On the Radar — Martin Cruz Smith is one of the most influential American crime authors, and instead of setting his books in the Big Apple or Los Angeles, his preeminent series is set in Russia and features the worn-down detective Arkady Renko. It’s six years since the last Renko novel, but at last The Siberian Dilemma has arrived like a warm and welcoming samovar with sweet blinis at the end of a cold dark day. That’s not all – Mary Higgins Clark has a new suspense novel, we’ve got an Australian debut and one or two Christmas treats for you as well. Read on and discover your next crime read…
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The Siberian Dilemma by Martin Cruz Smith
Moscow detective Arkady Renko returns for his ninth outing since he first appeared in Gorky Park in 1981. Times are different now, though. Putin’s balding pate has replaced Brezhnev’s eyebrows as the icon for Russian authoritarianism, and Renko is sent on a mission to Siberia to extract a confession from a Chechen rebel. This suits the detective just fine as his journalist lover Tatiana recently went to Irkutsk following a story and hasn’t returned. He hopes to track her down at the same time, but becomes embroiled in the rivalry between two oil and gas oligarchs. There’s bears, murder, bears, corruption… and more bears. It’s out 14 November. Also watch for our review.
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Kiss the Girls and Make them Cry by Mary Higgins Clark
Queen of suspense Mary Higgins Clark is back on 14 November with a thriller that taps into the #MeToo movement. Investigative journalist Gina Kane’s news instincts are put on full alert when she receives an email from a CRyan, claiming she was a victim of sexual misconduct while working at high-profile TV news network REL. Gina tries to pursue the story, but then discovers CRyan is dead, killed in an accident while on holiday. As other women come forward to share their experiences, Gina begins to wonder if that death was really accidental – just how far will the network go to bury the story forever? For a different take on #MeToo, try Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan.
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The Dark Path by Kevin McManus
Irish author Kevin McManus leaves the Emerald Isle behind for his latest book, out now, which is set in New York. NYPD detective John Morrigan is called to the scene of an armed robbery gone badly wrong, but when a key witness is herself killed a day later, he realises there is more to the case than at first appeared. He’s soon hot on the heels of a professional assassin – but as the investigation unfolds, Morrigan finds himself treading a fine line. Because suddenly, things are coming pretty close to home, and if he makes one false step, Morrigan could find himself behind bars… For more crime set in the Big Apple, try City of Windows by Robert Pobi.
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Man at the Window by Robert Jeffreys
Here now, this looks fascinating. Man at the Window is a debut novel by Robert Jeffreys and is set in 1960s Australia. Our lead character is Detective Cardilini and his first case is that of a boarding master shot dead at an elite school for boys. It appears to be an accident, and the lazy alcoholic Cardilini is sent to the school to write up a report. Is it the entitlement and privilege he encounters at the school that riles him into investigating a bit deeper, his professional instincts, or a bit of both? Whatever the case, he decides to find justice for the victim. The author is also a successful playwright. For more new Australian crime try Jane Harper or Chris Hammer.
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Murder at Christmas edited by Cecily Gayford
Like tins of Quality Street and boxes of mince pies, crime books with Christmas in the title seem to arrive earlier each year – and this selection box of short stories that’s out now sounds like just the ticket for somebody’s festive stocking. Cecily Gayford’s anthologies of classic Christmas tales come around so regularly that we’re wondering if she’s one of Santa’s elves! The latest addition to the list includes 10 stories from the likes of Margery Allingham, Ellis Peters, Dorothy L Sayers and Nicholas Blake. Sounds like a perfect accompaniment to a glass of sherry and a mince pie. Take a gander at our pick of the best festive crime fare.
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