crime fiction Archives - The Quick and the Read

Book Review: ‘The Christmas Clue’ by Nicola Upson

Christmas books in October is not entirely in my comfort zone, but I had to make an exception for Nicola Upson! More frequently writing about Golden Age detective writer Josephine Tey (check out that series if you haven’t already), this marks a new direction for Upson – it’s the Christmas of 1943 and a married couple arrive at a country hotel in the snow to run a festive murder mystery game for the guests. When things take a sinister turn, Anthony and Elva Pratt turn detective, as well as game designers as they create Cluedo along the way.

Anthony and Elva Pratt were real people, and did actually create Cluedo based on Elva’s floor plan design and Anthony’s brainwork. The rest comes from Upson’s imagination, and we’re introduced to a lively cast of characters passing Christmas at the hotel, as well as a load of shady back-stories and mysterious events. It’s phenomenal to see what Upson has packed into this book which is short – novella length, I think. It even has a map of the village, and I love a map!

This would make a brilliant Christmas present for crime-lovers. It has shades of Agatha Christie (the clever closed circle mystery) and Josephine Tey (ingenious plotting), avoiding too much coziness and keeping the reader hooked right to the end. Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy of the book.

Thanks to Alexander Lyashkov on Unsplash for the header photo

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: ‘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: ‘Forget Me Not’ by M. J. Arlidge

Thanks to Compulsive Readers for inviting me on the blog tour for this – the latest in the brilliant DI Helen Grace series. Thanks also to Orion Books for my copy of the book – as always, opinions are entirely my own.

A new M. J. Arlidge book is always a treat – fans of the series will know exactly what I mean and what to expect. There’s always the fabulous but maverick DI Helen Grace at the book’s heart, usually immersed in a tense, dangerous and high-stakes investigation as part of Southampton Police’s Major Incident Team.

This book starts on Day One with the abduction of a young girl, a case that DI Grace wants the team to prioritise. However, she is put under strict instructions to put her team to work instead on the gang crime that is taking over Southampton’s streets. As DI Grace is never one to follow orders, she begins work on the case of the missing girl – and uncovers some disturbing and dark secrets that are a little too close to home…

Book Review: ‘The Mystery Guest’ by Nita Prose

Happy publication day!

Having 2022’s ‘The Maid’ and been charmed by Molly the Maid, I was very happy to be granted an advance copy of ‘The Mystery Guest’ for review. This is Molly’s second outing and a lovely sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts with Molly Gray – now Head Maid – preparing for a big event at the Regency Grand Hotel. A famous crime writer has a big announcement – but, before he can make it, he drops dead on the floor of the tea room. Molly, with her quirky ways and ability to be in the wrong place when it counts, immediately comes under suspicion as the police start digging into secrets in the hotel. However, Molly knows that she has important information – even though it means confronting some truths about her past…

Book Review: ‘The Murder Mile’ by Lynda La Plante

Thanks to Compulsive Readers for inviting me onto the #TeamTennison project and to Zaffre Books for my copy of this – the fourth in the series covering Jane Tennison’s life before Prime Suspect.

As always, opinions are my own.

In this book, Jane Tennison has been made Detective Sergeant and is working in Peckham CID, in a tough part of London and in a policing team imbued with the all-too-familiar misogyny and racism that we’ve seen before in the series. When a young woman is found killed in Bussey Alley, Peckham, Jane Tennison is first on the scene and keen to find the killer. A second body with no obvious link to the first other than physical proximity throws Tennison’s team into confusion…and a third murder on their patch tests them further. The newspapers begin stirring up panic about a serial killer in Peckham – as Tennison uncovers some baffling links and leads…

Book Review: ‘Shot with Crimson’ by Nicola Upson

This is a brilliant new instalment in Nicola Upson’s ‘Golden Age’ crime series featuring Josephine Tey as detective. It’s a genius idea to have an actual crime writer as a detective, something that Upson has sustained beautifully over 11 books – ‘Shot with Crimson’ being the latest.

I’ve followed this series from the start and was delighted to be granted a copy of ‘Shot with Crimson’ for review by NetGalley. As always, opinions are entirely my own.

Book Review: ‘The Island’ by Catherine Cooper

Happy publication day to ‘The Island’ by Catherine Cooper. Thanks to NetGalley for my opportunity to read this book ahead of publication – opinions are entirely my own.

I’ve loved Catherine Cooper’s previous novels – tight and twisty psychological thrillers set in such great locations as a French chateau, a fancy ski resort or on board a luxury cruise ship. With that in mind, I was very keen to visit (from my armchair, obviously!) the latest high-end setting, a sumptuous and exclusive Maldives resort in ‘The Island’.

Book Review: ‘Hidden Killers’ by Lynda LaPlante

Today, I’m delighted to share my review of ‘Hidden Killers’, the second in the series to feature the early career of Jane Tennison.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster for my review copy of the book – opinions are entirely my own. Thanks also to Compulsive Readers for asking me to join #TeamTennison and read the whole series!

Book Review: ‘Tennison’ by Lynda La Plante

I was absolutely delighted to be asked to join #TeamTennison and read the whole series featuring Jane Tennison from the start! Thanks to Compulsive Readers for my spot on the team and for my copies of the books.

This review is for ‘Tennison’, the first in the series – most people will be familiar with DCI Jane Tennison from the ‘Prime Suspect’ series featuring Dame Helen Mirren, but this series takes us back to 1973 and the very start of Tennison’s career.