Behind Dead Eyes by Howard Linskey
Tom Carney, true crime author, keeps receiving letters imploring him for help. These are no ordinary pleas, the writer no ordinary person. The letters are from convicted killer Richard Bell who is languishing in prison for murdering his lover. Bell claims he’s innocent and believes…
In Too Deep by Samantha Hayes
There has been a veritable avalanche of domestic noir recently – family-based psychological crime novels – and in such a crowded market, it can be difficult for a book to stand out. Samantha Hayes is no newcomer – she has written seven books previously, all…
Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard
Written by Catherine Ryan Howard — Some books arrive at CFL HQ in a standard padded envelope. Others appear dressed to the nines, and that’s how Distress Signals first arrived with its custom wrapping paper, tied with a ribbon. Have a look here. Does it live…
The Vanished by Soren and Lotte Hammer
Translated by Martin Aitken — Scandinavian crime fiction has given us some amazing strong, anti-social women as lead characters. Think of Lisbeth Salander, Smilla Jaspersen, Sarah Lund and Saga Noren, for instance. But it’s also has a reputation for quiet old men, usually with health problems. If…
Tastes Like Fear by Sarah Hilary
Once upon a time, in a plush London duplex, lived a kind, handsome man, his beautiful, loving wife, and lovely, obedient, neat and tidy daughters. Sounds like a fairy story? It is, and as Marnie Rose and Noah Jake get deep into their latest investigation,…
The Missing by CL Taylor
CL Taylor is becoming an important voice in the growing sub-genre of domestic noir. Last year, The Lie rocked the Amazon charts, and was one of our Recommended books. It looked at female relationships, and a woman who had changed her identity entirely. The Missing tackles…
A Savage Hunger by Claire McGowan
Claire McGowan’s Paula Maguire series has already garnered high praise. On the strength of my entry point into the series with this, the fourth novel, I can certainly see why that’s the case. Forensic psychologists have become almost a cliché in recent crime fiction, but…