On the radar — This week our new books radar is picking up a strong signal from Britain and there’s an emphasis on police procedural crime fiction. Gangsters, a possible serial killer, a fashion assassin and a curve ball into Icelandic crime fiction all make for an interesting combination. So if you’re not a chocolate fan and looking for something a little different this Easter, substitute books for eggs and hunt for the following:
Murder Mile by Tony Black
The brutally mutilated body of a young woman is found on the outskirts of Edinburgh. DI Rob Brennan returns for his second case in this police procedural series, and is instantly struck by the similarities of another killing five years earlier. The local press seem to have concluded that this is the work of an Edinburgh Ripper, but is this the work of a serial killer? Rob Brennan is determined to get to uncover the truth.
DCI Jackson Flare and Inspector Mandy Steele are on the hunt for a killer who stalks the rich and fashionable, hence his name – Mr Glamour. He’s an assassin who knows his victims inside out and seems to be able to get inside the heads of the investigating officers. With walls of mirrors springing up around them, hidden secrets everywhere, and a murderer who sees all, will Flare and Steele be able to stop him before they themselves descend into darkness?
The Flatey Enigma by Viktor Arnar Ingolfsson
It’s 1960 and three seal fishermen find a corpse on an island on the west coast of Iceland. The body is that of a missing Danish cryptographer with a mysterious link to a medieval manuscript known as The Book of Flately. Soon another body is found and the victim has been subjected to the ancient Viking rite of the blood eagle (trust us, it’s not pretty). When Kjartan the magistrate is sent to investigate the deaths, he finds himself drawn into a dangerous world of ancient legends, symbolism and secret societies.
The Party by JD Carter
Finally we’ll step into London’s underworld and up and coming young gangster Alex Dicks is about to make a shock discovery about the death of his father, Clive. Bobby Makin is Alex’s stepfather and the cream of London’s villains has gathered to celebrate his 50th birthday. All is going well until a face from the past turns up and Alex discovers that Bobby murdered his father in order to marry his mother, Sharon. It’s news that for Alex can only have one outcome…
