A Game of Lies

"A Game of Lies" by Clare Mackintosh is the second in her Walsh Detective Ffion Morgan series. I love Clare's writing style, I love the setting, I love her characters, and - most of all - I love this twisty plot.

Blurb:

Stranded in the Welsh mountains, seven reality show contestants have no idea what they've signed up for.

Each of these strangers has a secret. If another player can guess the truth, they won't just be eliminated - they'll be exposed live on air. The stakes are higher than they'd ever imagined, and they're trapped.

The disappearance of a contestant wasn't supposed to be part of the drama. Detective Ffion Morgan has to put aside what she's watched on screen, and find out who these people really are - knowing she can't trust any of them.

And when a murderer strikes, Ffion knows every one of her suspects has an alibi . . . and a secret worth killing for.

Titanium Noir

So, "Titanium Noir". Reading it I kept forgetting it's by Nick Harkaway, because the SF whodunnit flavour made me think of John Scalzi's "Locked In" series. This is what you need to know:

• It's really good.
• It's smaller than the author's "Gone away world" - also easier to figure out what's going on.
• It's a fun book.
• It'll make you think.

Blurb

Cal Sounder is a detective working for the police on certain very sensitive cases. So when he’s called in to investigate a homicide at a local apartment, he’s surprised by the routineness of it all. But when he arrives on scene, Cal soon learns that the victim—Roddy Tebbit, an otherwise milquetoast techie—is well over seven feet tall. And although he doesn’t look a day over thirty, he is ninety-one years old. Tebbit is a Titan—one of this dystopian, near-future society’s genetically altered elites. And this case is definitely Cal’s thing.

There are only a few thousand Titans worldwide, thanks to Stefan Tonfamecasca’s discovery of the controversial T7 genetic therapy, which elevated his family to godlike status. T7 turns average humans into near-immortal distortions of themselves—with immense physical proportions to match their ostentatious, unreachable lifestyles. A dead Titan is big news . . . a murdered Titan is unimaginable. But these modified magnates are Cal’s specialty. In fact, his own ex-girlfriend, Athena, is a Titan. And not just any—she is Stefan’s daughter, heir to the massive Tonfamecasca empire.  

As the murder investigation intensifies, Cal begins to unravel the complicated threads of what should have been a straightforward case, and it becomes clear he’s on the trail of a crime whose roots run deep into the dark heart of the world.

The Silence

I want to say that "The Silence" by Susan Allott has left me silent, and I'm so worried this will sound like a turn of phrase,but I'll say it anyway. After turning the last page, I thought for a bit. Then I read the Author's Note (which I rarely do, because it usually contains a bunch of thank-you notes to people I don't know), then I thought some more.

"The Silence" is not really a thinking book. It's a who-dun-it that swiftly switches between 1967 and 1997, between Australia and England. It's a fast read, it's an engaging read. And it leaves you sitting quietly and thinking for a bit. About the harsh beauty of Australia, about its history, about the Stolen Generations.

The Boy from the Woods

"The boy from the woods" by Harlan Coben is a page-turner. I finished it in one day (during the Coved 19 lockdown, so there were no distractions like, you know, work), and I want to read it again really soon.

The book is pure Coben and it has everything: banter, lovable characters, pacing, philosophical bits to think about when you finish the last page. Go for it!

(Oh, except Win. This book doesn't have Win Horne Lockwood the Third, who is the sexiest man ever to inhabit the printed world. Win, please come back.)

From the blurb:
... a man whose past is shrouded in mystery must find a missing teenage girl before her disappearance brings about disastrous consequences for her community . . . and the world.

The man known as Wilde is a mystery to everyone, including himself. Decades ago, he was found as a boy living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past. After the police concluded an exhaustive hunt for the child's family, which was never found, he was turned over to the foster system.

Now, thirty years later, Wilde still doesn't know where he comes from, and he's back living in the woods on the outskirts of town, content to be an outcast, comfortable only outdoors, preferably alone, and with few deep connections to other people.

When a local girl goes missing, famous TV lawyer Hester Crimstein--with whom Wilde shares a tragic connection--asks him to use his unique skills to help find her. Meanwhile, a group of ex-military security experts arrive in town, and when another teen disappears, the case's impact expands far beyond the borders of the peaceful suburb. Wilde must return to the community where he has never fit in, and where the powerful are protected even when they harbor secrets that could destroy the lives of millions . . . secrets that Wilde must uncover before it's too late.

Conviction by Denise Mina

Denise Mina is famous for page-turning crime fiction. This book is no exception. Engaging characters, a good sense of place, an intriguing story. Definitely read it.

Blurb:
The day Anna McDonald's quiet, respectable life explodes starts off like all the days before: packing up the kids for school, making breakfast, listening to yet another true crime podcast. Then her husband comes downstairs with an announcement, and Anna is suddenly, shockingly alone.

Reeling and desperate for distraction, Anna returns to the podcast. Other people's problems are much better than one's own--a sunken yacht, a murdered family, a hint of international conspiracy, but this case actually is Anna's problem. She knows one of the victims from an earlier life, a life she's taken great pains to leave behind, and she is convinced that she knows what really happened.

Then an unexpected visitor arrives on her front stoop; a meddling neighbor intervenes; and life as Anna knows it is well and truly over. The devils of her past are awakened--and in hot pursuit. Convinced she has no other options, she goes on the run, and in pursuit of the truth, with a washed-up musician at her side and the podcast as her guide.

Second Sight by Aoife Clifford

For fans of Jane Harper's Australian crime fiction, here comes "Second Sight" by an Irish-born author from down-under.

Blurb:
Eliza Carmody returns home to the country to work on the biggest law case of her career. The only problem is this time she’s on the ‘wrong side’ – defending a large corporation against a bushfire class action by her hometown of Kinsale.

On her first day back Eliza witnesses an old friend, Luke Tyrell, commit an act of lethal violence. As the police investigate that crime and hunt for Luke they uncover bones at The Castle, a historic homestead in the district. Eliza is convinced that they belong to someone from her past.

As Eliza becomes more and more entangled in the investigation, she is pulled back into her memories of youthful friendships and begins to question everyone she knows … and everything she once thought was true.

Eight Lives by Susan Hurley

Wow, what a book! Clever yet immensely accessible, written in a fresh voice (or is it voices?) of very diverse characters - no matter whose head you're in, you like that character, even if it's only for the duration of their narrative. A psychological thriller, a why-dunnit, call it what you will, but be sure to read it. Un.Put.Down.Able.

"Snap" by Belinda Bauer

I'm so glad I've discovered Belinda Bauer! She's about to become my favourite crime fiction author. "Snap" is the sort of novel that could easily be heartbreaking or icky, yet the difficult topics are handled with compassion and gentleness.

The language is beautiful, the plot twisty, the characters multi-dimensional.

And now, for the blurb:

SNAP DECISIONS CAN BE DANGEROUS . . .

On a stifling summer's day, eleven-year-old Jack and his two sisters sit in their broken-down car, waiting for their mother to come back and rescue them. Jack's in charge, she'd said. I won't be long.

But she doesn't come back. She never comes back. And life as the children know it is changed for ever.

Three years later, Jack is still in charge - of his sisters, of supporting them all, of making sure nobody knows they're alone in the house, and - quite suddenly - of finding out the truth about what happened to his mother. . .

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

"The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" by Stuart Turton is a time-travel body-snatching who-dun-it. It reminded me of "The Rook", but even so, I found the concept highly original.

A must read.

One of the better crime fiction books I read this year. 

Blurb:

'Somebody's going to be murdered at the ball tonight. It won't appear to be a murder and so the murderer won't be caught. Rectify that injustice and I'll show you the way out.'

It is meant to be a celebration but it ends in tragedy. As fireworks explode overhead, Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed.

But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden - one of the guests summoned to Blackheath for the party - can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again. Every time ending with the fateful pistol shot.

The only way to break this cycle is to identify the killer. But each time the day begins again, Aiden wakes in the body of a different guest. And someone is determined to prevent him ever escaping Blackheath...

Serial Wives

Serial Wives

Neighborly

"Neighborly" by Ellie Monago is a true suburban thriller. Somebody said that the setting is like "Pleasantville" but already in full colour - and I can't find a better way of expressing it. Add intrigue and crime, and you have "Neighborly".

Some themes are truly disturbing, but they're handled in a way that doesn't scar.

Blurb:

Kat and Doug felt like Aurora Village was the perfect community. Minutes from the city, affluent without pretension, low crime with a friendly vibe—it’s everything Kat never had, and that she’s determined to provide for her infant daughter. Snagging a nice bungalow in this exclusive enclave was worth all the sacrifice. But everything changes overnight when Kat finds a scrawled note outside their front door.

That wasn’t very neighborly of you.

As increasingly sinister and frighteningly personal notes arrive, each one stabs deeper into the heart of Kat’s insecurities, paranoia, and most troubling, her past. When the neighbors who seemed so perfect reveal their open secret, the menace moves beyond mean notes. Someone’s raising the stakes.

As suspicious as she is of every smiling face and as terrified as she’s become of being found out, Kat is still unprepared for the sharp turn that lies just ahead of her on Bayberry Lane.

Lie with me

"Lie with me" by Sabine Durrant is a fine example of British crime fiction. Set in part on a Greek island Pythos, it weaves the web in which to catch past actions. A clever book.

A few little lies never hurt anyone. Right?

Wrong.

Paul has a plan. He has a vision of a better future, and he's going to make it happen.

If it means hiding or exaggerating a few things here and there, no harm done.

But when he charms his way on to a family holiday...
And finds himself trapped among tensions and emotions he doesn't understand...
By the time he starts to realise that however painful the truth is, it's the lies that cause the real damage...

Well, by then, it might just be too late.

The Cellar - Minette Walters

The latest long-awaited novel - more of a novella - from the author of The Ice House, The Scold's Bridle and The Dark Room is a different kettle of kippers. Yes, it's still crime fiction. Yes, it's still a mystery. You can even call it a detective novel(la).

Told from the point of view of one of the victims, however, it's not a police procedural. It's not a thriller. I would never in a million years guess it to be a Minette Walters, the way a Lee Child is a Lee Child and a Harlan Coben is a Harlan Coben. In a way, it's more of a Tess Gerritsen than the latest Tess Gerritsen (Playing with Fire).

It's a good book. Well paced. Interesting characters.

Just not what I expected.

Big Little Lies

I'm on a Liane Moriarty bend. As soon as I finished Big Little Lies, I  immediately purchased What Alice Forgot/ On Kindle, so that I wouldn't have to wait for the delivery.

Big Little Lies is a murder mystery: not only a who- and why-dunnit, but also a who-is-the-victim? Through witness statements, we learn there's been a death at a close-knit primary school, and that the police officers are treating it as murder. But who died? Oh, no, please let it not be her. Nor her. Nor....

While the clever structure and brilliant prose certainly keeps you turning the pages, the ultimate strength of the book lies in the sharp insights into human behaviour. The author is an intelligent observer, and the reader can't help but nod in places.

A tale of bullying in all its shapes and forms.

Addictive.

Murder @ Work - #2 in the Christine Chamberlain series

 

Now on Kindle

Have you ever had a Boss From Hell? Not someone who's basically nice except on their off-peak days... we're talking about a Verbal Abuser who can't be sued or fired. Seduced by the heat of a South African summer, would you be tempted to tamper with his tea a little... just a little... ???

Short of time? Read Short Of Crime!

Short Of Crime, my collection of short crime stories is free on Kindle for the next 3 days. Go on, you know you want to. http://tinyurl.com/kl95vgk

Crime Fiction I Love

Today I thought I'd try something different: a Pinterest post about crime novels I like. Have a look. (Shameless plug included!)

Yvonne Walus on the Radio

Yvonne Walus talking about crime fiction on the radio.

Vanda Symon - The Crime Queen of Otago

If I hadn't gone to the Writers' Festival in Wellington last Sunday, I still wouldn't have known about Vanda Symon and her books. How is that possible, I ask you? I read crime, particularly who-dun-its written by female authors (not a sexist choice on my part, it's just that I tend to prefer Christie to Chandler). I stay abreast of the new voices in murder mysteries. I live in New Zealand. So why? Why, why, why?


Howcome I know about Lee Child and Harlan Coben, who don't live anywhere near? Or Mark Billingham, or Minette Walters? Why does my local PaperPlus stock Scandinavian crime writers and not New Zealand ones? Why do I open the paper to see Jo Nesbø and not Vanda Symon? (Ok, at least the 25 February issue of NZ Listener carried an article on Paul Thomas, but you get my drift.)


I'm hoping to interview Vanda on this blog very shortly, so for now here's a short review of her debut novel, OVERKILL (she's written several since).


OVERKILL is set in a small New Zealand community, of the type where "a river runs through it". It's a perfect little who-dun-it, with a lovable, kick-ass heroine and an only-in-New-Zealand kind of plot. I'm a sucker for those! And because of the setting alone, I know OVERKILL will be popular in Europe when it finally hits the shelves. Poland, Russia and Germany in particular have a fascination with the Southern Hemisphere, so here's to many translations for Vanda and to many more New Zealand sales.

Crime Fiction - Literary Acclaim?

I found this quote in a South African newspaper: "The critics appointed to adjudge each year’s best published work for the country's major prizes also still mainly pinch their noses when they encounter crime fiction."


And yet, many crime novels are beautifully written, complete with poetic language, themes, symbolism, foreshadowing and everything else D.H. Lawrence held dear. They make you think about current sociological issues (read any Harlan Coben thriller) and our morality (Dexter springs to mind, and yes, I know it's not a novel). They often take us to exotic places (H.F. Keating, YE Walus, Colin Cotterill).


So what gives? Is "Hamlet" not crime fiction, subgenre suspense? Did Dickens not use elements of crime fiction in "Bleak House"?


In Europe (Germany, Poland), crime fiction novels share the same bookshelf space as Tolstoy and Guenter Grass. Why is the English-speaking world so hung up on genre fiction being lesser?


Readers and critics, please feel free to respond.