Tag: killer

‘Eight Detectives’ by Alex Pavesi

My next new release for 20th August is ‘Eight Detectives’ by Alex Pavesi. This is a seriously impressive and clever debut novel that plays around with our expectations of detective fiction.

This book offers a range of short stories all held together with an extended interview between a fictional writer and editor about the nature of murder mysteries. The stories explore some of the main permutations of classic crime that people will be familiar with from writers like the great Agatha Christie, but the plots and devices are then discussed and dissected.

The stories are framed by the discussion between Julia Hart, a book editor, who has travelled to an island in the Mediterranean to interview a writer, Grant McAllister, with a view to republishing his 30 year old book, ‘The White Murders’. Each of the 7 stories in this book is presented and discussed by Julia and Grant, the latter sharing his mathematical analysis of detective fiction – sets and subsets of victims and detectives and killers which allow for unlimited combinations in the imagination of the crime writer.

It is a really clever idea and I liked the stories and the analysis generally. I thought it was an interesting premise for a book and it opened my eyes to some of the ‘formulas’ used by writers I admire very much – I’d never really thought of it in these terms before. However, I did feel like some of the stories were so open that there weren’t really enough clues for the reader which did undermine my investment in the stories a little – I don’t know whether this would be an issue with all short stories, but I really like character development and lots of red herrings to think about!

I can see that lots of people will read and love this – it is clever and engaging. Personally, I like a bit more emotional investment in my detective stories that I didn’t always find here – I’m not sure if it was the short story element or the mathematical approach that stopped me from engaging fully.

Overall, I would say that this is definitely worth a read for fans of detective fiction as it is unusual and surprising. It is inventive and will keep you guessing from beginning to end.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you would like buy this book, the link is below. I may earn commission on this at no extra cost to you.

Photo by Samantha Hurley from Burst

‘Knife Edge’ by Simon Mayo

Next up and also released on 20th August is broadcaster Simon Mayo’s thriller.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this, having not read Simon Mayo’s previous book for adults (‘Mad Blood Stirring’, a historical novel). However, I was pleasantly surprised by this fast-paced and twisty thriller.

The novel opens with the killing of seven IPS journalists within minutes of each other one morning in London. The action then focuses on the journalists left behind as they try to work out what their murdered colleagues were working on that could have sealed their fate. What is uncovered is surprising and interesting and far too complicated for me to explain here! Suffice it to say that there is plenty of peril and action to keep the plot moving.

This is an engaging novel, and one that will keep you reading as you definitely become invested in the outcome. The main characters are interesting, but not as developed as they could be – I didn’t really have any sense of Sam or Sophie as characters in particular. This may well be simply due to the fact that the cast of this novel is quite large so I think that Mayo has (probably quite rightly) kept the focus on plot. Some of the events and twists are also a bit incredible – however, it is a pacy and lively novel and I don’t think anyone would be disappointed at the rollercoaster of events it takes you on!

Overall, this is a book that I’d recommend. It is slightly disturbing in its capturing of 21st century Britain and the threats of both terrorism and knife crime – in this way it absolutely taps into current affairs (prior to coronavirus stealing the limelight). If you’re happy to overlook the occasionally thin characterisation, there is plenty to like here.

I received a free copy of the novel from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

If you’d like to buy the book, the link is below. The Quick and the Read might earn commission on purchases at no extra cost to you.

Photo by Samantha Hurley from Burst

‘Lost Cause’ by Rachel Lynch

There are so many brilliant books out this week that I’ll be sharing with you – please do follow my blog as I’ll be reviewing a new release every day this week. It seems that 20th August is a key date in publishing for new books and there are some amazing ones on the way!

First up, we have a fantastic police procedural by Rachel Lynch.

I’ve followed this series from the start and could not wait for book 8 in the DI Kelly Porter series. Set in the Lake District, this series features a tough but likeable female detective, the beautiful but inhospitable Lakes and consistently well-plotted police procedural narratives.

The series seems to become a bit darker with every book and this one does have some quite disturbing themes, including child abuse, prostitution and torture.

In this instalment, Detective Inspector Kelly Porter and her team are investigating the killing of a woman whose body is found in a bin in a tiny village. They begin to notice that there is a pattern of women disappearing in the area, particularly those who are vulnerable and potentially involved in prostitution. What starts as a murder investigation quickly becomes a race against time to discover where the women are being taken before more vanish. Thrown into the mix is a disturbed and lonely young man who frequents an abandoned churchyard and seems to know a lot about the women; it is up to Kelly to determine what his involvement is in the crimes.

As already mentioned, this is a dark story and the sense of looming disaster is enhanced by the setting – the Lake District in January is bleak and remote and often impossible to navigate because of the snow. This further hinders the investigation and makes the story more tense, as does the problems the police have in managing the case across different policing areas. I’m not an expert in these things, but the series seems solidly researched and realistic.

I’d recommend this to those who have followed DI Kelly Porter from the beginning. It does work as a stand-alone, but you would have missed the significance of some of the issues surrounding Kelly’s personal situation and so picking up the series earlier on would be better.

This is a solid, well-plotted police procedural and will certainly keep you reading as you race to find out what happens!

I received a free copy of the novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book can be purchased using the link below – The Quick and the Read may earn commission on this, but at no extra cost to you. Excellent!

Photo by Amanda Kirsh from Burst

‘All Fall Down by M J Arlidge

Another page-turner of a police procedural today, released in June 2020.

This is the latest installment in the series featuring DI Helen Grace.  It works as a standalone, I think - I've only read one of the other previous books and wasn't lost at all!

A brutal murder is preceded by a sinister phone call telling the victim that they have only an hour to live.  The killing seems to be linked to another incident eight years before when a group of young people on their Duke of Edinburgh expedition were targeted, but it becomes a race against time as more threats are made and the police can't get a solid lead.  Meanwhile, DI Grace is also having to deal with problems in her personal life and a nosy reporter who seems too close to the police investigation.

This is another well-written and tense thriller - it certainly kept me reading, although I have to confess I did see one of the twists coming.  DI Helen Grace is a strong and likeable heroine and the story is engaging.  I wasn't a huge fan of the 'flashback' elements told via extracts from one of the character's book and I also thought the journalist figure was a bit superfluous - they felt like extra elements that weren't really needed as the book had plenty else to offer.

Overall, I would recommend this book to people who like tense and pacy police procedurals.  It's one that rarely slows and is - in places - really quite creepy.  I look forward to reading more of this series.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Photo by Sarah Pflug from Burst

‘Neon’ by G. S. Locke

My review of ‘Neon’ (published on 9th July 2020 by Orion).

This is a debut novel by GS Locke and is an edge-of-your-seat crime thriller.  From the tense opening where a man is awaiting his own death, it doesn't let up and will keep you reading as you race to the finish.

A serial killer referred to as Neon is slaughtering women in Birmingham and using their bodies within his twisted art installations of neon lighting.  He is audacious and uses public spaces for his 'art', but his last victim was a police officer's wife.  That very police officer, Matt Johnson, is now on his trail with a very unconventional partner who has her own reasons to kill.  As the net closes in on the killer, the need to operate outside the law becomes essential.

This is an extremely tense thriller.  Although the killer is revealed early on, the tension comes from the continued action, close calls and revelations as Johnson's rather maverick approach to policing runs its course.  The setting is also appealing - as someone who knows Birmingham reasonably well, it felt realistic and creepy.  However, I didn't particularly like the bleakness of the story, especially around Iris - I absolutely know why this was done and it is effective, but I prefer a little less grit personally!  

Overall, I'd recommend this to people looking for a distinctly unusual take on the police procedural.  For me, it's a 4 star read because the ending felt a bit rushed, but there certainly is never a dull moment!

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Photo by Matthew Henry from Burst