"The Killer Question" by Janice Hallett

Janice Hallett is a dare-devil. And a clever cookie.

Who else writes an entire murder mystery using only texts, emails, transcripts, and still makes it this gripping? It shouldn’t work as well as it does... and it really, really does.

The setup is deceptively cosy. Sue and Mal Eastwood retire early and take over a rural pub, The Case is Altered, and bring it back to life with a weekly pub quiz. You get to know the regular teams through scoresheets, categories, bits of conversation. It’s all very low-key, quirky, British.

There’s even that one team member who complains about everything every single week, and the running joke that the quizmaster is always right, even when he’s clearly wrong.

And then a body turns up in the river behind the pub.

From there, things start to shift. A new team arrives, The Shadow Knights, and begins winning every week, unsettling the regulars and changing the whole dynamic. The second half of the book goes somewhere I didn’t expect at all. It gets twisty, but still grounded in that same clever format.

I love pub quizzes, and I really loved this book.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz features two intertwined plots: one is the mystery novel about a German detective Atticus Pünd, authored by the fictional writer Alan Conway; and the other follows publishing editor Susan Ryeland as she searches for the missing final chapter of Conway's novel while also investigating Conway's death.

If you haven't read and internalised many, many Agatha Christie books, Magpie Murders will probably not resonate with you. There is a purposeful slowness to the book, especially when it comes to the story within the story, which is pretty much vintage Christie. There are characters who could have come straight from the village of St. Mary Mead. There is a breakfast scene consciously or subconsciously modelled on the one in A Murder is Announced. And of course, Atticus Pünd, the foreign outsider detective with a lovable dimwit sidekick, is our dear Hercule Poirot.

I remember that Dame Agatha herself used a similar ploy in her books by creating a character called Ariadne Oliver. Ariadne (like Christie) is a crime fiction novelist, the creator of the Finnish detective Sven Hjerson.

Another nugget is that the book within the book is based on a children's rhyme about magpies (one for sorrow, two for joy), which is another device often used by Ms Christie.

I loved it, but, you know what? As soon as I finished Magpie Murders, instead of turning to its sequel, I quickly re-read three of my favourite Agatha Christie novels, and I'm in the mood for more. Apologies, Anthony Horowitz, you'll have to wait.

The maid

"The Maid" by Nita Prose is a delight. The protagonist is an even more endearing version of Eleanor Oliphant, the plot is a cosy murder mystery, and the prose elegant. What will keep you glued to the book till the very end is the compelling character journey. Her vulnerability and determination make the reader root for her as she navigates the treacherous waters of the neurotypical world.

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

This was my first Ruth Ware thriller but it won't be the last. Good prose, engaging plot, 3D characters. 

Blurb:

Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the second, April was dead.

Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide… including a murder.

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh

The first few pages are slow but don't give up because the journey is worth it. The characters are awesome, the plot intricate, the sense of place enriching. I hope this is the beginning of a long series! Long live DC Morgan! 

Blurb

On New Year's Eve, Rhys Lloyd has a house full of guests.

His lakeside holiday homes are a success, and he's generously invited the village to drink champagne with their wealthy new neighbours. This will be the party to end all parties.

But not everyone is there to celebrate. By midnight, Rhys will be floating dead in the freezing waters of the lake...

Recipes for Love and Murder: A Tannie Maria Mystery

A year ago, I saw Sally Andrew's "Recipes for Love and Murder: A Tannie Maria Mystery" in a South African book shop, and added it to my to-read pile. Its time has finally come, and I was glad to be able to travel down the memory lane to the Little Karoo, the ostrich farms, bobotie and the heat of the South African summer.

This book is a "cosy" murder mystery, which makes a nice change from everything that's a thriller these days. I know there are two more books in the series, and I can't wait to get my hands on them!

Blurb

Tannie Maria (Tannie meaning Auntie, the respectful Afrikaans address for a woman older than you) is a middle-aged widow who likes to cook—and eat. She shares her culinary love as a recipe columnist for the local paper—until The Gazette decides its readers are hungrier for advice on matters of the heart rather than ideas for lunch and dinner.

Tannie Maria doesn’t like the change, but soon discovers she has a knack—and a passion—for helping people. Of course she shares her recipes and culinary advice whenever she can! Assisting other people with their problems, Tannie Maria is eventually forced to face her own issues, especially when the troubles of those she helps touch on the pain of her past, like a woman desperate to escape her abusive husband.

When the woman is murdered, Tannie Maria becomes dangerously entwined in the investigation, despite the best efforts of one striking detective determined to keep her safe. Suddenly, this practical, down-to-earth woman is involved in something much more sinister than perfecting her chocolate cake recipe . . .

Pretty Guilty Women by Gina LaManna

"Pretty Guilty Women by Gina LaManna" is an extremely readable book that digs into deep issues such as what success looks like versus what it actually is, domestic violence, motherhood in all its shapes and forms.

I liked that the characters were women of all ages, from twenty to seventy: the breadth provided a variety of perspectives and voices and points of view.

A fast moving plot twisted and turned to a satisfying conclusion.

Blurb:

Why would four women admit to committing the same murder?

Four different women offer four very different confessions to the death of a man found in the midst of a rehearsal dinner at an luxurious resort, each insisting they acted alone. Their stories are contradicting and confusing, posing a conundrum for the detective who must untangle their secrets.

Truth and friendship surface in surprising ways, but who is the guiltiest of them all and what really happened on that rooftop?

The Almost Sisters - Joshilyn Jackson

"The Almost Sisters" by Joshilyn Jackson - in a word: WOW!

If you don't know the beautiful, slightly off-kilter, heart-warming world of Joshilyn Jackson's books, do yourself a favour and get shopping. These are books you want on your shelf, to greet you at the end of a long day; and in your car on CDs, and on your e-reader for when you have five minutes to spare at the dentist and you want to read a few pages of gorgeous prose.

"The Almost Sisters" revisits some themes from "Gods in Alabama" - racism, maternal love, the bond between not-necessarily-biological sisters, old secrets - but it offers a totally different plot and a brand-new set of characters.

You will fall in love, just as I did.

Only read the blurb if you have to. I didn't, and was happy to let the book take me places at its own pace.

BLURB:

Superheroes have always been Leia Birch Briggs’ weakness. One tequila-soaked night at a comics convention, the usually level-headed graphic novelist is swept off her barstool by a handsome and anonymous Batman.

It turns out the caped crusader has left her with more than just a nice, fuzzy memory. She’s having a baby boy—an unexpected but not unhappy development in the thirty-eight year-old’s life. But before Leia can break the news of her impending single-motherhood (including the fact that her baby is biracial) to her conventional, Southern family, her step-sister Rachel’s marriage implodes. Worse, she learns her beloved ninety-year-old grandmother, Birchie, is losing her mind, and she’s been hiding her dementia with the help of Wattie, her best friend since girlhood.

Leia returns to Alabama to put her grandmother’s affairs in order, clean out the big Victorian that has been in the Birch family for generations, and tell her family that she’s pregnant. Yet just when Leia thinks she’s got it all under control, she learns that illness is not the only thing Birchie’s been hiding. Tucked in the attic is a dangerous secret with roots that reach all the way back to the Civil War. Its exposure threatens the family’s freedom and future, and it will change everything about how Leia sees herself and her sister, her son and his missing father, and the world she thinks she knows.

Force of Nature by Jane Harper

From the author of "The Dry", here's the second Aaron Falk novel. Just as much of a page-turner as the first. Just as Australian. Just as full of twists.

Blurb:

Five women reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking along the muddy track. Only four come out the other side.

The hike through the rugged Giralang Ranges is meant to take the office colleagues out of their air-conditioned comfort zone and teach resilience and team building. At least that is what the corporate retreat website advertises.

Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk has a particularly keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing bushwalker. Alice Russell is the whistleblower in his latest case - in just a matter of days she was to provide the documents that will bring down the company she works for.

Falk discovers that far from the hike encouraging teamwork, the women tell a tale of suspicion, violence and disintegrating trust. But does it include murder?

Send in the Clowns by Julie Mulhern

Send in the Clowns by Julie Mulhern is the 4th book in The Country Club Murders series. As usual, it delivers on the promise of 1970s cosy murder mystery set among those richer than many of us: bridge at the country club, designer labels, art, a murder with not too much gory detail, great character development and no swear words.  


This is a perfect holiday read, be it Halloween, Christmas, or any other time of the year when you want to put your feet up and not put the book down until the very last page.


Pure escapism. With who-dun-it elements and a women's lib movement thrown in for fun.

  

How to get away with murder

So, after months of looking for the next TV series to watch (The Mentalist's overarching story was too slow moving, Orphan Black too scary, Scorpions not enough like Sherlock), we've stumbled onto a winner.


You know it's a winner when it's midnight, you have to get up at 6, you still have to make school lunches and do the laundry, you haven't had a good night's sleep since 2002, and you say "just one more episode".


"How to get away with murder" pulls you in from the second scene (I didn't care for the first scene with the bonfire). It's fast-paced, outrageous, gripping. After six episodes I haven't found a character I could call a protagonist, nor indeed one I'm rooting for, but - strangely - it doesn't matter. The mystery and the plot make up for the lack of endearing story people in this case.


Other reviewers compared HTGAWM to LOST, and in its flashback structure and dark bits it's definitely a match, so here's hoping that Sawyer rocks up soon.

Clouds in My Coffee

"Clouds in my Coffee" is the third book in the Country Club Mystery series by Julie Mulhern. I like the protagonist, the plot is fast-moving enough to make the reader want to swallow the book in a sing sitting, while the light style of writing fits well with the cosy murder mystery genre.

Blurb: When Ellison Russell is nearly killed at a benefactors’ party, she brushes the incident aside as an unhappy accident. But when her house is fire-bombed, she’s shot at, and the person sitting next to her at a gala is poisoned, she must face facts. Someone wants her dead. But why? And can Ellison find the killer before he strikes again? 

Add in an estranged sister, a visiting aunt with a shocking secret, and a handsome detective staying in her guesthouse, and Ellison might need more than cream in her coffee. 

The Country Club Murders

The Country Club Murders by Julie Mulhern are set in 1970s in Kansas City. Don't let the time period fool you: they are written in modern language and with modern pacing. They are very much cozies, and they're a breath of fresh air after my diet of gory thrillers.

I've read Deep End and Guaranteed To Bleed. The next book is coming out in May 2016.

Elizabeth is Missing

Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey is a murder mystery as seen through the eyes of a woman suffering from memory loss (dementia). Reminiscent of the movie Memento, it's a riveting - if dark - read. While looking for Elizabeth, we're taking back to the protagonist's post-WW2 childhood where another girl went missing....

I loved the way the author took us into the mind of somebody who can't remember words, the last hour, or her own daughter. Both sad and funny, this makes for one memorable book.

The Titanic Murders by Max Allan Collins

I had to double-check this one was fiction. It read like a fictionalised account of a true story. The writing style was a little archaic at times (probably to fit in with the time period), but I'm really glad I read it.

Oh, and by "read" it, I mean listened to it. I love audio books.

From the blurb:

When a passenger is found dead inside a locked cabin aboard the opulent Titanic, it’s a crime worthy of “the Thinking Machine,” the popular fictional investigator who solves mysteries using formidable logic. So who better to crack this real-life case than author Jacques Futrelle, the man behind America’s favorite detective?

On board for a romantic getaway with his wife, Futrelle agrees to conduct a stealth inquiry. The list of suspects on the Titanic’s first-class deck is long and includes the brightest lights from high society, each with no shortage of dark secrets. As the mammoth ship speeds across the Atlantic toward its doom, Futrelle races to uncover which passenger has a secret worth killing for—before the murderer strikes again.

Set in the days leading up to the luxury liner’s tragic sinking, this historical thriller is a dazzling blend of fact and fiction that will enthrall readers with page-turning revelations and Titanic lore.

South Africa in the news

With South Africa so much in the news lately, what with Oscar Pistorius and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, it's a good time to plug OPERATION: GENOCIDE, a truly South African thriller.

Dear Daughter

Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little is... well, it's definitely different. Partly murder mystery, partly a celebrity magazine, partly a juvenile version of Bridget Jones's diary (not that Bridget Jones is not already juvenile), this is nevertheless a gripping read.

What I enjoyed:

• the unusual premise (daughter unsure whether she did or did not murder her mother)
• the writing voice
• the short chapters
• the fast pace
• the unpredictability
• the unobtrusive sprinkling of Native Americans
• the unusual setting

What I wasn't crazy about:

• the excessive swearing
• the unsympathetic heroine
• the ending

I think it's a book everybody should read.

Die Again

It was strange reading Tess Gerritsen latest Die Again: (Rizzoli & Isles 11) while visiting South Africa, as a lot of the action is set in the Cape and Botswana. Loved it all the more for it. For the traditionalists, relax, Boston still features in a major way. You will love the plot, its twists and turns, you will love the character development. While the mystery is solved, Dr Isles still has some stuff to figure out in the next book. Can't wait!

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... ???

Murder @ Play - the first Christine Chamberlain Mystery

When it comes to your loved ones, is it possible to know too much?

Murder @ Play, the first Christine Chamberlain Mystery, has a brand-new cover and is available - for a limited time only - at a reduced price of 99c on Kindle.