The World War II period – heaven forbid we should ever return to a similar situation – is ripe with inspiration for crime authors. Equally, readers love slipping back to a time now just beyond our own reckoning. Look what fruits it bore for authors like Philip Kerr and Robert Harris. Today we begin our new books report with a fresh mystery set in that period from Mark Ellis. It looks suitably dark and shadowy. But if that’s not your thing we also have a Highsmith-esque thriller set in Turkey, a jaunt to the Vatican sounds fitting too, hate crimes in Portland and some domestic noir as well.
Death of an Officer by Mark Ellis
Let’s head to wartime London for Mark Ellis’s Death of an Officer. In the midst of an ever-growing wave of criminal activity, the murder of a respected doctor is about to tax the skills of DCI Frank Merlin. In a city reeling from constant German bombardment, his investigation leads him into the hidden corners of the capital’s clubland and the apparent disappearance of both British and American officers. Can the doughty detective get to the bottom of it all? Find out on 29 May
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Summerhouse by Yiğit Karaahmet
A love triangle on an idyllic Turkish island off the coast of Istanbul serves at the backdrop for Summerhouse, written by debut author Yiğit Karaahmet and translated by Nicholas Glastonbury, out on 27 May. They’ve been together for 40 years, a rare thing for a gay couple in Turkey, but behind closed doors the relationship between Fehmi and Şener is a tempestuous one. Which is why the cracks begin to appear with the arrival of young, handsome Deniz, who catches Fehmi’s eye – much to Şener’s annoyance. Deniz has plans of his own, but as this story plays out it becomes clear that not everyone will be getting out of it alive.
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The Vatican Deal by Michael Balter
International intrigue with a Vatican setting is what’s in store for readers of The Vatican Deal by Michael Balter, out now and the second in a series featuring Marty Schott and Bo Bishop. This time the pals are in Italy to buy an art foundry and close a multi-million dollar licensing deal with the Vatican, but things get complicated when they realise that everyone is keeping secrets and telling lies. It gets even messier with the arrival of a dangerous figure from their past – and when their new business partner is kidnapped, suddenly all bets are off.
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A Bag Full of Stones by A Molotkov
A Bag Full of Stones by A Molotkov is released on 27 May, and although it is set in America in 2019, the story it tells will certainly resonate with today’s readers. It’s set in Portland, Oregon, where a rich cast of immigrants and minorities share an uneasy existence. When Azar Bayat, a social sciences student from Iran, is kidnapped, Russian immigrant Detective Dmitry Volkov and his partner Detective Brenda Smith take on the case. But both have other things on their minds – are they really up to the job? Meanwhile, Azar makes plans to outwit her kidnappers…
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Small Acts of Deceit by Kate High
Heiress Mauve Gilcrest has led a charmed life, but it’s about to unravel when her estranged half-sister Lena disappears, leaving behind a blood-spattered apartment and a doll linked to the murder of Paulette Franklin eight years previously. All the evidence points to Mauve, who panics and goes on the run, accompanied by her son Kit and Lena’s daughter Eliza. Mauve has her suspicions about her niece – but with the police on her tail, is anyone likely to give her misgivings any credence? Small Acts of Deceit by Kate High is out on 28 May.
Order now on Amazon or Bookshop.org
