Free Kindle Book (UK) - The Storm Without

Tony Black's The Storm Without is currently free on UK Kindle. I'm not sure how long the offer will last.
Update 21/11/12, it's now 99p.

Still recovering from the harrowing case that ended his police career, Doug Michie returns to his boyhood home of Ayr on Scotland’s wind-scarred west coast. He hopes to rebuild his shattered life, get over the recent failure of his marriage and shed his demons, but the years have changed the birthplace of the poet Robert Burns.

When Doug meets an old school-days flame, Lyn, he feels his past may offer the salvation of a future. But Lyn’s son has been accused of murder and she begs Doug to find the truth.

Soon Doug is tangled in a complicated crimeweb of corrupt politicians, frightened journalists and a police force in cahoots with criminals. As he uncovers illicit smuggling activities at the town’s port and falls firmly on the wrong side of eastern European ganglords, the problems he left behind in Ulster are now the least of his worries. Only Burns’ philosophical musings offer Doug some shelter as he wanders the streets of Auld Ayr battling The Storm Without.

THE STORM WITHOUT is a 43,000-word novella, first serialised in the Ayrshire Post.

New Reviews: Cutler, Forrester, Macbain, Morgan, Nesser, Preston, Rankin, Von Schirach, Welsh

Here are 9 new reviews which have been added to the Euro Crime website today:

Lizzie Hayes reviews Judith Cutler's Burying the Past, the fourth in the Chief Superintendent Fran Harman series;

Terry Halligan reviews James Forrester's second in the Clarenceaux, Elizabethan series, The Roots of Betrayal;

Amanda Gillies reviews the first in the Pliny the Younger series by Bruce Macbain: Roman Games which now has a UK release;

Fidelis Morgan, author of a well-loved historical series, switches to modern day with The Murder Quadrille, reviewed here by Susan White;

Lynn Harvey reviews the paperback release of Hakan Nesser's Hour of the Wolf, tr. Laurie Thompson, the seventh in the Van Veeteren (and team) series;

JF reviews Australian author Luke Preston's Dark City Blue an ebook from Momentum, the digital-only wing of Pan Macmillan Australia;

Maxine Clarke reviews Ian Rankin's Standing in Another Man's Grave which sees the return of Rebus;

Earlier this week I reviewed on the blog, Ferdinand von Schirach's The Collini Case, tr. Anthea Bell

and Michelle Peckham reviews Louise Welsh's: The Girl on the Stairs set in Berlin.

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.

OT: It's Cat-urday

Along with more than 10,000 viewers I've become hooked on watching the Spice Kittens: four kittens, who are being looked after, along with their mum, at PurrfectPals. Their activities are livestreamed (they are currently asleep at the time of writing) - watch here.

Here is a screen-shot of the four in action:

Thanks to @crimeficreader for the tip.

Christmas Present Ideas

Here are a few Christmas present suggestions for the crime-fiction lover in your family:

This is from 2010 so won't reference the new TV shows like Sherlock & Elementary:

Get a comprehensive guide to this important literary figure and his author. A classic literary character, Sherlock Holmes has fascinated readers for decades –– from his repartee with Dr. Watson and his unparalleled powers of deduction to the settings, themes, and villains of the stories. Now, this friendly guide offers a clear introduction to this beloved figure and his author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, presenting new insight into the detective stories and crime scene analysis that have has made Sherlock Holmes famous. Inside you′ll find easy–to–understand yet thorough information on the characters, recurring themes, and locations, and social context of the Sherlock Holmes stories, the relationship of these stories to literature, and the forensics and detective work they feature. You′ll also learn about the life of the author. Better understand and enjoy this influential literary character with this plain–English guide. Gain insight on these classic Doyle tales –– from the classic Hound of the Baskervilles to the lesser–known short stories to Holmes stories written by other mystery writers. Explore the appearance of Sherlock Holmes on film, TV, and stage. Examine Holmes today –– from the ever–expanding network of fans worldwide to story locations that fans can visit. It′s elementary! Sherlock Holmes For Dummies is an indispensable guide for students and fans alike!

However if you want to know more about Sherlock then, just released is The Casebook:

This book is my humble attempt to shine a light on the work of the best and wisest I have ever known. He has, I think it is safe to say, elevated the science of detection into an art form. Having been at his side during some of his most remarkable cases, it has fallen to me to bring his achievements to the attention of the wider public. He is, quite simply, the Mozart of criminal investigation. I would say more, but I am flattered and delighted to say that Sherlock Holmes himself has agreed to write a piece for the cover. The author has transformed what should have been a series of lectures into a gross and tasteless entertainment. The science of deduction is a branch of human achievement requiring serious analysis and yet here I find it lavishly illustrated, disfigured with humour and infested with gossip. Apparently, this kind of sensationalism is required to engage the interest of the reading public, but it is rather like working an office romance into a paper on quantum physics. Only an idiot would be impressed. Help yourself. Sherlock Holmes

Want something more social, then how about, Cluedo: Sherlock Edition:

The enigmatic series Sherlock retells the tale of England’s most celebrated detective – and now Sherlock Holmes and John Watson’s adventures in 21st century London are the centrepiece for their own version of the classic game of Cluedo! Who killed Moriarty? Was it Mrs. Hudson, in the Tower of London with the Wrench, or Irene Adler, in 221B, with a Candlestick? You’ll need all your wits about you to find out!

and if you get overcome with emotion after receiving one of these splendid gifts then why not wipe your eyes with a Cluedo tissue?

Review: The Collini Case by Ferdinand von Schirach

The Collini Case by Ferdinand von Schirach translated by Anthea Bell, September 2012, 190 pages, Michael Joseph, ISBN: 0718159195

THE COLLINI CASE is a short, powerful and important crime novel, one that has played a part in the setting up of a (German) Ministry of Justice committee into looking at the effects of the past on the current state of the Ministry.

The book opens in Berlin with the clinical description of a murder and the subsequent surrender of the murderer to the police. The killer, Herr Collini, originally from Italy, admits his guilt but refuses to say any more. The public defender on call is the young, newly trained but enthusiastic Caspar Leinen and he accepts the case. He then finds, however, that he has a personal connection to the victim, nonetheless his mentor says he must be a lawyer and defend the man irrespective of his feelings.

Caspar however has an uncooperative client and is left on the brink of a disastrous trial but a chance remark puts him on the right track to defending his client.

After the rather chilly start, a la Andrea Maria Schenkel, the story moves into warmer territory and becomes extremely moving with the horrific and inexplicable murder becoming more understandable. The reader and Caspar see two sides to the victim and murderer. The latter half of the story is a gripping courtroom drama and a reminder of what must not ever be forgotten.

Also worth seeking out is the thematically related film, Music Box, starring Jessica Lange and Armin Muller-Stahl which made a huge impression on me in 1989 and is available on DVD (2007).

Foreign Bodies - the Bibliographies (week 3)

I've now listened to the final 5 of the 15 episodes of Radio 4's European Crime Fiction (Foreign Bodies) programme presented by Mark Lawson. Most of the episodes have interviews with or references to other authors and I've put their names and a link to their bibliography on Euro Crime:

11. Germany: Jakob Arjouni (Featured: Mrs Peabody (see her article on Kemal Kayankaya here, also interviewed: Esmaham Aykol)

12. Scotland: Ian Rankin [Mentioned: Andrea Camilleri; Interviewed: Ann Cleeves]

13. Sweden: Henning Mankell, Stieg Larsson [Interviewed: Liza Marklund, Camilla Lackberg, Kenneth Branagh; Mentioned: Andrea Camilleri, Ian Rankin, Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo, Arthur Conan Doyle]

14. Norway: Jo Nesbo (parts of the interview came from his Harrogate event) [Also interviewed: Gunnar Staalesen]

15. Russia: Boris Akunin [Mentioned: Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Georges Simenon, Martin Cruz Smith, Robert Harris's Archangel, Tom Rob Smith, Antonio Hill; Interviewed: Ian Rankin, Andrey Kurkov]
    

The bibliographical links for the first five episodes are here and week two's are here. Alternatively see all posts tagged as Foreign Bodies.

The podcasts/programmes can be listened to/downloaded  for another few days at Radio 4's Foreign Bodies website.

Many more bibliographies (by nationality) can be found via the Euro Crime Books page.

Specsavers Crime & Thriller of the Year Shortlist

The shortlists for the National Book Awards, now sponsored by Specsavers, have been released and the pertinent one for crime readers is:

Crime & Thriller of the Year

For a novel in this genre from a UK author which has made an outstanding impact in bookselling outlets in terms of acclaim and sales.

Lee Child - A Wanted Man
Sophie Hannah - Kind of Cruel
Susan Hill - A Question of Identity
Anthony Horowitz - The House of Silk
Peter James - Perfect People
Denise Mina - Gods and Beasts

The winner will be announced on 4 December 2012.

New Reviews: Adler-Olsen, Hunter, Kallentoft, Larsson, Sigurdardottir, Sussman, Thomson

Apologies for the slight delay and fewer reviews than usual this week.

Here are 7 new reviews which have been added to the Euro Crime website today:

Last week I reviewed on the blog, Jussi Adler-Olsen's Disgrace tr. K E Semmel the sequel to Mercy;

Rich Westwood reviews Alan Hunter's Gently with the Ladies [the books only sharing a name with the Martin Shaw tv series];

Maxine Clarke reviews Mons Kallentoft's third Malin Fors book, Autumn Killing tr. Neil Smith;

Susan White reviews Asa Larsson's The Black Path tr. Marlaine Delargy now out in paperback;

Amanda Gillies reviews Yrsa Sigurdardottir's standalone ghost-crime thriller I Remember You tr. Philip Roughton;

Lynn Harvey reviews Paul Sussman's third book in his Yusuf Khalifa series, The Labyrinth of Osiris which is the last due to the author's untimely death this year

and Terry Halligan reviews June Thomson's latest collection of Sherlock Holmes stories: The Secret Archives of Sherlock Holmes.

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.

TV News: Falcón starts next week

Sky Atlantic have snapped up Falcón, a four-part series based on the first two of Robert Wilson's Seville-based, Detective Javier Falcon books.

The series begins at 10pm on Thursday, 15 November and stars Marton Csokas [from The Debt] as Falcón, Emilia Fox as his wife Ines. Guest stars include Bernard Hill and Robert Lindsay.

From Sky Atlantic:

The first story to be adapted is The Blind Man of Seville, which follows Falcón‘s investigation into a brutal killing which stirs long forgotten memories. As Falcón investigates the crime, and finds himself drawn to the widow of the victim, he discovers the secret truth about his artist father’s violent history in Tangier and the Spanish Civil War.

The second story to be adapted is The Silent and the Damned, in which a double suicide takes Falcón to an exclusive area of Seville where wealthy neighbours keep their secrets well hidden and there’s more in the freezer than just food.

Review: Disgrace by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Disgrace by Jussi Adler-Olsen translated by K E Semmel, June 2012, 215 pages, Penguin, ISBN: 0141399988

DISGRACE is the eagerly awaited sequel to the popular MERCY, the debut of Jussi Adler-Olsen; both are set in Copenhagen. MERCY introduced Detective Superintendent Carl Morck who is assigned to work cold cases in Department Q. His only colleague is a civilian, the mysterious Assad. They are joined in DISGRACE by a forthright police secretary, Rose.

Someone wants Carl and co to reopen a case that's been solved. The investigation into the brutal murder of a brother and sister was closed nine years later when the murderer confessed however someone thinks that that's not the whole story. They link those deaths to a number of other assaults and disappearances and believe the culprits to be a group of now prominent businessmen.

Alongside the Department Q investigation are chapters from the point of view of Kimmie who has been on the streets in hiding from the same businessmen and chapters from the businessmen themselves. Eventually all three narratives coincide in a dangerous situation.

After the success of MERCY it would be hard for DISGRACE to reach the same height and unfortunately for me it didn't. There are plenty of things to like still, the humour, the conversations between the three disparate members of Department Q and Carl's attempts to woo his psychologist, and a solid police investigation. On the negative side are the bits which don't involve Carl. The people Carl is chasing and their activities are so unpleasant – both animal and human cruelty abound - that I found their, at times quite lengthy, sections hard going. Whereas MERCY's second narrative strand came from the strong and sympathetic victim of Merete, DISGRACE has Kimmie who is also strong, but unlikeable and unbalanced and though there is an attempt to explain her abnormal and violent behaviours by a terrible childhood it's hard to feel anything for her plight. For me this was at times a difficult read but those less squeamish than I, may get more out of it.

I'd also recommend reading MERCY beforehand to get up to speed with Carl's work and personal situation.

Foreign Bodies - the Bibliographies (week 2)

I've now listened to episodes 6 to 10 of the 15 daily episodes of Radio 4's European Crime Fiction (Foreign Bodies) programme presented by Mark Lawson. Most of the episodes have interviews with or references to other authors and I've put their names and a link to their bibliography on Euro Crime:

6. England: PD James, Ruth Rendell [also mentioned: Dorothy L Sayers]

7. Italy: Leonardo Sciascia [Interviewed: Andrea Camilleri, Gianrico Carofiglio]

8. Spain: Manuel Vazquez Montalban [Interviewed: Antonio Hill and Jason Webster [also mentioned re Northern Ireland: Stuart Neville]

9. England: Lynda La Plante [Interviewed: Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Saskia Noort (briefly), Henning Mankell]

10. Italy: Andrea Camilleri [Mentioned and/or influenced by: Manuel Vazquez Montalban, Georges Simenon, Ian Rankin, Leonardo Sciascia] [Not mentioned but fitting in with the apolitical policeman requirement mentioned near the end of the podcast: the Inspector De Luca series by Carlo Lucarelli]

The bibliographical links for the first five episodes are here.

The podcasts/programmes can be listened to for another few weeks at Radio 4's Foreign Bodies website.

Many more bibliographies (by nationality) can be found via the Euro Crime Books page.

Tweets from Severn House

A couple of recent publishing deal snippets from @KateLyallGrant (Commercial fiction editor, publisher of the Creme de la Crime imprint at Severn House):

Thrilled to have signed up David Wishart's Marcus Corvinus Roman mystery series for Creme de la Crime

Delighted to have signed up acclaimed SF writer Eric Brown whose historical crime novel takes him in an exciting new direction 

The Return of The Killing

Though it's sad to lose Inspector Montalbano we now have ten episodes of the final series of The Killing to look forward to. It begins on 17 November at 9pm on BBC4 with a double episode.

Here's the blurb for episode 1:

Denmark is the midst of a fiercely contested election race, set against the backdrop of the financial crisis. With ten days to go to the election, Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lund prepares to celebrate her 25th year in the police force and looks forward to the prospect of a new job in the force. But her relative peace is shattered when body parts are found at Copenhagen dock only hours before a scheduled visit by the prime minister.

and a teaser trailer:

The Final (for now) Episode of Inspector Montalbano

The final episode in the current run of Inspector Montalbano, at 9pm on 10 November, is Treasure Hunt, based on Andrea Camilleri's as yet untranslated (into English) La Caccia al Tesoro:

An elderly couple, both religious fanatics, barricade themselves in their home and begin shooting from the windows for no apparent reason, until Montalbano's men finally succeed in disarming them.

There seems to be no justification for the couple's insane actions, but police find a strangely disfigured inflatable doll inside their home. A few days later, an identical doll is discovered in a rubbish bin and Montalbano has a bad premonition.

Soon enough, a series of strange occurrences develops - disquieting letters bearing riddles are delivered to Montalbano at Vigata police station, while a young woman is reported missing. A disturbed maniac is playing a macabre game of treasure hunt with the inspector and the riddle must be solved before it's too late.

The good news is that there are 4 more episodes in the pipeline and that the third series of The Killing will take Inspector Montalbano's place on BBC4 from the 17th.

Cited on The Winter of the Lions

The paperback release of Jan Costin Wagner's The Winter of the Lions, translated by Anthea Bell, has just been published and my local library was very swift to get it. There is a quote from Maxine's review of the trade paperback edition on the back:

You can read her full review here.

New Reviews: Bourland, Dean, Dryden, Hill, Kelly, Meredith, Rickman, Seymour, Winspear

Here are 9 new reviews which have been added to the Euro Crime website today:

Earlier this week I reviewed on the blog, Fabrice Bourland's The Dream Killer of Paris tr. Morag Young the second in the Singleton and Trelawney series set in the 1930s;

Amanda Gillies reviews A M Dean's debut The Lost Library;

Lynn Harvey reviews Alex Dryden's thriller Death in Siberia the fourth in the Anna Resnikov series but Lynn says also works well as a standalone;

Maxine Clarke reviews Antonio Hill's The Summer of Dead Toys tr. Laura McGoughlin set in a steamy Barcelona [this will be in my top ten reads of 2012];

Geoff Jones reviews Jim Kelly's Death's Door, the fourth in his Valentine/Shaw series set in Norfolk [fans of his Dryden series please note that a new book in that series, Nightrise, has just come out];

Terry Halligan reviews the UK release of D E Meredith's debut Devoured which introduces Victorian forensic pathologists Hatton and Roumande;

Rich Westwood reviews Phil Rickman's The Heresy of Dr Dee the second in his Elizabethan series;

Terry also reviews E V Seymour's fourth 'Paul Tallis' thriller Resolution to Kill available on Kindle

and Susan White reviews the newest Maisie Dobbs from Jacqueline Winspear Elegy for Eddie - "a real joy".

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.

Foreign Bodies - the Bibliographies (week 1)

I've now listened to the first 5 of the 15 daily episodes of Radio 4's European Crime Fiction (Foreign Bodies) programme presented by Mark Lawson. Most of the episodes have interviewed or referred to other authors and I've put their names and a link to their bibliography on Euro Crime:

1. Belgium: Agatha Christie, Georges Simenon

2. Germany: Friedrich Durrenmatt [also mentioned: (by Mrs Peabody): Friedrich Glauser; Ferdinand von Schirach]

3. Czechoslovakia : Josef Skvorecky

4. Netherlands: Nicholas Freeling [Interviewed: Saskia Noort who mentioned A C Baantjer]

5. Sweden: Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo [Interviewed: Jo Nesbo, Henning Mankell, Val McDermid, Asa Larsson, Gunnar Staalesen, Jens Lapidus, Camilla Lackberg]

The podcasts/programmes can be listened to for another few weeks at Radio 4's Foreign Bodies website.

Many more bibliographies (by nationality) can be found via the Euro Crime Books page.

Review: The Dream Killer of Paris by Fabrice Bourland

The Dream Killer of Paris by Fabrice Bourland translated by Morag Young, August 2012, 215 pages, Gallic Books, ISBN: 190604032X

"We sat in a cafe on Rue de Rivoli. Through the window I could see the vast form of the Hotel de Ville and, in front, the old Place de Greve where so many villains had been quartered in the Middle Ages and much of the nobility had been decapitated during the Revolution."

THE DREAM KILLER OF PARIS is the second in the Singleton and Trelawney series after THE BAKER STREET PHANTOM. Andrew Singleton (Canadian) and James Trelawney (American) are private detectives working out of London. It's 1934 and in a quiet period of work, Singleton decides to go to Paris and investigate the apparent suicide of the poet Gerard de Nerval, which took place 70 odd years before.

On the cross-Channel ferry however Singleton is assailed by a vision. He sees the picture of a country scene hanging in the air over the sea and what's more the woman next to him can see it too. Both the vision and the woman disappear leaving Singleton bewildered.

Singleton's not been in Paris long when his friend Superintendent Fourier of the Sûreté intercepts him and asks for his help (again). Two deaths have occurred in locked rooms with no sign of foul play except for the look of terror on the victims' faces.

The victims both had an interest in dreams and the supernatural and both had received a visit beforehand by a mysterious Austrian gentleman. Singleton is joined by his friend Trelawney and along with the police they try to track down the Austrian before he visits anyone else.

On the back of the book, there is the categorisation of Crime/Fantasy which is quite accurate as this is not a crime novel where the usual rules apply; clues come via dreams, a medium and the solution to the crime is fantastical. So long as you're happy with that approach then this is an interesting read with the inclusion of real-life figures: historians, scientists, artists, adding weight to the increasingly otherworldly storyline. Plus there's the bonus of an evocative Parisian setting.

THE DREAM KILLER OF PARIS is a quick read and Singleton alludes to many other cases that they have solved so I expect there are a few more Singleton and Trelawney books in the pipeline, which I look forward to reading.

Montalbano goes to The Potter's Field

The penultimate episode in this second run of Inspector Montalbano, at 9pm on 3 November, is The Potter's Field, based on The Potter's Field book, the thirteenth in Camilleri's series. The Potter's Field (which I loved) is arguably a perfect crime novel and won the 2012 CWA International Dagger.

As torrential rain pours down on Vigata, a plastic bag containing a body cut into pieces is found in a clay field. All the signs point to an old-fashioned Mafia killing. But why is Montalbano's trusted colleague and friend Mimi Augello suddenly irritable and short-tempered, and why is he insisting that the investigation be assigned to him? Could Mimi somehow be involved in the case?

Jo Nesbo & Harry Hole news

I was very pleased to receive this press release from Harvill Secker yesterday about two more Harry Hole books coming into English next year and confirming that Phantom wasn't the end of the series:

...POLICE will be published by Harvill Secker in autumn 2013.

POLICE continues the story of PHANTOM, which was a Sunday Times #2 bestseller when it was published in March this year, spending 7 weeks in the top ten. The Harry Hole novels have sold over 15 million copies worldwide, over 3 million of those in the UK.

Fans will also be delighted by the news that COCKROACHES, the second book in the Harry Hole series, will be published shortly after POLICE. With its publication, readers will have access to all ten books in Jo Nesbo’s bestselling series. THE BAT, the first ever Harry Hole novel, was published for the first time in English this October by Harvill Secker and went straight into the Sunday Times bestseller list.

Jo Nesbo visited London last week for the Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards where he was elected into the International Crime Writing Hall of Fame, alongside such luminaries as Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, P D James, Lee Child, Val McDermid, Kathy Reichs and Mark Billingham.

The Harry Hole books in order.