New Reviews: Bolton, Cotterill, Delaney, Keating, Nesser, Staincliffe, Sutton, Toyne, Vowler

Nine new reviews have been added to Euro Crime today. We say goodbye to Sarah Hilary as a reviewer today but look forward to her debut novel Someone Else's Skin which is released in 2014. Thank you for all your contributions Sarah. Her final review, below, is of Tom Vowler's What Lies Within:

Michelle Peckham reviews Like This, For Ever by S J Bolton in which Lacey Flint and co are in pursuit of a serial killer of ten-year-old boys;



Lynn Harvey reviews The Woman Who Wouldn't Die by Colin Cotterill, the ninth outing for the elderly Laos Coroner Dr Siri;


Terry Halligan reviews Luke Delaney's debut, Cold Killing which introduces DI Sean Corrigan;


I recently reviewed the audio book of Into the Valley of Death by H R F Keating writing as Evelyn Hervey;



JF reviews Hakan Nesser's The Weeping Girl, tr. Laurie Thompson which focuses on Ewa Moreno a former colleague of the retired Van Veteeren;


Susan White reviews Blink of an Eye by Cath Staincliffe, an author who "never fails to impress";

Rich Westwood reviews Henry Sutton's My Criminal World;



Amanda Gillies reviews Simon Toyne's The Tower, the final and best part of the Sanctus trilogy

and Sarah Hilary reviews Tom Vowler's debut crime fiction novel What Lies Within.




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: Into the Valley of Death by H R F Keating (as Evelyn Hervey) (audio book)

Into the Valley of Death by H R F Keating writing as Evelyn Hervey read by Sheila Mitchell, AudioGO, December 2012, 6 CDs

INTO THE VALLEY OF DEATH is the third and final book featuring governess Harriet Unwin written by H R F Keating as “Evelyn Hervey”.

Set in the latter part of the nineteenth century, Miss Unwin is called to Chipping Compton by Vilkins an old friend from their orphanage days. Vilkins is working as a maid but is currently helping out at the pub as the landlord is due to be hanged in a few days time for murder unless Miss Unwin can use her detective skills and find the true killer.

Jack Steadman, the landlord, was found unconscious in the woods next to the dead body of Alfie Goode. He is an ex-soldier and well-respected and yet the evidence is pointing to him. Miss Unwin, assisted by Mr Heavitree, a retired Scotland Yard inspector, must dig around and go undercover to save the poor man's life. Will she make it in time?

Miss Unwin is a resourceful, brave investigator who doesn't yield to threats and puts the doubting men in their places. She has managed to elevate herself in society from a humble start and is sometimes reluctant to go back down but she does it, as well as some other unladylike behaviour, in her quest to save Jack Steadman.

INTO THE VALLEY OF DEATH is an enjoyable historical crime novel, splendidly narrated by Sheila Mitchell, which tells an interesting story in a mere six cds. The first two books, THE GOVERNESS and THE MAN OF GOLD are also available on audio book.

I found the references to the Crimean War fascinating – not a period I did at school - several of the characters were involved in the Crimean War and took part in the Charge of the Light Brigade and the local area is named 'The Valley of Death' as featured Tennyson's famous poem.

New Reviews: Brandreth, Calderon, Charteris, Duns, Keating, Rayne, Schenkel

Just one day left in May's competition - win a copy of Suffer the Children by Adam Creed. (There are no geographical restrictions on entrants.) Enter here.

The following reviews have been added to the review archive over on the main Euro Crime website. The theme this week is historical crime:

New Reviews:

I review the audio book version of Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders by Gyles Brandreth (1889-90);

Laura Root reviews The Creator's Map by Emilio Calderon (WWII);

Rik Shepherd reviews The Best of the Saint: Volume One by Leslie Charteris (1930s);

Michelle Peckham reviews Free Agent by Jeremy Duns (1969);

Mike Ripley reviews A Small Case for Inspector Ghote? by H R F Keating (1964);

Amanda Gillies reviews Spider Light by Sarah Rayne (present day with flashbacks);

and Maxine Clarke reviews Ice Cold by Andrea Maria Schenkel(1930s).

Previous reviews can be found in the review archive and forthcoming titles can be found here.

New Reviews: Mike Ripley's Crime File, Hill, Krajewski, MacBride, Mills and Tursten

Here are this week's new reviews and details of an extra competition:

Latest Reviews:

In Mike Ripley's latest crime file he reviews: The Death Maze (aka The Serpent's Tale) by Ariana Franklin, Inspector Ghote's First Case by H R F Keating, Spider by Michael Morley and Death on a Branch Line by Andrew Martin (to win the latter see the competitions below);

Maxine Clarke reviews the newest in the Simon Serrailler series by Susan Hill, The Vows of Silence - a book which put her through the wringer, but was worth it;

Norman Price reviews Marek Krajewski's Death in Breslau writing that Krajewski is "a master at recreating an atmosphere of fear, darkness, creepiness and foreboding";

Pat Austin reviews the new offering from Aberdeen's Stuart MacBride Flesh House which manages to be both gruesome and funny;

Karen Chisholm was hooked by Crow Stone by Jenni Mills which is set in Bath

and Maxine has the highest of praise for Helene Tursten's Detective Inspector Huss (which I'm pleased about as I recommended her via my review of The Torso) saying that "this book is as near to perfection as you can get in this genre".


Current Competitions:

Win a copy of Death on a Branch Line by Andrew Martin*

* no restrictions on entrants


NEW: Win a copy of Blood Lines by Grace Monroe**

** UK/Europe only