On the Radar — There are no books by crime fiction giants in the releases this week, but we do have a selection of fine authors who have established themselves quietly, but with authority, by the quality of their writing. They range from the 1970s British pulpster Gordon F Newman through to Leigh Russell, whose Geraldine Steel series has built up an avid following. We have horse whisperers in Ireland, ancient apothocaries and a gunnery sergeant out to stop nuclear war, so read on…
In Search Of Murder by Roderic Jefferies
This author has also written as Peter Alding, Jeffrey Ashford, Roderic Graeme, and Graham Hastings, and is certainly one of the elder statesman of crime fiction. His most recent work is again set on the Balearic paradise of Mallorca, and features his stalwart hero, who is familiar to Jeffries fans – Inspector Alvarez. Expect interrupted siestas, latin passion, silver-tongued Lotharios, and duped women. Jeffries, after a distinguished professional career, has retired to the island, so we are guaranteed authenticity and wry humour amidst the excitement. Published on 19 December.
Pre-order now on Amazon
Dark Heart by GF Newman
Do not expect a cosy read from GF Newman. The ingredients include a sexually tormented priest who was responsible for the death of his wife and daughter in a road accident, a turbulent spell for the priest in war-torn Nigeria, and then his return to a difficult parish in the Southwest of England. Oh yes, it’s worth mentioning that the author is also a BAFTA-winning writer for TV, who has been shocking audiences since the 1970s (try Sir, You Bastard). Jake Mann is not your normal parish priest, and when not administering the sacrament to bedridden pensioners, he finds himself entangled with a series of horrific killings. Dark Heart is the first in the Exorcist trilogy, and is out now.
Buy now on Amazon
The Outsider by Arlene Hunt
Here’s one that’s a bit different from the Irish publisher Portnoy. Unusually for a crime novel, The Outsider’s cover artwork is a tessellating pattern comprised of horses. Inside, one of Arlene Hunt‘s mysteries which is a little different as well. The word on the street is that it’s softer and deeper than some of her previous work. The story centres around the death of 15-year-old Emma Byrne – a shy girl who had a gift for handling horses. Her brother Anthony gets more than he bargained for when he looks into her death. Watch for our review soon on Crime Fiction Lover. Out now.
Buy now on Amazon
Wake To Darkness by Maggie Shayne
Rachel de Luca has recovered her eyesight, but has always had the uncanny gift of psychological perception. Conducting a passionate on-off affair with detective Mason Brown, she retreats with her lover to a snowbound mountain ski resort. They might have expected a respite from crime, but murder stalks them, and people look to the pair for answers. Shayne describes herself as writing in the genre of Paranormal Romance. It does seem that it’s a case of ‘another day, another genre’, but this mixture of murder, magic and mysticism may well have a receptive audience. Available now in paperback and Kindle.
Buy now on Amazon
Fatal Act by Leigh Russell
The author lives just north of London with her family, and is a former teacher of children with special needs. She has been praised by none other than Jeffery Deaver and Peter James, and this is the sixth in her bestselling series of novels featuring DI Geraldine Steel. Steel has retreated from a failed marriage to what she hopes will be the relative peace of the small town of Woolmarsh. Her hopes prove to be naive, and here she must investigate a mysterious car crash which claims the life a of a minor TV celebrity. Our heroine is forced to dig deep into her reservoir of resilience as the case escalate into a battle of wits with a serial killer. Published on 12 December.
Pre-order now on Amazon
Time To Kill by Jack Coughlan
Psychological crime fiction eating away at your conscience? Weary of ambiguity? Lost without trace in the moral haze? Fret ye not, help is at hand. Jack Coughlan knows who the bad guys are, and his heroes are clearly etched, despite their frequent human flaws. This book has a potent cocktail of Islamic terroristm and international crime, and is crackingly up-to-date. One of the central threads of the story is the battle between The Muslim Brotherhood and the military powers-that-be-in modern Egypt. The drink is spiced with a dash of Iran, Israel and nuclear threat. If you like your crime to be international, involving the highest stakes, then this may well be for you. It’s out today.
Buy now on Amazon
The Winter King by Alys Clare
Just how good were amateur detectives in the second decade of the 13th century? Well, the truth is that we will never know, so we must trust the words of Elizabeth Harris, writing as Alys Clare. This is the 15th in the series known as the Hawkenlye Mysteries. King John is clinging to the throne, beset on all sides by ambitious conspirators, but across his realm men still murder other men for much less than the crown of England. The apothecary Sabin de Gifford must investigate the apparently natural death of a corpulent nobleman, but faces sinister forces in her search for the truth. Out on 19 December.
Pre-order now on Amazon
