On the Radar — From Manchester to Cadiz and from Glasgow to Reykjavik, our keen crime fiction radar is bleeping and blooping like crazy this week. We’ve got everything from pulp mysteries to brutal serial killer stories and even one or two extremely chilly cold cases for you. Get your TBR list at the ready, and read on to discover nine new and upcoming releases…
Back when we first set up Crime Fiction Lover two years ago, Neil White’s book Cold Kill was setting the Amazon crime charts on fire. In that one, his two detectives Garrett and McGainty acted as foils for one another. In his upcoming thriller, Next to Die, the story revolves around a brother and sister pairing – Joe and Sam Parker. Joe is Manchester’s top criminal defence lawyer and Sam is a crack homicide detective. When accused murderer Ronnie Bagley fires his lawyer and demands Joe Parker, the brother and sister are played off against one another. Trouble is, there’s also a serial killer out there and as Bagley manipulates them it’ll be interesting to see how practicing lawyer White works the plot so these rival siblings catch the villain. Next to Die is out on 26 September.
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LAPD detectives Decker and Lazarus are about to face their most bizarre case yet. Reclusive billionaire Hobart Penny is found dead in his apartment and the police believe his pet cat – an adult female tiger – is responsible for the elderly man’s death. However, it soon becomes clear that his killer was human rather than feline. The team’s inquiry reveals that Penny was a man of unusual and somewhat exotic tastes. It’s a case that will have Decker wrestling with a difficult decision. Should he turn to a key expert in human instincts? A man who happens to be extremely dangerous, and the father of his foster son, Gabriel. The Beast is out now.
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We have bittersweet news for fans of Indridason’s Detective Erlendur. The sweet part is that Erlendur is back. He didn’t appear in Black Skies, which we reviewed a couple of months ago, and where Sigurdur Oli took centre stage. However the bitter part of what we have to tell you is that Strange Shores is the final book in the Reykjavik series. In it Erlendur is on the hunt for a woman called Matthildur who disappeared into a frozen fjord decades ago. But that’s not all, he’s also looking for his brother, who disappeared in a snowstorm in the same region when they were kids. Arnaldur Indridason’s name might be harder to pronounce than Jo Nesbo, but his writing’s excellent so watch for this one. It’s out 15 August.
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Detective Archie Sheridan just wants to get through his birthday and Halloween. However, escaped serial killer Gretchen Lowell is on the loose and the murder of a DEA agent is not giving him a moment’s respite. Then journalist Susan Ward turns up on his doorstep wanting a favour. Clearly his weekend isn’t going to get any better. Before long he finds himself gatecrashing a masked ball on a private island owned by a notorious local drugs baron, and he soon has a dead guest on his hands. To make matters worse, Gretchen is on his trail with a very special birthday surprise to deliver. Let Me Go is out on 13 August.
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We’re heading to second century Roman Britain now, and the Celtic mosaic layer Libertus finds himself on the trail of a wealthy local citizen. Genialis disappeared in the snow just before he was due to pay Libertus for his work. At the same time a ritual is ruined during an important feast when the elderly priest accidentally lets go of the sacrifical ram. To make matters worse, news arrives heralding the death of the Emperor, and fears begin to circulate of a dark omen. When some mutilated corpses are discovered, those fears seem to be confirmed. Libertus is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery but must deal with superstition and fear before he can uncover who had a strong enough motive for murder. If you’re a fan of Lindsey Davis’ Falco mysteries and you’re looking for another series in the same historical period, then Dark Omens could be just the thing. It’s out on 30 August.
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Now to 15th century Glasgow where Gil Cunningham returns for a 10th outing. Arnold Fleming, a widely disliked corrodian (we call them pensioners these days) has gone missing from the Dominicans’ house in Perth. A local knight and his mistress claim to have seen the Devil that night, and three friars have been implicated in Fleming’s disappearance. A search of his rooms unearths documents that indicate Fleming was a blackmailer. Gil Cunningham is called in to investigate. It isn’t long before a body is found. Then a second. Are these deaths linked to Fleming’s disappearance? It’s Scottish. It’s historical. To some, it would appear to be the best of both worlds. The King’s Corrodian is out on 15 August for Kindle.
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A lab in Stockholm is destroyed in an explosion that claims the lives of a number of elite scientists. The evidence suggests that the blast was intended to destroy all traces of their research. It’s up to Interpol director Nick Dial to determine the truth. Meanwhile, when Dr Mattias Sahlberg hears about the explosion, he realises his own life is in danger and turns to the only two men who can keep him from harm – Jonathon Payne and David Jones. The Einstein Pursuit is out on 20 August.
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Cadiz, 1811. Spain is fighting for independence from Napoleon Bonaparte’s France. Meanwhile, a serial killer is on the loose, flaying young women to death. Each killing takes place near the site where a French bomb has recently fallen. Policeman Rogelio Tizon is assigned to the case and must do so whilst avoiding a public scandal in the process. The Siege promises a cast of interesting characters including an assassin, and a taxidermist who is also a spy, and is out on 29 August.
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Robert E Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett – so many of the popular authors of the 20th century started off writing stories for pulp adventure and mystery magazines. Otto Penzler’s MysteriousPress.com and Open Road Media have teamed up and vowed to bring one of the top pulp magazines, Black Mask, to today’s digital audiences. Stories from the pulp – which ran from 1920 to 1951 – will be published in monthly instalments. They’ll begin with work by Norbert Davis, Steve Fisher and Paul Cain, along with an omnibus of stories about Jerry Tracy, Celebrity Reporter by Theodore A Tinsley. New cover art and introductions will put these classic tales into a modern context. Watch for the first one on 27 August.