The Crime Warp

I spent last weekend at the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing festival in Harrogate, together with my fellow Crime Warp bloggers,which is why this posting is a little late.  As I’m going to be away for part of August too, I’ve decided to do one post for July and August with five books that each offer something quite unique to readers.  Four of these books are available now, so there’s no excuse for not diving in and trying some of them straight away! Romancrimeblogger Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus  Nele Neuhaus is one of Germany’s top crime authors and if you read this book you’ll immediately see why. Tobias Sartorius returns home after completing his sentence for the murder of two local girls, one his girlfriend, known as Snow White.  Tobias and his father are ostracised and attacked by members of the local community, so detectives Kirkhoff and Bodenstein are assigned to monitor what’s happening in the community.  Then another gir...

Loveable Sleuths Sometimes we're lucky enough to find a sleuth/detective/goodie/ that just tugs on our heartstrings, maybe even brings out the mumsy or dadsy in us.  These characters are always a delight to read and have us sitting on the sidelines rooting for them.  They are so absorbing that we feel almost morally bound to be their defenders, albeit from our comfy armchairs.  They embrace all the good in detectives but maintain an innocence (even when forced to kill an adversary) that keeps us rooting for them.  They often have an aura of vulnerability around them, sometimes disguised under a gruff exterior, but always apparent to the discerning reader.  These are our LOVEABLE SLEUTHS and we're proud to LOVE them Sookie Stackhouse created by Charlaine Harris Where crime meets the supernatural by Indiana Charlaine Harris Who would have thought that a blond waitress from Louisiana of all places, however perky, would become my protagonist of choic...

I’ve posted reviews of Peter James’ writing before.   I’m a latecomer to James’ novels, but have become a definite fan not just of Roy Grace, but also of his other books and even his short stories. Dead Man’s Time is the ninth in the series, following Roy Grace, a new, exhausted father and his sidekick Glenn Branson.   This case starts with a brutal robbery at a secluded mansion, the theft of millions of pounds’ worth of antiques and the death of the elderly occupant.   Gavin Daly, the victim’s brother and retired antiques dealer vows revenge for the murder and so a cat and mouse game begins with Daly and his son Lucas working behind the scenes to track down the gang responsible.     As the plot unfolds, Gavin Daly senses a link to the unsolved murder of his father in 1922.   His focus is to find a Patek Philippe watch stolen in the robbery and the only tangible link to his dead father, which he is convinced will help him finally find the so...

I have to start by saying that this isn’t the sort of book I’d normally read.   Supernatural themes are not usually my thing at all and when I first picked up the book, I was pretty sure that it would go in to the “won’t read pile”.   I decided to skim through the first couple of pages and was genuinely hooked.     So…Revivers are people with powers that allow them to speak to the recently deceased.   The protagonist Jonah Miller is a Reviver with deep sensitivity for the dead and one of the best in the business, working for the Forensic Revival Service.   The FRS get to the dead as soon after death as possible, helping the dead/victim give investigators information about how they died. There are multiple plot lines, starting with Miller believing that he is sensing some kind of spiritual force that’s not from the dead person he’s reviving.   Alongside this, Daniel Harker, the journalist who brought Revival to the public’s attention is mu...