On the Radar — Is Stephen King dropping horror for crime fiction? Could be as he releases his third detective novel in as many years. Our new releases column this week also brings you an eclectic mix of slightly lesser known, but no less interesting, authors. Read on and see if they suit you…
Horror author Stephen King has proven he’s no slouch when it comes to crime fiction, bringing us classic style pulp with books like Joyland, as well as his Bill Hodges detective series which began with Mr Mercedes. End of Watch completes the Hodges trilogy with the retired detective and his partner Holly Gibney wondering whether killer Bryan Hartsfield could somehow still be wreaking havoc in the city even though he’s lying comatose. Published on 7 June.
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When a stone-cold contract killer starts taking pity on his intended victim, it’s maybe time to turn mother’s picture to the wall and ride on. Carl Bowman might be excused, though. The person between in cross-hairs is a 10-year-old girl. Instead of killing her he kidnaps her and goes on the run. Not the smartest move, as he is pursued both by the people who took out the hit, and the police. Check out our review of the author’s earlier book, The Vanishing. Ice House was published on 2 June as a paperback and will be available from 18 June for Kindle.
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American author Alan Furst is fascinated with the political, social and military conflicts in Europe, before, during and after WWII. He focused on the events leading up to the outbreak of that war in Midnight in Europe (2014), but now the Germans have done their worst and Northern France is an occupied territory, while all other areas are run by the puppet Vichy administration. Mathieu is one of the brave young men of the French Resistance who wages war against the invader long after the uniformed soldiers have thrown down their weapons. As Mathieu and his comrades try to make the Germans as uncomfortable as possible, they are faced with a potentially deadly nemesis – an agent of total and uncompromising destruction. Out now.
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When we first met Scottish cop Sergeant Davy Grey in Black Wood (2015) his exploits earned a coveted rating of five stars. Now he returns, still in sleepy Banktoun, but this time chasing a patient who has escaped from a nearby not-so-secure unit for criminals with mental disorders. When his investigation into a series of suspicious deaths leads him straight back to his nearest and dearest, he is faced with a terrible professional decision, which may destroy his personal life. Available from 10 June.
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With his title making a cute reference to the 1963 comedy movie (Mad, rather than Bad), Lawson takes us into a realm of surreal opposites. From Vatican City, rather than a Swiss Guard we have an infamous assassin. Rather than devote their lives and energies to each other, a pair of lovers decide to bond through serial killing. Instead of honing his terrifying skills, a sadist devotes his time to the pursuit of antiques. Expect the world to be turned upside down, and all your most cherished certainties to become nagging doubts. Out now.
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This is an apocalyptic thriller imagining a world where our nine-to-five routine is horrifically disrupted by a virus. This is a new plague. Not one that gives us a fever, or brings us out in sores, but one that brings us all face to face with one of the immutable elements – fire. The virus has a simple MO. If you have it, you burn. Nurse Harper Grayson and her husband Jakob must challenge the spread of the disease, even if it means sacrificing their family. Published on 7 June.
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Essex girls, gangsters, low quality reality TV… The English county has more than its fair share of stereotypes. It’s the gangsters who feature here, facing up to disillusioned nightclub bouncers, London villains who have relocated to Ponderosa-style mansions in the leafy Essex, and a tough guy employed to babysit a youngster with the improbable name of Brando. Out on 7 June.
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DCI Kenny Murrain has an uncanny gift, although he might call it a curse. He has dreams. Well, I guess we all do, but for most of us, we wake up and forget about them. Murrain’s dreams are different. When he hears screaming, he knows it is real. He knows that somewhere out there in the night, far away from his bed, someone is being killed. And they are talking to him. This novel is set in and around Manchester, and has more than just a hint of the paranormal woven into its police procedural framework. Published on 9 June.
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