On The Radar — Today fans of the Dexter series can rejoice – the favourite son of the serial killer sub-genre is back. But that’s not all, On the Radar takes us to ancient Rome, Ireland, Singapore and even the Black Country, for Alex Grecian’s ‘difficult’ second novel. Let’s not bluster, though, let’s see what’s new out…
Rome’s Fallen Eagle by Robert Fabbri
Robert Fabbri has worked as a director in both film and theatre for 25 years, and his passion for ancient Rome inspired him to write the Vespasian series of books, of which this is the fourth. The cruel and perverted Caligula has been assassinated, and cousin Claudius put in his place as a puppet ruler. To strengthen the precarious hold of Claudius on the emperor’s crown, Vespasian is sent to track down the legendary Eagle of The 17th Legion, which was lost in battle 40 years earlier. Making a political gesture is one thing, but being tracked by bandits and common criminals in the dank forests of Germania is another, as Vespasian and his men soon discover. Available on Kindle from 5 September.
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Broken Angels by Graham Masterton
Masterton has written thrillers in almost every genre, and is particularly well know for his horror stories, but this is the second novel featuring Detective Inspector Katie Maguire. The story is set in a distinctly chilly and far from spring-like County Cork. Fisherman make a gruesome and shocking discovery. Hauling in what they think is a bundle of old rags, they are horrified to discover that it is the viciously mutilated body of a local priest. When a second priest is discovered with nearly identical injuries, the local police are pressured by the influential Catholic hierarchy to shut the case down. Maguire, is made of sterner stuff, however and she is determined to break down the wall of silence that encircles these deaths. Corruption in high places in the Roman church provides many a sub-plot in crime stories these days, and you can see how this latest version compares from today.
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Dexter’s Final Cut by Jeff Lindsay
Dexter Morgan is a serial killer. Before you sigh and complain about how repetitive the serial killer sub-genre has become, it needs to be said that Dexter Morgan is a little different. Well, perhaps more than a little, since he targets other serial killers. This is the seventh in the Dexter Morgan series, and fans will know that the writing is fast paced, satirical and frequently bloody. Dexter’s low profile within the Miami Police Department is threatened when a group of Hollywood hot-shots – including megastar Robert Chase – come to town to research authentic police background for a new project. Dexter’s speciality is the analysis of blood splatter, and when he learns that Chase is going to play him on screen, he must summon up all of the crazy darkness inside his head to keep his secret life from becoming the next big news headline. Dexter’s Final Cut is out today.
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Thankless in Death by JD Robb
Set in New York this the latest in this long running series. It’s Thanksgiving time, and as Lieutenant Eve Dallas prepares for the rigours of a big family celebration with her Irish millionaire husband, she becomes involved in a brutal homicide. Jerry Reinhold has savagely battered and knifed his own parents. There is no doubt in Eve’s mind who is responsible for the killing, but her task is to catch Jerry as he seems to have developed a flair for violence. He has also stolen enough money from his parents to keep him going, and he has a long list of those who have slighted him – and he means to make them pay. JD Robb is the pseudonym of Nora Roberts, and she has been writing best sellers since 1995. The book will be available on 17 September.
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Wrongful Death by Lynda La Plante
Lynda La Plante has certainly been busy, as we gave you a heads-up last week about Backlash. Fresh on the heels of that, we have another story set in the world that La Plante knows so well – that of the Metropolitan Police and tough women coppers. DCI Anna Travis is due to go on a career boosting trip to America, to join in FBI training. The closed case of a dead club owner is broken wide open by the revelations of a young prisoner. The death had been wrapped up as a suicide, but new evidence seems to suggest murder. With her boss already en-route to the FBI headquarters at Quantico, Travis is told to get things sorted before she can join him. As part of an exchange, she is assisted by an FBI agent, but his manner and methods cause more problems than they solve, and for Travis, time is running out. Wrongful Death will be out on 12 Sept.
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Inspector Singh Investigates: A Calamitous Chinese Killing by Shamini Flint
Shamini Flint lives in Singapore. The trained barrister and corporate lawyer has had her books translated all over the world, but is best known for her Inspector Singh series, of which this is the ninth. Much to his disgust, Singh has been packed off to China to investigate the violent death of the son of an official at the Singapore Embassy. Investigating murder is, for Singh, usually a satisfying and productive job, but he finds the officious and obstructive Beijing police are in no mood to give him a clear run at the case. They have their own ideas and Inspector Singh has to use all his wiles to get past them, and discover the truth. The book will be published on 5 September.
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The Black Country by Alex Grecian
Last year, Alex Grecian introduced us to the newly formed Scotland Yard Murder Squad, in his book The Yard. Established in the wake of the Jack The Ripper killings, The Murder Squad try to restore the public’s faith in the force. In The Yard, we were introduced to Inspector Walter Day and Dr Bernard Kingsley, and here they return. They are sent far away from their home patch, to a Midlands coal mining village, where members of a prosperous local family have disappeared, and a series of bizarre and ghoulish clues have proved too much for the local police to deal with. The villagers are secretive, distrusting and show no inclination to help the big city coppers. Not only are the Murder Squad finding it hard to crack the case, they are soon subject to personal danger themselves. The paperback and Kindle versions come out 12 September, but the hardback’s already available.
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