On the Radar — Do you have a bad case of ACD? Don’t worry, it’s not a new acronym for badly behaved schoolchildren to wear as a badge. It’s that glum feeling when the Christmas tree is put out for the bin men and the decorations are back in the cupboard under the stairs. Yes, it’s that well-known condition, After Christmas Depression. But don’t fret, we have a cure! Seven brand new crime fiction novels and one collection of short stories guaranteed to puzzle, chill, thrill and mystify you. Read on to see if we can light up the long dark days of January.
The Mistake by Grant Nicol
Most authors have a unique selling point or two. Grant Nicol must be the only New Zealand born crime writer based in Reykjavik. His new novella has hints of a hardboiled style of writing, and tells the tale of a murder in the Icelandic capital. The victim is the daughter of Kjartan Jonsson, who is determined that the chief suspect – Gunnar Atli – will receive swift and summary justice. Standing in his way is detective Grimur who is determined that the law must take its course. Short days, long nights, the scent of death in a cold climate. Out on 13 January.
Pre-order now on Amazon
Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag
Tami Hoag has a string of bestsellers to her credit, and her latest book features something of a rarity – a victim who survives a serial killer. Dana Nolan’s career in journalism was shattered when she was targeted by the psychopath. A year has passed since her ordeal and she now has post traumatic stress disorder. Even a trip to her home town fails to give solace. Instead, she becomes involved in the mystery of another disappearance – that of her childhood friend, Casey. Dana’s search for the truth becomes not only an affront to the tight-knit community of her home town, but a threat to her own sanity. Published on 15 January.
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The Deep by Nick Cutter
This Canadian author invites us into scientific horror story. The world is faced with a distinctly nasty plague. No rotting flesh or virulent sores, but a strange virus which makes people forget stuff. It starts with minor things like car keys, spectacles and wallets, then gets round to more serious functions like remembering how to drive, and even how to walk. In short, people forget how to live. When an apparent antidote is discovered in the depths of the ocean, Dr Luke Nelson has to decide whether or not he’ll risk himself and his family to save humanity? Available from 13 January.
Pre-order now on Amazon
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Train motifs have been a staple of classic crime fiction over the years and Paula Hawkins mines this rich seam. Rachel’s daily commute on a suburban train is like a looping film clip. She sees the same things every morning, and feels part of the mini dramas she witnesses as her train flashes past the lineside homes. But one morning, she sees something different. Something that makes her blink in disbelief. Something that makes her go to the police and report it. Something so extraordinary that the police don’t believe her. What follows is a nightmare for Rachel, as she struggles to convince them to take her claims seriously. Out on 15 January.
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Bloodlines by Vanessa Skye
The third book in The Edge of Darkness follows The Enemy Inside and Broken. Though the author is an investigative journalist based in Sydney, Australia, this story takes place in Chicago. It involves a very nasty series of rapes. As awful as these crimes are, Windy City cop Alicia ‘Berg’ Raymond is preoccupied with her own predicament. She is hopelessly muddled about her feelings for Detective Inspector Jay O’Loughlin, who is both her partner… and her partner. In so many ways she is living a lie in front of O’Loughlin and her other CPD colleagues. She has a dangerous past and if it becomes common knowledge it won’t just haunt her, it will destroy her. Published on 22 January.
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The Ice Twins by SK Tremayne
The psychological and physical links between twins have proved fertile ground for many novelists across many genres. Here, seven-year-olds Kirstie and Lydia are separated early in the narrative when one falls to her death at their London home. The grief-stricken parents Angus and Sarah take the desperate measure of relocating to a Scottish island in an attempt to save their family. Their attempts to rebuild their lives are shattered when the surviving twin, thought to be Kirstie, suddenly claims to be Lydia. Our full review of this psychological thriller will be available soon, and the book itself is out on 29 January.
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The Deepening Shade by Jake Hinkson
Regular readers of Crime Fiction Lover will have heard of Jake Hinkson. We reviewed Saint Homicide back in March 2014, and The Posthumous Man in January 2013. In this new collection of short stories, we are introduced to a vengeful Pentecostal snake handler, a lesbian couple running a homeless hostel, and a stripper who has sunk to the bottom of the moral pit but is still capable of one last unselfish act to save her sister. Are you getting the picture? It’s noir from the rough fringes of society where the characters are clinging on by their fingernails… The collection is available now – watch for our review.
Buy now on Amazon
Unbecoming by Rebecca Scherm
Grace was brought up in a small Tennessee town. She yearns to better herself, goes to college to study art and then process ‘adopts’ a well-to-do local family. The basic skeleton of this literary thriller is the art robbery which Grace and three other young people plan. It fails, and Grace – the brains behind the heist – flees to Paris, where she ekes out a living restoring old paintings. The flesh on the bones of this particular story is the psychological development – and decay – of the four young adults who were involved in the botched robbery, as they struggle to come to terms with their past, and try to plan for the future. It’s out on 22 January. Watch the video below where the author talks about both her new book, and how she committed a heinous crime in a library while in her teens.
Pre-order now on Amazon
