On the Radar — Maybe it’s because archaeologists thought that human sacrifice may have taken place at Stonehenge. Maybe what happened in Jamaica Inn continues to haunt us. Or maybe it was that classic Tom Baker Doctor Who episode, The Stones of Blood. Whatever the cause, there’s something creepy about stone circles and it looks like Elly Griffiths’ book is going to wring the very last drop of blood out of the ancient standing stones in her latest novel. ‘Fair play,’ is what we say. But if you’re not into that, don’t turn away. We’ve got four more rock-solid crime novels in our news column this week…
The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths
Elly Griffiths fans have 7 February highlighted on the calendar – it’s the day her latest Ruth Galloway mystery is released. The past is about to come back to haunt forensic archaeologist Galloway and DCI Nelson, who has been receiving threatening letters telling him to ‘go to the stone circle and rescue the innocent who is buried there’. The letters seem somehow familiar, taking Nelson back to a case which featured in the series debut, The Crossing Places. But whoever wrote those notes is dead… aren’t they? Meanwhile, Ruth makes a shocking discovery while on a dig in the Saltmarsh.
Pre-order now on Amazon
The Shape of Lies by Rachel Abbott
The latest in Rachel Abbott‘s series featuring DCI Tom Douglas is out on 12 February and it’s full of her trademark tricks and twists. Anna Franklyn is a well respected head teacher, a mother and wife. But she’s living a lie, and about to be exposed when a caller to her favourite radio phone-in brings her carefully-constructed world tumbling down. The voice on the radio belongs to her ex-lover, Scott. But Scott died, so what’s going on? Meanwhile, DCI Douglas is investigating two brutal murders – and Anna could hold the key to everything.
Pre-order now on Amazon
The Horseman’s Song by Ben Pastor
Ben Pastor is the pen name of Italian author Maria Verbena Volpi, who began the Martin Bora series in Italy in 1999 with Lumen, which was translated into English in 2011. Now the translations have reached the sixth book, with the action swinging back to Bora’s pre-WWII career. He’s in Spain, the year is 1937 and he’s with Franco’s Foreign Legion when a young, homosexual poet is murdered. Bora has that investigative instinct but is surrounded by men with little sympathy for the victim. Instead, he must team up with his own enemy, the American Philip Walton, to try to solve the crime. Out 14 February in the UK, 10 March in the US. If you like the sound of Ben Pastor’s work, you’ll also enjoy Philip Kerr.
Pre-order now on Amazon
Dirty Little Secrets by Jo Spain
Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours… That is, unless you live inside the exclusive gated community of Withered Vale, where Olive Collins’ dead body has been rotting for the past three months. Her neighbours seem shocked at the discovery, but it’s strange that nobody thought to check on her when she disappeared off the radar. And as the police begin to dig deeper, it becomes clear that when it comes to Olive’s neighbours, things are not quite as they seem and each of them has something to hide, something to lose and everything to gain from her death. Out on 7 February.
Pre-order now on Amazon
The Buried Girl by Richard Montanari
Well, Richard Montanari’s latest looks just like some American Gothic, without the southern twist. Will Hardy’s wife has been killed and to get away from it all he takes his daughter to live in Godwin Hall, a derelict mansion in a small town out in Ohio. As. You. Do. Only thing is, the local police are investigating the disappearances of teenage girls in the area going back a number of years and as luck would have it there are links to the house. Then an old diary turns up and… well, you get the idea. It’s for lovers of psychological crime fiction and, fittingly, it lands on 14 February.
Pre-order now on Amazon
