TV News: Salamander on BBC Four in February

Salamander, a twelve part Flemish political thriller begins on BBC Four on 8 February at 9pm. Episode two follows at 9.45pm.

From the BBC's media centre:

Disguised as builders, a group of robbers descend on a top Belgium private bank - but the burglars have no eye for money or other valuables and target only 66 of 800 vaults in the bank. These 66 vaults belong to the country's industrial, financial, judicial and political elite, and the safe-deposit boxes contained their most intimate secrets - secrets that could bring down the nation.

Who ordered this hack? Who wants to disrupt the state? The bank scramble to cover up the robbery and avoid the involvement of the police, but police inspector Paul Gerardi (Filip Peeters) catches wind of the affair. With his incorruptible, old-school morals and devil-may-care attitude, Gerardi throws himself into the investigation, and when some of the key players are murdered, commit suicide or vanish, he soon realises just how big the case is.

Gerardi discovers that the victims are members of a secret organisation called Salamander. As he becomes the target of both the criminals and the authorities, Gerardi must quickly find out what their agenda is - and who is behind the thefts...

Review: Stone Bruises by Simon Beckett

Stone Bruises by Simon Beckett, January 2014, 320 pages, Bantam Press, ISBN: 0593073282

Reviewed by Michelle Peckham.
(Read more of Michelle's reviews for Euro Crime here.)

This is a stand-alone novel by Simon Beckett, not connected to his earlier four novels that feature Dr David Hunter, a forensic anthropologist. Instead this novel revolves around one man, Sean, beginning with a description of him abandoning his car in a field somewhere in France. He checks it has nothing in it that could identify him, washes off blood from the seat of the car using water from a nearby stream and removes the UK number plates. But just as he is about to walk away, he spots a package of a ‘white substance’, which he reluctantly has to take with him. He destroys his SIM card as he walks away, and takes a lift from a passerby. It is clear that Sean has done something, and wants to hide away, but we don’t know what he’s done, or why. Gradually, as the book unfolds, a few glimpses into his previous life in London emerge, and a story is slowly pieced together.

But where will he go? Soon, that choice is taken away from him, as he steps onto an iron hunting-trap in a field, badly damaging his foot. Now, he has to stay with the family, on the farm that put the trap there, while he slowly recuperates, staying in the barn just outside the farmhouse. The father, Arnaud, is clearly antagonistic towards him, and would rather Sean left, his wife died some time ago, and there are two daughters, Mathilde and Gretchen, and Mathilde has a child of her own (but the father is absent).

Gradually the French family accepts Sean and he starts working for them, once he begins to recover from his injury. The family dynamics both intrigue and annoy him, but it suits him to stay on the isolated farm, where there is no immediate danger that he will be found. However, it quickly becomes clear that there are some deep dark secrets hidden away that no-one will discuss. Sean’s presence ignites a change in dynamics, which eventually force the secrets out, leading to a climactic ending, at the farmhouse, and eventually a final unveiling of Sean’s own personal story.

Told in the present tense, which I got used to after a while, STONE BRUISES is a carefully written story, nicely put together, with enough clues to help the reader try to work out what the secrets are, but with enough freedom to lob in a few surprises that keep one guessing as to what the real story actually is. This was an intriguing read, that was well plotted and a good book to keep one entertained on a cold winter's evening.

Michelle Peckham, January 2014

TV News: Banks & Gently return next week

DCI Banks and Inspector George Gently return to UK screens next week.

The third series of DCI Banks, based on Peter Robinson's series, with Stephen Tompkinson in the lead role, is six episodes, with two-parters of Wednesday's Child, Piece of My Heart and Bad Boy (the sixth, sixteenth and nineteenth books respectively in the series) and begins on Monday 3rd February at 9pm on ITV1.

From the ITV website:

The series sees the return from maternity leave of DS Annie Cabbot, played by Andrea Lowe (Love Life, Monroe), immediately thrown into a harrowing case for a new single mother. Having acknowledged their feelings for one another in the last series, the new episodes focus on whether a romantic relationship between Banks and Annie can ever be a reality. However, there are inevitable complications as the pair come to acknowledge their own unique and challenging roles as colleagues and parents.

Caroline Catz (Doc Martin) also returns to the series playing DI Helen Morton, the disarmingly blunt and often socially inept detective who joined Banks’ team when Annie left for maternity. Helen has to confront her inflexible approach to both her home and work life; can her relationship with Banks help her to understand when to bend the rules? With both Helen and Annie working under Banks, will he successfully be able to juggle the opposing views of these two strong willed independent women? How far will Banks go to keep both these women at his side?

This series also sees the surprise introduction of Banks’ university dropout daughter, Tracy. Although on the surface, Banks and Tracy have a good relationship, it becomes clear that neither father nor daughter really know each other as well as they pretend. The distance between the pair means Banks cannot see the real danger Tracy soon throws herself into until it is too late.

Inspector George Gently, starring Martin Shaw, returns for a sixth series (seventh if you include the pilot) consisting of four ninety-minute episodes and is set in 1969. The series takes its name from the George Gently series by Alan Hunter though Hunter's books were set in East Anglia, the series is set, and now filmed, in Northumberland.

The first episode, Gently Between the Lines, is on Thursday 6th February at 8.30pm on BBC One:

It is 1969, and approximately six months since the shootings in the cathedral. Gently is taken by surprise when he learns of Bacchus's resignation, realising that his sergeant has lost his confidence. Still suffering his own scars from the incident, Gently sets about fixing Bacchus and insists that he help him investigate a death in custody - a case that has both Gently and Bacchus questioning what it means to be a police officer at a time when attitudes to the police are changing. Meanwhile, the victim's family ask the pertinent question: 'aren't the police supposed to protect us?'.

Review: The Midas Murders by Pieter Aspe, tr. Brian Doyle

The Midas Murders by Pieter Aspe translated by Brian Doyle, December 2013, 336 pages, Pegasus, ISBN: 1605984876

Reviewed by Geoff Jones.
(Read more of Geoff's reviews for Euro Crime here.)

When you recall Belgium crime writers the most famous is Georges Simenon of Maigret fame. The Midas Murders is the second book by fellow Belgian, Pieter Aspe, to have been translated into English, but incredibly he has had thirty-two crime novels published in his native Belgium as well as a book for children.

Set in Bruges we are introduced to Assistant Commissioner Pieter Van In. A heavy drinker and a smoker and a chauvinist who suffers from depression. He is in arrears on the mortgage and could lose his house which is his pride and joy; he is in a relationship with the beautiful Hannalore, who is a deputy Prosecutor, and he is also regularly seeing a call girl Veronique! His conscience is his trusty sergeant – Guido Versavel.

A German business man has been attacked and dies. Van In, however, is given the task of investigating the bombing of a famous statue, the government afraid that this could affect tourism. When the two cases seem to be connected Van In and Versavel have their work cut out.

We’re introduced to the fact that Belgium is split between Walloons and Flemish and Bruges comes across as an interesting place to visit. The book was published in the mid-nineties and seems to be set in the late eighties/early nineties. The word-processor is just making an appearance, no mobile telephones are used and the Renault Espace is one of the vehicles used.

I look forward to reading more on the likeable rogue Van In.

Recommended.

Geoff Jones, January 2014

The Euro Crime Favourite Reads of 2013

I've asked the recent contributors to Euro Crime to choose their favourite European reads of 2013 and a total of 72 titles have been submitted. The following favourites come from the lists submitted by: Mark Bailey, Amanda Gillies, Raven Crime (aka JF), Terry Halligan, Lynn Harvey, Geoff Jones, Michelle Peckham, Norman Price, Laura Root, Sarah Ward, Susan White and myself. The breakdown by reviewer, with additional recommendations and any additional comments they have made, can be found here. Quotes are taken from the Euro Crime reviews, unless stated otherwise.

The most mentioned titles are:

3 votes:

The Ghost Riders of Ordebec by Fred Vargas tr. Sian Reynolds

Vargas has a genius for weaving a strand of the supernatural into her crime stories without breaking faith with the credibility of her plot. In previous novels, she's had readers almost believing in vampires, werewolves and ghosts, before extracting a commonsensical explanation at the last moment.

THE GHOST RIDERS OF ORDEBEC [] is no exception, with its evocation of a terrible legend with the power to drive ordinary people to commit murder. Yet there is never any doubt that this legend is being manipulated by a killer who's very much alive. With a surfeit of suspects, can dreamy and distracted Jean-Baptiste sort the clues from the red herrings? You'll be turning the pages to find out, but also because Vargas has created a compelling world of characters that is simply irresistible.


2 votes:

Pilgrim Soul by Gordon Ferris

...an interesting brevity to the style of writing, and particularly the dialogue that is somewhat reminiscent of the Chandler novels (and the main hero, Philip Marlowe). I quickly became immersed in this book, and very much enjoyed it, so much so that I've already started to read the earlier books in the series. An intelligent, thought provoking story that I thoroughly recommend.

An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris

An Officer and A Spy is a very fine novel full of great characters, plot and atmosphere. Robert Harris has got inside the personality of his protagonist, Georges Picquart, cleverly used the real life characters to give an account of the real life events embellished with a dialogue that reflects the atmosphere of Paris in that period....An Officer and A Spy has more than enough action to keep the reader turning the pages. [from the Crime Scraps review by Norman Price]

Second Violin by John Lawton

The terror and brutality of life, whether in Vienna or London, during this period is brought vividly to life. The resilience of people to rebuild after they have lost, or have had everything taken away from them whether by personal tragedy, by war or by being displaced to a foreign land, is accurately depicted. An interesting story, building on well documented facts and helping history to come alive with the aid of the stories of individuals' lives and experiences is very believable.

Alex by Pierre Lemaitre tr. Frank Wynne

Every so often a crime thriller comes along that leaves you breathless and takes you on a disturbing journey into the darkest recesses of human experience - ALEX is one such book and you are guaranteed a tale of the unexpected from start to finish. Don't expect any spoilers or dwelling on the plot from me, as I want you all to be as surprised by this twisty tale as I was, but all I will say is, you are in for more than one shock or two along the way.

An absolute gem of a crime novel that is wonderfully dark, scary, mad, bad and dangerous to know, but just far too good to miss…

Norwegian by Night by Derek B Miller

What a beautiful book! Superbly crafted and touching on a delicate subject with sensitivity and perception, NORWEGIAN BY NIGHT is a story of one man’s loss and regret and how he tries to come to terms with everything. An excellent debut novel from Derek B Miller; he is another talented new voice to keep an eye out for in the future.

Police by Jo Nesbo tr. Don Bartlett

In Harry Hole, Jo Nesbo has created one of crime fiction's most charismatic heroes and this is reinforced by his absence from the investigation team. Fans of Harry Hole and Jo Nesbo will enjoy POLICE and be thoroughly absorbed in this typically well-plotted, complicated story with its many misdirections and dead ends.



The most mentioned authors (irrespective of title) are:

4 votes:

Jo Nesbo

3 votes:

Gordon Ferris
Fred Vargas

2 votes:

Robert Harris
John Lawton
Pierre Lemaitre
Derek B Miller
Leif G W Persson

The most mentioned translators are:

4 votes:

Don Bartlett (Jo Nesbo)
Neil Smith (Mons Kallentoft, Liza Marklund, Leif G W Persson)


3 votes:

Sian Reynolds (Fred Vargas)

2 votes:

Anthea Bell (Jakob Arjouni, Jan Costin Wagner)
Frank Wynne (Pierre Lemaitre)

All the titles mentioned in the best of lists:

Jakob Arjouni – Brother Kemal tr. Anthea Bell.
Laurent Binet - HHhH tr. Sam Taylor
Simon Brett – A Decent Interval
Roberto Costantini - The Deliverance of Evil tr. N S Thompson
Arne Dahl – Bad Blood tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles
Kishwar Desai - Witness the Night
Michael Donovan - Behind Closed Doors
PR Ellis - Painted Ladies
Gordon Ferris – The Hanging Shed
Gordon Ferris - Pilgrim Soul
Robert Galbraith - The Cuckoo's Calling
Pascal Garnier - Moon in a Dead Eye tr. Emily Boyce
Elizabeth George - Just One Evil Act
Phillipe Georget - Summertime All The Cats Are Bored tr. Steven Rendall
Alan Glynn - Graveland
Robert Goddard - The Ways of the World
Robert Harris - An Officer and A Spy
Terry Hayes - I Am Pilgrim
Elizabeth Haynes - Human Remains
Keigo Higashino - Salvation of a Saint tr. Alexander O Smith with Elye J Alexander
Antonio Hill - The Good Suicides tr. Laura McGoughlin
Jonathan Holt - The Abomination
Jorn Lier Horst - Closed for Winter tr. Anne Bruce
Arnaldur Indridason - Strange Shores tr. Victoria Cribb
Steffen Jacobsen - When The Dead Awaken tr. Charlotte Barslund
Doug Johnstone - Gone Again
Mons Kallentoft – Savage Spring tr. Neil Smith
M R C Kasasian - The Mangle Street Murders
Pierre Lemaitre - Alex tr. Frank Wynne
John Lawton - Second Violin
Adrian McKinty – I Hear the Sirens in the Street
David Mark - Dark Winter
Lisa Marklund – Last Will tr. Neil Smith
Andrew Martin - The Baghdad Railway Club
Danny Miller - The Gilded Edge
Derek B Miller - Norwegian by Night
Jo Nesbo - Phantom tr. Don Bartlett
Jo Nesbo – Cockroaches tr. Don Bartlett
Jo Nesbo - Police tr. Don Bartlett
Fuminori Nakamura - The Thief tr. Satoko Izumo and Stephen Coates
Hakan Nesser - The Strangler's Honeymoon tr. Laurie Thompson
Nele Neuhaus - Snow White Must Die tr. Steven T Murray
Chris Nickson - The Crooked Spire
Leif G W Persson - He Who Kills the Dragon tr. Neil Smith
Leif G.W.Persson - Linda , As in the Linda Murder tr. Neil Smith
Anne Perry - Death On Blackheath
Ian Rankin – Saints of the Shadow Bible
Roslund & Hellstrom - Two Soldiers tr. Kari Dickson
Michael Russell - The City of Strangers
Kevin Sampson - The Killing Pool
Lynn Shepherd - A Treacherous Likeness
Stav Sherez - Eleven Days
Anna Smith - Screams In The Dark
Johan Theorin - The Quarry tr. Marlaine Delargy
David Thomas - Ostland
Simon Toyne - The Tower
Antti Tuomainen – The Healer tr. Lola Rogers
Helene Tursten – The Golden Calf tr Laura A Wideburg
Valerio Varesi - The Dark Valley tr. Joseph Farrell
Fred Vargas - The Ghost Riders of Ordebec tr. Sian Reynolds
Marco Vichi - Death and the Olive Grove tr. Stephen Sartarelli
Jan Costin Wagner - Light in a Dark House tr. Anthea Bell
Marianne Wheelaghan - Food of Ghosts
Christopher J Yates - Black Chalk

New Reviews: Brightwell, Gerhardsen, Indridason, Miller, Nickson, O'Brien

Here are six new reviews which have been added to the Euro Crime website today.

Check back tomorrow to see what is the favourite overall Euro Crime read of 2013, plus who are the team's favourite authors and translators of 2013.

NB. Keep up to date with Euro Crime by following the blog and/or liking the Euro Crime Facebook page.

New Reviews

I review Emily Brightwell's The Inspector and Mrs Jeffries which has recently had a (very belated) UK release;

Rich Westwood reviews The Gingerbread House by Carin Gerhardsen tr. Paul Norlen, the first in the Hammarby (Stockholm) series;

Michelle Peckham reviews Arnaldur Indridason's Strange Shores tr. Victoria Cribb;

Amanda Gillies reviews Norwegian by Night by Derek B Miller;

Terry Halligan reviews Chris Nickson's The Crooked Spire, set in fourteenth-century Chesterfield

and Lynn Harvey reviews the latest in Martin O'Brien's south of France set, Daniel Jacquot series, The Dying Minutes.


Previous reviews can be found in the review archive.

Forthcoming titles can be found by author or date or by category, here along with releases by year.

Review: Norwegian by Night by Derek B Miller

Norwegian by Night by Derek B Miller, September 2013, 304 pages, Faber & Faber, ISBN: 0571294278

Reviewed by Amanda Gillies.
(Read more of Amanda's reviews for Euro Crime here.)

What a beautiful book! Superbly crafted and touching on a delicate subject with sensitivity and perception, NORWEGIAN BY NIGHT is a story of one man’s loss and regret and how he tries to come to terms with everything. An excellent debut novel from Derek B Miller; he is another talented new voice to keep an eye out for in the future.

The central character is Sheldon Horowitz, an 82-year-old American Jew who is recently widowed and has been persuaded, against his will, to move to Oslo to live with his granddaughter and her husband. Sheldon is a bit doddery on his feet, a bit stiff in his joints and prone to forgetfulness but when he witnesses the horrific murder of a neighbour, and ends up sheltering the dead woman’s son from the attackers, his old army training kicks in and he goes on the run to keep them both safe.

Sheldon is haunted by the ghosts of his long dead friends and has conversations with them while he is on his journey. Himself an ex-Marine who saw active service in Korea, he is still raw from the death of his own son in Vietnam. He blames himself for his son going to war in the first place – having over-instilled in him the importance of fighting for one's country, as well as the significance of being Jewish. Sheldon’s family seem to think that he is insane, and he may well be as he is frequently confused between the past and the present. One thing is true, though. He knows how to survive when people are hunting him and the journey he takes across the country, with young Paul at his side, dodging both the police and the criminals that want to kidnap the boy, is nothing short of miraculous.

To my shame, it took me longer to get into the book than it deserved but, by halfway, I was hooked and in love with dear old Sheldon. This book pulls at your heart-strings and reminds you that, just because people are old, doesn't mean they should be quietly written off, as they could do things that will surprise you.

Quite simply brilliant!

Amanda Gillies, January 2014.

Favourite Euro Crime Reads of 2013 - Terry

In today's final instalment of the Euro Crime reviewers' favourite reads of 2013, Terry Halligan names his five favourite historical and five favourite modern reads of 2013:

Terry's favourite reads of 2013

TOP 5 HISTORICAL MYSTERIES OF 2013 IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER


Anne Perry - Death On Blackheath
Another excellent Victorian set story from this prolific but gifted author about Inspector Pitt

Robert Harris - An Officer And A Spy
A remarkable story based on true events and originally suggested to the author by the film director Roman Polanski.

Chris Nickson - The Crooked Spire
A very well researched story about a carpenter turned detective set in the year 1361.

John Lawton - Second Violin
Also well researched story of events leading to World War II and the murders of Jews in London.

Lynn Shepherd - A Treacherous Likeness
A case involving surviving relations of the poet Percy B. Shelley and his wife Mary, author of Frankenstein.



TOP 5 MODERN MYSTERIES OF 2013 IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER


Terry Hayes - I Am Pilgrim
Complex but incredibly detailed spy, murder mystery set in Europe, New York and elsewhere which once started is not easy to put down.

Alan Glynn - Graveland
Excellent last book in a loose trilogy. This one describes a fantastic Wall Street conspiracy that echoes real-life events of recent times.

Stav Sherez - Eleven Days
Detectives Carrigan and Miller investigate a fire in a London convent that claims eleven deaths.

Elizabeth George - Just One Evil Act
Inspector Lynley is back investigating a missing person in Italy that DS Barbara Havers is very close to.

Anna Smith - Screams In The Dark
Rosie Gilmour intrepid crime reporter of Glasgow Post investigate the case of disappearing foreign immigrants.

Favourite Euro Crime Reads of 2013 - Susan

In today's instalment of the Euro Crime reviewers' favourite reads of 2013, it's Susan White's turn to reveal her favourite Euro Crime reads:

Susan's favourite reads of 2013

Valerio Varesi - The Dark Valley tr. Joseph Farrell
Jonathan Holt - The Abomination
Michael Donovan - Behind Closed Doors
Roberto Costantini - The Deliverance of Evil tr. N S Thompson
Marianne Wheelaghan - Food of Ghosts
Pascal Garnier - Moon in a Dead Eye tr. Emily Boyce
PR Ellis - Painted Ladies
Gordon Ferris - Pilgrim Soul

Review: The Inspector and Mrs Jeffries by Emily Brightwell

The Inspector and Mrs Jeffries by Emily Brightwell, November 2013, 188 pages, C & R Crime, ISBN: 1472108868

THE INSPECTOR AND MRS JEFFRIES is the first in a long-running series by American author Emily Brightwell, which currently contains more than thirty titles. First published in 1993 in the US, the first three titles have recently been released in the UK by Constable and Robinson.

Set in the Victorian Era, Mrs Jeffries is the housekeeper for Inspector Witherspoon of Scotland Yard. The Inspector is a good boss and a nice man but not very bright so it is up to Mrs Jeffries, the widow of a policeman, to help him as much as she can, to solve his cases. The other household staff realise what she is up to and pitch in by taking up surveilling and questioning duties as required.

Inspector Witherspoon is called in to investigate the suspicious death of a doctor in Knightsbridge. Dr Slocum was not well liked by staff or neighbours and appears to have been poisoned. The suspicion falls on some poisonous mushrooms which most people knew had been growing in the communal garden. When the Inspector appears to be close to arresting the innocent cook, Mrs Jeffries and team step in to investigate thoroughly, and unveil the real murderer.

THE INSPECTOR AND MRS JEFFRIES is a very undemanding read, a comfort read and a quick read at less than two hundred pages. I enjoyed it and will certainly be reading more however I'm not sure how long it'll be before Mrs Jeffries subterfuges begin to grate if they stay the same in each book eg to get access to the crime scene she twice hides one of Witherspoon's possessions so she can return it to him on site. Though Witherspoon is a bit of a drip the backroom staff are made of sterner and more interesting stuff.

NB. As it was written for the American market, British readers will notice a few "gottens" and "inquireds" and such like.

Karen Meek, January 2014

Favourite Euro Crime Reads of 2013 - Raven

In today's instalment of the Euro Crime reviewers' favourite reads of 2013, it's Raven's (aka JF's) favourite Euro Crime reads:

Raven's favourite reads of 2013

5. Steffen Jacobsen - When The Dead Awaken tr. Charlotte Barslund

An exceptionally good crime read from a new-to-me Danish author appearing for the first time in English, When The Dead Awaken is a thriller not to be missed. Drawing on the influence of Roberto Saviano’s Gomorrah, Jacobsen has fashioned an enthralling thriller set in Naples and focusing primarily on the criminal activities of this feared criminal organisation, but also the frustrations of and danger to those that seek to bring them to justice…

4. David Thomas - Ostland

To simply label Ostland as a crime thriller would not only do a great disservice to the sheer power and scope of this novel, but would in turn devalue a book that truly encompasses the very best elements of both the crime and historical fiction genres. With its skilful melding of both the hunt for a serial killer and the unflinching depiction of the atrocities of The Final Solution, this is a novel that unerringly stimulates the thoughts and emotions of the reader, compounded by the harsh realities of human history that form its foundation.

3. Kevin Sampson - The Killing Pool

The mean streets of Liverpool loom large in this, the first, of a projected series featuring Kevin Sampson’s newest creation DCI Billy McCartney - a veritable conundrum of a character that you are guaranteed to love or loathe in equal measure. Opening with the discovery of a mutilated body exhibiting all the hallmarks of a gangland hit, the reader is instantly transported into a dark and gritty read that makes you feel positively grubby, but in such a good way.

2. Pierre Lemaitre - Alex tr. Frank Wynne

Every so often a crime thriller comes along that leaves you breathless and takes you on a disturbing journey into the darkest recesses of human experience- Alex is one such book and you are guaranteed a tale of the unexpected from start to finish. With its mesmerising female protagonist, and unique detective this is an absolute gem of a crime novel that is wonderfully dark, scary, mad, bad and dangerous to know, but just far too good to miss.

1. Derek B. Miller- Norwegian By Night

From the first few pages, I was totally immersed in the life of Sheldon Horowitz, our curmudgeonly hero of the piece: a man haunted by the ghosts of his former life and coping with the daily frustrations of growing old. From the synopsis, it is impossible to harness all the themes and subtlety of prose that this book conveys to the reader. On one level, not only does the book contain all the quintessential elements of a Scandinavian crime novel, it also encompasses the Korean, Vietnam and Balkan conflicts, and on a more emotional level, presents a poignant and meditative examination of ageing and regret, that unusually for this cynical reader, really touched me, engaging me even more with the characters and the multi-faceted plot. A book that still strays into my thoughts and my Euro Crime pick of the year...

New Reviews: Connor, Delaney, Fitzek, McCoy, May, Veste

Here are six new reviews added to the Euro Crime website today.

I still have a few more Euro Crime reviewers' favourite reads of 2013 to post, after which I'll reveal the overall favourite Euro Crime authors, titles and translators of 2013.

NB. Keep up to date with Euro Crime by following the blog and/or liking the Euro Crime Facebook page.

New Reviews

Terry Halligan reviews Alex Connor's latest art-thriller, The Caravaggio Conspiracy;

Amanda Gillies reviews Luke Delaney's The Keeper, just out in paperback and is the second in the DI Sean Corrigan series;

Michelle Peckham reviews Therapy by Sebastian Fitzek tr. Sally-Ann Spencer, which has just been reissued by Corvus;

Susan White reviews jockey A P McCoy's debut, Taking the Fall;

Lynn Harvey reviews Peter May's follow-up to his 'Lewis trilogy', Entry Island

and Geoff Jones reviews Luca Veste's debut, Dead Gone which  introduces DI David Murphy and DS Laura Rossi.



Previous reviews can be found in the review archive.

Forthcoming titles can be found by author or date or by category, here along with releases by year.

Death in Paradise - the book deal

One of my comfort tv series, is the BBC's Death in Paradise which has starred Ben Miller as DI Richard Poole in its first two series. The new series which began this week, sees a major change - and one I haven't brought myself to watch yet...(sniff).

However, a publishing deal just announced, means fans of Richard Poole will be able to spend a bit more time with him. From Book2Book:

MIRA, Harlequin (UK) Ltd's commercial fiction imprint, today announces that it has won the rights to three crime novels by 'Death in Paradise' creator Robert Thorogood.

The three novels will take inspiration from the hit BBC show but will be original stories and will feature Richard Poole as the lead protagonist amongst other show favourites.

'Death in Paradise' is a clever, witty murder-mystery drama set on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint-Marie. The first two series followed the investigations of uptight Met police officer Richard Poole, played by Ben Miller, who first arrived to investigate the murder of his colleague and ended up staying on the idyllic – if slightly dangerous – island. The third series kicked off with a bang on Tuesday 14th January when Poole left the series and new detective DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) arrived to replace him.

Thorogood says, "I've been a passionate reader of murder mysteries my whole life, and in many respects 'Death in Paradise' has always been my homage to the queen of the genre, Agatha Christie. As the TV show evolves I am thrilled that MIRA are letting me bring Richard and Camille back together again. I can't wait to see them once more outwitting the very many murderers that live on Saint-Marie."

Harlequin will publish the first novel in hardback in January 2015, with the paperback edition following in June 2015.

Favourite Euro Crime Reads of 2013 - Lynn

In today's instalment of the Euro Crime reviewers' favourite reads of 2013, Lynn Harvey details her favourite Euro Crime reads:

Lynn Harvey's favourite reads of 2013

My favourite reading of 2013 brought me back to my enjoyment of Scandinavian crime fiction. I liked two of the books so much (THE QUARRY and SAVAGE SPRING) that I have searched out the previous titles in their respective series and am setting out to catch up with them.

I would have liked to add one or two more titles to this list … but rules are rules. So here are my favourite five:

THE QUARRY by Johan Theorin tr. Marlaine Delargy. Easter time on the Swedish island of Oland, a shrinking community whose population is maintained by the addition of second-homers including one or two returnees. One finds his father caught up in a violent crime, another is haunted by her childhood on the island. A dark mix of modern-day crime and local folklore.

SAVAGE SPRING by Mons Kallentoft tr. Neil Smith. A bomb in a Swedish town square claims two young victims. Police detective Malin Fors and her team must find the bomber. A gripping story set in Kallentoft's distinctive world in which the voices of the dead mingle with the voices of the living.

THE HEALER by Antti Tuomainen tr. Lola Rogers. A dystopian Finnish crime story set in a world altered by climate change. The waters are rising; a serial killer is on the lose in Helsinki – and a poet searches for his missing journalist wife. A surprisingly moving love story with grit, suspense and with a truly exciting finish.

BROTHER KEMAL by Jakob Arjouni tr. Anthea Bell. His fifth and sadly last book in which his Turkish-German private eye, Kemal Kayankaya, takes on two cases: finding a missing sixteen-year-old and body-guarding a controversial Moroccan author at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Seductive clients, “mean streets” and complications for Kayankaya in this short gem of a thriller.

BAD BLOOD by Arne Dahl tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles. A sadistic American serial killer arrives in Sweden. With the help of the FBI, a specialist Swedish police team must find this grim killer with a secret past. Each member of the team has their own part to play in the hunt. From Dahl's “Intercrime” series which was serialised by Swedish TV and shown on UK TV earlier this year retitled Arne Dahl. Dark suspense, rich characters, and a wry wit that perhaps did not come across in the TV version.

Review: The Keeper by Luke Delaney

The Keeper by Luke Delaney, January 2014, 464 pages, Harper, ISBN: 0007486111

Reviewed by Amanda Gillies.
(Read more of Amanda's reviews for Euro Crime here.)

It is extremely difficult to do justice to this book. Twenty-four hours after finishing it I am still deeply involved with the emotions that were generated by reading it and that is, for me, a sign of a book that is beyond excellent; dark, disturbing and downright nasty. THE KEEPER will have you looking at people twice and making sure you lock the door at night. As to opening the door to strangers – well, I won’t be comfortable doing that for a while. Although I enjoy a number of different types of crime fiction, ‘well-written but dark and nasty’ is my favourite sort and this one is head and shoulders above most. THE KEEPER is Delaney’s second novel to feature his hero DI Sean Corrigan. The fact that it is his second novel ever is enough to take your breath away. This man has talent! Delaney’s past life in the MET and CID add a deadly ring of authenticity to his work. One is left wondering how much of his story writing is actually autobiographical.

To whet your appetite without giving the game away, Thomas Keller is looking for Sam. He loves her and knows she loves him. He is desperate to find her and keep her safe from harm. Only trouble is, he keeps finding lots of women that look like her and are pretending to be her. They deceive him with their lies and distract him from finding the real Sam. He has no choice but to dispose of these fake deceivers so that he can find and rescue Sam, as he knows she wants to be.

Enter DI Sean Corrigan. He has an uncanny knack of getting into the mindset of the killers he is charged with finding and, when Louise Russell goes missing, he is soon focused on identifying this latest crazy man before Louise turns up dead. He gets closer and closer to his quarry, hampered by an over zealous criminal psychologist and team members who are not quite telling him the whole truth all the time. Can he work his magic before it is too late?

THE KEEPER does have a link to the previous case that Corrigan was involved with, in COLD KILLING, but it is not necessary to read the previous book first. Except you should, because it is awesome. To put it simply, this book is great but if you are a bit squeamish then maybe it isn't for you, as some of the descriptions are very likely to make you feel extremely uncomfortable. I loved THE KEEPER and am already anxious to find out what happens next…

Extremely highly recommended.

Amanda Gillies, January 2014.

Favourite Euro Crime Reads of 2013 - Norman

In today's instalment of the Euro Crime reviewers' favourite reads of 2013, it's Norman Price's favourite five Euro Crime and/or translated titles:

Norman Price's favourite reads of 2013

So here is a list of my five best reads of 2013 and a very difficult choice it was:

Fred Vargas - The Ghost Riders of Ordebec tr. Sian Reynolds

Derek B Miller - Norwegian by Night

Robert Harris - An Officer and A Spy

Phillipe Georget - Summertime All The Cats Are Bored tr. Steven Rendall

Leif G.W.Persson - Linda , As in the Linda Murder tr. Neil Smith

Jo Nesbo News - Retelling Macbeth

I received this press release yesterday, embargoed until today:

NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR JO NESBO TO RETELL MACBETH

FOR THE HOGARTH SHAKESPEARE

The Hogarth Shakespeare, a major international publishing initiative across the Penguin Random House Group, has commissioned Jo Nesbo – number one bestselling author of the Harry Hole thrillers – to retell Macbeth, one of Shakespeare’s darkest and most powerful tragedies.

Jo Nesbo’s books have sold over 20 million copies worldwide and are published in over 40 countries. Nesbo’s latest novel Police is the nail-biting follow-up to his number one bestseller Phantom and is the tenth in the Harry Hole series. The Snowman, the fifth Harry Hole thriller, has recently been optioned by Working Title films. The 2011 film adaptation of Nesbo’s stand-alone thriller Headhunters was nominated for a BAFTA. A new stand-alone thriller The Son will be published in April by Harvill Secker.

Nesbo says: ‘Macbeth is a story that is close to my heart because it tackles topics I’ve been dealing with since I started writing. A main character who has the moral code and the corrupted mind, the personal strength and the emotional weakness, the ambition and the doubts to go either way. A thriller about the struggle for power, set both in a gloomy, stormy crime noir-like setting and in a dark, paranoid human mind. No, it does not feel too far from home. And, yes, it is a great story. And, no, I will not attempt to do justice to William Shakespeare nor the story. I will simply take what I find of use and write my own story. And, yes, I will have the nerve to call it Macbeth.’

Becky Hardie, Deputy Publishing Director, Chatto & Windus/Hogarth, acquired world rights in all languages from Niclas Salomonsson at the Salomonsson Agency, Sweden. Hardie says: ‘From the very start we wanted The Hogarth Shakespeare to surprise and excite readers of all kinds from all over the world. Having an international thriller writer of Jo Nesbo’s stature and popularity on board is the perfect realisation of that wish. We can’t wait to see what Jo does with Shakespeare’s murderous play.’

Nesbo joins an illustrious line-up of novelists on the new Hogarth Shakespeare list, which sees contemporary authors retelling Shakespeare’s plays for a twenty-first century audience; Margaret Atwood has chosen The Tempest, Howard Jacobson The Merchant of Venice, Anne Tyler The Taming of the Shrew and Jeanette Winterson The Winter’s Tale.

The series will launch in 2016 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. This international publishing initiative is led by Hogarth UK and published in partnership with Hogarth US, Knopf Canada, Knaus Verlag in Germany and Lumen in Spain; and Random House Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India. The novels will be published simultaneously across the English-speaking world in print, digital and audio formats.

A similar scheme is ongoing for Jane Austen -  The Austen Project:

The Austen Project pairs six bestselling contemporary authors with Jane Austen’s six complete works: Sense & Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, Pride & Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion and Mansfield Park. Taking these well-loved stories as their base, each author will write their own unique take on Jane Austen’s novels.

and Val McDermid is tackling Northanger Abbey (March 2014).

Favourite Euro Crime Reads of 2013 - Sarah

In today's instalment of the Euro Crime reviewers' favourite reads of 2013, Sarah Ward (also a Petrona Award judge) discloses her favourite Euro Crime and/or translated titles:

Sarah Ward's favourite reads of 2013

Leif G W Persson - He Who Kills the Dragon tr. Neil Smith
Jan Costin Wagner - Light in a Dark House tr. Anthea Bell
Jorn Lier Horst - Closed for Winter tr. Anne Bruce
Fred Vargas - The Ghost Riders of Ordebec tr. Sian Reynolds
Hakan Nesser - The Strangler's Honeymoon tr. Laurie Thompson

New Reviews: Arjouni, Hayes, Kasasian, Malliet, Muir, L Russell, M Russell, Smith, Staincliffe

This first set of reviews for 2014, added to the Euro Crime website today, is a mixture of new reviews and a catch-up of those posted directly on the blog in the last few weeks, so you may have read some of them before if you're a regular :).

Euro Crime took a break over the festive period in terms of reviews however the review team revealed their favourite discoveries of 2013 in a series of posts. Currently we are part-way through unveiling the review team's favourite reads of 2013. After the individual lists have been posted I will tally them all up and reveal the overall favourite Euro Crime authors, titles and translators of 2013.

NB. Keep up to date with Euro Crime by following the blog and/or liking the Euro Crime Facebook page.

New Reviews

Lynn Harvey reviews Jakob Arjouni's final book, the fifth in the Kayankaya series, Brother Kemal, tr. Anthea Bell and she recommends it to "to all lovers of mean streets and wily detectives";

Terry Halligan reviews one of the "big" books of 2013, I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes calling it an "absolutely tremendous book";

I review The Mangle Street Murders by M R C Kasasian which is my favourite discovery of the year;

Susan White reviews the seasonal A Fatal Winter by American author G M Malliet which is perhaps one more for cosy fans;

Michelle Peckham reviews T F Muir's Life for a Life the fourth in the St Andrews-set DI Andy Gilchrist series, saying it's a "great read";

Amanda Gillies reviews Leigh Russell's Cold Sacrifice which is the first in a spin-off series featuring DS Ian Peterson;

Geoff reviews The City of Strangers by Michael Russell, the second in the Stefan Gillespie series, set in 1939;

Terry also reviews Anna Smith's Screams in the Dark the third in the Rosie Gilmour series, set in 1999



and Rich Westwood reviews the second of the Scott & Bailey novelisations, Bleed Like Me by Cath Staincliffe.


Previous reviews can be found in the review archive.

Forthcoming titles can be found by author or date or by category, here along with releases by year.

Favourite Euro Crime Reads of 2013 - Geoff

In today's instalment of the Euro Crime reviewers' favourite reads of 2013, it's Geoff Jones's turn to  reveal his favourite Euro Crime and/or translated titles:

Geoff Jones's favourite reads of 2013

A difficult choice as there were quite a few contenders. Those that just missed out includes Elly Griffiths - The Crossing Places, J. Sydney Jones - Ruin Value, Anya Lipska - Where the Devil Can’t Go, Liam McIlvanney - All The Colours of the Town, Stella Rimington - The Geneva Trap and Ann Cleeves - Raven Black.

1. Robert Goddard - The Ways of the World

2. Jo Nesbo - Phantom tr. Don Bartlett

3. Michael Russell - The City of Strangers

4. Gordon Ferris - Pilgrim Soul

5. Danny Miller - The Gilded Edge

Favourite Euro Crime Reads of 2013 - Michelle

In today's instalment of the Euro Crime reviewers' favourite reads of 2013, Michelle Peckham unveils her favourite Euro Crime and/or translated titles:

Michelle Peckham's favourite reads of 2013

My top five books (in no particular order) are:

Gordon Ferris – The Hanging Shed (and the other two books in the trilogy). Observant writing about postwar Glasgow, with a likeable hero, a strong female lead and an interesting plot line carried through the three books.

Arnaldur Indridason - Strange Shores tr. Victoria Cribb
The return of the haunted Detective Erlendur, sifting through an old case on his holiday, while coming to terms with his overwhelming sense of responsibility for the loss of his brother Beggi in a snowstorm when they were both children.

Lisa Marklund – Last Will tr. Neil Smith
Lisa Marklund’s books feature a journalist Annika Bengtzon, a strong female character with a complex personal life and a nose for great stories. This book starts with a shooting at a Nobel awards party, and I was particularly impressed by the way that the science, which features as part of the plot, was interestingly and accurately represented.

Marco Vichi - Death and the Olive Grove tr. Stephen Sartarelli
Set in Florence in 1964, Inspector Bordelli is an old fashioned policeman, with a zest for good food and a tricky murder or two to solve.

Nele Neuhaus - Snow White Must Die tr. Steven T Murray
Simply because the very unappealing title made me question if I should even read this book, but it turned out to be completely absorbing and densely plotted, and at the end I immediately wanted to read the next Nele Neuhaus book (Bad Wolf).

Favourite Euro Crime Reads of 2013 - Mark

In today's instalment of the Euro Crime reviewers' favourite reads of 2013, Mark Bailey reveals his favourite Euro Crime and/or translated titles:

Mark Bailey's favourite reads of 2013

Of the new releases in 2013, I would strongly recommend (in alphabetical order by author as I don’t want to choose an order).

Brett, Simon - A DECENT INTERVAL (the 18th of the Charles Paris novels by Simon Brett and the first to be published for 16 years; somewhat darker than before but still a good read)

McKinty, Adrian - I HEAR THE SIRENS IN THE STREET (the 2nd Sean Duffy novel set in 1980s Northern Ireland; yes I am biased as I go past most of the places in this novel on my train to work every day and part of this one is set in my village but this is a very assured police procedural with just one more in the series (AND IN THE MORNING I'LL BE GONE) to be published in January 2014)

Nesbø, Jo – POLICE & COCKROACHES (both tr. Don Bartlett) (the 10th & 2nd Harry Hole novels chronologically – POLICE carries on from PHANTOM and with COCKROACHES it was once again nice to see the back plot to the later novels explored in more depth)

Rankin, Ian - SAINTS OF THE SHADOW BIBLE (Rebus is back on the force, older but not wiser - demoted back to his 1987 rank so he could return with Siobhan Clarke as his boss)

Tursten, Helene - THE GOLDEN CALF (tr. Laura A. Wideburg) (the 5th Irene Huss novel in the series and to be translated into English; a fairly conventional police procedural with a likeable main character, well plotted with a good core idea and excellently realised characters who interact with one another realistically and are likeable).

Favourite Euro Crime Reads of 2013 - Amanda

In today's instalment of the Euro Crime reviewers' favourite reads of 2013, Amanda Gillies reveals her favourite Euro Crime and/or translated titles:

Amanda Gillies' favourite reads of 2013

1) Christopher J Yates - Black Chalk
2) Doug Johnstone - Gone Again
3) Simon Toyne - The Tower
4) Elizabeth Haynes - Human Remains
5) Fuminori Nakamura - The Thief tr. Satoko Izumo and Stephen Coates

This year’s Top 5 has been so hard to choose. It gets harder every year as the number of excellent books that Karen sends me to read keeps on increasing. I could have done with a Top 10 this year and feel bad at having to cut other equally awesome books out.

These five are my ‘most favourite favourites’ and all of them have either had me seriously disturbed, or sobbing, or in emotional turmoil for one reason or another. They are all well written, with interesting and unique plots, and have kept me focused and engaged from beginning to end.

Many thanks to Karen for all her hard work with Eurocrime over the last year and for sending us reviewers all these wonderful books to read. I am looking forward to seeing what 2014 brings!

And many thanks to Amanda for her kind words.

Favourite Euro Crime Reads of 2013 - Laura

In this next instalment of the Euro Crime reviewers' favourite reads of 2013, Laura Root reveals her favourite Euro Crime and/or translated titles:

Laura Root's favourite reads of 2013

Laurent Binet - HHhH tr. Sam Taylor
Antonio Hill - The Good Suicides tr. Laura McGoughlin
John Lawton - Second Violin
David Mark - Dark Winter
Andrew Martin - The Baghdad Railway Club

My Favourite Reads of 2013

2013 was my last year as a judge for the International Dagger but I'll still be reading a lot of crime in translation in my new role as administrator for The Petrona Award.

Individual members of the Euro Crime review team will be revealing their favourite European/translated reads over the next few days which will then be followed by a post revealing the overall Euro Crime favourite authors, titles and translators of 2013.

My favourite reads of 2013

Kishwar Desai - Witness the Night
Robert Galbraith - The Cuckoo's Calling
Keigo Higashino - Salvation of a Saint tr. Alexander O Smith with Elye J Alexander
M R C Kasasian - The Mangle Street Murders
Pierre Lemaitre - Alex tr. Frank Wynne
Jo Nesbo - Police tr. Don Bartlett.
Roslund & Hellstrom - Two Soldiers tr. Kari Dickson
Fred Vargas - The Ghost Riders of Ordebec tr. Sian Reynolds

Favourite Discoveries 2013 (10)

Today's final instalment of favourite discoveries of 2013 comes from Lynn Harvey who blogs at Little Grey Doll as well as reviewing for Euro Crime.

We began this series of discoveries with one publisher, The British Library, and end with another one, Audible.

Lynn Harvey's Favourite Discovery of 2013

My favourite discovery of 2013 is not so much a particular book but listening to crime fiction via download from Audible.

Sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day to read all those books. Listening to downloads however – whilst travelling, cooking, waiting, whatever – lets you shoehorn in a few more. Of course listening is not the same as reading. I find the main issue is whether or not I like the narration. On the Audible website I can listen to a sample of a book before I buy. And sad to say there are one or two books I would like to hear but I some of the readers' styles are not for me. However some narrations are a joy in themselves. 


Nigel Anthony gives a tour-de-force display of character voices in his readings of Colin Cotterill's funny and magical series featuring Dr Siri Paiboun, the National Coroner of Laos: old, young, male, female … leave alone spirits, he voices them all with skill and variety.

But he displays another side in his narration of Johan Theorin's THE QUARRY (which sent me searching for the previous titles in the series). Some books have a distinctive production as well as the work of the narrator. I enjoyed (once I got used to it) listening to Mons Kallentoft's MIDWINTER SACRIFICE which introduced a different sound quality for voices on the telephone and a distinctive treatment for the Kallentoft trademark “voice of the victim”. 

Meanwhile I catch up with favourites such as Philip Kerr's “Bernie Gunther” series which is narrated by American actor Jeff Harding (which seems to fit with the private-eye-noir element).

Above all “listening” to books has enabled me to discover books I hadn't found time to read. And listening to these has sent me searching out other work by their authors. What more can you get by way of discovery.

Favourite Discoveries 2013 (9)

Today's instalment of favourite discoveries of 2013 comes from Terry Halligan who reviews at Euro Crime.

Terry Halligan's Favourite Discoveries of 2013

My favourite TV discovery of 2013 was The Doctor Blake Mysteries featuring Craig McLachlan as Dr Lucien Blake and set in 1959 Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The first 10 episodes were shown daily Monday to Friday on BBC One from the 25th November. The stories are really different and very interesting and Dr Blake in an unusual protagonist in being a single Doctor who has inherited his practice from his late father and also works as a Police Surgeon. There are hints that he has been separated from his wife and child since the start of the Second World War, when he was interned as a POW, in a Japanese Camp and when released discovered that his wife and child were missing. I recorded all of the episodes and I'm currently enjoying them and I hope that more episodes will be shown.

Back in early October, I was staying overnight in a hotel in Buffalo, New York State and I saw an episode of Blue Bloods for the first time and now back here I'm able to watch that also on Sky. It is about a family in New York who are either serving police officers, one is commissioner of police (Tom Sellick) and his two sons are a detective and a patrol man and a daughter is an assistant district attorney. It has some very good plot lines.

Looking over the list of books that I've read during 2012, two American authors that I read as alternates to Euro Crime books stand out. The first is the US author Steve Berry who specialises in mystery adventure stories and the first I read was THE TEMPLAR LEGACY which is a much better written and interesting book than THE DA VINCI CODE. The second US author I discovered is Stephen Cannell and and the book is titled THE TIN COLLECTORS. Cannell is a similar author to Michael Connelly and has written many books but has sadly now passed away.

For Euro Crime, an author that I was introduced to this year was Chris Collett who writes really thrilling mysteries with her Birmingham based detective DI Tom Mariner. I've only read one by her for review called BLOOD AND STONE and I would like to read more.


The second author I was introduced to in doing a review for Euro Crime was the Sussex-born author Terry Hayes who wrote one of the best books of the year with his debut one I AM PILGRIM, which has been described as incredibly strong, absorbing and a thrilling story and compared to the sensation that was caused in publishing when Frederick Forsyth's THE DAY OF THE JACKAL was first released. Hayes although born in England, has lived in Australia most of his life and trained as a journalist and worked as a screenwriter on the Mad Max series of movies before turning to writing.