On the Radar — This week’s new books begin with the case of a killer who sees his work as his art, and perhaps he paints in blood. As is often the case, we’ve got old secrets sneaking up on new protagonists, cold cases, serial killers and one or two innovative concepts as well. Which book will make your TBR pile this week? Let us know…
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Gallery of the Dead by Chris Carter
California-based author Chris Carter has made a solid name for himself writing bone-chilling serial killer thrillers. Here his main detective character Robert Hunter returns for his ninth outing and we’ll be bringing you the review soon. Working with his colleague Garcia, Hunter is part of the Ultra Violent Crimes Unit and even under that remit what they witness is the worst crime scene yet. Teaming up with FBI agents, Hunter and Garcia are after a killer who believes that his work is his art. The blood starts spilling on 8 February.
Pre-order now on Amazon
Twist of Faith by Ellen J Green
Ava Saunders was a foundling, wrapped in a blanket and left in the porch of a church to be rescued. Or so she thought. Twenty-three years later and when her adoptive mother, Claire, dies she finds a secret photograph of a tumbledown house, once the scene of a terrible double murder. Just who is Ava? With the help of her best friends, one of them a detective, they probe at the mystery and the secrets of the Catholic church. Danger soon looms in a psychological thriller that promises plenty of twists. Released 1 February.
Pre-order now on Amazon
A Cold Cold Heart by John Nicholl
The killer is hiding in plain sight in this new thriller from Bloodhound Books. DI Gravel is pleased that his daughter has a job working for a solicitor, but little does he know that her role will bring her into the crosshairs of a serial killer. As well as harbouring grotesque fantasies about Emily, the villain of the piece is close enough to Gravel to start misdirecting his investigation. Sometimes, evil wears a suit… and ain’t that the truth. Out 31 January.
Pre-order now on Amazon
A Cold Day in Hell by Lissa Marie Redmond
This debut by a former cold case detective with Buffalo PD is about a cold case detective in… you guessed it, Buffalo, New York. Fictional detective Lauren Riley also has her private investigator’s licence, which comes in handy when she is asked to work for a lawyer who has previously caused her all kinds of trouble in court. But Frank Violante puts up a good argument, and soon Lauren is looking into the case of an 18-year-old accused of rape and murder. As colleagues turn against her and the evidence stacks up, it’s a decision she may come to regret. Out 8 February.
Pre-order now on Amazon
Punishment by Scott J Holliday
An eye-catching cover is matched by an interesting premise in the first book of a new series featuring Detroit homicide detective John Barnes, out 1 February. Advances in technology mean detectives can access the memories of the living, the dying, and the recently dead. Reliving those last moments is now part of the punishment meted out to the perpetrator – but the investigators must go through it too, and Barnes has had enough, until a masked serial killer strikes a little too close to home…
Pre-order now on Amazon
In Strangers’ Houses by Elizabeth Mundy
Lena Szarka is a Hungarian cleaner in Islington who turns sleuth when her friend Timea disappears. Raking around in the dirty linen of north London homes gives plenty of opportunity for some investigation. The police don’t share her concerns about Timea but she does find an ally in a young police constable, Cartwright. Lena is soon uncovering dirt and there is a strong multicultural vibe with Polish Uber drivers, Syrian newsellers and a Cypriot gangster all featuring in this debut from Elizabeth Mundy. Can Lena can clean up the mess? Out 8 February.
Pre-order now on Amazon
Butterfly Ranch by RK Salters
Superstar crime writer Tristran Griffin is the author of a hugely popular series of detective novels, but he has left the limelight behind to live a quiet life in the Mayan hills of Southern Belize, with his partner Hedda. So what causes him to attempt suicide? And where has Hedda disappeared to? Local constable Altamont Stanbury and his daughter Philomena, a nurse, are called to the scene and stay on to care for the unconscious Griffin, but is Stanbury’s hero-worship of the author clouding his judgement and putting them all in danger? This debut is out 28 January.
Pre-order now on Amazon
