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For today's #RecommendedRead, we return to the streets of Bradford and the world of Liz Mistry's brilliant Nikki Parekh.
I previously visited DS (now DI) Parekh when I reviewed Dark Memories, the third in the series. This is book six, and much has happened in the meantime. But that doesn't matter; as usual Mistry has slipped in the necessary backstory efficiently, with just enough detail to remind fans of the series how we've got here, whilst sowing tantalising details that will make new readers want to go back and fill in the gaps for themselves.

The premise is a really clever, good old-fashioned mystery, woven in with modern, contemporary subject matter. The wealthy Salinger family are found brutally slain over a game of Monopoly. All four family members are present: mum, dad, daughter and son. But Nikki immediately notices that there is a fifth place at the board …
Interspersed with DI Nikki Parekh's investigation into this heinous crime, is the first-person narrative of a young kidnap victim. We the reader know that these two stories must be linked, but how?
The investigation is expertly crafted, with carefully timed reveals and unforeseen twists and turns, leading to a very satisfying resolution. It's a cracking mystery.

Over the course of the series, Mistry has crafted a compelling world of politics and intrigue. Parekh and her team have fought against racism and prejudice throughout their careers and made powerful enemies. In this book, we see her blatantly set up for a fall; viewed as an expendable pawn to be sacrificed to vultures in the press to cover the failings of others. These experiences have shaped the flawed but tenacious Parekh especially, and over the years, we have seen her deal with tragedy and its emotional fallout - including mental health issues. The author, Liz Mistry, has been married to an Indian man for many years, and as such is uniquely qualified to write about the experiences and obstacles her characters face, and does so with compassion and authority.

Despite the darkness, I've always felt the overriding theme running through this series is one of love and family (in all senses of the word) and readers will find themselves invested in the fate of every one of her characters. Parekh is no saint, she certainly has her flaws, but she is likeable and the reader will find themselves cheering her on, even when she is at her lowest.
Likening Mistry's Yorkshire-based books to the magnificent Yorkshire-based Happy Valley TV series, might seem a lazy comparison. At first glance there seems to be little in common. But for many viewers, the emotional core of Happy Valley is Catherine Cawood and her loved ones. Flawed and often irascible, both Cawood and Parekh are intensely loyal and absolutely determined to do the right thing, no matter the cost, and will do anything to protect their family.

I heartily recommend this book to all fans of police procedurals.

What a cracking read! I picked this up as a freebie a few months ago, but it sat on my TBR pile for longer than it should. Simon Toyne is an author and TV producer - if you can find his series "Written In Blood" where he interviews crime fiction authors about real-life cases that have inspired his writing, I heartily recommend it.

In brief, a woman - one half of a 'perfect' couple - is brutally murdered in her own home, in a wealthy London suburb. Her body is found by the couple's cleaner, posed with a number of objects, including a copy of How To Process A Murder, by troubled criminologist, Laughton Rees. Her husband is missing.
DCI Tannahill Khan is assigned the case. What unfolds is an excellently crafted police procedural, with plenty of twists, turns and misdirections. Khan is a well-formed and sympathetic character, but arguably the principal character is Laughton Rees. She has a complex and tragic background, which led her to becoming an expert in the field of criminology, but which has left her reluctant to leave the theoretical comfort of academia and teaching to examine live cases. Unfortunately, the presence of her book at the scene means that she has little choice but to become involved.

What I like about this book, is that in addition to it being an excellent detective novel, is the well-layered and complex characters. They have a rich background that makes them compelling to read. Laughton's own tragic past, which has coloured her relationship with her daughter, brings emotional depth to the character. We also see glimpses through the killer's eyes. This not only adds depth to the narrative, but also ratchets up the tension, as we see him watching those who are trying to bring him to justice. It makes the characters feel more vulnerable.

The relationship between Khan and Rees grows and matures throughout the book, and by the end of the story I found myself hoping that the author chooses to visit them again in future.

Another highly recommended read. 

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If there's one thing more exciting than getting a parcel, it's getting an unexpected parcel. So I was thrilled a few weeks ago when I opened a mysterious package to find a proof copy of the latest DS Max Craigie novel, The Night Watch, sent to me by Neil Lancaster's publicist.
Now first of all, I want to remind you of the rules for this blog. I only recommend books that I've enjoyed, it doesn't matter if the author is a mate. The first two in the series have been top notch - and I'm delighted to tell you that this series just keeps on getting better.

This outing is a real whodunnit. The book kicks off with two murders; a recently released convict and a prominent defence solicitor. Pretty soon, Craigie's team are called in to oversee the investigation, since there are links to past events that might indicate corruption.
I'm not going to outline the plot here - read it for yourself and enjoy the ride. But as ever the central mystery is satisfying complex, there are some terrific action scenes and it packs an emotional punch.

Best of all, Craigie, his ever reliable sidekick Janey Calder, and gloriously foul-mouthed boss, Ross Fraser (and Nutmeg the cockapoo), are all back, on sparkling form, along with Barney their slightly dodgy covert surveillance technician and Norma their IT whizz.
This is the third go around the block for these characters, and it really shows. Lancaster writes them like old friends. The dialogue is pacy and confident, and laugh-out-loud funny at times. Lancaster is an ex-detective, and so the detail is spot on, whilst never being too onerous. Fans of the series will be delighted to find that all of the characters get their chance to shine, with genuine growth and development, but newcomers to the books are given everything they need to join in the fun.

Max, Ross and Janie are fast becoming one of my favourite crime teams.  The book isn't out until September, but I am already waiting impatiently for book 4.
Highly recommended!

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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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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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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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Today's #RecommendedRead is the multi-award-winning Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby. Believe me when I say it is worthy of all the praise that it has earned.

The book is set in the US State of Virginia and follows Beauregard “Bug” Montage. A skilled mechanic and loving family man, he's long since moved on from his former life as a 'wheelman' - the best getaway driver east of the Mississippi. Now he runs his own garage with his cousin, Kelvin, and takes part in illegal drag races in the over-powered Duster left him by his long-gone father.
But when life deals him repeated blows and everything starts to fall apart, he is unable to turn down one last job...

This book is so many things, but first and foremost it is a fantastic, page-turning thriller. The action is relentless, vividly described and visceral. The plot twists and turns, and Cosby invokes a real sense of jeopardy; he's brutal when he needs to be, but isn't afraid to be tender if necessary.
The central character, Bug, is wonderfully complex. Likeable and unpleasant by turns, you find yourself rooting for him, whilst despairing at some of the choices he makes.
The book itself is a study of poverty, embedded as it is in rural communities for whom the 'American Dream' is just a fantasy. Cosby depicts both poor black Americans in a society where overt racism is still rife, and self-confessed white trash, with an equally harsh, yet oddly sympathetic eye.
But what elevates it most is Cosby's use of language. From the vivid descriptions of the sun-baked Virginian plains, which verge upon the poetic, to the authentically rendered-dialogue, the pages are filled with idiosyncratic turns of phrase.

This was an absolutely fantastic read, and I can't wait to see what Cosby writes next.

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Neil Lancaster is a former Military Police officer and Metropolitan Police detective, and so, as a writer of police procedurals myself, I was excited to read something by somebody who really knows what he is talking about!
Dead Man's Grave is the first in a new series starring DS Max Cragie, a former Metropolitan Police detective who relocates from London to Scotland, after an armed operation goes wrong.
The book starts with the discovery of a grave by the head of one of Scotland's most notorious crime families, inscribed with the ominous words 'This Grave Can Never Be Opened' . The murder of the crime boss uncovers a blood feud dating back to the 1890s and leads to the unmasking of a corruption conspiracy at the heart of Police Scotland.

As you'd expect from a man with Lancaster's experience, the book is packed with authentic police procedure, but more importantly, it's a damned good read! The plot is complex, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. Several times throughout the book, the story seems to be heading for a conclusion, but Lancaster throws in a sudden swerve that takes the story off in a different direction, until it finally reaches an explosive and satisfying conclusion. 
From the outset, the characters leap off the page; from Cragie's gloriously foul-mouthed boss DI Ross Fraser, to the sparky DC Janie Calder, they are all expertly realised. Cragie and Calder make for a compelling duo, with just enough revealed about their backstory to hint that the series has legs.


In the interests of disclosure, Neil and I share the same publisher, which in part is how I obtained this advanced reader's copy. But as I have always   made clear, books only appear on this blog if I have genuinely enjoyed them and think others will also.
So I have no hesitation in making this a #RecommendedRead.


Dead Man's Grave is available for pre-order from HQ Stories, and is published in July 2021. 

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David Baldacci is one of the most prolific of the 'big name' authors writing in the crime and thriller genre today, and I have been a huge fan for years. I have an entire shelf, double-stacked, of his books and will need to reorganise my bookcases before I can add more to my collection.
In addition to some great standalones, Baldacci really excels when it comes to juggling multiple series. At any one time, he usually has two or three separate series on the go, switching between protagonists, before introducing a new character and writing several starring that person. Typically, he writes modern thrillers, often with FBI or Secret Service agents, or in the case of John Puller, a military investigator.
Following the logic that he's never let me down before, when adding books to my Amazon wish list for Christmas, I saw One Good Deed, subtitled 'Introducing Aloysius Archer', and I didn't even read the jacket blurb. I just clicked add.


So I had absolutely no idea until I plucked the book off the very generous stack that my family had bought me for Christmas what a departure it was from his usual fare.

Unlike his other series, this one is set in 1949. Archer, a young man who served his country admirably in the Second World War, leaves prison early after serving time for a crime he did not commit. Following the terms of his release, he catches the bus to the town of Poca City, where he is to meet his parole officer weekly, find gainful employment, and avoid drink and loose women.
Within 24 hours of signing into the local hotel where all new parolees start their new lives, he meets a beautiful woman, is employed as a debt collector by the wealthiest man in town and convinces his parole officer that there is no need of her offer of a job bashing in hogs' skulls at the local pork farm.
All seems well and Archer is looking forward to biding his time and getting his life on track. And then there's a murder...


I really enjoyed this. Most of what I read and write is contemporary, so this was a refreshing change. I'm in no position to express an opinion on how accurate the details are, but it certainly feels authentic and Baldacci has clearly spent time researching the time period. The dialogue is snappy and reminiscent of the various movies of the time that I have seen, the characters are vividly described and the plot is a cracking whodunnit.
The advantage of writing a novel set seventy years ago, is that so much of what we take for granted in modern fiction is not available. That's not to say that it is easier to write in that period - far from it - but it allows for a different type of story to be told that just wouldn't be possible nowadays, and that brings its own pleasure. The fact is, DCI Warren Jones could have solved the case in 48 hours. His team of CSIs would have identified the murderer from the DNA evidence left at the scene, their alibi would have been destroyed by their mobile phone location history, and they'd probably have been caught on CCTV.
Instead, we are treated to good old-fashioned detective work; tracking down witnesses, wearing out the shoe leather, and fine, deductive reasoning. The book is generous in length, but paced perfectly and draws the reader in with plenty of twists and turns, and expertly crafted reveals. The motives and the reasons behind the shocking events when they are finally uncovered are both complex and simple - just like all the best stories.


There is a sequel due later this year, and I will be adding it to my wish list for next Christmas.
​I heartily recommend this book.