Sonja van der Westhuizen

A Death in Denmark by Amulya Malladi

4 April, 2023

It’s not often crime fiction lovers will come across a Kierkegaard quoting, sharply dressed detective who is also a jazz musician. However, that’s just what we get in Gabriel Praest, an ex-cop from Copenhagen who provides a promising start to Amulya Malladi’s new series. Gabriel…

Kindle Print Reviews

Tina, Mafia Soldier by Maria Rosa Cutrufelli

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

23 March, 2023

Translated by Robin Pickering-Iazzi — Fact and fiction fuse in feminist Italian author Maria Rosa Cutrufelli’s first novel, Tina, Mafia Soldier, which is also the author’s first to be translated into English. Originally published in 1994, Tina Cannizzaro’s story was inspired by that of Emanuela…

Features

Sonja van der Westhuizen: Top five books of 2022

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

22 December, 2022

A few months back someone asked me what my favourite book of the year was, so far. After staring into space for a minute or three, I came to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a favourite or best book of the…

iBook Kindle Print Reviews

The Collector by Anne Mette Hancock

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

16 November, 2022

Translated by Tara Chase — Danish author Anne Mette Hancock is writing the kind of crime fiction that’s perfect for lovers of Nordic noir. Her debut, The Corpse Flower, was a hit in Denmark and appeared in English last year. Now investigative journalist Heloise Kaldan…

iBook Kindle Print Reviews

One Woman’s War by Christine Wells

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

8 November, 2022

Step aside Mr Bond, it’s time for Miss Moneypenny to prove her grit as a World War II spy. In Christine Wells’ new historical spy novel, One Woman’s War, we meet 19-year-old Victoire ‘Paddy’ Bennett – the real-life inspiration for the James Bond character who…

iBook Kindle Print Reviews

The Winter Killer by Alex Pine

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

28 October, 2022

In the third book in the DI James Walker series, Alex Pine turns two festive events into something decidedly more dark and unsettling. Alex Pine is a pseudonym for a crime fiction author who has also written as JP Carter and James Raven. Thus far…

iBook Kindle Print Reviews

The Enigma of Room 622 by Joël Dicker

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

10 October, 2022

Translated by Robert Bononno — With 12 million books sold worldwide, Swiss author Joël Dicker is a global success and one of the most popular authors in the French-speaking world. His road to fame began in 2010 when he was awarded the Geneva Writers’ Prize…

iBook Kindle Print Reviews

Sweet Dreams by Anders Roslund

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

6 October, 2022

Swedish crime writer Anders Roslund returns with Detective Ewert Grens for the 10th instalment of his gritty crime series set in Stockholm. Grens, now 65, is as depressed and gloomy as ever, and the psychological scars of years of police work are beginning to show….

Crime Fiction Lover

About author

A Death in Denmark by Amulya Malladi

Tina, Mafia Soldier by Maria Rosa Cutrufelli

Sonja van der Westhuizen: Top five books of 2022

The Collector by Anne Mette Hancock

One Woman’s War by Christine Wells

The Winter Killer by Alex Pine

The Enigma of Room 622 by Joël Dicker

Sweet Dreams by Anders Roslund

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