Librarians' Choice 2023
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Written by: | Val McDermid |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
Series: | Karen Pirie Thriller |
It's lockdown in the UK, which means everyone has plenty of time on their hands. For DCI Karen Pirie that is until one of her colleagues is contacted by a member of a local library.
The library has received an author's manuscript to their archives that seems to bear a lot of similarities to a past cold case of a young woman who was never found.
Written by: | John Lutz |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
A book for fans who enjoy the tale of a serial killer. Set over two timelines - one a young boy growing up with his mother, where he sees his mother's partners come and go and how she 'disposes' of them, the other several years later where what we presume may be the boy grown into a man who is emulating all of what he had watched his mother do.
Written by: | Jeffrey Deaver |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
Series: | Lincoln Rhyme |
When a construction crane mysteriously collapses, Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are brought in on the case. A political group claims to be behind the sabotage (claiming a need for affordable housing) and threatens another crane collapse every twenty-four hours, unless their demands are met.
The clock is literally ticking. While we don't know it at first, Rhyme soon starts to realise that the mastermind behind the terror is his own nemesis—the Watchmaker.
Written by: | Linda Castillo |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
Series: | Kate Burkholder |
The latest Amish mystery from Linda Castillo. Aside from Dr Robert Hunter (Chris Carter), Kate Burkholder is my favourite fictional character.
This time she has a gruesome murder on her hands. One that many are unable to believe possible.
Written by: | Stephen Booth |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
Series: | Cooper and Fry |
The Peak District is used to its fair share of tourists, but they're usually of the touring variety, not using the district to find their final resting place.
DI Cooper and his team are looking for a connection between a series of suicides, hoping they'll find an answer before the next body turns up.
Written by: | Jeffrey Deaver |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
Series: | Lincoln Rhyme |
Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are onto their next case, and diamonds are the name of the game.
Jatin Patel is murdered in his jewellery store, but nothing is taken other than a large single piece of 'rough'. There are two witnesses both of which at the time manage to get away. There are scant details about the perpetrator and he doesn't leave too many clues.
Written by: | Michael Connelly |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
Renee Ballard is back. Brought back to the force with the promise of leading her own unit - the Open Unsolved Unit - and able to work with anyone she choses.
She turns to Harry Bosch who's life seems to be in the balance, perhaps she has saved him from his own self-destruction.
She lures him to the unit to help a current case with the promise of the ability to work a case he was unable to solve previously - the Gallagher Family murder.
Written by: | Mark Billingham |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
Series: | DI Thorne |
It starts with a murder. A female is the perpetrator, but someone else is looking on. DI Thorne and DI Tanner are on the trail, but to start with there isn't a lot of evidence.
Then after the second murder, suddenly there is and in what could be described as a lazy mistake the female is arrested. She admits to another murder and it all seems to be too easy.
Written by: | Lynda La Plante |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
DS Jack Warr is investigating a brutal murder that he knows could have been prevented if only the old woman’s story had been believed. Avril Jenkins was an eccentric woman with a colourful and dubious past. Her husband left her the house and his art collection.
Avril claimed to have been stalked by a lodger, Adam Border. But there is no sign of Adam … anywhere.
Written by: | Chris Carter |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
Series: | Robert Hunter |
The body of a young woman is found in a cottage in a remote forest. She has gone through immeasurable pain and suffering.
The killer has left a mark on her - a double ended crucifix - a signature mark of a previous case.
Two years before Hunter and his previous partner thought they'd caught the killer, but in the back of his mind Hunter wasn't so sure, and his fears just may have been realised.
Written by: | Michael Connelly |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
Renee Ballard is working the night shift. It's New Year's Eve and it's not only fireworks taking to the skies at midnight. The firing of bullets has also become a recent craze.
And tonight there's a victim, but it appears unlikely to be an accident.
Written by: | Fred Vargas |
Review by: | Christine Lewis |
Genre: | Detective |
Series: | Commissaire Adamsberg |
This book has been translated from the French and I found it easier to read than the next book (also translated). “Have mercy on us all” is actually the third book in the series of 8 (which I didn’t realise!)
Features an unusual and unorthodox French detective Commissaire Adamsberg who has to employ a wee trick to remember people’s names, just one of his quirks!
Written by: | Jorn Lier Horst |
Review by: | Christine Lewis |
Genre: | Detective |
Series: | William Wisting |
Dregs is the first book of the series to be translated into English, however it is actually the sixth book in the series. However there is a prequel which may give more information.
The author is a former Senior Investigating Officer in the Norwegian Police Force and is considered one of the foremost Nordic crime writers writing with a unique brand of suspense and realism (according to his website). He is also a children’s mystery writer!
Written by: | Kathy Reichs |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
Series: | Temperance Brennan |
Tempe is recovering from an aneurysm, but the sleepless nights and the visions are disturbing. And the sense of paranoia – or is it?
Then she receives an anonymous text message with four images – a faceless man, dead. Tempe struggles to find out who sent the messages.
Written by: | Elly Griffiths |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
Series: | Brighton Mysteries |
Brighton, Winter 1951.
It's an eerie scene. Two children lie dead beneath the snow surrounded in colourful sweets. It reminds DI Stephens of a scene from Hansel and Gretel. The book starts on the second day of the investigation, when at this stage the children are deemed as missing.
But it soon turns into a murder investigation once the bodies are found and the children appear to have been strangled.
Written by: | Linda Castillo |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
Series: | Kate Burkholder |
Seven Murders. An Amish family, brutally murdered in their home.
Chief Kate Burkholder is running the investigation. She herself was once a member of the Amish community, but decided not to be baptised and left the community.
The Plank family moved from Pennsylvania, perhaps in an attempt to leave secrets behind. It's Kate' job to uncover them and find the killer.
Written by: | Tara Moss |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
Series: | Billie Walker |
Set after the second world war in Sydney, this is Tara Moss's first novel featuring private investigator Billie Walker.
Billie's husband is missing presumed dead and she has returned to Sydney to head up her own agency following in her late father's footsteps.
Written by: | Janet Evanovich |
Review by: | Claire Mead |
Genre: | Detective |
Series: | Stephanie Plum |
A mystery surrounding Stephanie Plum and her Grandma Mazur's dead (new) husband doesn't sound like a laugh a minute. But it was.
Grandma married a mob wise guy who died 45 minutes later and the mob wants his keys back.
The wise guys think Grandma has the keys, bad stuff happens and Stephanie's mum irons and drinks her 'iced tea' a lot.
Written by: | Michael Connelly |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
This is a Bosch and Ballard detective thriller.
Bosch is loosely holding on to his connection with the force with a reserve officer status. He has also recently had an operation on his knee and has been diagnosed with an on the job illness. Ballard is working the night shift and sleeping on the beach during the day in her tent when she does take the time to sleep.
Written by: | Stephen Booth |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
This is a standalone mystery story set in 1998 in the historic city of Lichfield in Staffordshire and its waterways.
Our main character, Chris is a struggling council officer whose life is about to change.
Written by: | Anna Romer |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
Set in Australia, this is a mystery/thriller where the key character is Abby who is a journalist.
Written by: | Holly Watt |
Review by: | Dee Atkinson |
Genre: | Detective |
Debut novel by UK writer Holly Watt. This is a detective thriller here which follows reporter, Casey Benedict.