On the Radar — What a time we have ahead with huge releases on the way from Denise Mina and Jeffery Deaver. There are new characters, new concepts and new twists being introduced among this week’s upcoming crime novels so we’re declaring it a week of innovation. Read on to find out more and let us know what you think.
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Conviction by Denise Mina
Glasgow author Denise Mina returns with a new standalone in which Anna McDonald’s carefully ordered world falls apart. Her husband has left her for her best friend, taking Anna’s two daughters too. She’s shell shocked – this has all come out of the blue. To distract herself from her troubles, Anna turns to a true crime podcast about multiple murders that occurred on a yacht found sunk in the Mediterranean. It’s a fascinating tale for any listener, but Anna realises she knows one of the victims and could hold the key to solving the mystery. She sets out to investigate, little realising the consequences of what she’s about to do… Out 16 May.
Pre-order now on Amazon
The Never Game by Jeffrey Deaver
Released on 16 May, The Never Game introduces Jeffrey Deaver’s new character, Colter Shaw. He’s an investigator who takes on unusual cases and here we have a killer who likes to play games. For instance, they abduct a girl from a park, and lock her up in a warehouse with five objects – things that might help her escape if she uses them wisely. The next abduction is a blogger, and this time the culprit comes up with another set of rules. Will the survivalist tracker Colter Shaw be able to save the victims? Find out soon!
Pre-order now on Amazon
The Passengers by John Marrs
It was only a matter of time before a crime fiction writer decided to use autonomous vehicles as a weapon of choice. Step forward John Marrs, whose standalone near future thriller sounds like a cross between the movie Speed and a reality TV show. A pregnant woman, a disabled war hero, a TV star, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant and a husband and wife travelling in separate vehicles find their cars are on a collision course with that of a suicidal man’s, and it’s up to the public to decide who should survive. But are the passengers all that they appear to be? Out 16 May.
Pre-order now on Amazon
No One Home by Tim Weaver
Tim Weaver continues his David Raker series with instalment number 10. One night, the nine residents of the tiny village of Black Gale meet for dinner. They’re a close-knit bunch and the evening goes well, with games, good food and plenty of happy photographs. The next day those photos are all that remain of the soirée because the people who attended it have vanished without a trace. More than two years later, the families of the missing ask mission persons investigator David Raker for help. As the search becomes something of an obsession for Raker, he uncovers a troubling untold side to the story. Should he be looking for nine people, or nine corpses? 16 May
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The Divinities by Parker Bilal
Parker Bilal is the crime fiction pseudonym for Jamal Mahjoub, who here introduces a new series featuring London copper DS Calil Drake and forensic psychologist Dr Rayhana Crane. The case: two dead bodies discovered on a building site in Battersea. Drake’s career has taken a bit of a hit lately and he senses the opportunity to get back on track but community tensions and the victims’ past serving in Iraq lead to a volatile atmosphere and all the while a vengeful killer is still out there. Released 9 May.
Pre-order now on Amazon
Council by Snorri Kristjansson
It’s only a few weeks since we reviewed Kin, the first in the Helga Finnsdottir series, and already its sequel is due. After the solving two murders on her Viking homestead in the first novel, Helga finds herself in the court of King Eirik who has invited those who owe him fealty to his council. Tensions grow between the various Viking leaders, but then the body of a boy is found by the river. Helga suspects one of the king’s men is a killer in this novel that neatly blends Nordic noir with the Scandinavian Viking heritage of the 11th Century. Out 16 May.
Pre-order now on Amazon
