Breadcrumbs and Blindsides

Former New Orleans mob wheelman for the Albanian mob, Shake Bouchon, is enjoying a quiet life in Indiana with his wife, Gina. But his past catches up with him when a large muscle guy from his past, Dikran Ghazarian, needs Shake's help finding his Pakha (Armenian Mob Boss), Lexy Ilandryan, who has gone missing in Cambodia. Once in Cambodia, they discover that Lexy has been kidnapped by a pair of criminals-for-hire who have no idea who she is. The novel is at times somewhat of a slapstick rollercoaster ride, which oddly enough worked pretty well. As always Berney's writing perfectly balances the murderous transactional nature of the underworld with the human internal conflict and emotion which resides in these (often) evil men. 4/5

DCS Kat Frank, a recently widowed single mother of a final year scholar, is tasked with leading a pilot program pairing human detectives with an Artificial Intelligence Detective Entity (AIDE) named Lock. As they delve into two cold MISPER  cases, Kat's instincts clash with Lock's logical approach. As the cold cases suddenly become active, Kat finds herself relying on both her intuition and Lock's analytical abilities to unravel a dangerous mystery that soon hits close to home.  The concept of the novel as well as the underlying causa for the disappearances, both provide fertile ground for an engaging gumshoe novel.   Though Callaghan explodes these themes, it is done somewhat "tropey",ie two detectives with clashing personalities eventually becoming buddies, who solves the crime whilst essentially being suspended.  Yes, there is definitely more to the novel and it is well-written, with good character development, but the story could have done with a...

James Taylor attends a funeral and spots a familiar face in the church - his old schoolfriend Rufus Rorke. However, this is impossible because Taylor provided the eulogy at Rorke's funeral 18 months earlier. Meanwhile, DS Roy Grace is investigating a series of suspicious accidental deaths. Grace soon discovers that the deaths are connected to Rorke, and that he may not be as dead as everyone thinks. A fast-paced gumshoe thriller with a number of decent plot twists and an explosive final act. 4/5

John Rebus finds himself incarcerated for the murder of Cafferty. While awaiting his appeal, he learns of a murder in his cell block, a sort off locked-room mystery that ignites his detective instincts. Rebus must navigate the treacherous world of prison life, where alliances are fragile and danger lurks around every corner. As always Rankin provides a multilayered whodunnit with a good number of breadcrumbs. 4/5

A suspenseful and dramatic novel, set on the isolated Scottish island of Eris. The story revolves around Vanessa Chapman, a renowned artist whose husband mysteriously vanished twenty years ago. After Vanessa's death, her art collection is inherited by her former lover, Douglas Fairburn, leading to a series of revelations and secrets that threaten to unravel the peaceful existence of the island's remaining inhabitants, including her longtime friend Grace. A powerful novel which explores a number of themes, including ambition, gender, friendship and sexuality. The descriptive prose overshadows the whodunnit, which appears pretty obvious from the outset, but the writing and backstory definitely makes it a worthwhile read. 3/5

A collection of short stories by Elly Griffiths, featuring her beloved characters from the Ruth Galloway and Max Mephisto series'. A bit of a showcase of Griffiths' literally prowess with a few really well-developed short stories, as well as others which could have done with a bit more meat around the bones.  3/5

A coming-of-age novel, set in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee during the interwar period. It follows a young boy named John Wesley Rattner, who is grappling with the death of his father and the mysterious circumstances surrounding it. Rattner encounters a reclusive hermit named Uncle Ather Ownby, who lives in a decaying orchard, and Marion Sylder, a charismatic bootlegger with a troubled past. As Rattner navigates his way through these complex relationships, he uncovers the secrets of his father's death and the dark side of the mountain community.  This first novel by McCartney, provides a glimpse into the complex relationships between men and especially that of surrogate "fathers".  The signature lack of punctuation and perfectly flowing prose, coupled with McCarthy's deep understanding of the era and the environment, puts the novel up there as one of the greatest era pieces ever written.  Beautiful, visceral and understated.  5/5

Anni Korpinen, a middle-aged sales manager at a sauna oven company, finds herself as the implicated main suspect when her new boss is found dead in his sauna. As the body count rises, with her being implicated in each murder, Anni must race against time to clear her name. The dark humour from Tuomainen's "theme park" trilogy finds a new home in this medium paced bizarre psychological thriller, that has a tongue in cheek go at middle age and corporate Finland. 4/5

A Southern noir crime novel set against the backdrop of the JFK assassination. Frank Guidry, a loyal enforcer for New Orleans mobster Carlos Marcello, finds himself in a perilous situation after becoming entangled in the events surrounding the president's death. Targeted by a ruthless hitman, Frank must flee for his life and seeks refuge on the open road.Along his journey, he crosses paths with Charlotte Roy, a woman escaping her troubled past. A beautifully written, gritty ganglands trek over the USA, with just the right amount of emotional struggle.  5/5

A Secret Santa gift exchange sends Molly's festive spirit array when she starts to question the sincerity of her boyfriend, Juan Manuel. As she delves deeper into the mystery, she discovers a web of secrets and lies that threatens to shatter her trust and belief in the magic of the season. A romantic mystery which is just that tad too obvious and vacuous to have the same impact as the previous novel.  This novella feels tired and lacks a ratio d'etre.  2/5

A crime thriller which criss-cross South Africa through a number of daring heists. Detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido find themselves investigating seemingly unrelated murders in the picturesque town of Stellenbosch. As they delve deeper into the cases, they uncover a web of corruption and deceit that reaches the highest levels of government. Meyer weaves a number of political and news events into a rather complex but action-packed heist thriller where a the paths of a number of his better known characters intersect.  A true page turner. 4/5

A satirical novella that follows a widow who is convinced that her deceased husband is still alive and watching her. She starts to see his face everywhere she goes, leading her to question her own sanity. The story takes a humorous turn as the widow delves deeper into the mystery. An almost slapstick psychological thriller and totally unlike anything else McFadden has done. The story is fast -paced, sometimes a bit ridiculous and the twists pretty obvious, but still funny and very enjoyable. 4/5