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Mar 5, 2024

The Hunter, Tana French

It’s been a couple of years since retired Chicago detective Cal Hooper settled in the tiny Irish village of Ardnakelty. On the surface the place jogs along just grand. Cal and local widow Lena have settled into a comfortable rhythm and Trey Reddy, has progressed from feral child to a feisty but shrewd teenager.

A killer heatwave and the return of Trey’s father, chancer Johnny Reddy upends everything. Johnny’s get-rich-quick scheme complete with posh English mark has the local area buzzing. Death and the Dublin police, however, aren’t far behind. Trey sees the opportunity to avenge her murdered brother without breaking the truce that Cal established with the townsmen. Using the police to exact her revenge is a risky plan but Trey has no idea how risky.


Feb 6, 2024

Antique Hunters Guide to Murder, C.L. Miller

Freya Lockwood went from Lara Croft in her twenties to Laura Ashley in her forties. Now divorced with a teenage daughter she still shuns her partner/mentor Arthur Crockleford, whose actions in Cairo - Freya is convinced - ruined her life.

Now Arthur is dead and Freya’s flamboyant Aunt Carole suspects foul play. Arthur was on the verge of acquiring ‘an item of immense value’ and his clues, set up weeks before his death, seem designed to awaken Freya’s inner artifact hunter. 

Carole, with a reluctant Freya in tow descends on the Manor House weekend where Arthur had planned to get back a treasure, where a killer awaits.

Fans of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series should check this out. Freya is a great character and Aunt Carole is a complete hoot.

Jan 30, 2024

Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect, Benjamin Stevenson

Ernie Cunningham’s debut true crime novel has done well enough to earn him and girlfriend Juliette a spot at a literary festival- on a train speeding across the Australian desert.

The main draw is Henry McTavish from whom Ern is hoping to get the promise of a blurb for his as yet unwritten second book.

The backstabbing has already begun before the Ghan leaves the station and that’s just the writers.
In amongst the one-star reviews, withering literary criticism, codes, letches, superfans and firecrackers, there’s a murder; one Ernie must solve or die trying.

Stevenson’s in-jokes and fourth wall breaking continues. A cracking mystery that’s fun to try and solve. Ern is a reliable narrator, and his honesty is refreshing.

N.B. This is not an Aussie version of a Christie Classic.

Jan 16, 2024

The Fury, Alex Michaelides

Less of a whodunit than a whydunit, Fury’s narrator relates the tale of a beautiful Greek island owned by a luminous actress and the events of one wild night which ended in betrayal and murder.

Whose? Ah, you’ll have to read this Greek tragedy to find out. 

Jan 2, 2024

Anna O: A Novel, Matthew Blake

The sleeping beauty case was a tabloid sensation. A prominent MP’s daughter stabbed two friends to death whilst sleepwalking. After years asleep the government wants Anna O awake and convicted. The Abbey is a central London sleep clinic that caters to a monied clientele, and Anna is transferred there and placed under the care of Dr. Ben Prince; who has a plan to bring her back to the land of the living, but is that wise? Death has always followed Anna O and the repercussions of her move to the Abbey have yet to be fully felt. 

Prepare to let your tea go cold and you read this twisted tale in one sitting.

Midnight, Amy McCulloch

If you enjoyed ‘Breathless’ you’re in for another treat. Olivia has the perfect life - on the surface; but like the icebergs she and the passengers and crew of the luxury ship MS Vigil are surrounded by, appearances can be deceiving.

The millionaire’s cruise will take them from Ushuaia deep into Antarctica with an art auction of recently deceased artist Kostas Yellin’s works as the main event. Olivia’s art dealer boyfriend has missed the sailing leaving Olivia to schmooze the wealthy buyers alone and that’s just the first thing to go wrong.

McCulloch is quickly establishing her own niche in the adventure travel/whodunit genre. 

Nov 14, 2023

Star and the Strange Moon, Constance Sayers

Young Christopher Kent became obsessed with Gemma Turner the day his troubled mother destroyed a photo of the doomed star.

1968: Gemma Turner starred in a low budget horror flick L’Etrange Lune, a generic scripted mess that would become her final film.

1998: Kent now a rising documentary maker finally gets to witness a secret screening of Lune but it appears to be evolving long after its star and director perished…