It feels like autumn’s here. Even though the leaves aren’t yet falling, new crime books are swirling in the wind and publishers are hoping more than ever that we’ll be cosying up and reading more mysteries as the nights draw in. Perfect weather, it would seem, to tackle Robert Galbraith’s latest, a debut thriller from Labour grandee Peter Hain and also a freshly translated crime debut from Iceland. Read on to discover the bounteous harvest of crime literature on offer this week…
Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith
We’ve reached number five in Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike series and the detective and his trusty sidekick Robyn Ellacott are about to tackle their very first cold case. 40 years ago Margot Bamborough disappeared, now her daughter wants to find out what happened. Strike and Robyn are up to their eyes in work but his interest is piqued and he takes the case on regardless. As the pair piece together Margot’s story, they uncover a complicated web of lies, involving tarot cards and a psychopathic serial killer. Meanwhile, someone out there doesn’t want them to learn the truth and will stop at nothing to keep it concealed. Troubled Blood is released on 15 September and follows on from Lethal White, the TV adaptation of which is currently airing on BBC One.
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The Rhino Conspiracy by Peter Hain
Now a member of the House of Lords, Peter Hain is a former anti-apartheid campaigner, member of parliament and cabinet minister. He has written numerous non-fiction works, mainly about politics, and in his first thriller he puts his knowledge of Southern Africa and its politics to good use and focuses on the issue of rhino poaching, as well as corruption and cronyism under the ANC in South Africa. Here, a team including The Owner, The Sniper and The Veteran join forces to combat a rhino poaching ring endorsed by corrupt officials, with the young woman Thandi leading the way. Interestingly, a British MP helps to expose the plot, using parliamentary privilege. Look out for it on 10 September.
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The Fox by Sólveig Pálsdóttir
New to English language readers, the Icelandic author Sólveig Pálsdóttir has already been nominated for the Scandinavian Glass Key prize for her work. Like her crime authorly compatriots, Sólveig leverages the isolation of the Icelandic hinterland in The Fox, with main character Guðgeir Fransson sheltering in the east of the country, away from his past in the Reykjavik police. But his detective instincts are piqued when he hears the tale of how a foreign woman appeared in the community and then disappeared just as quickly. Soon he’s following a trail that leads back to the capital, and then to the dark volcanic highlands searching for sinister secrets. This debut is out on 18 September.
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Burning Girl by Robb T White
Detective Riisa Jones has something to prove as she tackles her first case as lead police investigator in Gallion, Rhode Island. The body of a young woman is found in a dumpster behind a bar well known to the local cops. She’s been burnt to a crisp, making identification near-impossible and nobody – her partner included – seems willing to cut Jones a break and lend a hand. Leads are scant and every one seems to lead to a dead end. As the pressure to close the case mounts, Jones discovers that some respectable people will do anything to keep their dirty secrets under wraps… Robb T White’s Burning Girl is out now.
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Child Behind the Wall by Steve Parker
Former police officer Steve Parker releases the sixth in his series of action-packed crime thrillers on 10 September and it’s high octane from the off. Police officers called to a property in the London suburbs are expecting to catch a burglar red handed. Instead, the darkened house contains the body of a man with a knife in his chest and a bloody mess where his face should be. Nearby stands a small, thin woman holding a kitchen knife – and by the time Met detectives Ray Paterson and Johnny Clocks arrive at the address, carnage has ensued. If that’s not enough to contend with, there’s something bricked up behind the wall…
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