On the radar — This week’s medley of new and upcoming crime novels features a triple bill of British releases, topped off with a whodunit from Denmark. If you’re looking for an alternative to Euro 2012 this summer, then maybe one of this week’s new books may just fit the bill. To find out more, read on…

The Murder of Halland by Pia Juul
Bess and Halland live in a small Danish town where everyone knows everybody else, but when Halland is found murdered in the town square, the local police find that his death is shrouded in riddles. For Bess, Halland’s death marks the beginning of a journey, which will lead her to reassess her friends and family. It’s the first release we’ve seen from Peirene Press whose aim is to bring out quick reads under the 200 page mark. This is a whodunit that strays from the norm and its out now on Amazon.
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The Silence by Alison Bruce
DC Gary Goodhew returns for his fourth investigation and this time he’s looking into a series of suicides. It all starts with the seemingly random stabbing of Joey McCarthy in a pub car park. Soon after, Charlotte Stone’s terminally ill mother dies and two of her teenage friends commit suicide. For Charlotte, this is just the beginning of a personal nightmare. Her father and brother are quickly spiralling towards self-destruction. When another suicide is found, all paths seem to lead to Charlotte’s tragic story, but are they linked to a bigger picture, and if so, who will be the next victim? The Silence is out on 19 July.
Pre-order now on Amazon

Dead and Buried by Stephen Booth
Arson, burglary and murder. Dead and Buried has it all. Someone’s been setting fires in the Peak District and moorland infernos are sweeping through the National Park. As far as DS Ben Cooper is concerned, the fires are best left to the firefighters, even if the arsonists are still out there. But then an intruder breaks into an abandoned pub and Cooper and his rival DI Diane Fry find themselves dealing with a double murder committed many years earlier, and a more recent killing. With two of the bodies still unaccounted for, the pair must track them down and determine whether this latest death is just an isolated incident or the work of the same person. If that’s the case, are these arson attacks linked to the deaths? The pair finds themselves pitted against a twisted killer who seems to be pulling all the strings on their investigation. Dead and Buried is out on 21 June.
Pre-order now on Amazon

The Greater Bad by Alan Cork
Losing his job takes on new meaning for Martin Lock when the company he works for is taken over by mysterious multinational QPL, because they expect him to lose something more than that – his life. Lock finds himself on the run from a band of assassins who have already dispatched his closest friend for getting too close to the truth about the company’s chief, Mr Stone. They will stop at nothing to make sure they knock off their latest target. Framed for murder, Lock finds himself being hunted by the police, and he’s on a desperate search for the truth. With the body count rising and the assassins closing in, a secret cult founded in the 19th century is stirring below the streets of London, and its aim may just be world domination.
Buy now on Amazon