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Dead men wear gingham, sometimes

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On the Radar — It’s said that dead men don’t wear plaid, but according to American author Ed Lynskey gingham is an acceptable fabric for a murder victim. We like that. We like that very much indeed. So he can head up this week’s round-up…
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Book Club

Elizabeth is Missing

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The industry buzz that preceded this release was more than justified. To say that the main protagonist is unusual, is an understatement. Maud is an 80-year-old woman on the fringes of dementia. Her memory is fallible, but she is convinced of one thing. She has…
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Book Club

Natchez Burning

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This is a giant of a book in length, moral stature, and the  sheer intensity of the writing. Penn Cage is a lawyer-turned-politician in Natchez, Mississipi – a small town with a big history. As the ghosts of the paddle steamers chug silently by on the…
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Book Club

The Axeman’s Jazz

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Based on the true story of a series of killings in post-WWI New Orleans, this book is a heady mix of soulful music, savage murder and the unique atmosphere of The Big Easy. In one sense it is a period police procedural, but as Detective…
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Book Club

Malice

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Japanese sensation Keigo Higashino is back with his fourth novel in English translation – the first of his series following police detective Kyoichiro Kaga. Here popular author Kunihiko Hidaka is found dead in his home the day before he is due to leave the country….
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Book Club

The Valley

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Don’t expect a cosy rural crime thriller – the valley of the title is actually a street in suburban London. On the one hand the book is a psychological study of the hopes and fears of the families who live in The Valley, but it…
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Book Club

Angel of the Abyss

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Set in contemporary Los Angeles, this is the tale of a failed screenwriter who becomes involved in the restoration of a 1926 movie which for a number of reasons has achieved cult status with film buffs. Graham Woodward is well aware that the star of the…
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Book Club

Never Look Back

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DI Mike Lockyer has an autistic brother. He also has a failed marriage. The wedding ring on a chain round his neck is a constant reminder of the latter, while his visits to his brother’s care home remind him that life can be extremely unfair…
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