Reviewed by Rod McLary Midnight and Blue is the twenty-fifth book in the series featuring John Rebus – the detective from Police Scotland. Aficionados of the series will know the history of John Rebus from his early days as a detective through to his becoming Inspector Rebus; and his fall from grace when he was
Reviewed by Rod McLary John Banville is one of the world’s finest living writers. He has won numerous awards including the Booker Prize and is believed to be a contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature. In 2006, he began writing crime novels under the non-de-plume of Benjamin Black and has written seven novels featuring
Reviewed by Rod McLary The Valley is Chris Hammer’s seventh book and, like his previous six, it is firmly placed in the Australian landscape with an intricate plot and engaging characters. And also like the previous books, it is an immensely satisfying read. Detective Sergeant Ivan Lucic and Detective Senior Constable Nell Buchanan are assigned
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke For her first novel Brooke Hardwick has produced a story based on her fascination with psychological killers. Her book, The Fog, like all previous novels and films of the same name is a story of hidden threats. The book cover sets the tone with a solitary building on the edge of
Reviewed by Rod McLary Sex trafficking – or human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation – is a scourge across the world. Estimates of the number of persons subjected to forced sexual exploitation suggest around five million victims may be involved. It is within this dark and abusive world that Shadow City is set.
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve The sweltering days of Summer will lose their impact while reading The Chilling. The graphic descriptions of Antarctic conditions which threaten the very survival of a group of scientists and academics were so striking that I had to seize a woolly jacket while reading it! Riley James has captured the cruel
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Ann Cleeves OBE is a British mystery crime writer. She wrote the Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez, and Matthew Venn series, all three of which have been adapted into TV shows. In 2006, she won the Duncan Lawrie Dagger for her novel Raven Black, the first novel in the Jimmy Perez series.
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve Lisa Kenway’s debut thriller is a worthy addition to the genre. She is an anaesthetist so has studied the brain, consciousness and memory as part of her qualification. Her depth of knowledge in this area gives a vivid authenticity to the behaviour of the chief character in her novel. Dr. Clare
Reviewed by Rod McLary I have read and reviewed each of J. P. Pomare’s six previous novels beginning with his debut Call Me Evie in 2018; and now his seventh novel has been published. A number of the author’s books has won awards including the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best First Novel for Call Me
Reviewed by Rod McLary This book has an interesting history. It began its life as an audiobook published in 2022 and was a #1 best seller; it is now published in print for the first time. The author – Gabriel Bergmoser – has established a reputation for tense and tight thrillers as he demonstrated successfully
Reviewed by Rod McLary Kathy Reichs has now written twenty-three novels featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Aficionados of the Brennan novels would be very familiar with Temperance, her daughter Katy and her long-standing lover Andrew Ryan Lieutentant-détective, Section de Crimes contra la Personne, Súreté du Québec. Retraité [or retired]. It is a pleasure to again
Reviewed by Ian Lipke I was quite disappointed in this latest publication by Stephen King. This author has created a reputation for fine, extended writing, of best quality, and of mind-blowing uniqueness that is not represented in the present volume. One can speculate over reasons why these stories fail to meet the level of satisfaction
Reviewed by Rod McLary One of the common tropes of crime fiction is the quirkiness of the key protagonist – whether a detective or police officer or private investigator. The protagonist in this book – Detective Sergeant Declan Miller – bemoans the fact that he doesn’t have any quirks; quite overlooking the fact that he
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Camino Ghosts is the third book in the Camino series by renowned writer John Grisham – Camino Island (2017), Camino Winds (2020). At the centre of all that happens in these stories is the local bookseller, Bruce Cable. In Camino Ghosts as well as in his usual role Bruce is the
Reviewed by Rod McLary Kelli Hawkins’ novels are without a doubt very good psychological thrillers and her latest novel is no exception. The title refers to three generations of Miller women – Joyce [grandmother], her daughter Nicola and grandaughter Abby. As well as their blood connection, they have something else in common which is not