On the Radar — He might be an Irishman, but John Connolly’s Charlie Parker series is set in the wooded North East state of Maine, and it’s had readers entwined ever since the first book, Every Dead Thing, back in 1999. The author’s latest starts off this week’s round-up of new books, which also features the new Philip Kerr novel. Sadly this arrives on the heels of news of the Scottish author’s death last week. He and his Bernie Gunther novels will be missed by all of us. In total we’ve got nine books for you, and we’re pretty sure there’s something for everyone. Which will make your TBR pile? Let us know.
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An examination of the body found in the Maine woods indicates that the victim gave birth shortly before her death, but there’s no sign of a baby. This is the 16th novel featuring John Connolly’s Charlie Parker and the author is not holding back on the heart rending sorrows that face the detective, who famously happens to see angels and demons as he investigates. In this story, he’s tasked with finding the infant, but he’s not the only one looking for the missing child… It’s out 5 April. Read our guide to the series so far, here.
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Everyone in the world of crime fiction was stunned when Philip Kerr passed away on 23 March, just prior to the launch of the latest book in his Bernie Gunther series. The detective, who formerly worked in the German police under the Third Reich and through the post-war reconstruction, has begun a second career. He’s now investigating insurance claims. When a Greek vessel sinks, and Gunther finds out that it was once owned by a Jewish man who was sent to a concentration camp, it begins to look as though a revenge crime rather than insurance fraud has been committed. And then the ship’s current owner turns up dead and with his eyes shot out. Released 3 April.
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Irish-born author Kiernan sets her debut in Dublin, where in a leafy suburb a woman is found hanging from a rope. Det Ch Supt Frankie Sheehan is happy to declare it a suicide. Just four months ago, she almost died in the pursuit of a killer and she’s all for a quiet life. But then the post mortem reveals a number of old wounds on the victim’s body… and the man of the house is missing. Whether she likes it or not, it looks like Sheehan is about to be in the thick of things again. Out 5 April, it’s one of our most wanted novels of 2018.
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We’re loving the cover on this thriller set in Victorian England. A worrying note from an old friend brings Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain to London docks, and they soon find themselves on board the seamen’s floating hospital, an old hulk known as The Blood, It’s a dark and desperate place, and as people begin to die in the capital in suspicious circumstances, Flockhart and Quartermain become convinced that The Blood is at the very heart of the puzzle. The third in the series, it’s out on 5 April. Read our review of the author’s previous title Dark Asylum here.
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The second in the Benson and De Vere courtroom thriller series, written under a pen name by CWA Gold Dagger winner William Brodrick, is out on 5 April. Diane Heybridge is found hanging with a blood orange in her mouth and the prosecution maintain it was a bungled killing. It’s up to William Benson and Tess de Vere to defend her partner, Brent Stainsby, but as the case unfolds in court it becomes clear that neither Heybridge or Stainsby are quite what they at first appear. The maverick legal pair decide to dig deeper – but will they be happy with what they uncover?
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When better than spring to enjoy the art and architecture of the historical and romantic Venice? Gywnne Jones weaves the ancient city into this thriller featuring Honorary Consul Nathan Sutherland. A pleasant evening during the Venetian Biennale, sipping wine and socialising, is marred by the horrific decapitation of an art critic. It looks to be a terrible accident until a postcard of the 1602 Caravaggio painting featuring Judith beheading the Assyrian general Holofernes is found on him. Then three more deaths follow in quick succession and Sutherland is soon fighting to save his own life. Out 12 April.
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It’s the year of the #MeToo crime novel, with lots of releases featuring high-profile sexual misconduct. However, abuse in a more domestic setting is at the heart of Burnout, which again features the crime fighting odd couple, Aberdeen private eyes Maggie and Wilma who first appeared in the McIlvanney Prize long-listed Cross Purpose. A new client claims her husband is trying to kill her and Maggie is immediately on the case, but Wilma isn’t so sure. For who really knows what goes on between husbands and wives? Can the pair get through this one with their friendship – and their business – intact? Out 29 March.
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Inspector Albertus Markus Beeslaar is hoping for the opportunity to recover from the trauma of police work in Johannesburg when he takes a sleepy posting on the fringes of the Kalahari Desert. Like many damaged souls who search for peace in a rural idyll it soon unravels in this South African crime novel. He has to contend with a local crime syndicate and resentful local cops as race-fuelled violence bubbles over in the community. Translated from the Afrikaans, this is a unique addition to the Europa World Noir series and the kick-off of an intriguing series location. Out 3 April.
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The glamour of the French Riviera beckons and sunny Nice is alive with people, enjoying the carnival and festivities. Death is not far away and so there is not much carousing for Captain Darac of la Brigade Criminelle. He has to investigate the demise of a man in a fall and that heralds a series of suspicious deaths. Darac thinks it is all tied into a long-resolved heist case. Raking over the coals of that crime soon leads to deadly consequences. This is the third book featuring Captain Darac and it’s released 3 April.
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