On the Radar — This week our column bringing you new crime fiction novels is headed by a fast-moving psychological thriller from South Africa. Shame on You is a debut by Amy Heydenrych. We’ve also got a line-up of seasoned pros sharing their art-inspried short stories in Alive in Shape and Color, which looks the bomb, and bunch of books involving serial killers, missing persons, murders and more… Any of these looking likely under the Christmas tree this year? Let us know.
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Shame on You by Amy Heydenrych
Holly is an online celebrity thanks to her high profile on social media where she has built up a huge following by spreading the word about eating well and looking after yourself. But when she is attacked by a man she’s only just met, Holly’s squeaky-clean image begins to crack. The man appeared to know her, though she maintains she had never met him before. So, it’s a case of who is telling the truth? Expect plenty of twists and turns in this debut psychological thriller by South African author Heydenrych, out 14 December.
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Alive in Shape and Color, edited by Lawrence Block
After In Sunlight or in Shadow, last year’s fascinating collection of short stories inspired by paintings by the realist Edward Hopper, Lawrence Block and his gang of intrepid crime fiction authors are back. This time, it’s an open canvas so to speak. The writers have been allowed to choose any painting from any era. Lee Child, Joyce Carol Oates and Jeffery Deaver are three of the 17 to participate, and we love the fact that Michael Connelly chose a panel from The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch for his inspiration. His fans will know why… Out 5 December and you can read more here.
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The Silent Children by Carol Wyer
This is romantic comedy writer turned crime author Carol Wyer’s third novel release of the year, and followers of the DI Robyn Carter series will be delighted to know that they only have to wait until 7 December to catch up with their favourite woman police detective. A man is found dead in his car on Cannock Chase, close to a popular family attraction in Staffordshire. The victim has been shot in the head, and his murder sets Carter and her crew off on a tricky investigation which proves anything but straightforward as the death toll begins to mount. Meanwhile, the detective’s personal life takes a strange turn too…
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The End of Lies by Andrew Barrett
Becky Rose comes home to find her husband Chris has been stabbed to death and to add to the horror the intruders are still in the house. They are fruitlessly searching but they can’t find what they want. Chris was an intelligence analyst and had been playing a dangerous game. The gangsters give Becky a beating and just seven days to fix their problem. It’s a desperate situation but although Becky is a librarian she’s not all that mild-mannered… Barrett has a long-running CSI series but this standalone promises a rollicking thriller with plenty of twists. Out 7 December.
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Beau Death by Peter Lovesey
The former chair of the Crime Writers’ Association and leading novelist Peter Lovesey returns with another case for his Bath-based detective Peter Diamond. The author takes as his themes the pace of modern development in the city on the one hand, and one of its oldest mysteries on the other. A construction project has led to the discovery of a skeleton in 18th century garb. Beau Nash, the celebrated architect behind Bath’s marvels is said to have ended up in a pauper’s grave and Diamond might have the bones of a VIP to deal with just as a present day murder takes place outside the Royal Crescent. Procedural mystery out 14 December.
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Burn the Evidence by Keith Nixon
DS Solomon Gray is back in another novel set in Ramsgate, out 12 December. A body washed up on the beach appears to be that of an unfortunate would-be immigrant who drowned while attempting to reach the UK, but as the tide goes out two more corpses appear – one is another immigrant, while the other is the son of a well-known local business tycoon who appears to have been murdered. As Gray is drawn into the case, he uncovers links to a deadly fire which happened 10 years ago. But how are the dead men linked – and what is their connection to that blaze?
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The Other Mother by JA Baker
Three remarkable women are bound together by a murderous secret. A child died years ago and one of them was responsible. But which one of them was it? The lives of Erica and Beverley look perfect on the surface but secrets are bubbling up again. Lissy lives in Yorkshire with her daughter, Rosie, but she’s getting into trouble at school with bullying and missing money. Baker’s Her Dark Retreat was published last month and continuing in the same vein this is another dark psychological thriller that will keep the pages turning. Released 5 Dec.
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The Child by Fiona Barton
The Widow was one of last year’s best debut novels, now Fiona Barton is back with another standalone thriller, which begins in London in 2012. Most readers skim past a single paragraph story in their local newspaper, but three strangers focus on the tiny filler piece for very different reasons – all of which are set to change their lives. The skeleton of a baby has been uncovered and past secrets and untold tragedies will be unearthed before the truth about the child is finally revealed. Already available for Kindle, the paperback comes out 14 December.
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