Crime never sleeps but, apparently, murder does take a vacation now and again. We’re excited to bring you books by some huge names in crime fiction – Laura Lippman, Peter Lovesey (RIP), Mark Billingham and Ryan Steck… plus two indie authors who are bringing some new blood to the genre, Patrick B Simpson and Ethan Cole.
Read on and discover your next crime book.
Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman
Award-winning American author Laura Lippman reveals her cosy side with Murder Takes a Vacation, out on 17 June. Mrs Muriel Blossom is a contented grandmother, happy to have never set foot outside the USA. But a lottery win changes all that and Muriel decides to broaden her horizons, starting with a cruise along the Seine. Just 24 hours into the trip, however, she is beginning to wish she had stayed at home. A man has been murdered, a precious artefact is missing, and a mysterious stranger is claiming that her life is in danger. Muriel is the sort of woman that nobody seems to notice – perfect for hiding in plain sight and catching the perpetrators!
Order now on Amazon or Bookshop.org
The Best of Peter Lovesey Stories by Peter Lovesey
It is less than two months since the crime fiction world mourned the death of author Peter Lovesey – and his name will always be remembered by fans of his work. Lovesey’s career spanned over 50 years, and some fine examples of it feature in The Best of Peter Lovesey Stories, published on 19 June. Featuring many of his most beloved characters such as Sergeant Cribb and Bertie, these inventive and entertaining stories offer something for both the established fan and new readers looking for tales that are both witty and surprising.
Order now on Amazon or Bookshop.org
What the Night Brings by Mark Billingham
Mark Billingham has left his latest creation, the Blackpool-based ballroom dancing Detective Miller behind – and returned to his first love, Tom Thorne. Book number 19 in the series, What the Night Brings, arrives on 19 June, and finds DI Thorne in a quandary. Four police officers have been targeted and killed by someone who is out for vengeance. As Thorne and Nicola Tanner begin to dig deeper, a terrible possibility emerges: could the murders be payback? And for what? To get to the truth, Thorne must set aside everything he stands for and face up to the unthinkable.
Order now on Amazon or Bookshop.org
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Gone Dark by Ryan Steck
Former Marine Raider Matthew Redd returns on 17 June in Ryan Steck‘s latest action thriller, Gone Dark. Late summer wildfires are advancing on Wellington, Montana when Redd gets a call that has him springing into action. A team of smoke jumpers have gone off the radar, and as the leader of the county’s new search and rescue section, Redd drops into the fire zone in the hope of finding them. Instead, he finds the team and two civilians dead – and a terrified child the only witness to the carnage. Things go from bad to worse when Redd’s wife Emily confronts a doctor she suspects is preying on addicts. With the blaze creeping ever closer, there’s plenty to keep this pair occupied…
Order now on Amazon or Bookshop.org
Absolution by Patrick B Simpson
Father Franklin Hayes may be a man of the cloth, but 20 years ago it was a very different story. Back then, Franklin was a drug addict who funded his habit by taking part in underground fighting matches. Then he saw the light and joined the priesthood – but Father Franklin is going to need all of his combative instincts when his sister goes missing and he’s forced to return to the city he swore never to see again. Will past misdeeds come back to tempt him off the straight and narrow, or can our hero get through this with a little help from his mismatched bunch of allies? Absolution by Patrick B Simpson is out now
Order now on Amazon
The Serpent’s Fang by Ethan Cole
Los Angeles in the 1960s is the setting for Ethan Cole’s noirish The Serpent’s Fang, out now. When Nick DeLuca’s cousin Tony is killed in the opening sallies of a war between rival syndicates, he is left with no choice but to retaliate. Blood ties and family loyalty lead Nick into the dark underworld of a city on the brink, where powerful mobsters, crooked officials and hidden assassins ruthlessly carve up Los Angeles for their own gain. He’s sitting on a powder keg, but how far is he prepared to go in the name of family honour?
Order now on Amazon
