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

Finn and Mia moved out of their respective suburban flats to pursue their dream of a place in the country.  Unfortunately, one sale after the other fell through and they ended up living Finn's mom and dad for almost a year.  When a property, which has been standing vacant for almost 30 years, comes on the market, they purchase the said money pit as a fixer upper.  While fixer upping, they discover seven suitcases with the remains of seven children in a hidden room.  Mia, having just given birth, becomes somewhat obsessed with the mystery and soon starts to ruffle feathers, including those of Finn's dad.  A very dark psychological thriller with some decent twists and turns and multiple mysteries.  Marrs really shines at getting us to glimpse into the world and mind of a very different serial killer.  The use of multiple narrators really worked well in bringing a pretty unique but small cast of characters to live in a psychologically unsettli...

Having recently survived a horror blind date, Sydney looks like she has finally found her perfect match when she by luck meets up with the man who saved her from said horror date, a few weeks earlier. Sydney's best friend is however murdered shortly prior to her meeting Prince Charming MD, and as the relationship progresses, Sydney begins to suspect him of being the murderer. As is often the case with a McFadden whodunnit, the story is told on different timelines. The second timeline is narrated by teenage Prince Charming , who becomes a prime suspect in the murder of his highschool girlfriend. This psychological whodunnit is clever, fast-paced and has some really decent red hearings. Most importantly it culminates in a bloody good blindside. A true old school page turner. 4/5

While seeking answers why her artist husband committed suicide, Anna moves into his studio, which turns out to be a room in a run down apartment complex.  Cass, the handy"mam" of the complex, recently lost everything when her dodgy hubby left her for a cocktail waitress and kicked her out of their mansion.  Rosa's husband is both extremely abusive and potentially high up in the Mexican cartels.  Things however go terribly wrong when a good deed is met with an unforeseen consequence.  As such the various individual stories play out against these "consequences" , whilst building up to a pretty nailbiting climax. Glass is known for creating interesting and well developed characters and then placing them in very interesting dilemmas, and again she does not disappoint. The various individual stories all fit perfectly into the main psychological thriller and the whodunnit has a decent twist or two.   4/5  

Billy Bob Holland, a former Texas Ranger turned prosecutor and eventually defence lawyer, finds himself defending his illegitimate son, who is accused of a brutal murder. As Billy Bob delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a web of corruption, deceit, and violence fueled by politicians and cartels that extends far beyond the initial crime. Burke is master of Southern noir and his richly descriptive and immaculately paced writing makes each of his novels very special. 

A standalone thriller about a respectable doctor named Marcus Valentine who becomes obsessed with a woman he sees jogging one morning; believing her to be the spitting image of a girl he was infatuated with as a teenager, Marcus's obsession quickly spirals out of control. His pursuit of her leads to a series of events that threaten to destroy his seemingly perfect life and that of those around him. The novel starts off a bit slow but moves into the most extreme singular literary example of a sociopath removing one obsticle after the other in his pursuit of his "true love". James expertly crafted Valentine's personality to match his sociopathic nature. A bit of a dark novel but such a page turner. 

The Harcourt family,  drawn by the allure of a country lifestyle,  moves into a secluded Georgian mansion and soon realize that their dream home, apart from being a money pit, harbours a dark secret. As strange occurrences and unsettling visions begin to plague them, the Harcourts must uncover the chilling truth behind Cold Hill's haunted past.  Unfortunately I read this first novel after the sequel and effectively rated the sequel higher than it actually deserved. The sequel is somewhat of a carbon copy of this novel but set in a slightly later time period featuring different families with different occupations, but the storyline remains exactly the same. The wiring style is however unique interesting and engaging. 

 The haunted mansion from "The House on Cold Hill" has been demolished, replaced by a modern housing development. However, the dark secrets of the past refuse to be buried. The Danes and the Penze-Weedells, move into their new homes in the development. As they settle in, they begin to experience strange and unsettling occurrences. The novel is well-written as it creates the impression that a very sinister and unemaginble plot might be lurking. The downer to this is however the fact that the story is what you see is what you get. 3/5

A dystopian murder mystery set on a secluded island which is home to a small community of survivors, protected from a deadly fog that has enveloped the rest of the world. The murder of one of the island's elders /scientists triggers a countdown: if the murderer is not identified within 92 hours, the island's protective barrier will fail, and the fog will engulf the community. As the fog closes in, the islanders must grapple with their own secrets, lies, and the possibility that one of their own is responsible for the murder. A very unique medium-paced whodunnit, which is impossible to put down. 5/5

A historical fiction murder mystery set in 19th-century Paris in the famous Salpêtrière asylum. The story centers around two women, Laure and Josephine. Laure is a former patient at the asylum and current ward attendant, who is desperate to leave and find her missing sister, Amélie. Josephine is a young woman with amnesia who arrives at the asylum covered in blood and suffering from trauma. As the novel progresses, Laure and Josephine form a bond while navigating the questionable treatments within the asylum and attempting to find ways out of their respective dilemmas.  Very well researched and more gripping than the title infers.  Fact and fiction intertwine very believably and seamlessly. 4/5

Set in Accra, Ghana, the story revolves around gumshoe Emma Djan, who is tasked with investigating the murder of a prominent LGBTQ+ activist. As Emma delves deeper into the case, she uncovers a web of corruption, homophobia, and secrets within the Ghanaian society. An eye-opening account of homophobia in Western-Africa coupled with a very decent whodunnit. Quartey always delivers with an intriguing gumshoe whodunnit. 4/5

The novel follows Mae Pruett, a crisis PR expert who specializes in cleaning up the messes of the rich and famous. When her boss is murdered, Mae finds herself drawn into a dangerous investigation that reveals a web of secrets, lies, and corruption. Mae teams up with her ex-boyfriend, Chris, a former police officer who now works for the same shadowy organization. Together, they navigate a world of blackmail, drug deals, and human trafficking. Harper's gritty neo noir gumshoe novel delves deep into the LA underbelly and reminds of LA Confidential. A modern masterpiece. 5/5

A short psychological thriller about a female con artist who poses as a psychic. She's hired by a wealthy woman, Susan, who believes her Victorian mansion is haunted and her troubled stepson, Miles, is possessed. As the psychic delves deeper into the mysterious household, she begins to question whether the supernatural occurrences are real or if there's a more sinister explanation. Very well-written but unfortunately way too short as Flynn's finetuned psychological writing is extremely engaging and justified this mystery novella to be a full novel. 4/5

Set in a snowbound English country house. Illusionist and private detective Joseph Spector is called upon to investigate a series of puzzling "locked room" deaths, including a body found in a frozen pond without any means of getting there and a rifle fired through a closed window, killing a man without breaking the glass. Despite being well-written in the classic 1920s style and being thoroughly engaging, the reveal is farfetched and devoid of breadcrumbs leading to it.  3/5