Sonja van der Westhuizen

Sundial by Catriona Ward

14 March, 2022

At first glance, Catriona Ward’s new novel ticks all the boxes for standard domestic noir, but it has more to it than that. In a perfect suburban California setting lives a couple with two lovely young daughters, but of course things are not as they seem…

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The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

9 March, 2022

Readers of historical fiction and Francophiles are in for a treat with Anna Mazzola’s latest novel. Set in Paris, The Clockwork Girl pulls together a series of events that took place in 1750, a cast of unscrupulous characters based on real historical figures, and just…

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Whatever Gets You Through the Night by Charlie Higson

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

2 March, 2022

UK readers will know Charlie Higson as one of the comedians behind The Fast Show, the seminal 1990s BBC sketch programme. In the comedy world, he has also worked with greats such as Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer and Harry Enfield. However, there’s a darker side…

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Cold by Mariko Tamaki

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

9 February, 2022

We don’t often review young adult crime fiction, but Cold by Canadian comic book writer Mariko Tamaki is a good place to make an exception. Inventive and innovative in its narrative style, this is the kind of YA novel that will convince you that nobody…

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The Village by Caroline Mitchell

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

25 January, 2022

A creepy village, a missing family and a curious crime journalist – they’re all part of the package in former police detective Caroline Mitchell’s latest domestic thriller. In January 2011, the Harper family mysteriously disappeared into thin air from their home in the small village…

Features

Sonja van der Westhuizen: Top five books of 2021

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

14 December, 2021

Each year it gets harder and more strenuous to choose just five favourite crime fiction novels, it seems. I’m not complaining, it’s a wonderful dilemma to have. It’s also a clear indication that the crime fiction genre is bursting at its seams with talented writers…

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Turf Wars by Olivier Norek

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

24 November, 2021

Translated by Nick Caistor — It’s been almost a year since we’ve reviewed the first of Olivier Norek’s The Lost and the Damned. The French author’s debut in English was one of our top crime fiction novels of 2020. The question is can he match…

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Midnight Hour: A Chilling Anthology of Crime Fiction from 20 Authors of Color

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

12 November, 2021

Edited by Abby L Vandiver — Abby L Vandiver is the bestselling author of more than 25 books and short stories and in Midnight Hour she has assembled stories by writers of colour with one common theme – the events taking place in each occurs…

Crime Fiction Lover

About author

Sundial by Catriona Ward

The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola

Whatever Gets You Through the Night by Charlie Higson

Cold by Mariko Tamaki

The Village by Caroline Mitchell

Sonja van der Westhuizen: Top five books of 2021

Turf Wars by Olivier Norek

Midnight Hour: A Chilling Anthology of Crime Fiction from 20 Authors of Color

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