Breadcrumbs and Blindsides

Buchholz has a unique way of blending the life sharpening events of her protagonist with a whodunit in a melancholic manner. Somehow this always works. The Acapulco follows an investigation into a serial killer whilst the protagonist deals with the suicide of her father. This is done in a balanced and engaging manner. 4/5

One of the more thought-provoking Rebus novels as it deals with a pertinent moral dilemma.  The whodunnit and other mysteries are as always very well constructed.  4/5

Essentially a turf war novel but with loads of mysterious twists and turns, but at a deeper level the novel grapples with war crimes and what to do with the elderly perpetrators who have been in communities for decades. 4.5/5

Rankin's breakthrough novel into the top tier of crime fiction centers around two serial killers in two different eras, the latter essentially being a copycat of the former. As always, a number of other mysteries also come into play, whilst further incidents which influenced Rebus' persona are brought to the forefront. 4.5 /5

"American Tabloid", the first novel in James Elroy's "American Underworld" historic crime trilogy, covering the five years from 1958 to 1963. An era where men like John, Joe and Robert Kennedy, Jack Ruby, J Edgar Hoover, Jimmy Hoffa and Howard Hughes, played pivotal roles. Elroy expertly creates natural personas intertwined with historical events to give the novel an almost true crime feel, an utterly amazing feat. As Vikram Jayanti said, “It’s raw, visceral, brutal, profane, hilarious, and deeply true about the darkness underlying the American Empire: politics as street crime moved up a rung.” 5/5

Let me start off by saying that I am a huge fan of the series. Added to that the character development and series story development is very decent and on par with what I enjoy. The whodunit is a bit cryptic for my liking and the reveal feels like a bit of an afterthought. Still a decent read. 3/5

"Survivor Song" is a very unique take on the zombie horror genre. Though it follows the general plague premise, the novel is extremely realistic; so much so that it felt like an economic, political and social template for the Covid pandemic. The underlying story is an emotional Rollercoaster of friendship, brutality, hope, loss, philosophy, satire and so much more. A tour de force. 5/5

I'm still pretty awe struck after reading the first book in this historical fiction trilogy, and I must admit that the second novel in each and every regard felt like I was just reading part two of the first novel. In this case, which is high praise indeed. The fictional story line is so well researched and told with a full and engaging command of the era. Though bloody violent, I feel as if I have gone through a roller coaster ride which pummeled every possible emotion. Elroy is just in a class of his own. 5/5

Another cracking whodunit by the phenomenal husband and wife team. 4/5

"Blood's a Rover" is the final novel in the "Underworld USA" historical fiction series. Elroy uses the same staccato writing style as in the two previous novels, coupled with the same "overlords" (e.g., Hoover and Vegas Mob). As in "The Cold Six Thousand," the novel picks up directly where the previous novel left off and flies directly into new conspiracies painted against historical events. Though not as tightly written as "American Tabloid" and at times rather sentimental and introspective, the novel provides a satisfactory continuation and eventual conclusion, albeit written almost 20 years later. One of the best historical crime fiction series available. 4.5/5

One of the stranger Rebus novels, as the whodunit portion of the novel becomes subservient to the moral dilemma at play. The essentially open-ended ending provides further impetus to this "theme". The novel thus lives true to its byline. Despite the theme, Rankin delivers page turner with a number of storylines intersecting in unexpected ways. 4/5

Like all the Rebus novels, this novel is an important cog in the Rebus personality. It is, however, less tightly written and less though provoking than most and the whodunnit is a bit lackluster. Enjoyable but not on par with most of the other Rebus novels out there. 3/5

The later novels allow one to get a bit of a soft spot for Big Ger Cafferty. This novel reminds us that he is truly an evil "entity". A fast paced read with many twists and turns. 4/5

A slow burn whodunnit which takes a number of logically deducted twists and turns, culminating in higher paced staccato unfold, which could have been done with a few more breadcrumbs. A page-turner set mostly in Egypt against the backdrop of arms deals and human rights violations. 4/5

Actually, very decent for an earlier (finding your feet) novel. Well-paced, decent whodunnit and some decent character development. 3.5/5

"London in Black" is the debut novel by Jack Lutz. The novel takes place between 2027 and 2029, the former being the year when a VZ Gass type biological weapon was released in London causing thousands of deaths. 2029 deals with the murder of a prominent viral scientist and billionaire and the question whether he has developed an antidote. A fast-paced whodunit with many twists and turns. The writing style is a bit different and takes getting used to but thoroughly enjoyable. 3.5/5

One of the best whodunits of the year so far. The breadcrumbs are superbly placed and require a bit of thinking. 5/5

There can be no doubt that Kukafka is a very competent writer, capable of masterfully weaving complex storylines in an engaging and flowing manner. "Notes on an Execution", like "Girl in Snow" however demonstrates a penchant for clichéd characters, which made "Girl in Snow" feel slightly "thin". The clichés in "Notes on an Execution" are however, less "painful" as the principal message is much stronger and multifaceted. A compelling read. 4/5

A whodunnit which focuses on the meanderings of the central characters in the midst of the murder of a teenage girl. Given the focus of the novel, which is conveyed with a melancholy but richly textured tone, the limited depth of the whodunnit feels apposite as the impact of the murder takes center stage as opposed to the murder itself. 4/5

A concise and compelling read, written in bite-sized chunks to enhance easy access and uptake. A must read for everyone. 5/5

A bit slow but, but the plot twists make it worthwhile. 3/5

One of the first Rebus novels and I must begrudgingly admit that it lacks both depth in storyline and character development. That said the interwoven storylines and decent whodunnit still makes it a very decent read. 3/5

A quirky and often hilarious crime thriller which, like the previous novel, i.e. "The Bunny Paradox", centers around a failing adventure park in Norway and the strong-arm underhanded dealings of their main equipment supplier. The mix of slapstick and more latent comedy gives the novel a very unique style. Hugely enjoyable. 4/5

One of the most beautifully written (non-classic) novels I've ever read. The story and surrounding philosophy is pretty gut-wrenching at times, but the final act is a bit too Disney to gel with the nature of the characters created. 4/5 (would easily have been a 5/5, with a more believable plot twist).

A dark psychological comedy focusing on a woman who "finds her doppelganger" which leads to the unraveling of her reality. 4/5

The latest novel to be translated into English in the Varg Veum series, ie., "Bitter Flowers", yet again demonstrates Staalesin's unique command of the gumshoe whodunnit. Staalesin's ability to add extremely nuanced breadcrumbs into many intertwined storylines is for the most unparalleled. 4.5/5

Strangely this first Rebus book has a lot more depth and backstory to it than I expected. A book which should have received much more acclaim. Bravo maestro! 5/5

A superbly constructed whodunnit, which keeps you at the edge of your seat throughout a rollercoaster of twists and turns. 4/5

An interesting take on the whodunnit and for the most part it really worked well. The absence of breadcrumbs was, however, a bit odd. 4/5

Witten in an unusual style, where a larger story is told by using six novellas in reverse order. Each armchair detective novella focuses on "the reveal", which is done in a style reminiscent of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes novels. The main difference is the greater story told by the combined novellas. This is a story rich in character development, philosophical ideas and political comments; which is where the essence of the author's penmanship comes out. Bar for translation leading to a more formal and less nuanced read than which I deduct does not align with the original Cantonese, the novel is a masterpiece! 4.5 / 5

Another action-packed, twist and turn rollercoaster ride of a whodunnit by the ever-creative Linwood Barclay. 4/5

"The Beast You Are" (yes Tremblay is a Big Business fan), contains a number of previously published short stories (mostly in lesser available publications) and one original novella, bearing the same title as the title of the main work. The novella is indeed the main drawcard and is written as a kind of "Watership Down" homage but written in Tremblay's unique eerie lamenting style. The short stories are extremely diverse and very unique and all tick the horror genre box perfectly. A must read for horror fans. 4/5

Cleave's 2008 debut novel, "The Cleaner" is a perfect example of an exceptionally well-written (and dare I say delightful) black comedy, executed essentially by focusing razor-sharp inner-monologue and dialogue coupled with great timing and pacing. One can almost not help but to root for the serial killer, Joe Middleton, to succeed in his elaborate scheme to escape being caught. 5/5 Joe Victim: A Novel (2013) is the second novel in the series

As always, Alex Findlay weaves a fast-paced and complex whodunnit, where figuring out the motive is the real reward. An engaging novel, which will be almost impossible to put down. 4/5

Another exquisitely written Southern noir crime thriller by S.A. Cosby. The plot unfolds around a school shooting, the graves of the victims of a serial killer and a truck being driven into a crowd. A masterpiece. 5/5

A macabre horror novel as only the late great Shirley Jackson could write them. 4.5/5

A fun novella in the Solomon Creed series about the perils of greed. 4/5

The second Rollercoaster ride with the inner monologue with NZ serial killer, Joe Middleton. Cleaver is an absolute genius at writing black comedy / horror noir. 5/5

In this first novel in what one can refer to as the Adventure Park Trilogy, we meet Henri, a man who lives by the order provided to him by Mathematics tempered by a smidgen of Schopenhauer's philosophy. Through his awkward human interaction, it becomes immediately clear that Henri is first and foremost an actuary and he approaches everything in life by the numbers. Now Henri needs to run a bankrupt Adventure Park based on human interaction coupled with dodging underworld figures who are more than willing to subject him to any conceivable form of pain to collect debts owed by his predecessor (his deceased brother) Tuomainen is absolutely masterful in his ability to make this quirky black comedy / thriller come alive in the most entertaining possible way. One of the funniest writers on this planet and very much on par with the late Joseph Heller. 5/5

One of Ian Rankin's few stand-alone novels. The novel centers around an art heist but a very unlikely group of men, culminating in a nice little blindside. As always there are just enough breadcrumbs to ensure that the amateur sleuth can figure out the plot twist and reveal. Thoroughly enjoyable. 4/5

Cranor's second Southern Noir novel pivots around two families and the impact of the killing of one family's thieving child, let's call them the meth cookers, by the child of the other, the junkyard owners. The novel is set 16 years after the murder and kicks into gear with the abduction of the daughter of the now incarcerated killer. As in his previous novel, there are plenty of twists and turns and blindsides. It is however again the unique descriptive writing style of Cranor which makes the novel so special. It's pure fast paced poetry. 5/5

The first novel in the Solomon Creed series is set in a US border town where a Mexican drug kingpin seeks to exact revenge for the death of his son in a plane crash. A thrilling novel with plenty of double crosses and twists and turns. 3.5/5

The second novel in the Solomon Creed series of historical fiction focusing on the "Sin Eater" phenomena, is set-in modern-day France where a Nazi prison camp survivor is found brutally and ritualistically murdered. The novel is constructed around a plethora of twists and turns and a very well penned reveal. 4.5/5

Another action thriller written in Cleave's uniquely funny first-person style. This one is a bit over the top and drags a bit, but still remains hugely entertaining. 3.5/5

Toyne's second novel in the Laughton Rees series not only has a very different setting but also contains a bit of a homage to the conspiracies and folklore for which Toyne's is known. Thoroughly enjoyable. 3.5/5

Written under the nom de plume of Jack Harvey, Rankin stepped away from his Rhebus novels, but hremaineded close to his alma mater of the detective novel. "Witch Hunt" is a fast paced twisty and turny "catch a killer" thriller, focused on a contract killer believed to have been hired to kill a prominent G8 attendee. Rankin, as with the Rhebus novels, develops deeply layered characters without this impacting on the pace of the novel. A great read for a lazy afternoon. 3.5/5

Somewhere between Afghanistan and Georgia, USA, lies the reason why four Army Rangers apparently killed all inhabitants, including a two-year-old, of The Summer House. A team of military crime investigators needs to find out what happened. A fast-paced action thriller written in classic Patterson style. Yes, Patterson tends to be a bit overly patriotic and melodramatic when dealing with matters concerning the military or federal services, but apart from that, it is a cracking novel, full of well-written twists and turns. 4/5

I eventually got my hands on the first three of the four novels in the series. I initially felt that the four Jessica Fletchers would be the death of me, but they definitely do grow on a person and by the end of the novel, I actually liked each one of them quite a bit. Given that this was Osman's first novel, it is clear that his ability to create interesting and believable characters is top notch! The whodunnit itself, is actually three whodunnits and Osman paced the reveal in relation to each perfectly. The number of breadcrumbs leading to each reveal also worked really well. All in all, a most enjoyable novel. 4/5

The Malcolm Fox spin-off series had me a bit worried, as I could not see Fox as an interesting enough character to build a story around. I must admit I was wrong. Rankin truly has a unique ability to create complex and interesting main characters and this "buddy cop" whodunnit is an excellent murder mystery with all the Rankin twists and turns we have come to love. 4/5

Simon Toyne shot to almost instant fame with "Sanctus" during the 90s. His follow-up books in the trilogy, however, never had the same success and one got the feeling that his writing was just not strong enough to carry the stories. However, with "Dark Objects", Toyne's writing perfectly matches the fast-moving and very engaging whodunit. Definitely worth reading. 4/5