Tag: crime fiction

Music of the Night is a new anthology of original short stories contributed by Crime Writer’s Association (CWA) members and edited by Martin Edwards, with music as the connecting theme. The aim, as always is to produce a book which is representative both of the genre and the membership of the world’s premier crime writing association. The CWA has published anthologies of members’ stories in most years since 1956 with Martin Edwards as editor for over 25 years during which time the anthologies have yielded many award-winning and nominated stories by writers such as Ian Rankin, Reginald Hi l, Lawrence Block, and Edward D. Hoch. Stories by long-standing authors and ste lar names sit alongside contributions from relative newcomers, authors from overseas, and members whose work haven’t appeared in a CWA anthology before. Among the gifted stars of today whose fiction featured in a CWA anthology at an early stage of their crime writing careers are Mick Herron, Frank Ta lis, and Sarah Hilary. It isn’t a closed shop, and never has been.

FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to fu l-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thri ler categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at http://www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress

Martin Edwards (Editor) is the author of eighteen novels, including the Lake District Mysteries, and the Harry Devlin series. His ground-breaking genre study The Golden Age of Murder has won the Edgar, Agatha, and H.R.F. Keating awards. He has edited twenty eight crime anthologies, has won the CWA Short Story Dagger and the CWA Margery A lingham Prize, and is series consultant for the British Library’s Crime Classics. In 2015, he was elected eighth President of the Detection Club, an office previously held by G.K. Chesterton, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy L. Sayers.

The CWA (Crime Writers’ Association) was founded in 1953 by John Creasey, and organises the prestigious CWA Dagger Awards which celebrate the best in crime writing. The CWA is a pro-active, thriving and ever-expanding community of writers based in the UK but with a reach that extends worldwide.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this collection of short crime stories, all linked by the theme of music. From murderous composers to tragic lives with a singular song as their backdrop. As a musical theatre fan, the title did remind me of a certain murderous Phantom, which was amusing.

There are short stories from existing series’ as well as standalones, but nothing you need to have read beforehand to enjoy these tales. Unless you want to! All of the authors are experts in their field and their victims, musicians, fans, or even just very annoying neighbours, all meet their ends in suitably macabre and definite ways. Perfect for crime fiction fans, whatever your preferred sub-genre.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

The first book in the Shady Hollow series, in which we are introduced to the village of Shady Hollow, a place where woodland creatures live together in harmony—until a curmudgeonly toad turns up dead and the local reporter has to solve the case.

Reporter Vera Vixen is a relative newcomer to Shady Hollow. The fox has a nose for news, so when she catches wind that the death might be a murder, she resolves to get to the bottom of the case, no matter where it leads. As she stirs up still waters, the fox exposes more than one mystery, and discovers that additional lives are in jeopardy.

Vera finds more to this town than she ever suspected. It seems someone in the Hollow will do anything to keep her from solving the murder, and soon it will take all of Vera’s cunning and quickness to crack the case.

Juneau Black is the pen name of authors Jocelyn Cole and Sharon Nagel. They share a love of excellent bookshops, fine cheeses, and good murders (in fictional form only). Though they are two separate people, if you ask either of them a question about their childhood, you are likely to get the same answer. This is a little unnerving for any number of reasons.

My thoughts: this was a delightfully quirky read, all the characters are animals but it reads like noir. Think Disney’s Zootopia crossed with Philip Marlowe with lashings of humour. Vera Vixen is a great protagonist, a sharp eyed reporter with a nose for a good story, she’s first on the scene and determined to investigate and find the killer. Especially as the tiny police department are a little slow on the uptake.

Enlisting her friend, Lenore the bookshop owning raven, as her sidekick, she sets about checking the town’s alibis, but since everyone seems to have been home alone, there’s not a lot to go on. But she’s tenacious and brave, putting herself at risk to get the scoop and solve the case.

I really enjoyed this clever, fun book and can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

One weekend, while Andrew Mason was on a fishing trip, his wife, Brie, vanished without a trace. Most everyone assumed Andy had got away with murder—it’s always the husband, isn’t it?—but the police could never build a strong case against him. For a while, Andy hit rock bottom—he drank too much to numb the pain, was abandoned by all his friends save one, nearly lost his business, and became a pariah in the place he once called home.

Now, six years later, Andy has finally put his life back together. He sold the house he once shared with Brie and moved away. Truth to tell, he wasn’t sad to hear that the old place was razed and a new house built on the site. He’s settled down with a new partner, Jayne, and life is good.

But Andy’s peaceful world is about to shatter. One day, a woman shows up at his old address, screaming, “Where’s my house? What’s happened to my house?” And then, just as suddenly as she appeared, the woman—who bears a striking resemblance to Brie—is gone. The police are notified and old questions—and dark suspicions—resurface. 

Could Brie really be alive after all these years? If so, where has she been? It soon becomes clear that Andy’s future, and the lives of those closest to him, depends on discovering what the hell is going on. The trick will be whether he can stay alive long enough to unearth the answers. 

My thoughts: I could not figure out where this one was going. It just seemed so weird. Brie disappears and then six years later a woman who looks just like her appears outside her old house. Then she vanishes again. But can it really be Brie?

Both her husband Andy, and the detective who has been investigating the case want answers and the truth is stranger than they could imagine. Who could have done all of this and why? Andy’s new life could be torn apart by this and he just wants to close the chapter and move on with girlfriend Jayne. The answers are shocking and also quite sad as the people involved were ones he thought he could trust.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

DEATH IS NOT THE END. FOR GRACE McGILL IT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.

When people die alone and undiscovered, it’s her job to clean up what’s left behind – whether it’s clutter, bodily remains or dark secrets.

When an old man lies undetected in his flat for months, it seems an unremarkable life and an unnoticed death. But Grace knows that everyone has a story and that all deaths mean something more.

A STAND-OUT NOVEL WITH A UNIQUE NARRATIVE VOICE AND AN UNGUESSABLE MYSTERY, YOU ARE GUARANTEED TO REMEMBER GRACE McGILL.

My thoughts: Grace is a strange woman, she lives a very solitary life, just her and her cat George and the occasional demanding call from her alcoholic monster of a father. She cleans crime scenes and places, usually homes, of those who’ve died forgotten.

She also builds dioramas of these scenes, a little like the famous Nutshell dioramas, but without the educational angle. She’s the one that alerts the police to a series of deaths where a single daisy has been left.

Grace is also trying to uncover a long almost forgotten disappearance and possible murder of a young woman in the 1960s. All the witnesses and suspects are elderly and she’s running out of time.

As the book unfolds and more about Grace is slowly revealed, she becomes something darker and things take a sinister turn. A clever, gripping thriller.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

THE NEW NOVEL IN THE MILLION-COPY SELLING DETECTIVE GERALDINE STEEL SERIES

An inoffensive man is murdered in a seemingly motiveless attack. Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel and her team are baffled, until DNA from an apparent stranger is discovered on the victim’s body.

Geraldine is not convinced the suspect is guilty. When a witness comes forward to offer the suspect an alibi, Geraldine lets him go. That night, a second murder is committed. The evidence points to the suspect who has just been released.

As Geraldine attempts to make sense of the suspect’s complex history, he goes on the run. Even his wife appears to condemn him. Only Geraldine still doubts that he is to blame for the murders, but is she prompted by her own guilt for having released him to kill again?

As the story races towards a breathtaking twist, Geraldine is tormented by self-doubt, and struggles to focus all her attention on the case. Someone is lying and the police must uncover the truth before anyone else is killed…

My thoughts: this was a really gripping read, I couldn’t work out what was going on. The first victim, George, seemed like such a harmless, boring man, there was no real reason to kill him. But then really that was the point I think. Even after the police finally connected the dots (or at least Geraldine did) and went off to celebrate Ariadne’s much discussed wedding, I was still going “but why George?” It just seemed mean.

The reasoning behind the murders is twisted and terrible, and a good reminder that justice doesn’t always feel like it’s right.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

THREE MURDERS. ONE MISSING BOY. THE GAME IS JUST BEGINNING…
When a body is found at the edge of Chellow Dene reservoir Detective Nikki Parekh and DC Sajid Malik are quick to arrive.
This is the third murder in the space of a few weeks. Each murder has a completely different MO, but there is one common theme… all the victims are teenagers. The dead boy reminds Nikki of her nephew, and she feels more helpless than ever.
But then another boy goes missing. And this time his parents have been sent a threatening package too. The pattern is different again – is the killer just playing a game? Can Nikki find the strength to
uncover the shocking truth before the killer strikes again?

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Born in Scotland, Made in Bradford sums up Liz Mistry’s life. Over thirty years ago she moved from a small village in West Lothian to Yorkshire to get her teaching degree. Once here, Liz fell in love with
three things; curries, the rich cultural diversity of the city … and her Indian husband (not necessarily in this order). Now thirty years, three children, two cats and a huge extended family later, Liz uses
her experiences of living and working in the inner city to flavour her writing. Her gritty crime fiction police procedural novels set in Bradford embrace the city she describes as ‘Warm, Rich and Fearless’
whilst exploring the darkness that lurks beneath.
Being a debut novelist in her fifties was something Liz had only dreamed of and she counts herself lucky, whilst pinching herself regularly to make sure it’s all real. One of the nicest things about being
a published author is chatting with and responding to readers’ feedback and Liz regularly does events at local libraries, universities, literature festivals and open mics. She also teaches creative writing too.
In her spare time, Liz loves pub quizzes (although she admits to being rubbish at them), dancing (she does a mean jig to Proud Mary – her opinion, not ratified by her family), visiting the varied Yorkshire
landscape, with Robin Hoods Bay being one of her favourite coastal destinations, listening to music, reading and blogging about all things crime fiction on her blog, The Crime Warp.

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A signed copy of Dark Memories (Nikki Parekh book 3)
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My thoughts: this series just gets better and better. Tackling the complex and secretive world of “honour” killings in Bradford’s Muslim community. The “Eyes” are teenagers and men recruited by a mysterious online mastermind. Causing chaos and sowing dissent between the different communities through a violent series of attacks and brutal machete murders.

Nikki’s struggling with her recent bereavement and overreacts to one crime scene and is signed off, but that doesn’t stop her investigating when her friend’s son goes missing.

It’s an intense, almost claustrophobic world where everyone feels policed by people they thought they knew, serious crimes are being committed but no one’s speaking and there’s too many suspects. But Nikki and her team won’t give up.

Gripping, intelligent crime writing at its best.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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The only sound in the forest was the wind through the branches; the only light came from the campfire. Jessie stood up, suddenly gripped by a powerful sense of dread. There was something – someone – beyond the darkness, through the trees…

When single father Joe Keenan and his young son Finbar make camp for the night in the ancient forest of Leitrim, little do they imagine their rural escape is about to turn into a nightmare. For deep in the woods they find a corpse… As the remains of dozens more victims are uncovered by police, it becomes clear this is the burial site of a serial killer who has obviously been active, unnoticed, for years.

Arrested for the murders, while his beloved son is sent into care, Joe pleads his innocence to no avail. But criminal behaviourist Jessie Boyle is convinced the killer is still out there. Determined to reunite Joe and his son, Jessie’s investigation turns towards the local community. Who knows the shadowy depths of the forest well enough to hide not just one, but many bodies?

Then someone else goes missing, and the situation takes a terrifying turn: it’s clear the killer is escalating their gruesome spree. Forced to enter the woods alone to save a life, Jessie runs from a killer so skilled at hiding and so clever at hunting, it will take every ounce of her strength to make it out alive…

A gripping, nail-biting crime thriller that will have you hooked from the first page to the final line. Fans of Patricia Gibney, Lisa Gardner and Lisa Regan will not want to miss this.

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Shane Dunphy (S. A. Dunphy) was born in Brighton in 1973, but grew up in Ireland, where he has lived and worked for most of his life. A child protection worker for fifteen years, he is the bestselling author of seventeen books, including the number one Irish bestseller Wednesday’s Child and the Sunday Times Bestseller The Girl Who Couldn’t Smile. His bestselling series of crime novels (written under the name S. A. Dunphy) feature the criminologist David Dunnigan. Stories From the Margins, his new series of true crime books written for Audible, has been critically acclaimed and the second title in the series, The Bad Place, is an Audible True Crime bestseller. Website Twitter Facebook Instagram  

My thoughts: the second (book one) in a so far excellent series about strange killers and crimes in Ireland, this explores the vampire myth – the Abhartach – possibly one inspiration for Stoker’s Dracula (while it doesn’t include a visit to Ireland, Stoker himself was Irish), the doings and misdeeds of the military, Traveller culture and feuds, some of which date back years, and how a modern police force deals with all of these at times conflicting issues when solving crimes.

Joe Keenan and his son have found human remains in the woods, and despite his ambivalence towards the police, he reports the find, getting arrested and accused of being a murderer into the bargain. Luckily Jessie and Seamus arrive, having been dispatched by their boss to investigate. Pinning a crime on the nearest Traveller is not unusual, it happens wherever a nomadic group are currently staying – it certainly happens in the UK too.

Dunphy treats his Traveller characters with respect, they’re not just caricatures and a list of tropes, Joe is a fascinating man who has travelled all over Europe living a hard life but one recognisable to his ancestors. He’s also wanted by a Traveller family who have become gangsters, for reasons that once explained are terribly tragic. Jessie and Seamus promise to protect him and his small family, leading to escalating violence in the woods.

The Abhartach myth is also useful to one of the characters Jessie and Seamus meet in the small town of Ballinmore, it keeps people from the woods and from looking too hard. Which is why when the military start pushing Dawn and Terri to back off, they go further, digging deep into classified files to find a military secret that has led to deaths and bodies still being found.

The final cinematic showdown outside the police station is a huge set piece worthy of any number of police dramas and reminded me strongly of a book I read a while ago about the Troubles, although this time it was about more personal politics. The answers that are revealed are complex and troubling. I imagine Dawn had plenty to say to her bosses when handing over the report. I look forward to book three.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

When Maggie Kaye and Sam Dee join the Bishops Well archaeological dig, they are as surprised as everyone else to unearth a body that was buried there less than fifty years ago. It can’t possibly be the remains of an ancient Celt.
Maggie, with her usual flair – and psychic intuition – is convinced that there is more to this discovery than meets the eye. And some Bishops residents seem to know a lot more about the case than they are willing to let on.
But nobody is as shocked as Maggie when a face from the past – a face she thought she’d never see again – appears in the village, and long-hidden secrets begin to surface.
With danger at her door, and Sam by her side, can Maggie uncover the truth before it’s too late?

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Anna Legat is a Wiltshire-based author, best known for her DI Gillian Marsh murder mystery series.
Murder isn’t the only thing on her mind. She dabbles in a wide variety of genres, ranging from dark humorous comedy, through magic realism to dystopian. A globe-trotter and Jack-of-all-trades, Anna
has been an attorney, legal adviser, a silver-service waitress, a school teacher and a librarian. She has lived in far-flung places all over the world where she delighted in people-watching and collecting precious life experiences for her stories. Anna writes, reads, lives and breathes books and can no longer tell the difference between fact and fiction.
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My thoughts: this was very enjoyable, with DI Gillian Marsh on the periphery as Maggie and Sam solve some more mysteries and get embroiled in a complicated love story and criminal conspiracy as Maggie’s long lost sister Andrea reappears in Bishops Well.

As they dig into the murdered body in the woods case, Andrea brings chaos as she admits to having been hiding in witness protection all these years and a long lost lover of their late mother’s resurfaces, throwing a lot of the certainties the family thought they knew into chaos. Maggie’s still seeing ghosts and there’s lots to sort out before they can assure themselves they’re safe in Bishops again.

These books are so much fun, crime and chaos and lots of pets everywhere. Highly enjoyed this one and can’t wait for the next one.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.