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Back in December, I was lucky enough to be sent an advanced copy of Karin Nordin's fantastic Where Ravens Roost, the first in her new Kjeld Nygaard series. Well I've just finished Last One Alive, and I'm delighted to say that the series just gets better and better!
Where Ravens Roost left us with intriguing hints as to how Kjeld had found himself suspended, as well as insights into his life in Gothenburg, with his ex-husband Bengt and his young daughter, Tove.
This book takes us to Gothenburg; Kjeld's suspension has been lifted, but the reasons for that still hang over him like a cloud.
The book opens with the murder of a young woman; a woman from Kjeld's past. As more victims are killed, it soon becomes clear that this case is personal to Kjeld. And when Tove is placed in danger, his past actions return to haunt him.
In the first book, Kjeld's troubled family life is laid bare. I said at the time, that it didn't feel like a debut, or even the first in a series. Kjeld, and his sidekick Esme, jump off the page fully formed. This book manages to repeat the same feat. This is the first time we have seen Kjeld working and living in Gothenburg, but you could easily believe that Nordin has been writing these characters for several books. In addition to the expected character development for Kjeld, we also learn more about Esme; it's clear that there are hidden layers that will be revealed over time.
As before, the book is an authentic slice of ScandiNoir. Swedish society is laid out in an accessible manner for the non-Scandinavian, with enough Swedish place names and businesses to give a strong sense of place, without scaring off Anglophones with no experience of the country.
The book is satisfying complex, with unexpected revelations throughout. Best of all, like book one, it really hooks you into the series, not just this story. That's not to say that it isn't complete. The mystery is resolved at the end, but Nordin leaves enough threads dangling that you want to grab the next in the series to remain in this world and continue the tale.
The book will be available on September 15th for download, with the paperback following in November.
This is definitely a #RecommendedRead.   

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Back during the golden age of crime fiction, closed circle mysteries - mysteries set in an isolated country house, or a storm-lashed island, where it was impossible for suspects to arrive or leave - were extremely popular. There's a lot of fun to be had when all the possible suspects are laid out within the first few pages of the book and the detective (and the reader) have to work their way through them all, until the culprit is unmasked. A well-crafted example will have the reader changing their mind repeatedly during the course of the investigation and the identity of the killer will often be a surprise when they are revealed. These days, crime fiction has so many different guises, that these books are a lot less prominent.
But they are still being written, and Jenny Blackhurst's Someone Is Lying is a terrific example of the form, thoroughly updated for the 21st century.
The close-knit community necessary for such a story is a modern, gated, middle-class housing estate. The premise is simple. Ten months ago, Erica Spencer died in an accident at a Halloween party hosted by one of her neighbours. The police declared it an unfortunate accident, and everyone moved on with their lives.
But somebody is convinced it wasn't an accident and, in a sign of the times, starts a podcast. Six episodes, each dedicated to the six "suspects" - those with the most to gain from Erica's death.
The secret to a successful closed circle mystery is that everyone has at least one secret, the relationships between the suspects are multi-layered and of course, Someone Is Lying. 
This book ticks all of those boxes and more. It's also a great example of so-called 'domestic noir'. The secrets kept by the residents of the street seem overwhelming to them, and one can see how they could perhaps lead to murder, yet to outsiders they would appear to be a poor excuse. But then aren't the motives behind most murders?
The book is very well-crafted. The trick with these books is the careful weaving of the multiple narratives. It's important to spend just enough time with each character to get to know them, before dropping in a twist and then cutting to a different person's story. At the same time, Blackhurst expertly portrays the claustrophobic confines of such a community, with its petty hierarchies and unwritten social rules.
I changed my mind about what happened that fateful night repeatedly, so that when everything was finally revealed, it was a satisfying and well-earned conclusion.

I heartily recommend this book.
Paul

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Today's #RecommendedRead is the fantastic You Don't Know Me, the debut novel by barrister Imran Mahmood. Praised highly when it was first released, this is one of the most original takes on the crime genre that I have read in recent years.


The entire book is a first-person narrative told as the closing speech by a defendant in a murder trial. The protagonist is a young black man from London accused of the murder of another young man, in what the prosecution are portraying as a feud between rival gang members. Against the advice of his barrister, the defendant takes to the stand to address the jury directly. Over the course of several days, he tries to convince those with his future in their hands that what they assume is just another killing is so much more.
A nervous and inexperienced defendant, he struggles at times to describe the world he lives in. A world with its own rules and hierarchies far different from that experienced by the judge, jury and lawyers (and by extension the reader).

Mahmood is a barrister of many years experience and it shows. Unlike other courtroom dramas, there are no interjections by defence or prosecution counsel, the whole story is essentially a monologue, broken only by the natural breaks of the court's timings.

By telling it in this way, Mahmood plays with the perceptions of the reader. My feelings toward this young man constantly switched from disbelief to sympathy, to frustration at his choices and empathy for his circumstances. At times I felt despair for those trapped in this world, at other times I admit to a degree of contempt for the way in which the culture he and his peers are part of ignore wider societal norms.
It's not a comfortable read by any measure, yet it is compelling, and as his tale unfolds I found myself challenging some of my own preconceptions.
"You don't know me" indeed!
A true #RecommendedRead.
Update: I've just heard it has been adapted for TV. This will be one to watch!

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#TeamPoe or #TeamTilly? It's a question increasingly asked by the legions of fans of M.W. Craven's award-winning Washington Poe series and it's not hard to see why so many have fallen in love with Craven's wonderfully taciturn Poe and the gloriously naïve, and delightfully quirky, Tilly Bradshaw.
This is the third outing for this brilliant duo, and if you are wondering why I am only just reviewing the third in the series, when the fourth has already been released to such acclaim, it is because I have forced myself to ration this genuine pleasure.
For many writers, just creating such a compelling cast of characters would be enough. You could place these two in the centre of an average thriller and they would be good enough to carry the book, even if other aspects of the story failed to excite. Yet Craven has resisted the temptation to take the easy route. The Curator, like The Puppet Show and Black Summer before it, features an intricate and clever plot that is both shocking and ingenious. Marry it with Poe and Tilly, and you have an absolute winner. If you haven't yet read any of this series, I recommend you start at the beginning with The Puppet Show; not because you need to - you can easily read The Curator as a standalone - but why deprive yourself of getting to know them from the beginning of their journey, and watching them evolve?

In this outing, National Crime Agency detective, Washington Poe and his analyst side-kick, Tilly Bradshaw, are called back to Cumbria to investigate a serial killer. His signature is the placing of body parts in unusual places that defy explanation, along with the cryptic code #BSC6. The opening of chapter one will ensure you think twice about taking part in the office secret Santa this year.
I'm not going to recap the plot here, to do so would deprive you of the pleasure of discovering it for yourself. Suffice to say, it is wonderfully complex, creepy and shocking. Several times Craven leads us to what appears to be the final solution, before spinning on a sixpence and showing us that, despite appearances, we've got it all wrong. When it finally comes, the answer is satisfying, unexpected and upsetting in equal measure.

Part of what makes these books such a pleasure to read is the interaction between the characters, but that would be nothing without Craven's wry and humorous prose. He's not afraid to place some of the best lines into the mouth of the narrator, rather than the characters, and you'll find yourself laughing out loud at his witty turns of phrase. In addition, Craven has a real love for Cumbria and its breath-taking scenery (and weather). If ever there was a series that deserved to be adapted for the screen, this is it.  
As to whether I am #TeamTilly or #TeamPoe - well I'm neither. They are two halves of a whole and to separate them wouldn't work.

I can't recommend this highly enough, and it will take all of my will-power not to go out read the next in the series, Dead Ground, immediately - maybe I'll fill the void with a couple of the short stories, from Cut Short? 

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I am a huge Michael Connelly fan. But with all the praise heaped upon his Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller series, and their high profile from their TV and film outings, it's easy to forget sometimes that Connelly also writes other characters.
Fair Warning is the third solo outing for Jack McEvoy, the investigative reporter that first appeared in 1996's The Poet, Connelly's fifth book. He made a second appearance 2009's The Scarecrow. There are no cameos by Bosch or Haller, but McEvoy's long-time associate Rachel Walling plays a key role. She's popped up in the occasional Bosch and Haller book (as has McEvoy), so the book is still part of the LA-based "Connelly-verse".


The "Fair Warning" of the title refers to the online consumer rights website that McEvoy now works for, using his skills as an investigative journalist to uncover safety violations and scams. Previously, he's built a track record for capturing killers, but the opening of this novel sees him being accused of being one himself, after a woman he went on a single date with turns up dead.


I'm not going to detail the plot anymore; I'll leave that for you to enjoy. Suffice to say, the plotting is meticulous, with the pacing spot-on, and the premise ingenious and scarily prescient. Unlike most of Connelly's novels. This is primarily told from a first-person point of view. I read a recent review of another author's work, where the person claimed that they automatically gave such books one star. I will try to remain professional and merely say that not only is this one of the dumbest statements I have ever read, it also robs them of brilliant stories such as this. The first-person narrative gives an intimacy to the prose that would be missing in a third person telling, and works tremendously well.
As with all Connelly novels, he really gets under the skin of Los Angeles. I've never visited the city, yet through the eyes of Bosch, Haller and McEvoy, I feel as though I have walked its streets. The characters are well-drawn, and the villain is excellent.
Something worthy of note, without giving too much away, is how accurate the science in this book is.  This overlaps with my own field of expertise and not only is he technically correct, his use of the associated language is precise, yet comfortable. This can be rather difficult to pull off. The concepts dealt with can be hard for a non-specialist to render into meaningful prose. I confess to wincing whenever this is dealt with in fiction or on the screen; all too often writers throw a few appropriate phrases and words at the page and kind of hope they make enough sense to the casual reader to get their point across. To paraphrase Eric Morecombe "I am using all the correct vocabulary, but not necessarily in the correct order". In Fair Warning he avoids this trap and any extrapolation that he does for story-telling purposes is seamless. All praise to his editors and beta readers.


This is another Connelly classic - which is in itself a recommendation - and the welcome return of one of his lesser-known characters.

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There are certain series that I like to ration - saving them as little treats and eking out the pleasure as long as possible.
The moment I finished reading Will Dean's Dark Pines, the first in his Swedish-set Tuva Moodyson series, I knew this was going to be one of them. I downloaded Red Snow and Black River immediately, but let them lurk on my Kindle, practising self-discipline worthy of a monk.
In this, the third entry, Tuva, the investigative reporter that his books centre on, is living away from Gavrik, the isolated town in northern Sweden where the previous books are set. But she is called back when her best friend Tammy goes missing.
Unlike the previous two outings, which were set in the depths of a Swedish winter, rendered so well by Dean that you found yourself wanting to put another layer on, this one is set at the height of summer. A hot, sticky, tick-ridden affair, where the days are almost endless. As before, the town of Gavrik, with its strange, creepy inhabitants, centred around a liquorice factory and bounded by near impenetrable woodland, is the back drop. The town is riddled with secrets and eccentric characters, and frankly you can see why it's not a tourist Mecca!

The central protagonist is Tuva Moodyson, one of the most original characters in crime fiction, and the book benefits from being told from a strictly first-person perspective. An investigative reporter,  she is also bisexual and hearing-impaired, reliant on hearing aids. These last two facts could easily be a gimmick, but in Dean's hands are simply a part of what makes her an interesting individual.
He has taken great care to ensure that the manuscripts are read by a hearing-impaired beta reader and so the books give a real insight into the ways in which society still treats the hearing-impaired differently. Yet all three books are balanced in its portrayal; they aren't polemics about equal rights, but they do make you stop and consider if there are small changes that you could make to make interactions with deaf people more easy. We also gain an insight into the remarkable technology in modern hearing aids - such as Bluetooth connectivity for mobile phone use - as well as their shortcomings, such as how sensitive they are to moisture, including sweat on a hot summer's day. He's not afraid to use them as a plot device, but again it's not overdone - rather a case of 'well obviously, if that was happening then she would find that difficult to deal with'.
As an aside, I don't know how much hearing aid batteries cost, but if they aren't available for free then they should be! Tuva gets through dozens!

One of the strengths about the books is the unique perspective of its author. Will Dean is from the English east Midlands originally, before moving to Sweden where he built a house in the middle of a swamp-infested forest. You literally could not make this up. This not only gives his books an authenticity that few others can match, he also has an outsider's eye that even the most accomplished native Swedish writers can't replicate. A great example in this book is the festival of Midsommar, a uniquely Swedish celebration of the longest day of the year. He is able to highlight those traditions that to Swedish people seem commonplace, yet will fascinate those outside the country. It's a little like the first time you celebrate Christmas with your partner's family; you notice all the tiny differences from the Christmases that you are used to, that seem obvious and inconsequential to them.

All in all, I can't recommend this series highly enough. Although you can read them as standalones, in any order, I recommend starting with Dark Pines, so that by the time you reach Black River you will have a greater appreciation.

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What a thrilling ride!
Alex Shaw built his reputation with Aiden Snow, a former SAS trooper, now a school teacher in Ukraine, called back into action to do the sort of things Her Majesty's Government needs to be done, shall we say, 'discreetly' (although it's fair to say Snow's methods are anything but). Fans of that immensely popular series will be delighted that Snow plays a large and important part in this latest thriller, but make no mistake, this is Sophie Racine's story.
Traitors introduces us to Sophie, an undercover assassin for the DGSE - the French secret service. The daughter of a former French Foreign Legion officer, she is formidable and ruthless.
Sent by the French government to war-torn Ukraine, her mission is to assassinate a Russian spy whose betrayal of the French secret service caused the deaths of countless operatives. At the same time, Aiden Snow has been tasked by British Intelligence to rescue a UK citizen caught up in the conflict.
Snow and Racine's missions collide in the rebel-held Donetsk region of Ukraine and they must join forces - something that loner Racine in particular finds challenging.

As readers familiar with Shaw's previous work have come to expect, the action is relentless and thrilling, with enough military detail to keep Tom Clancy nerds happy (I am one), but not so much that those unmoved by descriptions of big boys' toys will find their eyes glazing over.
The author has lived extensively in the Ukraine and overseas, and that's where he stands apart from others in the genre. Intimately familiar with the country and its people, he turns his gaze towards the complex political situation in Donetsk, where a war largely ignored and forgotten by the West still rages. This is no political polemic, but Shaw demonstrates his compassion for a civilian population ravaged by years of endless - and frankly pointless - conflict.

Looking to the future, this is a brilliant first entry in what is sure to be a great series. With Aiden Snow already well-established, Shaw is able to sketch him out in broad brushstrokes for those unfamiliar with him, and then direct much of the character-building at Sophie Racine and her DGSE counterparts. The choice of a female protagonist might be dismissed as gimmicky - and in the hands of many writers could be - but that isn't the case here. Racine is a fully-formed character, no different to the countless male spies and assassins that have entertained readers for years. There are no lingering descriptions of her appearance, beyond that necessary to paint a picture in the reader's mind, and she isn't some big-bosomed femme fatale fighting hand-to-hand in high heels and revealing cocktail dresses that could never conceal her Glock. Occasionally, Sophie uses the fact that she is a woman as another tool in her arsenal - she does after all operate in a patriarchal society - yet it's never heavy handed. Ultimately, she is a professional, amongst the very best in her field, who also happens to be a woman. Her backstory is interesting and complex, revealed in careful snippets at the appropriate time, and hints at much more to come.

All-in-all, a highly recommended read.
The book is released in eBook on the 23rd July, and will be available as paperback and audio September 30th.

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Liz and I will be taking part in a live online panel with Roz Watkins and Jane Bettany as part of National Crime Readers Month at 19:30h BST Tuesday 15th June.
"Crafting a Compelling Copper".
For a FREE ticket, follow this eventbrite link.
There will be a 30% discount code on featured books for all attendees.
I look forward to seeing you there!

Unbound Ties is the seventh novel in Liz Mistry's DI Gus McGuire series.
This is my first foray into Gus McGuire's world, but it won't be my last.
The story centres around the ritualistic murder of pregnant women. This is bad enough, but McGuire soon finds that the killings are linked to his own mother's troubled childhood in the foster care system.
McGuire is a fantastic character. Driven and dedicated, he chafes at being side-lined from the main investigation, especially when the case means so much to him personally.


Picking up an ongoing series so far into it can be difficult sometimes, but Mistry finds the correct  balance between hints at key events in previous books and not giving too much away. It left this reader keen to read more about McGuire and his team's prior adventures.
McGuire is surrounded by a rich cast of supporting characters. From the flatulent Crime Scene Manager Hissing Sid and eccentric forensic psychologist Carlton to his loyal team of officers, Alice, Compo and Taffy, all are vividly and uniquely portrayed. I enjoyed the banter and repartee between these series regulars, and again, Mistry makes new readers want to go back to earlier books in the series to learn more about them.
The ritualistic murders are brilliantly plotted and the skilful shifting of perspective between McGuire, the killer and other characters draws the reader into the narrative without ever being distracting.
Mistry sets her books in Bradford, a place she knows intimately, and her characters reflect the vibrant and multicultural nature of the city.
Unlike many authors, Mistry hasn't shied away from referencing Covid19, but it is done skilfully with a light touch. References to restrictions, and the impact they have on day-to-day policing are mentioned, but they simply add authenticity and fix the book's place in time, without impacting the story or jarring the reader. Those for whom reading is an escape from reality can safely pick-up this book without fear of the real world intruding.
This is a cleverly plotted story, with a well-crafted protagonist and fiendish villain. I thoroughly recommend it.

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Dark Memories is the third in Liz Mistry's DS Nikki Parekh series, and the title is perfect.
This is a book about memory; about a past that has haunted Nikki Parekh and her family for decades. In her afterword, Mistry says that she had wanted to write this book since starting the series, but waiting until the third book was a genius decision. I haven't read the previous entries, but when I picked this up, I felt right at home. There is a rich cast of supporting characters, all with their own history - hinted at but not spoiled for those of us who haven't read those stories - and Parekh is a complex, layered character. By penning two books before this, Mistry has been able to craft a world that she knows intimately, with players that she  - and the reader - really care about; including readers that are new to the series and have no prior emotional investment. That's a remarkable achievement.

The story starts with the discovery of a homeless person in Bradford, the Yorkshire town that Mistry sets all of her books in. The case is seemingly routine and progress frustratingly slow, until a newspaper clipping sent to Nikki Parekh makes her wonder if she has a personal connection to the case. A second murder appears unrelated - except for the arrival of another note. By the time the third body is discovered, her link to the murders becomes undeniable - this one is in the house across the street from where she spent her traumatic childhood.
Mistry's treatment of Parekh is brutal and uncompromising in this book, and she deals sensitively with some very upsetting issues. But there are also glimmers of light. Parekh's love for her family is at the centre of the novel, and at work, the unflinching loyalty of her partner DC Sajid Malik and their easy banter counterbalance the darkness.

I really enjoyed this, and it is definitely a #RecommendedRead.

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Roz and I will be taking part in a live online panel with Jane Bettany and Liz Mistry as part of National Crime Readers Month at 19:30h BST Tuesday 15th June.
"Crafting a Compelling Copper".
For a FREE ticket, follow this eventbrite link.
There will be a 30% discount code on featured books for all attendees.
I look forward to seeing you there!

Cut to the Bone is the third in Roz Watkin's DI Meg Dalton series and I wish I had met her sooner.
The story concerns the disappearance of a young women from a pig abattoir. Taking place over a scorching summer, and set in the Peak District, there is so much I enjoyed about this book.
First of all the central mystery. It is a real, meaty investigation (pardon the pun). There are several viable suspects from the outset, all of whom have their own dark secrets. As the book unfolds, we learn how their lives intertwined, decades before the disappearance of the victim.
All of Watkins books are set in fictionalised versions of places that the author is familiar with. If you visit her website, she lists the real-life town that she bases each book on, something I've never seen before. This gives the book a really strong sense of place, and so the history and legends that she invents for the town, which are integral to the story, are anchored to the real location and feel more authentic.
The themes in the book are disturbing, and Watkins is unafraid to push the boundaries, but it's deftly handled and suitable for all but the most squeamish. The final reveal, when it comes is original and unexpected, but all the clues were there.


But my favourite thing about this book is DI Meg Dalton herself. Aside from occasional forays into the past, the narration is mostly first person from the perspective of Meg. A strong, accomplished detective, she is nevertheless self-critical and her inner monologue is brilliantly witty, and her unspoken thoughts are sometimes gloriously inappropriate. I found myself laughing some times, and feeling slightly guilty at other times, as Meg had naughty thoughts that I might share, but would also never say out loud.
Watkins has built a world around Meg, populated by interesting characters that each share a  relationship with her. Having not read any of the earlier books in the series, I look forward to going back and getting to know them before the next instalment.
This is a very enjoyable #RecommendedRead.