NTN: The Binding Song
Written by Elodie Harper — Elodie Harper is a TV journalist and crime fiction author whose story Wild Swimming won The Guardian’s 2016 short story competition, which was judged by Stephen King. You can read it here. Earlier this year she produced her debut novel, a…
NTN: The Dying Game
Written by Asa Avdic, translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles — Fresh blood is spilt here in a debut novella penned by a Swedish broadcast journalist, which claims to please the fans of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. That is what…
NTN: Heaven's Crooked Finger
Written by Hank Early — Fresh off the presses and published independently by Crooked Lane Books, Hank Early’s debut looks perfect for readers who want a little Southern Gothic flavour and to discover a new voice in crime fiction at the same time. Earl Marcus may…
Snare
Written by Lilja Sigurdardottir, translated by Quentin Bates — Icelandic playwright Lilja Sigurdardottir has written four crime novels which means she’s fairly well established on the glaciated island, but this is her first English translation. She is clearly relieved in her notes at the back…
The Mountain
Written by Luca D’Andrea, translated by Howard Curtis — When a debut Italian crime thriller has been translated in 30 countries and its author has been compared to the likes of Stephen King and Jo Nesbo. The book is set in the northern Italian province of…
IQ
Brilliantly logical African-American teenager Isaiah Quintabe, private detective, is the protagonist of Joe Ide’s debut novel, which recently won a Shamus award. This street-smart Sherlock Holmes lives in a rough patch of East Long Beach, California, surrounded by colourful characters – especially his dope-dealing, trash-talking…
The Never-Open Desert Diner
Written by James Anderson — This debut novel is masterful in travelling a remote strip of high desert highway to all the important destinations of the human heart. It’s a shame it flew under the radar with its 2015 release. Recommended by the fine folks…