Better The Blood by Michael Bennett
Better the Blood begins with a prologue set 150 years ago depicting a violent act of colonisation. Six soldiers are celebrating the capture and killing of a Maori chief by having their picture taken alongside his hanging corpse. The picture serves as inspiration for the…
Alias Emma by Ava Glass
Ava Glass is a new name to us here on Crime Fiction Lover. In fact, it’s the pseudonym for the successful and prolific British YA author Christi Daugherty, creator of the Night School and Number 10 series. The surname Glass even comes from a character…
The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz
Book four in Anthony Horowitz’s clever Hawthorne series feels like a non-starter. It begins with Horowitz, who is not only the narrator but is an active participant in the story, telling Daniel Hawthorne that he’s not interested in writing another book about the former Metropolitan…
The Cliff House by Chris Brookmyre
As much as we all love crime fiction, sometimes it can get stuck in an irritating groove. Remember when every other book had ‘Girl’ in the title? Recently there has been an onslaught of dodgy new neighbours causing havoc in quiet suburban cul-de-sacs. And as…
The Eye of the Beholder by Margie Orford
Throughout her career, South African crime author and journalist Margie Orford has dealt extensively with the way trauma manifests itself in countries with a turbulent political history such as South Africa and Namibia. She’s particularly interested in how it permeates the social structure, often culminating…
Movieland by Lee Goldberg
American author Lee Goldberg returns with his fourth Eve Ronin novel, which he loosely bases on chilling series of real-life killings that took place in Malibu, California in 2018. Research scientist Tristan Beaudette was shot dead while camping in Malibu Creek State Park with his…
The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias
Texan author Gabino Iglesias’ two previous novels, Coyote Songs and Zero Saints, earned him an enviable reputation for being able to blend genres. Writers who can pull this off successfully – like Elizabeth Hand, Laird Barron and Cynthia Pelayo – manage to meet readers’ expectations…