Holmes Entangled
Written by Gordon McAlpine – Holmes Entangled is a great title for this complex metafictional novel. Nominally a private detective mystery with a host of familiar characters, it is about as far removed from the original Conan Doyle canon as it’s possible for a Sherlock…
That Old Black Magic by Cathi Unsworth
Another music-related title for a Cathi Unsworth standalone book, and this one had me in its spell from early doors. Like Without The Moon – which we reviewed in 2015, it is set firmly in World War II. Open this eye-catching and slightly spooky cover,…
Back Up by Paul Colize
Translated by Louise Rogers Lalaurie — This crime thriller by Belgian writer Paul Colize about a British rock band was short-listed for a number of prizes when first released. Although it is only now available in English, the book should find a natural home and…
London Rules by Mick Herron
In John LeCarre’s classic Smiley’s People, Moscow Rules are a form of ultra-cautious tactics for operating in the most dangerous circumstances. They include such measures as dead drops, chalk marks as signal markers, and careful face-to-face meetings. In the end, they were not enough to…
This Is What Happened
Written by Mick Herron – Since 2013, Mick Herron has been writing about London’s espionage community to great acclaim. There are four novels so far in his satirical Jackson Lamb series, with a fifth, London Rules, arriving this summer. Dead Lions was awarded the 2013…
The Collector
Fiona Cummins won widespread praise for her chilling debut, Rattle, including a five-star review on this site. Now the Bone Collector character is back, and he’s proving trickier than ever to capture. DS Etta Fitzroy is determined to put the odious serial killer behind bars,…