Interview: Mark Dawson
Originally writing for one of the big publishers, English author Mark Dawson decided to go his own way and began self-publishing his action and espionage novels in ebook formats. Five years later, he’s sold over a million books, has three series underway, a fourth on…
The War in the Dark
Written by Nick Setchfield — Christopher Winter works for British Intelligence, and although he’s a spy, his talents lie more in removing threats to the state than tradecraft or espionage; he is somewhat of a blunt instrument. It is London, in the autumn of 1963 and…
The Cypher Bureau by Eilidh McGuinness
Although readers around the world are familiar with the accomplishments of Alan Turing and the British code-breaking team at Bletchley Park – most recently popularized in the Benedict Cumberbatch movie, The Imitation Game – the substantial contribution of Polish mathematicians to the unraveling of the…
Firefly
Written by Henry Porter — These are interesting times. Trump and Brexit dominate the headlines, and there are so many other bad things going on in the world. Crime fiction can provide wonderful escapist entertainment for those with news fatigue, but it can also illuminate important…
Beside the Syrian Sea by James Wolff
Reading this debut feels like a stroll in a dangerous section of town. That’s probably how the protagonist in this espionage thriller feels too. Jonas is a former desk-job employee of MI5. His father, part of a church delegation visiting Syria, has been kidnapped by…
It Begins in Betrayal
Written by Iona Whishaw — If you’re after historical crime with a strong backbone but also an air of genteel cosiness about it, then the Lane Winslow series by Iona Whishaw is just right for you. This is a series set in post-war British Columbia, Canada,…
The Shadow Killer
Written by Arnaldur Indridason, translated by Victoria Cribb — Iceland’s leading crime author is best known for his novels featuring the Reykjavik detective, Erlendur. He wrote 10 contemporary novels about the character and his team, and then two that look at the detective’s early cases…