Look out for these! A great trio for the holiday season and not all in Scandinavia

I’ve seen and read lots of books over the past couple of months and it’s been pretty hard to choose a holiday trio, but after much sifting and thinking, I’ve settled on three books to look out for. Not all are by established authors, but there’s plenty of quality reading here to keep you occupied whether you’re on the beach, by the pool or just sunning yourself in a deckchair in your back garden.
 
 
White Crocodile by K T Medina. This is my top holiday recommendation – a novel by a first time author who’s written a genuinely compelling book drawing on her first-hand experience of the Territorial Army and advising on mine clearance. Tess Hardy is working for a mine clearance charity in Cambodia. Local myths abound, but the White Crocodile is the most pervasive. Whilst her colleagues dismiss this as peasant superstition, Tess realises there is a link between the White Crocodile and the disappearances and deaths of local women. The narrative moves between Cambodia and England, with the revelation that the White Crocodile’s murderous reach isn’t confined to Cambodia, but stretches to England too.
 
 
The G file by Hakan Nesser. This is the final novel in the long running Van Veeteren series. 15 years ago, private detective Verlagen was hired by Barbara Hennan to follow her husband Jan “G” Hennan. Shortly afterwards Barbara is found dead – fallen into an empty swimming pool. Verlagen knows “G” has a criminal past and the large insurance payout for his wife’s accidental death gives him a strong motive for murder. Frustratingly, Verlagen was watching “G” at the time of the murder and reluctantly provides “G” with an unshakeable alibi. Van Veeteren’s investigation grinds to a halt and the case was unresolved. 15 years later Verlagen’s daughter reports her father missing and she finds a cryptic note from her father, saying that he’s finally discovered the proof to unlock the case against “G”. Van Veeteren returns to Maardan CID for one last case, to close the G file.
 
 

I can see in the dark By Karin Fossum. The first part of the novel introduces Riktor, the things that go on in his head, his innermost thoughts and the crimes he commits. Shortly afterwards Detective Randers comes to Riktor’s house. Randers is keen and sharp. He knows Riktor has committed a crime, but the problem for Riktor, is that the crime Randers suspects him of is not the one he’s responsible for. Riktor’s dilemma is convincing Randers of his innocence of one crime, without exposing his guilt for another. This is the second of Fossum’s books that I’ve seen this year and as always it’s a dark and fascinating novel, with Fossum taking you into what can only be described as the disturbed depths of the criminal mind.
 
I hope you like my choices and give them a try. If you’re on holiday or just out and about and want to see what’s the latest on The Crime Warp, we’ve completed our site redesign to make it easy to access on your smartphone. So, wherever you are, if you want to read out about the newest and best in crime fiction and thrillers, we’re only a couple of swipes away on your smartphone.
 
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