PrintReviews

Holy City by Henry Wise

By
Like so many novels in the noir sub-genre, Holy City by Henry Wise reveals the links between its main character’s past and their present predicament, and how, no matter which choices they may make, their fate is almost predetermined. However, what sets it apart from…
Read more
iBookKindlePrintReviews

Blessed Water by Margot Douaihy

By
Last year’s Scorched Grace, my favourite book of 2023, introduced readers to one of the most memorable, sympathetic and unique private eyes of recent years. Sister Holiday is a tattooed, punk, queer nun, music teacher at New Orleans’ Saint Sebastien’s School, who is a member…
Read more
KindlePrintReviews

The Rumor Game by Thomas Mullen

By
Thomas Mullen made his name with the Darktown novels, set in racism-riddled 1940s Atlanta. Last year, he changed tack with a near-future sci-fi thriller called Blind Spots. With The Rumor Game he returns to mid-century America with a historical thriller set in Cambridge, Massachusetts early…
Read more
KindlePrintReviews

My Favorite Scar by Nicolas Ferraro

By
Translated by Mallory N Craig-Kuhn — Originally published in Spanish in 2021, and winner of that country’s Dashiell Hammett prize in 2022, My Favorite Scar is now available for English readers. Its hardboiled plot and noir stylings will hopefully now find a wider audience. The…
Read more
Features

Rough Justice: Top five books of 2023

By
Every year, when I come to write this list, I fret about the books that didn’t quite make my top five. This year, for a change, I’ve found something different to nag at my conscience – the books that I loved but didn’t review. This…
Read more