Happy Holidays!

Just a quick post to wish everyone a lovely break. Thank you so much for following and commenting over the past year. I have been spending quite a bit of time on the Petrona this month which is why there hasn't been a December new books post (yet).

I've just finished reading the Alan Rickman Diaries and have just started Tom Felton's biography, Beyond the Wand. To accidentally continue the Harry Potter theme we rewatched the first 3 films yesterday whilst trying to do a jigsaw at the same time. It was only 500 pieces so really shouldn't have taken that long!

The Petrona Award 2022 - Winner

 

Winner of 2022 Petrona Award announced

The winner of the 2022 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year is: 

FATAL ISLES by Maria Adolfsson, translated from the Swedish by Agnes Broomé and published by Zaffre.

Maria Adolfsson will receive a trophy, and both the author and translator will receive a cash prize.

The judges’ statement on FATAL ISLES:

This captivating winning novel is the first in a series featuring the beautifully flawed protagonist Detective Inspector Karen Eiken Hornby, whose take on life and work make for a strong down-to-earth and modern heroine in the relicts of a man’s world.

Set in the fictional yet completely credible location of Doggerland, this three-islands archipelago in the North Sea, reflects Scandinavian, North European and British heritages. Doggerland is shaped and influenced by its geographical position; the  atmospheric setting, akin to the wind- and history-swept Faroe and Shetland Islands, and Nordic climes, enhances the suspenseful and intriguing plot of a police procedural that combines detailed observations and thoughts on the human condition. A brutal murder sets in motion an investigation into layers of hidden secrets and of societal attitudes, and the interaction between the superbly portrayed characters creates a thrilling tension and believable environment. 

Comments from the winning author, translator and publisher:

Maria Adolfsson (author):

I feel so honoured and want to send my warmest thanks to the Petrona Award jury. This appreciation for my work means a lot to me!

For me it is especially exciting that the British readers enjoy exploring Doggerland together with me. I’ve always been interested in what unites people in Scandinavia and the British Isles, how we are culturally linked, and what sets us apart. To me, Doggerland is - or at least might have been - the link between us. Or to quote Herman Melville: “It’s not down on any map; true places never are.”

Agnes Broomé (translator):

I am deeply honoured to receive the Petrona Award 2022. With such an impressive shortlist it is truly humbling to be chosen. I am grateful to the jury for their unswerving commitment to bringing Scandinavian crime literature to an English-speaking readership. My warmest thanks to everyone at Zaffre for their support along this journey and, above all, to Maria Adolfsson for introducing me to Detective Inspector Karen Eiken Hornby. 

Zaffre (publisher):

Many thanks to the jury for choosing FATAL ISLES as the worthy winner of this year’s Petrona Award. It’s wonderful to see Maria’s brilliantly imaginative crime debut, expertly realised in English by Agnes Broomé, recognised for its excellence. DI Karen Eiken Hornby is a universally relatable character and Adolfsson’s vividly drawn island nation, Doggerland, is a perfectly picturesque place for the darkest deeds to occur. It is such a pleasure to publish this internationally bestselling series. 

The Petrona team would like to thank the following: firstly, David Hicks, for his generous sponsorship of the Petrona Award; secondly the co-creators and original judges of the Award: Barry Forshaw, Dr. Kat Hall and Sarah Ward and thirdly, Adrian Muller for his support via the CrimeFest platform.

The Petrona Award website

An option to receive details of new posts has also been added to the Petrona Award website (see top right), using follow.it as well as a link to Bloglovin'. 

The winner of the Petrona Award 2022, for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel in Translation, will be announced on Thursday.

Email Notifications of new posts

I have been tinkering with the email subscriptions as Feedburner is apparently now kaput. I have set up a follow.it option on the top right of the blog and I've tried to redirect existing subscribers to it. I'm not sure if this is working but do let me know if it is, or is not, or of any issues or even alternatives.

New Releases - November 2022

Here's a snapshot of what I think is published for the first time in November 2022 (and is usually a UK date but occasionally will be a US or Australian date). November and future months can be found on the Future Releases page. If I've missed anything or got the date wrong, do please leave a comment.

Please note that, unless specifically mentioned, when a book has differing print and ebook release date, I use the print release date. Translators' names are included where known.

• Allingham, Merryn - Murder at St Saviour's #5 Flora Steele, Sussex, 1955
• Bateman, E C - Death at the Auction #1 Felicia Grant, Stamford, Lincs
• Boland, Shalini - The Daughter-in-Law
• Bolton, Sharon - The Buried #2 Craftsman series
• Bright, Verity - Murder in an Irish Castle #12 Lady Eleanor Swift, 1920s
• Cannell, Dorothy - Peril in the Parish #3 Florence Norris, Housekeeper, 1930s
• Carson, John - Never Go Home #15 DCI Harry McNeil
• Carver, Will - Suicide Thursday
• Charlton, Karen - Dancing With Dusty Fossils #2 York Ladies' Detective Agency
• Clark, Cassandra - Dark Waters Rising #12 Hildegard, Nun, 14thC, Yorkshire
• Clarke, Georgina - The Dazzle of the Light
• Comley, M A - To Entice Them #7 DI Sam Cobbs
• Conway, Simon - The Survivor #3 Jude Lyon, MI6
• Cooper, Catherine - The Cruise
• Cutler, Judith - A House Divided #4 Matthew Rowsley, Steward & Mrs Faulkner, Housekeeper, Victorian Era
• Dahl, Arne - You Are Next tr. Ian Giles #3 Detective Sam Berger
• Dams, Jeanne M - A Deadly Web #25 Dorothy Martin
• Denzil, Sarah A - Find Her (ebook only)
• Eldridge, Jim - Murder at Aldwych Station #4 Detective Chief Inspector Coburg & Sergeant Lampson
• Farrington, C J - Blood on the Siberian Snow #2 Olga Pushkin
• Fellowes, Jessica - The Mitford Secret #6 Louisa Cannon, Maid to the Mitfords, 1919
• Fitzek, Sebastian - Walk Me Home tr. Jamie Bulloch
• Flynn, Sophie - If They Knew
• Gallagher, Charlie - Last One Alive #7 Detective Maddie Ives
• Gatward, D J - Unquiet Bones (ebook only) #12 DCI Harry Grimm
• Goacher, Lucy - The Edge`
• Hain, Peter - The Elephant Conspiracy
• Hancock, Anne Mette - The Collector (ebook Nov, pb June 23) tr.?? #2 Journalist Heloise Kaldan and Police Officer Erik Schäfer
• Harper, Izzie - Murder at the Christmas Carols #1 The Wootton Windmill Mysteries
• Haughton, Emma - The Sanctuary
• Heley, Veronica - Murder for Profit #22 Ellie Quicke, widow, London suburbs
• Herron, Mick - Standing by the Wall #3 Slough House Novella
• Horst, Jorn Lier - The Night Man tr. Anne Bruce #16 Chief Inspector William Wisting, Larvik
• Hunter, Evie - The Scam
• James, Ed - False Start #1 DI Rob Marshall Mystery
• James, Ed - The Last Thing to Die #9 DI Fenchurch, London
• Johnstone, Stuart - Run to Ground #3 Sergeant Don Colyear
• Keogh, Valerie - The Widow (ebook only)
• Kinsey, T E - An Act of Foul Play #9 Lady Emily Hardcastle, 1908
• Leósdóttir, Jónína - Deceit tr. Quentin Bates
• Lynch, Rachel - Sudden Death #10 DI Kelly Porter, Lake District
• MacDonald, Dee - A Body at Lavender Cottage #6 Kate Palmer, Cornwall
• Mariani, Scott - Graveyard of Empires #26 Ben Hope, Ex-SAS
• Marshall, Laura - My Husband's Killer
• McLean, Rachel - Deadly Christmas #7 DI Zoe Finch, West Midlands
• Middleton, Ant - Red Mist #2 Mallory
• Mistry, Liz - Dying Breath #5 DS Nikki Parekh
• Muir, T F - Dead Find #11 DI Andy Gilchrist & team, St. Andrews
• Nadel, Barbara - Web of Lies #8 PI Lee Arnold and his assistant, Mumtaz Hakim. East End London
• Newport, Christie J - The Raven's Mark #1 DCI Beth Fellows
• Norek, Olivier - Breaking Point tr. Nick Caistor #3 Banlieues Trilogy
• Organ, Emily - The Camden Spiritualist (ebook only) #12 Penny Green, Victorian Era
• Paris, B A - The Prisoner
• Perry, Tasmina - The Ivy (ebook only) #3 Lara Stone, Investigative Reporter
• Reid, Rebecca - The Will
• Riches, Marnie - The Silent Dead #2 Detective Jackie Cooke
• Rodríguez, Paula - Urgent Matters tr. Sarah Moses
• Ross, L J - Lady's Well (ebook only) #20 DCI Ryan
• Scarr, Louisa - Seen To Be Believed #4 DS Butler & DC West
• Scarrow, Alex - Argyle House #7 DCI Boyd
• Skördeman, Gustaf - Codename Faust tr. ??
• Slater, Sofia - Auld Acquantance
• Smith, Alex - King Rat (ebook only) #11 DCI Robert Kett, Norfolk
• Stehn, Malin - Happy New Year tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles
• Steiner, Peter - The Inconvenient German #3 Detective Willi Geismeier, Munich, 1920
• Waller, Anita - The Family at No.12
• Walter, B P - The Locked Attic
• Ward, R M - Safe With You
• White, M J - The Silent Child #2 Cora Lael, Suffolk
• Wood, Michael - Silent Victim #10 DCI Matilda Darke
• Wood, Tom - Traitor #10 Victor, Assassin
• Yueran, Zhang - Cocoon tr. Jeremy Tiang

The Petrona Award 2022 - Shortlist

From the press release which was embargoed until 8.00am today:

Exceptional crime fiction from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden shortlisted for the 2022 Petrona Award

Six exceptional crime novels from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have been shortlisted for the 2022 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. The shortlist is announced today, Wednesday 16 November and is as follows:

Maria Adolfsson - FATAL ISLES tr. Agnes Broomé (Sweden, Zaffre)

Helene Flood - THE THERAPIST tr. Alison McCullough (Norway, MacLehose Press)

Ruth Lillegraven - EVERYTHING IS MINE tr. Diane Oatley (Norway, AmazonCrossing)

Anders Roslund - KNOCK KNOCK tr. Elizabeth Clark Wessel (Sweden, Harvill Secker)

Lilja Sigurðardóttir - COLD AS HELL tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Orenda Books)

Antti Tuomainen - THE RABBIT FACTOR tr. David Hackston (Finland, Orenda Books)

The winning title will be announced on Thursday 8 December 2022. The winning author and the translator of the winning title will both receive a cash prize.

The Petrona Award is open to crime fiction in translation, either written by a Scandinavian author or set in Scandinavia, and published in the UK in the previous calendar year.

The Petrona team would like to thank our sponsor, David Hicks, for his continued generous support of the Petrona Award.

The judges’ comments on the shortlist:

There were 31 entries for the 2022 Petrona Award from five countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden). The novels were translated by 23 translators and submitted by 14 publishers/imprints. There were 16 female, 14 male and one male/male pair of authors.

This year’s Petrona Award shortlist sees Norway represented with two novels; Sweden with two and Finland and Iceland with one each. The judges selected the shortlist from a particularly strong pool of candidates with the shortlisted titles ranging from police procedural and domestic noir to the darkly comic.

As ever, we are extremely grateful to the six translators whose expertise and skill have allowed readers to access these outstanding examples of Scandinavian crime fiction, and to the publishers who continue to champion and support translated fiction. The significantly increasing number of female writers being translated is also to be commended.

The judges’ comments on each of the shortlisted titles:

Maria Adolfsson - FATAL ISLES tr. Agnes Broomé (Sweden, Zaffre)

Maria Adolfsson’s gripping debut, FATAL ISLES, set in Doggerland - a group of islands in the North Sea between Denmark and the United Kingdom - paints a vivid picture of a northern island community with traditions, rich and poor families, and a stormy climate. Doggerland comes alive on the pages so much that you would never guess it is totally fictional. DI Karen Eiken Hornby is tasked with investigating the murder of her boss’s ex-wife. Does the motive have any connection to a secretive commune that existed on the island in the past? FATAL ISLES is a high tension, character driven, atmospheric police procedural. 

Helene Flood - THE THERAPIST tr. Alison McCullough (Norway, MacLehose Press) 

A man goes missing under mysterious circumstances. Police detective Gundersen is officially working the case whilst therapist Sara tries to understand where her husband is. Set in the leafy Oslo outskirts, THE THERAPIST is a tense read that keeps us intrigued with unsettling twists and turns. Sara is constantly analysing herself and the people around her as her whole life is turned upside down. At the same time she fears for her own safety and tries to remain professional with her clients. Author Helene Flood is a trained psychologist who has used her experience to inform the characters and the narrative in this page-turning debut thriller. 

Ruth Lillegraven - EVERYTHING IS MINE tr. Diane Oatley (Norway, AmazonCrossing)

EVERYTHING IS MINE is the story of two happily married professionals, Clara an ambitious child rights activist at the Ministry of Justice, and Henrik, a compassionate paediatrician. Dedication to their twin sons and their respective causes begins to crack when they are faced with cases of murder and abuse and an unravelling of a tangled web of emotional secrets follows. A powerful narration and detailed observations show a stark contrast between social standing and geographical differences in Norwegian life, and leave the readers with questions of how, and if, individuals can deal with unfairness and pain. EVERYTHING IS MINE combines important issues, thrilling action and a smart intricate plot, with a strong focus on social injustice and complex family relations. 

Anders Roslund - KNOCK KNOCK tr. Elizabeth Clark Wessel (Sweden, Harvill Secker)

Anders Roslund has published nine novels to date as part of the successful writing duos of Roslund & Hellström and Roslund & Thunberg, as Anton Svensson, and has been the recipient of numerous, prestigious international awards. Since the death of Börge Hellström, Roslund has continued their Ewert Grens series and KNOCK KNOCK is his first solo venture. Set over the course of three days, KNOCK KNOCK is another fine example of Roslund's talent for seamlessly blending together a solid police procedural with a high octane thriller, leading to a gritty and fast-paced read set against his astute observations on the societal and political issues of contemporary Sweden. 

Lilja Sigurðardóttir - COLD AS HELL tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Orenda Books) 

COLD AS HELL, the first novel in a new slick series, introduces Áróra who returns from UK to her homeland Iceland following the disappearance of her estranged sister Ísafold. She uncovers a corrupted world of dark secrets but needs help from her policeman uncle to navigate an Icelandic society with which she is now unfamiliar. The author creates a chilling and tense atmosphere where the midnight sun hides crimes and all relations are tested. The richness and intensity of the writing makes the investigative accountant Áróra, who will stop at nothing to understand and trace her sibling, a thoroughly modern and captivating protagonist in a league of her own.   

Antti Tuomainen - THE RABBIT FACTOR tr. David Hackston (Finland, Orenda Books)

Antti Tuomainen was shortlisted for the Petrona Award twice before winning it in 2020 with, LITTLE SIBERIA. THE RABBIT FACTOR, which was also shortlisted for this year’s CWA Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation, superbly demonstrates Tuomainen's singular gift for dark, absurd crime fiction undercut with poignancy. THE RABBIT FACTOR puts at its heart an ordinary man drawing on his previously undiscovered and extraordinary resolve, to carve out and keep his place in a hostile world, with often darkly funny results.

The judges

Jackie Farrant - creator of RAVEN CRIME READS and a bookseller/Area Commercial Support for a major book chain in the UK

Miriam Owen - founder of the NORDIC NOIR blog and creator of content for communities

Ewa Sherman - translator and writer, and blogger at NORDIC LIGHTHOUSE.

Award administrator

Karen Meek – owner of the EURO CRIME website and blog.

Further information can be found on the Petrona Award website: http://www.petronaaward.co.uk.

On social media, please use #PetronaAward22.

The Petrona Award 2022 - Longlist

 From the press release which was embargoed until 8.00am today:

OUTSTANDING CRIME FICTION FROM DENMARK, FINLAND, ICELAND, NORWAY AND SWEDEN LONGLISTED FOR THE 2022 PETRONA AWARD

Twelve outstanding crime novels from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have made the longlist for the 2022 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.

 

 

They are:

Maria Adolfsson - Fatal Isles tr. Agnes Broomé (Sweden, Zaffre)

Kjell Ola Dahl - The Assistant tr. Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books)

Katrine Engberg - The Butterfly House tr. Tara Chace (Denmark, Hodder & Stoughton)

Helene Flood - The Therapist tr. Alison McCullough (Norway, MacLehose Press)

Óskar Guðmundsson - The Commandments tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books Ltd)

Jørn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger - Smoke Screen tr. Megan Turney (Norway, Orenda Books)

Ruth Lillegraven - Everything Is Mine tr. Diane Oatley (Norway, AmazonCrossing)

Sólveig Pálsdóttir - Silenced tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books Ltd)

Anders Roslund - Knock Knock tr. Elizabeth Clark Wessel (Sweden, Harvill Secker)

Lilja Sigurðardóttir - Cold as Hell tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Orenda Books)

Gustaf Skördeman - Geiger tr. Ian Giles (Sweden, Zaffre)

Antti Tuomainen - The Rabbit Factor tr. David Hackston (Finland, Orenda Books)

The quality of the entries for the Petrona Award, now in its tenth year, remains consistently high, so much so that for the first time, the judges have decided to release a longlist. These twelve titles will be whittled down to a shortlist, to be announced on 16 November 2022.

The longlist contains a number of new faces as well as Petrona Award-winning authors, Jørn Lier Horst and Antti Tuomanen and the previously shortlisted Kjell Ola Dahl and Thomas Enger.

Both large and small publishers are represented on the longlist, with Orenda Books leading with four entries, and the breakdown by country is Norway (4), Iceland (3), Sweden (3), Denmark (1) and Finland (1) with translator Quentin Bates being longlisted for all three Icelandic titles.

The Petrona Award 2022 judging panel comprises Jackie Farrant, the creator of RAVEN CRIME READS and a bookseller/Area Commercial Support for a major book chain in the UK; Miriam Owen, founder of the NORDIC NOIR blog and creator of content for communities, and Ewa Sherman, translator and writer, and blogger at NORDIC LIGHTHOUSE. The Award administrator is Karen Meek, owner of the EURO CRIME blog and website.

Notes to editors

The award is open to crime fiction in translation, either written by a Scandinavian author or set in Scandinavia and published in the UK in the previous calendar year.

More information on the history of the Award and previous winners can be found at the Petrona Award website (https://www.petronaaward.co.uk/).

The Petrona team would like to thank our sponsor, David Hicks, for his generous support of the 2022 Petrona Award.

Published 26-31 October 2022

I've expanded on my monthly listing. Here are 21 books published between 26 and 31 October 2022.

Blurbs and covers taken from Amazon.

Atkinson, Heather - The Cursed Heir #2 The Alardyce Trilogy 

Edinburgh 1896. At Alardyce House, the family are gathered to celebrate the engagement of the heir to the estate, Robert, to his childhood sweetheart. But what should be a precious memory for his mother Amy, is marred by darkness. For Robert’s biological father was a demon and a criminal, and now Robert is coming-of-age, disturbing reports are beginning to emerge about his behaviour.

Amy is torn between her love and loyalty to her son, her hope that she can save his soul, and her growing sense of dread that the streets of Edinburgh aren’t safe when Robert is in town. Meanwhile the increasing distance between Robert and his stepfather Henry threatens the peace of her loving marriage.

The Alardyce family is riven by secrets and scandal, but will this most cursed heir of all, be the one to ruin their reputation forever, or can the power of a mother’s love save them all?

Beaton, M C (with R W Green) - Agatha Raisin: Devil's Delight  #33 Agatha Raisin, Retired PR person, Cotswolds

 

Agatha and her assistant, Toni, are driving to their friend Bill Wong's wedding, thinking of nothing more than what the beautiful bride will be wearing when a terrified young man comes running down the country lane towards them wearing. . . nothing at all.

The encounter leads them to become embroiled with a naturist group, a disappearing corpse, fantasy games, witchcraft, an ice cream empire, intrigue and murder. In the meantime, Agatha's hectic life swirls along at dizzying pace, her private detective agency as busy as ever and her private affairs in turmoil - old loves to contend with and a new suitor on the scene.

Then she finds herself in deadly danger when she begins to close in on a suspected murderer and the sinister nature of the ice cream business leads her to a chilling conclusion. 

Brittany, Amanda - I'm Watching You

 

Quarry Lake. Twelve years ago. Three young women are attacked, all with long, dark hair. The attacker wears a yellow hi-vis jacket.

One is murdered.
One is left in a coma.
One escapes.

A small town lives in fear.

It’s Riona’s last summer before heading to university. One reckless night, she lets her two friends persuade her to spend the evening at Quarry Lake, drinking cider, sharing secrets, planning their futures.

They hear a scream and a splash. They’re scared but they feel they have to go and see what it is. But a sudden noise frightens them, and they run off.

NOW, Riona is back in her hometown, facing thirty with some of her dreams still intact.

They never did catch the Quarry Lake killer.

But one day Riona glimpses a mysterious figure in a hi-vis jacket. Staring intensely at her.

A note is shoved through her letterbox: I’m watching you.

Is the past coming back to threaten her? Is the killer back?

 

Broadfoot, Neil - Violent Ends #5 Connor Fraser, Stirling 

 

Having the wrong client can be murder...

The voice was smooth, cultured, almost tender as it oozed from the phone into Connor Fraser's ear. "I've heard about you, Mr Fraser, and I'm very impressed by your work. So I've decided to employ you. I am going to kill Father John Donnelly sometime in the next seven days. And you are going to stop me - or die trying. If you check your account, you'll see I've deposited £70,000. And, just to be fair, I'll give you an hour, starting now, to find Father Donnelly before the games begin. Refuse my offer, and someone you love will die. Good hunting, to both of us."

The thought it's a sick joke lasts for as long as it takes Connor to find that £70,000 has been deposited into his PayPal account, and for him to receive an email with a picture of his grandmother. With no choice but to make a deal with the devil, Connor races to unmask a killer before he strikes and uncovers a mystery that stretches back decades, threatening the people closest to him.

Buchanan, Tracy - Secrets Between Friends

The old house hides her darkest secret―and there’s no running away this time…

Twenty years ago, Liz left Easthaven to escape the memory of one tragic night at Lakewell Manor. Only she and her best friend Tamsin saw what really happened, and in the aftermath they drifted apart. Now she’s forced back after a nasty divorce, with two daughters in tow, the shadows of that terrible night lurking on every corner. With a custody battle looming, she’s one wrong move away from her life falling apart completely.

So when news arrives that Tamsin, too, is returning to Easthaven, Liz fears their reunion will bring the awful truth spilling out into the open. But when she finally meets Tamsin, now mistress of the clifftop house whose locked gates have guarded the friends’ secret all these years, she’s in for a surprise. Tamsin looks different, and she doesn’t remember Liz, let alone what happened that night…

Something is clearly wrong. But confronting Tamsin means reliving the nightmare Liz has been running from for twenty years. Can she risk exposing what happened that night, knowing that the truth will destroy everything?

Cambridge, Colleen - A Trace of Poison #2 Phyllida Bright, housekeeper to Agatha Christie

 

In England’s stately manor houses, murder is not generally a topic for polite conversation. Mallowan Hall, home to Agatha Christie and her husband, Max, is the exception. And housekeeper Phyllida Bright delights in discussing gory plot details with her friend and employer . . .
 
The neighboring village of Listleigh has also become a hub of grisly goings-on, thanks to a Murder Fête organized to benefit a local orphanage. Members of The Detection Club—a group of celebrated authors such as G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Agatha herself—will congregate for charitable events, including a writing contest for aspiring authors. The winner gets an international publishing contract, and entrants have gathered for a cocktail party—managed by the inimitable Phyllida—when murder strikes too close even for her comfort.
 
It seems the victim imbibed a poisoned cocktail intended for Alastair Whittlesby, president of the local writers’ club. The insufferable Whittlesby is thought to be a shoo-in for the prize, and ambition is certainly a worthy motive. But narrowing down these suspects could leave even Phyllida’s favorite fictional detective, M. Poirot, twirling his moustache in frustration.
 
It’s a mystery too intriguing for Phyllida to resist, but one fraught with duplicity and danger, for every guest is an expert in murder—and how to get away with it . . .
 

 

Child Lee & Andrew -  No Plan B #27 Jack Reacher, ex MP, USA 

 

When your name is Jack Reacher, the truth is always worth doing time for.

Gerrardsville, Colorado. One tragic event. Two witnesses. Two conflicting accounts. One witness sees a woman throw herself in front of a bus - clearly suicide. The other witness is Jack Reacher. And he sees what really happened - a man in grey hoodie and jeans, swift and silent as a shadow, pushing the victim to her death, before grabbing her bag and sauntering away.

Reacher follows the killer, not knowing that this was no random act of violence. It is part of something much bigger...a sinister, secret conspiracy, with powerful people on the take, enmeshed in an elaborate plot that leaves no room for error. If any step is compromised, the threat will have to be quickly and permanently removed.

Because when the threat is Reacher, there is No Plan B...
 

Dalgliesh, J M - Angel of Death #12 Tom Janssen, Norfolk

 

 An innocent man has everything to fear...

When the partial remains of a young woman are unearthed during a violent storm, it falls to DI Tom Janssen and his team to discover her identity and what brought her there.

A man is released from prison having been the apparent victim of a miscarriage of justice and returns home to rural Norfolk. Questions are being asked, not only of the police and their flawed investigation, but also of the man himself. A loner, strange and disinterested, is he truly innocent? Convicted without a body, if he didn't commit the murder he was sent to jail for, then where is she? Has a guilty man managed to evade justice and get away with murder or has a killer been hiding within the community all along?

Tensions are running high among the locals, people are split, with some threatening to take justice into their own hands. Old wounds, still to fully heal, are reopened and everyone wants resolution. But will Tom and his team be able to offer it, or will the investigation reveal dark secrets, long harboured, that will tear families apart?

 

Giuliani, C P -  A Treasonous Path #2 Tom Walsingham 

 

When one deadly plot is foiled, another begins…

England, 1583

Tom Walsingham is back in London, being groomed for intelligence work by his spymaster cousin, Sir Francis.

An anonymous informer has started sending letters from the French ambassador’s residence, claiming to have bribed the man’s secretary to pass on information.

The informer has discovered messages between the French and Mary, Queen of Scots, which could harm the English Queen Elizabeth.

When someone who works for the French Ambassador is killed in suspicious circumstances, Sir Francis sends Tom to investigate the matter – and to uncover the identity of the informer.

Tom must find a way into the French Ambassador’s good graces and make friends within his retinue without giving himself away.

And as the news from Scotland grow more and more alarming, it becomes imperative that Tom unveils the identity of the secret informer and exposes the intrigues at play.

Can Tom unravel the mystery and protect the Queen? Will he unmask the killer?

Or could he find himself the target of a deadly plot…?

Gray, Lisa - The Dark Room

Ex–crime reporter Leonard Blaylock spends his days on an unusual hobby, developing strangers’ forgotten and discarded rolls of film. He loves the small mysteries the photographs reveal to him. Then Leonard finds something no one would ever expect, or want, to see captured on film―the murder of a young woman.

But that’s impossible, because the woman is already dead. Leonard was there when it happened five years earlier.

He has never been able to shake his guilt from that terrible night. It cost Leonard everything: his career, his fiancée, his future. But if the woman didn’t really die, then what actually happened?

Hill, Reginald - Dalziel and Pascoe Hunt the Christmas Killer & Other Stories 

 

A Christmassy crime collection – the perfect gift this winter!

A vicar nailed to a tree in Yorkshire.
The theft of a priceless artefact during a fire.
A detective forced to tell the truth for 24 hours.
A body hidden in a basement.

From the restless streets of London to the wilds of the Lake District, displaying all his trademark humour, playfulness and clever plotting, this landmark collection brings together the very best of Reginald Hill’s short stories for the first time, complete with a foreword from Val McDermid.

 

Lawler, Liz - The Nurse's Secret 

My husband has been murdered. Everyone thinks I did it. Now I have to prove my innocence but I can’t tell the truth. Because then I’d have to confess who I really am…

My name is Sarah Shaw. I’m a nurse. I’m working at the hospital on my usual night shift when I receive an urgent call from the nurse’s station. As I rush down the brightly lit corridor I see two police officers. And I know it’s terrible news…

The words blur together as the officer standing in front of me tells me that my husband William is dead.

We were only married for a few short months. Our life together hadn’t even started. Now I’m thirty years old and a widow.

As the investigation begins, all eyes are on me: the young wife.

Even if it would clear my name, I can’t tell them the truth about my shocking past. But when a young nurse is killed, it’s a clear warning. My life is in danger too…

Lloyd, Robert J - The Poison Machine #2 Hunt and Hooke, C17

 

1679. A year has passed since the sensational attempt to murder King Charles II. Harry Hunt - estranged from his mentor Robert Hooke and no longer employed by the Royal Society - meets Sir Jonas Moore, the King s Surveyor-General of the Board of Ordnance, in the remote and windswept marshes of Norfolk. There, workers draining the fenland have uncovered a skeleton. Accompanied by his friend Colonel Fields, an old soldier for Parliament, and Hooke's niece, Grace, Harry confirms Sir Jonas's suspicion: the body is that of a dwarf, Captain Jeffrey Hudson, once famously given to Queen Henrietta Maria in a pie.

During the Civil Wars, Hudson accompanied the Queen to France to sell the Royal Jewels to fund her husband's army. He was sent home in disgrace after shooting a man in a duel. But nobody knew Hudson was dead. Another man, working as a spy, has lived as him since his murder. Now, this imposter has disappeared, taking vital information with him. Sir Jonas orders Harry to find him. Harry's search takes him to Paris, another city bedevilled by conspiracies and intrigues. He navigates its salons and libraries, and learns of a terrible plot against the current Queen of England, Catherine of Bragança, and her gathering of Catholics in London. Assassins plan to poison them all...

McKenna, Clara - Murder at the Majestic Hotel #4 Stella and Lyndy, 1905

 

Against all expectations in Edwardian England, newly married American heiress Stella Kendrick and British aristocrat Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst are bucking traditions—and investigating murder—on their honeymoon . . .
 
Leaving behind tragedies surrounding their wedding at Morrington Hall, travel-worn Stella and Lyndy arrive at the grand Majestic Hotel in York to more misfortune—their stately honeymoon suite has been given away to Horace Wingrove, owner of England’s largest confectionery. Stella refuses to let an innocent booking mistake spoil the mood, but her optimism vanishes when Horace suffocates in the room where she and Lyndy should have stayed . . .
 
Unlike authorities on the scene, Stella can’t believe the business magnate’s death can be explained away as an accident. Troubling signs are everywhere—strange murmurs in the hallway, tight-lipped hotel staff, and a stolen secret recipe for Wingrave’s famous chocolate. Then there are Horace’s murky intentions for visiting the historic cathedral city, and those who were closely watching his every move . . .
 
As Stella and Lyndy tour Yorkshire and mingle with royals as husband and wife, they face a sinister mystery that puts their vows to the test. Can the couple work together to discover the truth about their romantic destination and the strange happenings haunting their trip before they’re treated to another terrifying surprise?

 

Morris, Vera - Death by the Sea #6 Anglian Detective Agency series 

 

Thorpeness, 1973. Wrongly exiled from London, Judge Neville Hanmer sought solace and a quiet life on the Suffolk coast. But then a face from the past unexpectedly resurfaces and he turns to The Anglian Detective Agency for help.

Laurel, Frank, and the rest of the team are busier than ever trying to solve the mysterious theft of rare plants from Yoxford Hall Gardens. But when Judge Hanmer doesn't show for their meeting, they find themselves embroiled in yet another case - one that will take them to darker places than they've ever been before.

With Laurel and Frank's relationship see-sawing out of control, can the team uncover the truth before it's too late? Or will a depraved killer succeed, and separate Laurel and Frank forever?
 

O'Connor, Carlene - No Strangers Here #1 Dimpna Wilde

 

Set in Ireland’s striking, rugged countryside, the USA Today bestselling author’s unsettling, atmospheric new crime fiction novel combines the eerie mood of Tana French and Louise Penny with the compulsively taut plotting of Dervla McTiernan and Lucy Foley, as an Irish veterinarian grapples with life, death, family dynamics, and the secrets at the heart of her small community…

On a rocky beach in the southwest of Ireland, the body of Johnny O’Reilly, sixty-nine years old and dressed in a suit and his dancing shoes, is propped on a boulder, staring sightlessly out to sea. A cryptic message is spelled out next to the body with sixty-nine polished black stones and a discarded vial of deadly veterinarian medication lies nearby. Johnny was a wealthy racehorse owner, known far and wide as The Dancing Man. In a town like Dingle, everyone knows a little something about everyone else. But dig a bit deeper, and there’s always much more to find. And when Detective Inspector Cormac O'Brien is dispatched out of Killarney to lead the murder inquiry, he's determined to unearth every last buried secret.
 
Dimpna Wilde hasn’t been home in years. As picturesque as Dingle may be for tourists in search of their roots and the perfect jumper, to her it means family drama and personal complications. In fairness, Dublin hasn’t worked out quite as she hoped either. Faced with a triple bombshell—her mother rumored to be in a relationship with Jimmy, her father’s dementia is escalating, and her brother is avoiding her calls—Dimpna moves back to clear her family of suspicion.
 
Despite plenty of other suspects, the guards are crawling over the Wildes. But the horse business can be a brutal one, and as Dimpna becomes more involved with her old acquaintances and haunts, the depth of lingering grudges becomes clear. Theft, extortion, jealousy and greed. As Dimpna takes over the family practice, she's in a race with the detective inspector to uncover the dark, twisting truth, no matter how close to home it strikes . . .

Rhodes, Kate - The Brutal Tide #6 DI Ben Kitto 

 

REVENGE
DI Ben Kitto made many enemies in his time working as an undercover officer for the Met police, none more ruthless and calculating than gang leader Craig Travis.
IS WORTH
Travis has longed to make Kitto pay for his role in getting him convicted – and that day has finally arrived. Now, a dark and twisted killer is heading for the Scilly Isles, one who has waited a long time for revenge.
WAITING FOR . . .
With Kitto busy investigating the discovery of a body on the islands and distracted by the imminent arrival of his first child, his defences are down. He has so much to lose.

And Travis will stop at nothing to take it all from him.
 

Sherratt, Mel - Twisted Lives #6 DS Allie Shenton 

 

Honour among thieves. Keep your enemies close. Loyalty is everything.

When DI Allie Shenton is called out to a murder suicide, it quickly becomes clear that it’s a double slaying, and there is a killer on the loose. The bodies are found in a property owned by local entrepreneur/drug dealer Kenny Webb. Several young women are staying there, they are refusing to talk and one of them is missing.

While she waits on forensic evidence, Allie decides to do what she does best. She takes to the community to see who will talk. Right now, she’s the only one who can get answers. But then a third murder rattles everyone. Another known dealer is taken out.

With lives and lies being twisted, Allie needs to work out how everything is connected. It’s clear someone is out to finish things. Can she and her team rid the streets of Kenny Webb and his gang of merrymen, once and for all? And in doing so, stop the top man, Terry Ryder, from getting out of prison?

Set within the gritty streets of Stoke-on-Trent, this fast-paced British detective novel is a dark murder mystery with an emotional pull.

 

Slater, K L - The Girlfriend 

 

My husband’s dead. She’s at my door. She owns my home…

The doorbell rings, just days after my beloved husband’s sudden death. I don’t recognise the woman on our doorstep, with her buttery blonde highlights, a diamond bracelet identical to my own and a bouncing baby boy in her arms.

As I show her inside, I notice her eyes grow wide as she takes in our spacious hallway, and the big squashy sofas that we all used to pile on. She glances at the silver-framed family photos and my little daughter hiding behind my skirts.

She looks at me, her blue eyes serious. ‘I’m sorry’ she says. ‘I know this will be hard to hear. But I am your husband’s girlfriend. And this is his son.’

My world implodes. And then she tells me that she owns our home – and that she’s not going anywhere…
 

Tuomainen, Antti - The Moose Paradox #2 Rabbit Factor Trilogy tr. David Hackston 

 

Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen has finally restored order both to his life and to YouMeFun, the adventure park he now owns, when a man from the past appears – and turns everything upside down again. More problems arise when the park’s equipment supplier is taken over by a shady trio, with confusing demands. Why won’t Toy of Finland Ltd sell the new Moose Chute to Henri when he needs it as the park’s main attraction?

Meanwhile, Henri’s relationship with artist Laura has reached breaking point, and, in order to survive this new chaotic world, he must push every calculation to its limits, before it’s too late…

Absurdly funny, heart-stoppingly poignant and full of nail-biting suspense, The Moose Paradox is the second instalment in the critically acclaimed, pitch-perfect Rabbit Factor Trilogy and things are messier than ever…
 

Wright, Susan Elliot - All You Ever Wanted 

 

You are inside.
With your husband and baby. Your life warm and calm and untroubled.
 
I am outside.
Alone. Looking in. Watching you.
                                               
You have all I ever wanted. 
Now it's time for you to share.

Published 18-25 October 2022

I've expanded on my monthly listing. Here are 11 books published between 18 and 25 October 2022.

Blurbs and covers taken from Amazon.

Beevis, Keri - The Sleepover 

When you’re a kid, you imagine monsters to have horns and fangs. That they hide under the bed or in the wardrobe. And you believe they can only come after you when it’s dark.
You don’t expect them to look like everyday people or that they may be someone you already know…

The summer in question started out with hot, fun-filled days and new friendships.
We had just turned thirteen and had our whole lives ahead of us.
But that was before her…
Before we became known as the Hixton Five and our lives become defined by one night.

It’s hard to believe twenty years have passed since she was locked away.
But now she’s free and strange things have started to happen.
When I close my eyes, the creeping anxiety and fear is overwhelming and all too real.
Because the monster is back, and I know she has a score to settle with us.

Brody, Frances - A Mansion for Murder #13 Kate Shackleton, Bradford, 1920s 

1930, Yorkshire. Intrigued by a mysterious letter from a stranger offering important information, Private Investigator Kate Shackleton arrives in the mill village of Saltaire. At nearby Milner Field mansion, overshadowed by its reputation for misfortune and untimely deaths, she expects to meet the letter writer, Ronnie Creswell.

Kate soon hears the shocking news that Ronnie has been killed. At first his death appears to be a tragic accident at the mill, but soon it becomes clear that Ronnie's demise was no mishap. Kate is enlisted to help investigate the murder.

Kate moves into the tower rooms at Milner Field, as she tries to uncover resentments, industrial espionage, and old secrets in the close-knit village. Although she doesn't believe in curses, she wonders what sinister truth lies behind this latest in the litany of deaths connected to the infamous Milner Field.

Then just when things couldn't get any worse, a young girl in the village goes missing, and Kate must use all her strength and skill to unravel the mystery around the mansion once and for all . . .

Comley, M A - To Punish Them (ebook only) #6 DI Sam Cobbs 

Evil lies beneath...

When teacher, Fern Mitchell is reported missing, DI Sam Cobbs and her team cling to the hope that she will turn up safe. However, they’re devastated when her body is found at a popular tourist location a week later.

The investigation takes a sinister turn when a second woman turns up dead and the team uncover a crucial link between the two victims.

During one of her most complexing and frustrating cases, Sam is forced to deal with the added pressure of letting go of her past, except someone close to her has other ideas.

Dixon, Helena - Murder on Board #10 Miss Underhay 

Kitty Underhay is drowning… in murder.

Kitty Underhay hopes for plain sailing as she caters a 21st birthday party for the Chief Constable’s daughter aboard a luxury paddle steamer. So her heart sinks when she learns that the man her fiancé Matthew has been tailing on orders from Whitehall, Gunther Freiburg, is aboard. And she’s even more horrified when she steps below deck to discover Gunther, dead in the engine room. One of the Chief Constable’s party must be responsible for his demise, but who, and why?

And the evening is on course for further disaster. As the lights go out around the candlelit cake, a terrible scream rings out over the merry hubbub. A priceless diamond necklace has been snatched from around the birthday girl’s neck… Something fishy is going on, but is this the work of the same sailing assassin, or is it a red herring?

With the local inspector in deep water having to investigate his own boss, Kitty and Matt dive in to help. But when Kitty’s eavesdropping puts her in mortal danger, will everything turn out shipshape, or will it be her turn to go swimming with the fishes…?

Hampton, Graeme - Shame the Devil #5 DI Denning and DS Fisher 

Sometimes catching a killer means looking close to home…

A young father is stabbed to death on his front doorstep in East London. Kieran Judd was a well-liked sports coach and family man, so why would he be targeted for such a brutal death?

D.I. Matthew Denning and D.S. Molly Fisher are quickly thrown into an investigation with no leads to follow … and when the body of respectable schoolteacher Susan Elliot is discovered, her murder mirroring that of Kieran’s, the case gets even more complex.

Faced with two murders with no obvious motive, East London Met worry that a random serial killer stalks their streets. But as Denning and Fisher uncover a dark secret linking the two victims, they are sent spiralling into an investigation in which exposing the truth will bring them directly into the sights of a killer with nothing to lose…

Marrs, John - Keep It in the Family

In this chilling novel from bestselling author John Marrs, a young couple’s house hides terrible secrets―and not all of them are confined to the past.

Mia and Finn are busy turning a derelict house into their dream home when Mia unexpectedly falls pregnant. But just when they think the house is ready, Mia discovers a chilling message scored into a skirting board: I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC. Following the clue up into the eaves, the couple make a gruesome discovery: their dream home was once a house of horrors.

In the wake of their traumatic discovery, the baby arrives and Mia can’t shake her fixation with the monstrous crimes that happened right above them. Haunted by the terrible things she saw and desperate to find answers, her obsession pulls her ever further from her husband.

Secrecy shrouds the mystery of the attic, but when shards of a dark truth start to emerge, Mia realises the danger is terrifyingly present. She is prepared to do anything to protect her family―but is it already too late?

Marston, Edward - The Railway Detective's Christmas Case #20 Det. Insp Colbeck, Scotland Yard, mid 19th Century 

December 1864. As a cold winter wind scours the Worcestershire countryside, an excursion train comes through a tunnel in the Malvern Hills to be confronted by a blockage on the line ahead. The driver manages to slow the train down so that the impact is minimised, but the passengers are alarmed. The first person to alight is Cyril Hubbleday, the man in charge of the excursion to the delightful spa town of Great Malvern. He walks to the front of the locomotive and as he is talking to the driver, fireman and guard, Hubbleday is shot dead by a sniper.

Christmas is coming all too soon and Inspector Robert Colbeck and Sergeant Victor Leeming are under pressure to solve the case quickly. However, with a number of disputes and enemies in the shadows behind the seasonal excursion and the investigation hampered by heavy snow, the hunt for a cold-blooded killer is far from straightforward.

Nattrass, Leonora - Blue Water #2 Laurence Jago, C18

Death came aboard with the cormorant. It arrived on the seventh day of our voyage...

This is the secret report of disgraced former Foreign Office clerk Laurence Jago, written on the mail ship Tankerville en route to Philadelphia. His mission is to aid the civil servant charged with carrying a vital treaty to Congress that will prevent the Americans from joining with the French in their war against Britain.

When the civil servant meets an unfortunate 'accidental' end, Laurence becomes the one person standing between Britain and disaster. It is his great chance to redeem himself at Whitehall - except that his predecessor has taken the secret of the treaty's hiding place to his watery grave.

As the ship is searched, Laurence quickly discovers that his fellow passengers - among them fugitive French aristocrats, an American plantation owner, an Irish actress and her performing bear - all have their own motives to find the treaty for themselves. And as a second death follows the first, Laurence must turn sleuth in order to find the killer before he has an 'accident' of his own.

Stafford, David - Skelton's Guide to Blazing Corpses #3 Arthur Skelton, Barrister 

Guy Fawkes Night, 5th November, 1930. Bonfires are blazing, rockets burst. In a country lane, revellers discover a car that has been set on fire. At first, they assume that this is the work of vandals taking the Guy Fawkes spirit a little too far, sitting at the wheel is a body, charred beyond recognition.

The initial assumption is that the owner of the car, Mr Harold Musgrave, a successful travelling salesman has taken his own life in a particularly grisly act of self-immolation. The post-mortem, however, reveals that Mr Musgrave was either unconscious or dead before the fire was lit. When Tommy Prosser, a local criminal, is charged with the murder, barrister Arthur Skelton believes him to be innocent, so sets out to ensure justice is served.

Watson, Sue - The Nursery

Then: Morning light shines into the nursery, casting shadows across the pale pink walls and wooden cot in the middle of the room. She opens the door expecting to hear the soft coo of her daughter Sofia stretching herself awake. But the room is silent. The cot is empty. Her little girl has vanished…

Now: Twelve years have passed, but Emily will never forget the night her life changed forever and she’s happy to have her daughter back beside her. A teenager now, Sofia – who was once a star student – is getting into trouble at school and she’s started asking questions about when she was a baby, but Emily can’t tell her what really happened the night she went missing. Nobody would understand why Emily did what she did, and if anyone ever found out, she could lose her daughter forever.

But when Emily catches Sofia messaging a stranger online, her heart pounds in her chest as she reads the last message received.

Your mother isn’t who you think she is.

Days later, Emily returns home to find the house silent. She checks every room but Sofia has vanished, again. She shudders as she remembers that night in the nursery. Has her past finally caught up with her? And is she already too late to save her precious daughter?

 Yarwood-Lovett, Sarah - A Cast of Falcons #2 Nell Ward

When the wedding of her oldest friend ends with a shocking murder, Dr Nell Ward is once again caught up in a web of subterfuge, secrets and lies...

When her childhood friend Percy announces she's engaged to handsome businessman Hawke McAnstruther, Dr Nell Ward rashly offers to host the wedding at Finchmere, her family's estate. But she hadn't anticipated Percy's parents' fiery disapproval of the groom.

The ceremony is barely over before Hawke's shady personal and professional life starts to unravel, and tension ripples through the assembled guests. When the wedding night ends with a shocking death, Nell, best-friend, Rav and DI James Clarke all find themselves embroiled in a murder mystery worthy of Agatha Christie.

Surviving a terrifying threat to her own life, Nell has to face up to the truth. Not just about murder at Finchmere, but about where her heart truly lies...