On the Radar — Over 50 years writing crime novels and Ruth Rendell is still going strong. This week sees the release of The Girl Next Door, a standalone mystery. In addition we have action thrillers, serial murderers and even a villain called the Duct Tape Killer. Nine new books have pinged on our radar this week… Enjoy!
Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE, is something of a national treasure. She is perhaps best loved for creating the wonderful Chief Inspector Reg Wexford, so memorably brought to life on television by the late George Baker. However, Ruth Rendell has never been afraid to write standalone crime novels, and with Reg now comfortably retired, this latest book shows that the author shows no sign of running out of steam. Here, apparently innocent past events cast a long shadow in rural Essex. Fast forward to the present, and developers uncover a network of secret tunnels which reveal some dark secrets, including severed hands and a long-forgotten crime of passion. The children who played in those tunnels in the last days of WWII are now old and forgetful, but a modern policeman must rely on their memories – and honesty – to solve an ancient crime. Published on 12 August.
Pre-order now on Amazon
In the ebook Watch Me former FBI profiler Jefferson Winter is in the stifling summer heat of small-town Louisiana. Winter knows a bit about serial killers. Well, he would, wouldn’t he – his father was one. Now, though, he’s trying to track down who has killed – by burning him alive – a well respected lawyer from one of the town’s establishment families. Small towns usually have big secrets, and Winter must use all his intelligence and gut instincts to prevent the death toll from rising. Watch Me is out now.
Buy now on Amazon
Theresa Ragan lives with her husband and children in Sacramento, California. Her heroine, Lizzy Gardner, first appeared on the shelves back in 2012. Gardner is a PI with a back-story. As a 17-year-old she was abducted by a maniacal killer, but survived to tell the tale. Now in her early 30s, she approaches each job with a mind keenly honed by her own past. In a plot which has echoes of Play Misty For Me, Lizzy must come to the aid of a radio presenter who, as a result of an ill-advised publicity stunt to get higher ratings, becomes the prey of her biggest fan. Available from 12 August.
Pre-order now on Amazon
Fans of the thriller genre which features former Special Forces personnel will be well acquainted with the exploits of Dan ‘Spider’ Shepherd. This is the 11th book in which Mr S does his stuff. Readers can expect international terrorists, murky political dealings back home, equivocal Whitehall mandarins, and expendable special agents. Shepherd is unfortunate enough to be captured by an Al-Qaeda cell in the distinctly unfriendly environment of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. With more than just a nod to contemporary real life difficulties, Leather ticks all the boxes if you like explosive action, nerve jangling suspense, and a high body count. Out on 14 August.
Pre-order now on Amazon
Love a good series? Detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano, in their stamping ground of Philadelphia, fit this bill perfectly. Their latest challenge involves that grimmest of crime fiction scenarios – the murder of children. Young victims are discovered in various locations around the city, and it’s clear that those responsible are playing a perverted game with the investigators. As Byrne and Balzano slowly piece together the clues, they have only days to prevent another tragedy. Read our review of an earlier Byrne and Balzano case here. The Doll Maker is available on 14 August.
Pre-order now on Amazon
Tucker is a geek. He writes code as if it were his mother language. The big problem is that after one of his most successful pieces of software engineering, his wife and co-author Carole was murdered. Author Daniel lives, speaks and breathes Boston, and in this novel he gives the bereaved Tucker a chance to avenge Carole’s death. It won’t be easy, as standing in Tucker’s way are Russian gangsters, the FBI , local politicians and a psychopath known as the Duct Tape Killer. Does Tucker have his work cut out? You could say that. Terminated is available on 8 August.
Buy now on Amazon
Pilkington began self-publishing this trilogy, but has now has the might of Hodder & Stoughton on his side. Emma Holden has had a nightmare past involving abduction, threats and terror. Now, she is married and trying to build a new life. Her hopes are dashed, however, when secrets and accusations from the past break surface to threaten her new found happiness. Lancashire author Pilkington throws in many a twist and turn, and sows a veritable forest of false clues throughout the narrative to keep you guessing. This is the longest of the three novels, and promises to be the most complex. We took a brief look at The One You Fear earlier this summer, and this final novel in the Emma Holden series is out on 14 August.
Pre-order now on Amazon
The latest story featuring Inspector John Carlyle starts off too close to home. Carlyle receives information that a suspicious package has been discovered at Winter Garden House, the 1960s block of flats where he lives with his wife and daughter. His relief at resolving this crisis is short lived, as he becomes involved in a battle of wits and wills with French gangsters. A bloody shoot-out at the Eurostar terminal leaves two French policemen dead – they were extraditing a criminal back to Paris. Carlyle and his family become a target for a ruthless gangster so he must go undercover and use unconventional methods to neutralise the threat. We reviewed the third in the John Carlyle series, Buckingham Palace Blues, back in 2012 and this book – the seventh – is out today.
Buy now on Amazon
It is 1965, and we are in an unnamed American City. The local government is riddled with corruption and incompetence, and the streets are ruled by rival gangs. Top wheeler-dealer Nathan Canada has a plan – the New City Project – which will clean up the city, but only for his rich and powerful supporters. Two of a dwindling band of honest men – Detective Torsten Grip and journalist Frank Frings – take separate paths to try to prevent The City spiralling into complete anarchy. Among those who stand in their way are Kollectiv 61, a dangerous radical group, and Nathan Canada’s vicious enforcer, Phil Dorman. Ball has written two previous books about events in The City – The Vaults (2010) and Scorch City (2014). Invisible Streets is out now.
Buy now on Amazon
