage girl on a rock known as The Devil’s Pulpit the abuse ramps up further. We learn through flashback chapters that the deaths are somehow linked to a devil worshipping cult called Thelema and the disappearance of 17 year old Jenni Horsburgh in 1999. Somehow, Marjorie has to unravel the mystery to prove her innocence and discover the true killers. Mixing police procedural with historical accounts and supernatural elements, this is a highly original and thoroughly gripping thriller with the sort of protagonist one can root for all the way....more
This novel kicks off with two seemingly unrelated crimes in north Kent. Two teenage tearaways on a moped steal a man’s mobile phone. It soon becomes oThis novel kicks off with two seemingly unrelated crimes in north Kent. Two teenage tearaways on a moped steal a man’s mobile phone. It soon becomes obvious that their “victim” is prepared to kill to retrieve his property. Meanwhile, in a posh art gallery one of the exhibits is starting to emit an obnoxious smell which, upon investigation, turns out to be a severed arm. When DS Alexandra Cupidi and DC Jill Ferriter begin investigating the latter crime they encounter a creepy and ambitious young artist called Ross Clogh whose works seem to suggest there is a link between the two crimes. What follows is a clear indication of the wealth divide in the Home Counties: the two boys hiding out on the coast to escape a killer interspersed with the highly lucrative corrupt deals done in the contemporary art world. Whilst both battling their numerous personal problems, Cupidi and Ferriter manage to make the connection which builds to a thrilling climax on the marshes near Dungeness. This is the second novel in a series where I’ve already read the third and fourth. However, I didn’t find the achronological order spoilt my enjoyment of what is a well constructed and fast paced mystery thriller....more
In an attempt to repair their fractured relationship, Stella Darnell and Jack Harmon, along with Jack’s twins, Milly and Justin, are taking a holiday In an attempt to repair their fractured relationship, Stella Darnell and Jack Harmon, along with Jack’s twins, Milly and Justin, are taking a holiday at Yew Tree House in Bishopstone; the village where Stella’s father Terry died and Jack’s mother Kate is buried. Despite her valiant attempts to stick to cleaning and avoid the detective work, as before, Stella soon finds herself drawn into the mystery of two unsolved murders from the past; both occurring at either end of the Second World War. In 1940 during the Blitz, teenager Greta Fleming is raped and murdered on Esher Common in Surrey. Then Milly and Justin discover a skeleton in a pillbox in overgrown waste ground near Yew Tree House; the pillbox having been boarded up since VE day in 1945. It’s possible that the two deaths, almost 100km apart, could be connected. Yew Tree House is owned by sisters Stephanie and Rosa Stride who live in a nearby annexe. Somehow all the events from the past centre around their late mother Adelaide, although neither sister seems willing nor able to furnish any details. As with previous novels in the series, this one alternates between the then and now; the then, of course, being the years between 1940 and 1945. Piece by piece we gradually get a picture of what actually happened, although there is plenty of clever misdirection along the way. This is the most recent, so far and, hopefully, won’t be the last of this highly engaging series....more
The second novel in this Blackpool-based series, once again, sees Detective Sergeant Declan Miller trying to solve the murder of his wife Alex, a SeriThe second novel in this Blackpool-based series, once again, sees Detective Sergeant Declan Miller trying to solve the murder of his wife Alex, a Serious Crimes Officer. To say Declan is eccentric is putting it mildly. He has a fondness for ballroom dancing and two pet rats called Fred and Ginger. This series is markedly different from the author’s familiar Tom Thorne books and allows him to give free rein to his acerbic sense of humour. The whole thing kicks off when two petty crooks attempt to steal a suitcase from a railway station toilet; little knowing the suitcase belongs to a hit man and contains a pair of severed hands, which he intends to deliver to his latest client as proof of a job well done. Both the hit man and his client – local crime kingpin Wayne Cutler are injured in the robbery. What follows is Declan and his partner, Sara Xiu attempting to discover who the hands belong to and why he was killed. Meanwhile the hit man and Cutler still remain free and are desperate to stall the investigation, as is another crime boss operating out of Preston. If you’re fond of well constructed crime thrillers which provide plenty of laughs along the way, then this book, like its predecessor, is highly recommended....more
The fourth novel in this series sees Detective Inspector Alex Cupidi off on sick leave owing to post-traumatic stress. However, she still finds herselThe fourth novel in this series sees Detective Inspector Alex Cupidi off on sick leave owing to post-traumatic stress. However, she still finds herself drawn into recent crimes and manages to solve them before her working colleagues, including her best friend Jill Ferriter. First off is the double murder of Ayman and Mary Younis in their New Romney home. The only clues being a note written in blood and a spectral figure rising above the crime scene. The Younis’s deaths are somehow linked to investments he had made into a bogus reforestry scheme in Guatemala, thereby losing all their savings which paid for the best care for their son who suffers from cerebral palsy. Several other members of the local golf club were also taken in by the scheme, including Cupidi’s friend Bill South. Because of suspicions about her daughter Zoe’s two new friends, she also finds herself drawn into the disappearance, seven years ago, of Folkestone gangster and drug smuggler Frank Hogben. Once again, William Shaw has managed to devise a complex plot with surprising twists. Add to that the cast of memorable characters and evocative descriptions of the brooding Kent coastline and we get yet another highly rewarding read....more
Just before Christmas 1990, Alec Salter is hosting his 50th birthday party in an old barn on the outskirts of the small Suffolk coastal village of GleJust before Christmas 1990, Alec Salter is hosting his 50th birthday party in an old barn on the outskirts of the small Suffolk coastal village of Glensted. It would appear the whole village is in attendance; the only notable absentee being Alec’s wife Charlotte. Their children, Niall, Paul, Ollie and Etty are all worried about their mother’s absence although Alec appears indifferent. Charlotte’s coat is found by the side of the local river the following day but the woman herself never reappears. On Christmas Day the body of Charlotte’s friend Duncan Ackerley is found in the same river. A death ruled as suicide. 30 years later, after having carved out a career as a lawyer in London, Etty returns home to help sort out her dying father’s affairs. At the same time, Duncan’s son Morgan, assisted by his brother Greg, is beginning a podcast to re-examine Charlotte’s disappearance and his father’s death. However, soon after beginning the podcast, a woman assisting the Salters in their house clearance is killed in a house fire. Two deaths and one unsolved disappearance in such a small village is too much for the locals to handle, so enter the true hero of the novel, Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor of the Metropolitan Police. It soon become obvious to Maud that the local police have been beyond incompetent in solving any of the crimes but, after dismissing a couple of deadbeats, she manages to get them onside in helping her unravel the three cases she’s convinced are connected. She does so by piecing together fragments of information such as a ladle containing cigarette butts, tide tables and a misdelivered wreath. This is a mystery thriller cum police procedural of the highest order. Meticulously plotted with a huge range of memorable characters. It’s always a thrill to read crime novels set in my home county and, at the moment, no one does it better than Nicci French....more
As with the previous novel in the series “The Playground Murders”, here a recent murder in Gloucestershire is somehow connected to two earlier ones. HaAs with the previous novel in the series “The Playground Murders”, here a recent murder in Gloucestershire is somehow connected to two earlier ones. Having temporarily split from Jack Harmon, Stella Darnell has moved to Tewkesbury where she discovers the body of true crime podcaster Roderick March in the town’s abbey. March was researching into the murder of pathologist Aleck Northcote on November 22nd 1963 – the same day as the Kennedy assassination. Northcote’s son Giles was convicted and executed for the murder although March insists he was innocent. In 1940, during the height of the blitz, 24 year old Maple Greenhill, a clerk with Express Dairies, is strangled to death in west London. Although the detective in charge solved the case, he was forced by those higher up to drop it. A miscarriage which haunted him the rest of his life. Although Stella had moved to Tewkesbury to escape detective work and stick to cleaning, she unwittingly finds herself drawn into the riddle of the unsolved murders and soon finds her life in danger. Another very worthy offering in this enjoyable series....more
Simon Kernick is always guaranteed to deliver a fast paced thriller peopled with the sort of characters no sensible person would wish to encounter in Simon Kernick is always guaranteed to deliver a fast paced thriller peopled with the sort of characters no sensible person would wish to encounter in real life, and this novel is no exception. Keith Fisher is a corrupt cop in the Anti-Kidnap and Extortion Unit, but little do his colleagues know he is also working for the other side. Katherine “Delvina” Steele Perkins is an undertaken, who, along with her compliant thug of a husband Vincent, under the moniker “The Vanishers”, runs a lucrative sideline in kidnapping. Becca Barraclough is a defence lawyer whose main claim to fame seems to be managing to get two vicious murderers acquitted. However, Becca’s Achilles heel is her daughter Elle who decided a more ethical career path than her mother and is now a nurse. When The Vanishers abduct Elle, Becca finds herself having to commit a near impossible crime to retrieve her daughter. The only person she feels she can turn to is former client, crime boss Colin Blisterfield, ironically known as “The Voice Of Reason”. Little does she know that Blisterfield also has his involvement in the kidnapping. Once again, Simon Kernick has managed to craft a well-plotted and engrossing thriller where the pages turn almost automatically....more
After Tony McLean resigned from Police Scotland and the author began his new Constance Fairchild series, I feared it might be the end of this highly eAfter Tony McLean resigned from Police Scotland and the author began his new Constance Fairchild series, I feared it might be the end of this highly engaging series. Thankfully, that was not the case. When the bodies of three old men – all with criminal convictions and links to a local big time gangster – are found in ruined churches in different parts of Edinburgh, Tony is unofficially drafted in to assist the investigation; currently headed by Janie Harrison, who has been – temporarily, at least – promoted to Detective Inspector. As if the extra responsibility isn’t too much of a headache, Janie also has to deal with her new boss, Detective Superintendent Peter Nelson – an Aberdonian with a drink problem and wandering hands. However, she seems to have found a new ally in Cerys Powell, the latest mortuary assistant. The idea that the deaths are part of a turf war between rival gangs is thrown into doubt by some brief chapters dating from the early 1980s and cases of child abuse by – surprise, surprise – an Irish Catholic priest. It was a pleasure to get reacquainted with Tony, Janie, Madame Rose and the rest of the crew and a hint towards the end that there could be further installments made it all the more pleasureable....more
As with the previous novel “The Death Chamber”, much of this one is set in the small Cotswolds town of Winchcombe. Stella Darnell and her partner JackAs with the previous novel “The Death Chamber”, much of this one is set in the small Cotswolds town of Winchcombe. Stella Darnell and her partner Jack Harmon are initially hired to clean a crime and trauma scene where, the previous year, secretary Rachel Cater was murdered – stabbed fifteen times in the back. Eventually her boss and lover, auctioneer Christopher Phillips is arrested for the murder. However, before Stella and her team can begin the cleaning, they are accosted by Phillips’ daughter Carrie who is convinced her father is innocent and the real killer is her mother Penelope. This narrative is interspersed with chapters from December 1980 concerning the murder of two children, Robbie Walsh and Sarah Ferris in a Hammersmith playground. A case which Stella’s late father Terry and his assistant Martin Cashman investigated. However, it isn’t until we’re almost halfway through the book that the connection between these two cases is revealed. As their investigation progresses, Stella and Jack find themselves drawn into a dangerous mire of betrayals, unreliable memories and false identities leading up to a thrilling finale in the playground where the whole sorry mess started. Hard to believe that I was unaware of this series a year ago. Now I’m well and truly addicted....more
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