• ‘The Dirty South’ unearths early Charlie Parker tribulations…

    It’s 1997 and in Burdon County, Arkansas, a young black woman lies dead in the undergrowth, just the wrong or right side of a property-line, depending on your view. While there are those who want to catch her killer, there are others who recognise the similarities to a previous...
  • Brought to light? Alex North’s latest explores the ‘Shadows’…

    Leeds-born Alex North’s debut novel (at least under that name) was a certifiable success in 2019, receiving numerous awards, recognition and with the rights bought up by no less than the Russo Brothers (whom you may remember from directing a little film called Avengers: Endgame). About as far away...
  • Fair Warning: Connelly’s latest has familiar DNA but brisk pace…

    It’s been several years since Jack McEvoy wrote best-selling books based on two of his investigations of killers working below the police radar. Those took him from regional reporter to the heights of the LA Times, but he now works for the crusading website FairWarning  looking out for consumer...
  • Bond Vs Bond: There’s No Time to Die, but plenty of time to read…

    Over the years, Paul Simpson has written and performed editing duties on a vast number of books and magazines, demonstrating a depth of knowledge across an equally impressive range of pop-culture essentials. So it shouldn’t be any surprise that his latest tome – actually an updated edition of 2015’s ...
  • ‘The Night Fire’: Bosch and Ballard feel the burn…

    Decades ago, when Harry Bosch was still a rookie detective his mentor was  John Jack Thompson, a man who taught him some of the earliest lessons of his career. Now, years later Thompson has just passed away – but his widow tells Harry she has a ‘murder book’ of...
  • ‘The Whisper Man’ thriller is something to shout about…

    Fifteen years ago, the town of Featherbank was shaken by a serial killer that abducted and killed five young boys over several months. The killer became known as ‘The Whisper Man’ because there had been reports of whispering at the windows of the children before they vanished. Subsequently, other...
  • No ‘Bones’ about it: Connolly’s epic takes its damned tome…

    There are places in this world  – and perhaps others – that have ancient, profane power and encountering their touch can bring tragedy and pain. Maine-based private detective Charlie Parker knows that more than most and has spent much of his life avoiding that touch or seeking it out as...
  • Dark (Sacred) Night Returns: Bosch & Ballard cross paths…

    A year ago, Harry Bosch made a promise to himself and a forlorn mother that he would solve the cold-case murder of her daughter, Daisy. The mother, Elizabeth Clayton, attempting to resist the pain-numbing lure of the streets on which Harry had found her and which claimed Daisy, is...
  • ‘So… you want to be a Stuntman..?’ (Book Review)

    Watch any big blockbuster – or, for that matter, almost any production that involves any scene that could be potentially dangerous if not managed correctly – and it’s hard not to marvel at the various people who contribute to making things look that good. Despite the continued lack of...
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