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What a treat! Today's #RecommendedRead is The Botanist, M.W. Craven's latest Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw masterpiece. I've reviewed others in the series (The Curator and Dead Ground), but this time I was fortunate enough to get an early copy.
Yes I am being hyperbolic, but I don't care. I devoured it in 3 days and it is absolutely fantastic.
Washington Poe, former soldier, and now a detective working for the National Crime Agency, specialises in serial killers and the most fiendish of crimes, and in this book he is given a doozy. The Botanist is targeting high-profile victims, and they just can't figure out how the killer is getting to the targets. At the same time, Poe's friend, series-regular, pathologist Professor Estelle Doyle, is arrested for the murder of her father. ALL the evidence points towards her, but Poe and Tilly know that she can't possibly be guilty.
Poe hates locked room mysteries - but here he has two, and the stakes couldn't be higher, both personally and professionally.
Mike Craven has crafted an enviable series that ticks all the boxes. Central to the books is the wonderful pairing of Poe, and gifted analyst, Tilly Bradshaw. The chemistry of this mismatched duo is what sets them apart. Poe is taciturn, rude and technically inept, but he is a brilliant and tenacious detective who's never met a meat dish he doesn't love. Tilly is a technical genius, whose early cloistered upbringing amongst other intellectual giants, has left her with few social skills, and a wide-eyed naivete and forthright manner that is refreshing, toe-curlingly cringeworthy and laugh-out-loud hilarious. Much to Poe's disgust, she's also a vegetarian.
What's great is the way the author's own dry wit comes across in the narrative, and the book is full of quotable lines.
The fact is, that Craven could have given these two any investigation, and the books would have been popular and fun reads. But he hasn't. The investigations here are fiendishly clever, locked room mysteries. And the answers when they come are brilliant, but obvious when you look back and ignore the expertly placed misdirection.
What's especially impressive is the pacing. Despite two complex and detailed investigations, and the need for the series' trademark Tilly and Poe diversions off topic, the book gallops along. You get a huge amount for your money, yet the book feels neither rushed or overly long.
And on a personal note, as the title of the book suggests, the books rely on a degree of scientific expertise. Through the need for Tilly to explain everything to Poe, the readers are also kept in the loop, and it doesn't become burdensome. The science is a little out of my own area of biology, but as best I can tell is accurate and plausible. Craven has wisely taken advice from advisors such as fellow writer Brian Price, who he has credited in the acknowledgments.
All in all, the book is an excellently crafted novel, from a writer at the top of his (and anyone's) game.
If he wasn't such a nice bloke, and I didn't enjoy these books so much, I'd hate him!
The Botanist is out on June 2nd and is sure to be showered with accolades.
Have you had a chance to read The Botanist yet? Is it on your TBR pile? Feel free to comment here, or on social media.
Happy reading!
Paul

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Today's #RecommendedRead is the latest deliciously dark psychological thriller from Victoria Selman.
The copy I have was a freebee from CrimeFest, (it's not due out until July) and the moment I saw its beautifully designed, black cover, with its sealed, folding flap, I knew it would be my next read. 

Told in two time frames, it's narrated by a twelve-year-old girl, Sophie who moves, with her single mother, from Massachusetts to North London at the beginning of the 1980s. There they meet Matty Melgren, a charismatic Irishman who starts dating Sophie's mother. With no father figure, Sophie finds in Matty someone to fill that void in her life and soon she feels her family is complete.
But there is a serial killer stalking the streets of London, killing young women in a ritualistic manner, and so we see the investigation unfold during the book, and it gets steadily darker and darker.

The second time frame, interleaved with the first, is set twenty years later. Matty is now serving life without parole for the murders - crimes that he swears he is not guilty of. Sophie is wracked with guilt for not seeing him for what he was, yet is still plagued with doubts. What if the man she loved like a father is innocent after all? And then she receives a letter from him. He's dying and he asks to see her in prison...

This book is a masterclass in the slow reveal. The two threads are woven together seamlessly, each retaining their own separate feel and identity. 1980s London is interspersed with life twenty-odd years later. Matty's case remains an obsession to many, with numerous true crime documentaries and websites rehashing events; some believe he's guilty, others are convinced of his innocence.

Usually such books are divided into sections, with each timeline clearly labelled. But Selman hasn't done that here. The short chapters weave between the two times, but she maintains a distinctiveness between each period that means the reader is never in any doubt when the chapter is set. As the book unfolds, the reader is not quite sure if Matty is guilty. The evidence was enough to convict him in 1983, yet there is enough reasonable doubt that you can't be completely certain. 

The skill here is in the writing; the novel is an acutely observed study of uncertainty. We follow Sophie's story as she negotiates her early teenage years; then we see her as a grown woman, haunted by the events of two decades ago. Period details and references to current affairs keep the sections in the 1980s firmly grounded in that time period, whilst the contemporary sections supply a commentary on our modern obsession with serial killers from the past, and 'citizen detectives'.

The book builds to its climax slowly, yet never feels laboured, and you are immersed in the story. By keeping the book firmly in the first person throughout, you are only ever privy to what Sophie knows. But because it's set in two time periods, you find yourself scrutinising the earlier parts of the story with the benefit of hindsight. Fundamentally, the question you find yourself trying to answer, is whether Sophie was hoodwinked or not?

This was a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it.
As always, feel free to comment here or on social media.
Best wishes,
Paul

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Today's #RecommendedRead is from Louise Mangos. The Beaten Track is a compulsive tale of obsession, and how your past life can continue to follow you, even as you move forward.
It follows the tale of Sandrine, a young woman returning from a backpacking holiday around the world. The trip was a dream for her, yet it turned dark when she picked up a stalker, who eventually killed himself.
Things go from bad to worse when she is jilted by her holiday lover, before finding out she is pregnant. Eventually, she is forced to return home to Switzerland, penniless, pregnant and heartbroken.
Things finally seem to be going her way when she meets Scott. Handsome, wealthy and willing to take care of her and her baby, he seems like a dream come true. But her nightmare is only starting.

It's an old cliche, but writers are often advised to 'write what they know', and this is a case study in when that advice really works. Mangos travelled extensively when she was younger, and is currently living in Switzerland. This lends the book a descriptive authenticity that really lifts it.
Cleverly, Mangos sets the book in the late 1980s. Not only does this allow her to confidently use her own experiences and memories, it frees her from some of the constraints of telling a story set in today's connected world. With near universal mobile phone coverage in even the remotest parts of the world, and modern forensics available to the smallest of police forces, it would be difficult to keep the suspense if the book were set in the 21st century. In the hands of another author, this might feel contrived, but because Mangos is writing in part about her own, vividly remembered, experiences it works really well, and it feels natural and authentic.
A story such as this is crafted to keep the reader guessing. It's cleverly ambiguous in parts without ever feeling that the writer is being evasive. I made numerous predictions, some of which were right, others which were way off the mark. Because of that, I was eager to reach the end and be rewarded with the complete explanation.

I heartily recommend this book. 

Today's recommended read is plural: the two bestselling novels (so far) in Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series.
First let's deal with the hype, and the elephant in the room. Richard Osman is a popular UK TV presenter and producer. His first attempts at writing a book were snapped up for an eye-watering sum. Not unusual for a celebrity book. The first in the series The Thursday Murder Club justified his publisher's gamble with record-breaking sales. The follow-up, The Man Who Died Twice, broke records for pre-orders. Doubtless the as-yet-untitled third in the series will do similarly well.
Inevitably that evokes a degree of jealousy, with plenty of people willing to put the boot in solely on that basis. There are even those who go as far to say that "he should stick to his day job and leave writing to 'proper authors'."
Newsflash: Most 'proper authors' have or had day jobs; his is just a little more high-profile than most.
So why have I recommended them? It's not like he needs me to bang the drum for him. I recommend these books for the same reason I recommend any book on this blog - I really enjoyed them! Genuinely, they were tremendous fun and very well written. I know a thing or two about writing books, and Osman can hold his head high. Ignoring the numbers and hype, I would have been very happy if I wrote these stories.

For those that don't know, the books centre around a group of elderly folks living in a residential complex of retirement homes. To keep themselves entertained, they spend their Thursday afternoons looking into cold cases - hence the name of the series.
I'll skip over the plots for the books - you can get that from the jacket blurb. Suffice to say, the books are really fun whodunnits. The stories are contemporary, set in modern times, and lean more towards cosy and fun, rather than gritty and procedural. That's fine by me, they are a refreshing change from what I typically write and read.
These are good, fun crime stories that stand on their own merits. But what really makes them better than a lot of half-hearted, ghost-written celebrity cash-ins, is that he wrote the books himself (off his own back, without a deal in place) and that he has really put the effort in.
The cast of characters are wonderfully drawn. Each of them has their own story and part to play. In some ways he channels the wonderful joie de vivre of Last Of The Summer Wine, with seniors behaving badly. But he doesn't veer into farce - there are no elderly men in bathtubs going down a hillside to a canned laughter track. Instead, it is a celebration of people making the most of their last few years.
The book is laugh-out-loud in parts, as one would expect from Osman, and also poignant. He doesn't steer clear of the fact that these are older people, who are having to face the trials and challenges that brings, including the inexorable loss of companions.
The sequel builds on this strong start, with each of the central cast being given their own chance to star, and an expansion of the secondary characters that return from the first. It also continues to tackle emotive issues, and the emotional and physical impact of a violent attack on one of the heroes is dealt with sensitively and realistically.
Osman uses a couple of different devices to tell his stories. One, using snippets from the diary of one of his characters to fill in narrative gaps works really well, but it isn't over-used.
The third in the series is due out this year, and I will definitely be buying it.
These books are well-deserved #RecommendedReads.

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I admit it, I'm pretty late to the party for this one, pardon the pun.
I first encountered Michael Connelly's detective Renee Ballard when she crossed paths with the long-established Harry Bosch in Dark Sacred Night.
For some reason, I hadn't quite twigged that this was her second outing. The Late Show introduces this fascinating new character, and is entirely her own show (pardon another pun).
The premise is somewhat different to his other books. Ballard is a member of the late show - the night shift. The LAPD cops who pick up everything that happens when the regular detectives have ended for the day. They get the ball rolling on investigations, but often hand them over to other divisions, such as Robbery Homicide or burglary. They rarely close cases, or see them through to the end. This suits Ballard's partner just fine, but frustrates her.
The late show is something of a punishment duty - Ballard was banished to it because of a betrayal that we learn more about over the course of the book.
For those used to a more 'traditional' detective story, that opens with the big crime that needs solving and then follows the investigation, the initial pace may seem slow. Stick with it. Connelly is setting the scene as we follow Ballard through her shift, dealing with everything from the theft of a credit card to a brutal assault and a multiple murder. I really enjoyed it for a change, and buried within there are the seeds of the tale that will follow.
The book is ultimately a very satisfying story, with a coherent but slightly unusual structure. More importantly, it introduces us to the character that will, I suspect, one day take the torch from Harry Bosch.
Ballard is based on a real-life LAPD detective that Connelly is keen to acknowledge publicly. Tough and somewhat brittle after her betrayal, she is a fascinating character. Brought up in Hawaii, she lives her life in a camper van bedecked with her beloved paddleboards, and sleeps in a tent on the beach during the day, accompanied by her loyal rescue dog, Lola.
Renee Ballard is a great character who works well with Harry Bosch, but I highly recommend this book as an introduction to her as a fully-fledged individual. Will she one day shoulder Harry's mantle? Only Michael Connelly knows, but if she does, this book marks her as a worthy successor.

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A few months ago, I recommended M.W. Craven's third entry in his Washington Poe series, The Curator. I said at the time that the reason I was posting the review so long after it had been published, was because I had forced myself to ration the pleasure - deferred gratification if you will.
This time I managed to force myself to ask for it for Christmas, rather than going out to buy it immediately, but as soon as the jolly, bearded fat bloke delivered it, I succumbed.
In this latest instalment, Sergeant Washington Poe and his brilliantly quirky side-kick, Tilly Bradshaw, are called to look into what appears to be a fairly mundane murder in a brothel. As members of the National Crime Agency specialising in serial murders and more unusual crimes, this doesn't fit their usual remit. But their presence has been requested especially, by the sort of folks that like to keep things quiet.
Pretty soon it becomes apparent that the case is anything but routine. A highly-vetted victim doing a sensitive job, a strange ceramic rat left at the scene, and links to a peculiar bank heist three years previously all add up to a baffling investigation. For this, Craven draws on his own personal experiences, which lends the writing authenticity and the motives when they are revealed are clearly very important to him.
The mystery at the heart of this story would be a fantastic page-turner regardless, but what garners the books such acclaim is the wonderful relationship between Poe and Tilly, and Craven's witty and often hilarious prose. This isn't a comedy caper by any stretch, it's a serious crime thriller, but one that still makes you laugh out loud.
Fans of the series will be delighted that previous story threads are continued, with ongoing repercussions from events that happened in previous novels, but newcomers will easily slip into the book with no problem. That being said, as I recommended in the review for The Curator, do yourself a favour and start at the beginning with The Puppet Show and Black Summer - the series as a whole is a joy and you won't regret spending time getting to know the characters from the start of their journey.
This one comes heartily recommended, and was a cracking start to 2022.

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Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to receive a pre-publication copy of Dead Man's Grave the first of Neil Lancaster's new DS Max Craigie series. It was a damn good read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Well, the second in the series, The Blood Tide, is on its way in February 2022 and again I have been sent an early copy.

Once again, Craigie is back, along with his team - the brilliant Janie Calver, the foul-mouthed Ross Fraser and reader's favourite, Nutmeg.
The first book cleverly set up the characters and the premise for the series, but was careful to keep plenty back, and so we learn more about them this time around.
As before, the book is set in some of the most beautiful parts of Scotland, with the action taking place in the remote countryside and coastal regions, rather than the gritty streets of Edinburgh or Glasgow. Indeed it is the isolated, windswept landscape that inspires the central idea. Scotland has hundreds of miles of coastland, but only a couple of patrol boats to try and stop smugglers. It is this lawlessness that provides opportunities for the criminals at the heart of this novel.

Lancaster is a former Met detective, and as before his intimate understanding of police procedure adds a note of authenticity to his writing. But he resists the urge to over-inform, keeping the pace brisk and driving the story through plot and characterisation.

Something that I really enjoy about Neil's writing, is that he fully fleshes out his bad guys and allows the reader to spend time with them, instead of just keeping it centred on Craigie. Because of this, the reader is often privy to details that the police are not. Indeed the book seems to be heading towards a conclusion by its mid-point, with key players already identified by the team. But of course, the fun is that they are just the tip of the iceberg and the pace kicks up another couple of notches, and the stakes are raised still further, as we head towards a very satisfying conclusion, with plenty of surprises along the way.

I really enjoyed this, and look forward to future instalments in what I am certain will be a long and successful series.
I heartily recommend this book.

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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