We reach the end of March with a selection of books from a set of up-and-coming crime authors who are bringing fresh ideas and large helpings of innovation to the crime fiction genre. These include Scottish author Robbie Morrison’s second crime novel, a debut from Australian Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Ajay Chowdhury’s third crime novel and a very unusual graphic novel by Matt Kindt from a new publisher. What a week!
Cast a Cold Eye by Robbie Morrison
Robbie Morrison’s dark historical novel, Edge of the Grave, was named Bloody Scotland’s Scottish Crime Debut of the Year – so what’s in store in the follow up, Cast a Cold Eye, out on 13 April? We’re back in 1930s Glasgow, where war veterans Inspector Jimmy Dreghorn and his partner ‘Bonnie’ Archie McDaid are called to investigate the death of a man found in a narrowboat on the Forth and Clyde Canal, executed with a single shot to the back of the head. The razor gangs that stalk the streets usually settle scores with knives and fists – so who is behind this murder? As the body count rises, political and sectarian tensions are on the rise too, with Dreghorn and McDaid caught up in a maelstrom of bloody vengeance.
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Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt
Looking for a psychological thriller where the secrecy of the Dark Web casts its insidious shadow? Then Australian author Ashley Kalagian Blunt’s Dark Mode, out on 13 April, could be just the thing. Inspired by true events, this book explores the price we pay for surrendering our privacy one click at a time. Reagan Carsen has worked hard to keep her life offline. No social media. No internet presence. No photos. She’s safe. Or is she? One day Reagan stumbles on a shocking murder scene in a Sydney laneway. The victim looks just like her. A coincidence? As more murders shake the city and she’s increasingly drawn out from hiding, Reagan is forced to confront her greatest fear… She’s been found.
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The Detective by Ajay Chowdhury
Number three in the Kamil Rahman series finds our hero out of the Brick Lane restaurant where he’s worked since leaving India under a cloud, and back in the police force. Kamil has joined the Met, and his first case is a doozy! On the verge of a $4 billion deal, a tech entrepreneur from Shoreditch is found dead in a construction site, which leads to the discovery of three skeletons over 100 years old. Desperate to solve his first case for the Met, will Kamil put his reputation on the line… then cross it? As fresh bodies turn up, can Detective Kamil – along with his friend Anjoli – prevent another murder? Find out on 13 April, with the arrival of Ajay Chowdhury’s The Detective.
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Mister Mammoth by Matt Kindt
Say hello to Mister Mammoth, the first-ever original graphic novel from all-new imprint, Flux House, which features crime, science fiction and humour told in startling and untraditional ways. For Mister Mammoth, out on 13 April, Matt Kindt is joined by internationally acclaimed artist Jean-Denis Pendanx. The title character is the world’s greatest detective, a pacifist who stands seven feet tall and is covered from head to toe by an impressive collection of horrific scars. But Mister Mammoth can’t seem to solve his latest case and keeps getting distracted by a strange obsession with a soap opera actress who doesn’t even know he exists. Which is an issue, because the case holds clues that might finally unlock the secret of his traumatic childhood. But is he solving a crime – or planning one?
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A Special Storm by David E Feldman
Indie author David E Feldman has conceived and self-published his series of books featuring LGBTQ+ crime solver Dora Ellison, and in her fifth outing Dora faces the heart-rending case of a young man with special needs shot dead as he sings on stage. Now operating as Geller Investigations with her colleague Missy Winters, Dora has a whole host of suspects on her list – another person with special needs jealous of Julian’s talent, the parent of another boy with special needs, perhaps the intended victim was someone else… or maybe there’s a angle Dora hasn’t yet seen? Whatever the case, Julian’s father wants to know who killed him and why. A Special Storm is out now.
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