On the Radar — Ever since Friday on My Mind came out on 2 July last year, Nicci French fans have been waiting for the Saturday instalment of the author’s days of the week series. It’s our lead book this week, and is followed by a particularly exciting line-up featuring a new Mason Cross thriller, Michel Bussi, journalist John Sweeney and even the gonzo-esque crime stylings of our buddy Andrez Bergen!
Saturday Requiem by Nicci French
This is the sixth episode in the career of psychotherapist Frieda Klein, co-written by Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. Klein is persuaded to interview a woman in a secure unit for patients with violent mental disorders. Hannah Docherty was convicted of the horrific slaughter of her family. She was 18 at the time of the murders and is now a woman of 31, but Klein is horrified to find a haggard and broken soul. The more she probes, the more she learns, and it dawns on her that there has been a tragic miscarriage of justice. In 2014 we reviewed an earlier Frieda Klein mystery, Thursday’s Children and you can read her latest case from 30 June.
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The Time To Kill by Mason Cross
From past violence to clear and present danger, as international agent Carter Blake become the hunted rather than his usual persona as hunter. He has turned his back on the secret government operator Winterlong, and he has made a deal of mutual secrecy with his former employers. The man with whom he made the deal is now dead, and his successors have torn up the agreement. All bets are off, as Blake is forced to use every trick in the book – and a few he has written himself – to stay alive. You can check our review of Blake’s 2015 adventure, The Samaritan, and/or watch for our review of The Time To Kill. It’s out on 30 June.
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Black Water Lilies by Michel Bussi
Ever been to Monet’s Garden? It’s heaving with tourists all trying to get snaps of that famous bridge and those famous lilies. But what is Giverny like when all the coach parties have moved on? French writer Michel Bussi spins a tale which involves a murdered philanderer, three mysterious women, and a pervasive rumour that the celebrated Impressionist painted an image of black lilies that symbolised an ancient evil. We reviewed After the Crash in 2015, and this latest novel from Bussi continues to explore mistrust, deceit and deception within tightly knit communities.
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Black Sails, Disco Inferno by Andrez Bergen
Medieval legends as an inspiration for crime fiction? Why not! Painters and musicians have been entranced by the 12th century story of Tristan and Isolde, and now Bergen retells the timeless tale within the frame of a 1970s dystopian world of disco music, drugs, violence, betrayal and casual sex. Corrupt coppers and flying bullets will delight fans of both the pulp and noir sub-genres. Bergen’s twisted vision was also evident in last year’s graphic novel Bullet Gal. His latest is out now.
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Security by Gina Wohlsdorf
Borrowing from Daphne du Maurier’s creation, Rebecca, Gina Wohisdorf has called her Californian resort Manderley. In this setting, she plots out an Agatha Christie-like murder mystery where the aforementioned luxury resort is targeted by a resident killer. Hotel manager Tessa watches in horror as, one by one, her employees are murdered. When will her turn come? Security is out now as an audio CD, but will be available in July in print.
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Cold by John Sweeney
Investigative journalist and broadcaster John Sweeney moves into the world of espionage fiction and introduces Joe Tiplady, a man who is no stranger to violence. Tiplady has upset some very powerful people, and he now becomes the target of an extermination squad. Sweeney uses the traditional foes, Russia and Great Britain, to weave a tale which involves the CIA, brutal Russian Spetsnaz operatives, snowy London streets and a Russian mobster who will go to hell and back to avenge the death of his beloved daughter. Published on 1 July.
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Intrusion by Mary McCluskey
The death of a child frequently leads to the break-up of marriages, and in this domestic noir we peep through the window at the lives of Kat and Scott Hamilton. Their only child is dead, and just what the growing atmosphere of mistrust and recrimination doesn’t need is the reappearance of a glamorous woman from Scott’s past. Now fabulously wealthy, Sarah Cherrington senses that she can now snatch the prize that eluded her years earlier – Scott’s heart. This is more than a love triangle as violence and malice rear their ugly heads as the story reaches a chilling finale. Available on 1 July.
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Baby Doll by Hollie Overton
The girl-snatched-and-held-in-lonely-captivity plotline has a distinguished history, going back to John Fowles’ 1963 novel The Collector, and there have been several shocking real-life instances in recent years. Just like one of her factual counterparts, Lily has changed from a schoolgirl into a woman, and now she has a baby. When she escapes and returns to her former life, if she thinks things are going to be easy, she is sadly mistaken. Her freedom comes with a big price tag, and when she reveals the identity of her kidnapper, things get a whole lot worse. Out on 30 June for Kindle.
Pre-order now on Amazon
The Sin Tax by Preston Lang
Mark works in a downmarket deli in one of the grimiest parts of the Bronx. Janet, his hard-nosed manager, is on his case 24/7, and he whiles away the time between sales of knock-off Camels and out of date deli meat by dreaming of an escape route. When he becomes involved in a daring – not to say reckless – scheme involving mobsters and a truck load of smuggled tobacco, his fantasies of freedom turn rapidly into nightmares. Preston Lang is a writer from New York whose work has appeared in Thuglit, Spinetingler, Out of the Gutter, Crime Syndicate, and WebMD. The Sin Tax is his third novel, and will be available on 1 July.
