crime Archives - The Quick and the Read

Book Review: ‘The Penthouse’ by Catherine Cooper

Catherine Cooper books can be relied upon to be twisty, unexpected – and lots of fun. This one is absolutely all those things,

This book focuses on the intertwined stories of an early noughties girl band and a boy band. Both were discovered on a talent show and their fates seem ever-linked – from the early days of auditions to tours, romances, less-savoury happenings and then, 20 years later, a farewell concert. The story is told from the perspectives of the different band members and other key characters, with the time line shifting between the noughties heyday and the reunion/farewell concert.

For anyone who grew up watching X Factor, Popstars or The Voice, there will be a lot that’s familiar here: the drama of the auditions, the bands created from the most talented ones from other groups, the greedy managers and the relentless money-making from these young stars. It’s an interesting look at the industry, especially when we see the same people years later and the damage that fame has done as they’ve mostly drifted back into obscurity.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Catherine Cooper book without a great mystery, bucketloads of secrets surfacing and the questions over people’s versions of the truth. In this case, the mystery surrounds the disappearance of the girl band’s lead singer, Enola – and the way that the events of the final days before she vanished. It’s not clear what happened to her – but, as the reunion gathers pace, it seems that everyone has things they’re hiding, from Enola’s jealous ex (Max) to her bandmates who had their sights on taking the lead in the group.

This is a fun, easy read and will keep you guessing until the end – I’d recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy – opinions are my own.

Photo by Matthias Wagner on Unsplash

Book Review: ‘The Death of Shame’ by Ambrose Parry

A new Ambrose Parry book is always cause for celebration – and this is no exception. I’m actually really gutted that the cover for this book suggests it will be the final book in the historical crime series to feature Dr Will Raven and his (now) apprentice, Sarah Fisher – it’s been such a great series from the start.

This instalment picks up Will and Sarah’s story in 1854 Edinburgh – it’s a city where the medical community is making great advancements in scientific understanding and practice, but also a city that struggles with poverty and has a very sinister side that both Will and Sarah have experienced before. In this book, Will finally has his own medical practice and is secretly training Sarah who is not allowed – as a woman – to study medicine. When Sarah is asked by a relative to find a young woman, Annabel, she follows a trail that leads her into the world of Edinburgh’s brothels and the trade in women by powerful men. Alongside this, Will is caught up in his own mystery involving the blackmail of some of Edinburgh’s most esteemed doctors. It seems that no-one is safe in this violent, immoral city – and both danger and scandal are edging ever nearer to Will and Sarah.

As with the previous books, the Victorian Edinburgh setting is evoked in all its grim detail – this is a world of baby famers, street prostitution, petty crime, lawlessness and violence. It’s clear that the writers (Ambrose Parry is the pen name of married couple Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman) have extensively researched not only the places and social issues of the period, but also the key figures and medical treatments – this is a book you’ll finish and then end up googling all the real historical figures and events!

Long-standing fans of the series will know that one of the common threads through the books is the relationship between Will and Sarah – they should so clearly be together, but there are just so many reasons why this isn’t possible and every book brings new obstacles. This is still a key element of this book too, and it’s really lovely to see their mutual respect and collaboration develop further as Will helps Sarah to achieve her medical aspirations and she leads parts of their investigations. They’re really brilliant characters – flawed, human, and so engaging to follow.

If you’ve not read an Ambrose Parry book before, obviously I’d suggest you start at the beginning of the series with ‘The Way of All Flesh’. However, if you do start with ‘The Death of Shame’, you’ll still be rewarded with an excellent mystery that can stand alone.

If dark, twisty, historical crime fiction is your thing (and it’s definitely mine!) then this series is highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy of this book – opinions are entirely my own. This is due for publication on 5th June, 2025.

Photo by Jörg Angeli on Unsplash

Book Review: ‘The Secret Room’ by Jane Casey

I love this series, so this was bumped right to the top of my reading list as soon as my review copy landed on my Kindle. Thanks to NetGalley for granting my request to read. This book will be published on 24th April, 2025.

This is the twelfth book in the series featuring DS Maeve Kerrigan of the Met Police and her partner, DI Josh Derwent. Regular readers will know the back-story of these two and enjoy the ongoing saga of their will-they-won’t-they romance, but for everyone else, this works as a brilliant standalone police procedural.

Book Review: ‘You Are Fatally Invited’ by Ande Pliego

Classic crime fiction fans, this one is for you! If you can imagine a modern ‘And Then There Were None’ (Agatha Christie in fine form) and mix it with all the crime tropes you can think of, plus throw in some classic horror elements…you might be part of the way to imagining this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy. As always, opinions are entirely my own.

Book Reviews: New Crime Fiction

I haven’t been great at keeping on top of my blogging recently. Sometimes life just takes over! However, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to highlight some crime fiction and thriller gems that I’ve enjoyed in the past few months.

‘The Dark Hours’ by Amy Jordan

I loved the premise of this novel – seeing a police officer at the very start of her career in 1994, then when she’s called back as a retired detective in 2024 to pick up a case that has echoes of that traumatic first one.

Book Review: ‘The Bookseller’ by Tim Sullivan

This is the seventh book in the engaging DS George Cross series – thanks to NetGalley for my review copy.

‘The Bookseller’ takes us into the (who knew?!) murky world of antiquarian bookshops. When a bookseller is discovered dead in his store, it seems unlikely that brutal murder would strike at the heart of the sleepy, bookish community in Bristol. However, DS George Cross soon discovers that the book world is packed with shifting allegiances, hidden secrets and bitter rivalries – all he has to do is work out who has the motive to kill, picking from a pretty packed field. Add in the multi-generational nature of the family-run bookstores and there’s plenty of simmering resentments for him to examine…

Blog Tour: ‘The Serpent Under’ by Bonnie MacBird

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the latest in Bonnie MacBird’s brilliant Sherlock Holmes series. ‘The Serpent Under’ is the 6th book in the series and is a great addition.

With thanks to Random Things Tours and Collins Crime Club for my place on the tour and my copy for review. Opinions, as always, are entirely my own.

Book Review: ‘Making a Killing’ by Cara Hunter

Cara Hunter is one of my favourite crime writers and a new DCI Adam Fawley book is always exciting! This is the seventh book in a brilliant series – although I think it would work as a standalone. It actually picks up the characters from a previous book in the series, although I didn’t know this until after I’d finished reading as I think it’s the only one of the series I haven’t read!

Book Review: ‘Nobody’s Hero’ by M W Craven

M W Craven’s writing is always a cut above, as anyone who has discovered the brilliant crime series featuring Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw knows. This series (of which this book is the second) takes a different genre – the thriller – and proves that Craven can turn his hand to this genre just as well.

Book Review: ‘Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency’ by Josie Lloyd

Cosy crime isn’t my go-to genre – I usually prefer something a bit darker – but I couldn’t resist this book! A fab and festive cover, a female lead character descended from famous Victorian food writer Mrs Beeton and the promise of a twisty mystery – count me in!

Thank you to Rachel Quin and HQ for my copy of the novel for review. It’s published in hardback on 24th October and would make a great Christmas present for the crime fan in your life.

The story centres on Alice Beeton, an older woman running the Good Household Management Agency – if your most famous relative is famous for the Victorian classic ‘Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management’ then why not capitalise on the connection?! Alice provides the best domestic staff to the poshest families in the UK and is known for her discretion and calm competence. Along with her dog, Agatha (named after the best crime novelist, of course), she lives in a basement flat in Kensington and focuses her efforts on her business.

When a well-to-do family need a housekeeper, Alice sends new hire Enya – a woman with perfect references and fluent French who seems ideal. However, a matter of days later, on New Year’s Day, Enya is found dead at the family home. Feeling responsible for Enya’s death, Alice gets herself involved in the police investigation led by the scruffy but slightly clueless Detective Rigby. Can she uncover the killer stalking through high society?

I absolutely loved Alice Beeton and need to read more about her! Initially, she comes across as someone whose life is very ordered and regulated – she has her dog, her flat and her business and that’s the extent of her world. However, being thrown into a murder investigation forces her to broaden her horizons and take risks – from going undercover to dealing with Detective Rigby and his charms. It’s lovely that Alice is an older woman – ‘the wrong side of fifty’ – as it’s rare to read about protagonists of this age and gender (even though women and older people make up a huge proportion of the book-buying public).

Alice’s connections with her famous ancestor are also used well within the novel – as well as the business name, there are Mrs Beeton recipes at relevant points throughout the book. These are (I think) taken from Mrs Beeton’s famous cookery book and are sometimes tempting, sometimes weirdly archaic, but always interesting.

The plotting of the mystery is well done and kept me guessing for quite a while. I did solve the mystery just ahead of Alice, but more through luck than judgement. There were plenty of surprises along the way, as well as a host of engaging characters (Alice’s co-workers are pretty great) and some luxury settings.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first (but hopefully not last) insight into Alice’s world; it’s cosy and festive, but also immersive and engaging. I really hope Book 2 is on the way…