Tag: Crime fiction

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

My latest library book (which I finished, sadly I did have a DNF too) was ‘The Last Party’ by Clare Mackintosh. This is one that I have seen around on Bookstagram and thought I had to try.

This was a brilliant piece of crime fiction with all the ingredients crime fans love in a book. We have a couple of slightly flawed detectives (who know more about each other than they possibly care to when they realise that they have to work together), who also have a nice bit of professional rivalry too. We have an exclusive community full of secrets and victim that nobody would appear to want to harm…to begin with.

As always, I will not be sharing any spoilers in my review, which may make it very short and sweet. However, I thought this was a fantastically constructed story, which kept me reading. I absolutely could not wait to find out more about what was going to happen next, and which secret we were going to be treated to next as we play armchair detective.

The characters are also brilliantly created. There are some who you just love to hate, those that you have a little sympathy for, and those that just deserve a little bit of happiness. And it is great to have DC Morgan as a strong female lead character, but who keeps it real with a little vulnerability (just every now and then) and attempts to tackle her own demons.

I absolutely cannot wait to meet DC Morgan again in another book some time soon, as I think she has many more crimes to solve and stories to tell. I also need to check out if the library has any more of Clare Mackintosh’s books, because I am always a fan of a good thriller/crime novel.

The Exiles by Jane Harper

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I was so excited when I went to the library and discovered that they had ‘The Exiles’ by Jane Harper on the shelf. I absolutely love the books of Jane Harper and I could not wait to have the chance to be reacquainted with one of my favourite characters, Aaron Falk. And, as we know, I am on a bit of a thriller/crime streak with my book choices at the moment, so that meant I could definitely take the book out, despite all those books on my shelf at home (where I am suposed to be making my choices from).

Now, I am not going to spoil this book for anyone, as I know there are so many Jane Harper and Aaron Falk fans out there, but I am going to try and share some thoughts about the novel with you all. It will be no surprise that I absolutely loved this book.

I think the thing I always like most about these books is that the scenery and the landscape become as much of a character as the actual characters do. And that was the case in this book, just as it had been in the others. I felt like I was there in the small Australian town, experiencing all the things that the characters were experiencing. So, it will come as no surprise that this was a real page-turner that I could not put down.

This book also felt like a natural progression for Aaron Falk: he again manages to solve a crime (well, more than one) and helps the town and its residents move on. But, also, Aaron Falk seems to have naturally developed as a character in this book, as he has found a solid group of friends who have made him feel as though he belongs. He certainly seemed a more vulnerable character than we have seen before. I thought this was fantastic because, as a reader, I felt as though I have been on Aaron Falk’s journey of discovery with him.

I think it is safe to say that Jane Harper has secured herself a place as one of my favourite authors, and Aaron Falk as one of my favourite characters. He may be a flawed man (as they all are – I mean, that is what seems to make a fantastic detective), but he is a definitely a believable character.

If you have enjoyed Jane Harper’s other books, then I can guarantee that you will enjoy this one, too.

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

‘Five Survive’ has been one of my most anticipated reads, so when I spotted that I could grab a copy in the Waterstones post-Christmas sale, I could not turn it down. I mean, it has sprayed edges, so what more persuading did I need?

This book brings together a teenage road trip with a thriller. As a group of friends get stranded off the beaten track on their way to their break, they discover that maybe it was not as much of accident as they orginally thought. In fact, was this ‘breakdown’ all a set-up – but by who and, more importantly, why?

This is a fantastic read: absolutely thrilling, and you are on the edge of your seat at points as the drama intensifies. Told hour by hour in ‘real time’, you live through every event the characters do, feeling their panic and fear intensify as the time passes. And you are desperate to find out, as they are, exactly why it is happening.

For me, this really reminded me of a modern ‘Lord of the Flies’. How the relationships break down and change with no ‘adults’, and various people attempting to take different roles. Especially because, as more and more is revealed about the characters, the more the relationships and roles change and develop.

I was absolutely hooked. Holly Jackson has created a thriller that moves her writing on well from the ‘Good Girl’ crime fiction trilogy – and I am keen to see where else her writing takes us in the future.

The Christie Affair by Nina De Gramont

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I am a huge Agatha Christie fan, which – if you have been reading my blog for a while – you will not be surprised by. And, having just watched the Lucy Worsley documentary about the Queen of Crime, I thought I would finally give ‘The Christie Affair’ a go.

This is a fictional version of the events when Agatha Christie disappeared in December 1926. Now, I am pretty sure we will never really know what happened in those eleven days 97 years ago, but it is definitely something that has fascinated all her fans over the years. Especially as it was immediately after she had found out about her husband’s infidelity. Nina De Gramont is clearly one of those fans.

I did find this story very readable, and I was keen to see where the story would take us. I also liked that it had an element of being a story similar to those that we love from the Queen of Crime, a murder mystery woven into the events. It was also interesting that it tackled that ever-present dark cloud of the homes for mothers that used to be found in Ireland, and the controversy that we all know surrounds those places.

To be honest, for me this book was a fascinating tale, but I think I would have preferred it if it had just been about some completely fictional characters. I am sure that nobody would finish reading this book thinking that it must be based completely on true events but, in some ways, it does not sit well with me that predictions are made about the actions of people who can not reveal the truth. This is an issue I often have with some books about real events or real people: is there a risk of confusing fiction with fact? I am sure that would not be the case with ‘The Christie Affair’, as it does seem fairly obvious that it is fiction, but it is always a niggle I have about some books I read based on real events.

However, I would still recommend this book to fans of crime fiction, because it is a page-turner if you like a good story.

The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

When I visited my favourite charity bookshop at the start of the festive period, I spotted ‘The Christmas Murder Game’ on the shelf and decided I had to give it a go. I mean, what more do you want at Christmas other than a good bit of crime fiction.

This book was a brilliant piece of Christmas crime; I could not put it down and just had to keep finding out what was going to happen next. In fact, it was so absorbing that at one moment, which was a little bit creepy, Mr Bookwormandtheatremouse managed to make me jump by silently walking into the room. Which, to me, is definitely the sign of a good, thrilling read.

This has everything that you would expect from a classic crime novel. There is a big house (waiting to be inherited), a family full of dark secrets, snow that traps everyone together and, well, mysterious clues that have been left to be found. Just an ideal set-up for cosy crime.

It also has one of the best characters I have ever read that you love to hate, although as the story progresses you realise that this may be a little unfair. But, no spoilers here – you are going to have to read the book to find out more about that.

If you a fan of good, well-structured crime fiction, then this is a book for you. And, to be honest, I would not just save it until Christmas if you manage to grab yourself a copy; any of the cold winter nights would be a perfect time to read such a book.

The Moth Catcher by Ann Cleeves

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

My next read to tick off one of my TV Detectives in my ‘TV Detective Challenge’ was ‘The Moth Catcher’; this was my chance to go on an adventure with Vera Stanhope.

This is one of the books that I have seen as a TV adaptation but I could not really remember the story, which meant that reading it I was discovering the story for the first time. It was great to be amongst the characters that we have learnt to love from the ITV TV adaptations and see how they differ from the book to the screen, as they always do just a little.

I enjoyed reading this as a piece of crime fiction. It is well constructed, with clever storylines that appear not to be linked at all, until they are. There is, also, throughout the book some great misdirection – sending your thoughts, just as they do to Vera and her team, in the wrong direction before you are brought back on track. I have to admit that I was a little surprised when the conclusion appeared to be reached so suddenly; however, I think that may have been down to my own tiredness when I was reading it, rather than a fault with the story or writing itself.

I think I am still Team Shetland a little more than Team Vera – although, let’s be honest, I enjoy them both in their own ways. They both have great, yet flawed, detectives at their centre, in beautiful parts of the world. I will certainly be giving more of the books a go when I need a bit of a crime fix – but will I be more likely to be in Shetland or Northumberland?

A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

My crime fiction addiction does not seem to have lessened over the last few weeks, it has simply been on pause as I have read some other genres.

So when my fantastic TBR Tarot Cards from Don’tJudgeBooksHQ suggested a book by a male author, I knew that I had to pick up ‘A Fatal Crossing’ by Tom Hindle. I thought it would be a perfect cosy crime novel for these cold and dark evenings – and I was correct.

A locked room mystery – or would locked ship be a better description? – we are on the ship Endeavour on its way to New York. A mysterious death brings together Timothy Birch, one of the ship’s officers, and Temple, a detective from Scotland Yard – or so he says. And, together, they attempt to solve the circumstances surrounding the mysterious death.

This book has everything you expect from a cosy crime novel set after the Great War. There are secrets, glamourous couples, mysterious women, valuable paintings (well, I guess this could be anything of value) and an unlikely crime-fighting duo. And, most importantly, that almighty twist that every good piece of crime fiction gives you.

So, if you are looking for a great piece of well-written and well-constructed cosy crime, then this is the book for you. A debut novel that takes you to the golden age of crime is one that, to be honest, everyone should be reading.

That Night by Gillian McAllister

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

As my desire to read crime and thriller fiction continues through the summer months, I picked up my second book by Gillian McAllister for this year – ‘That Night’.

I have to say that I think Gillian McAllister is the queen of the plot twist – and ‘That Night’ was full of them. But, as before, this is not just a crime novel; it is, again, an interesting study of human nature and character.

This book is focused around one set of siblings who have always been very close: they work together and they even live in the same row of isolated cottages together. The question is: how close are they? Are they close enough to cover up a murder?

Again, it is so hard to review such a book as I do not want to spoil any of it for anyone. However, I will tell you that it is a page-turner from the moment you start reading, and there are at least two gasp-out-loud twists – one I even had to re-read to check that was really where the story was now going.

Gillian McAllister writes an incredibly intelligent thriller, and is definitely becoming one of my go-to authors for this genre – I am glad that I still have a few in her back catalogue to read, because they definitely satisfy that thriller reader side of me.

How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

My third book of the summer is one that has been on the shelf since the January sales. ‘How To Kill Your Family’ by Bella Mackie has been everywhere (including my book shelf), so I appreciate I am very late to the party, which is why it had to be on my summer possibility pile.

However, now I have read it, I have had to take some time to process what I think about it. I cannot decide if I liked it or not, or if it was a book that was just a slow burn for me – and the more I read it the more I became invested in it. I almost felt like I needed to immediately speak to others who may have read it and find out if they enjoyed it or not, and try and get my thoughts organised.

I liked the idea of the book, but I do not think I liked Grace – I should have felt empathy for her, but I just found her a bit irritating, not as far-removed from the ‘distant’ family she was attempting to ‘deal’ with. But then, as I finished it, I wondered if in fact that was what I was supposed to think of Grace as the reader – because, no spoilers – the conclusion was clever. In fact, I thought the final quarter of the book was excellent and the twist (if that is what you can call it) was brilliant. In fact, once I approached the final quarter, I could not put the book down and I thought, well, actually perhaps I do like this book.

I understand that this is not a very helpful blog post – and I cannot give any spoilers – but I think this might just be the kind of book which will be a little bit marmite, and needs a bit of a debrief once it has been read. So, the big question is: have you read ‘How To Kill Your Family’? And what did you think? Because I still do not think I totally know what I think about it…

The Holiday by T.M.Logan

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

It seems very fitting that the first book I finish in my summer break is called ‘The Holiday’. I was not sure what I would think of this book, as sometimes a thriller that has had hype surrounding it can potentially be a let-down; however, ‘The Holiday’ definitely is not.

I found this book to be a thrilling page-turner. A slow burn, but not a slow-paced story (which I realise may sound like a contradiction), this idyllic-sounding holiday with friends soon becomes anything but. There are secrets, the weight of guilt and strange behaviours galore, as these supposedly best friends spend a summer in France.

I refuse to reveal any spoilers, but the ‘twist’, if that is what you can really call it at the end, had me; I fell right into its trap until the very final moment. There are so many great issues covered within the book too, especially the dangers of social media for the young. And it may leave you wondering how far you would be willing to go to protect those that are the most important to you.

This is a well-written and well-crafted crime thriller novel. I enjoyed the fact that we are mainly seeing the story from one perspective, but every now and then we are thrown into another, which may completely alter how you are seeing the story. It would make a perfect holiday read, although possibly not if you are off on a friends holiday to a villa in France…

So, if you want a thrilling read for this holiday season, pick up ‘The Holiday’ and see where it takes you.