The Crime Warp

I'm Travelling Alone  by Samuel Bjork is a fantastic debut novel by a rising star of Nordic Noir!  This is worthy of a veteran writer.  The plot is complex and satisfyingly thrilling, the characters intriguing, likeable and quirky and the settings are beautifully Nordic.... Samuel Bjork is definitely one to look out for  in the future.

I blogged about Claire McGowan’s first Paula Maguire novel The Lost some time ago.   I liked the Paula Maguire character (strong and intelligent, if a little wayward!) and the Northern Ireland setting, where there’s a tension between the desire to just get on with a normal life and the ghosts of murder and violence that touched so many people’s lives, making them prisoners of their past. In The Silent Dead , Paula is now heavily pregnant, still working and has not resolved the question of her baby’s paternity.   In the opening scenes she goes to a crime scene where a suspected former terrorist has apparently committed suicide.   The “victim” is a member of the Mayday Five, a group responsible for a horrific bombing atrocity.   The other four members of the group have disappeared.   Maguire and the team must track them down to protect them from people who want to deal out their own brand of justice.   As if the case itself isn’t hard enough, ...

I’ve chosen just two novels this month – both very different, each with something special of its own. The Yellow Diamond by Andrew Martin:   DI Blake Reynolds has been assigned to head up a new unit responsible for investigating the crimes of the super-rich in London.   His first task is to solve the murder of his predecessor, George Quinn. As you’d expect, things are somewhat complicated. Not just because of Quinn’s unorthodox methods, or the machinations of Quinn’s assistant Victoria Clifford, or just the basic domestic problems of trying to get on the London Housing ladder.   The biggest problem is finding Anna Samarin is linked to a jewellery theft and possibly even the murder he’s investigating.   Anna has previously come close to compromising Reynolds, so even though he’s on his guard when he sees her, Reynolds still feels his heart go “pitter patter”, so his infatuation hasn’t gone away.   Martin has created a great atmosphere in the novel ...

Many crime fiction writers delight us by their exploration of the relationships between serial killers or psychopaths and their hunters.   What particularly interests me, is when that link is a familial one.  Read on to find out more about the theme of nature V nurture in crime fiction.  This includes paternal/maternal relationships between killer and hunter and the sibling relationship between killer and detective.

When her best friend is killed in an arson attack Laurie Smith is convinced that she was the intended victim.   24 Hours takes us on a race against time, for Laurie to reconnect with her daughter before her mysterious attacker finds her.   

Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham (Release Date 20 th October 2015) Sebastian Rudd is not your typical street lawyer.  His office is his reinforced bulletproof car and his clients are not always innocent.  However, when he sees injustice he does his utmost to expose it and  isn't  afraid to take on fellow lawyers, the legal system and corrupt law enforcement officers.

It's Christmas time in 1950's  Brighton when two children are abducted and murdered with a trail of sweets leading to their bodies.  DI Edgar Stephens and sidekicks Emma and Bob are drawn into the world of pantomime, dark fairy tails and Smoke and Mirrors. 

You decide which lucky UK crime novel will be awarded The Crime Warp novel of 2015!  All you need to do is:  VOTE NOW!.. 1/ Email :  thecrimewarpblog@yahoo.co.uk 2/Type the title of your nomination Under  Subject   and we'll  enter you for our prize giveaway. Voting Closes at Midnight on 25th December: Award  Winning A uthor  and Giveaway winners will be announced  on 31st  December! Read on to see who this years nominees are...

Recently I've come across a few books featuring Bridges and it got me thinking about the function of the Bridge in crime fiction; from the suicide/ murder/ torture hanging stance to the Bridge as a symbolic link between Past and Present, Good and Evil , Hope and Despair, or as the focus for the high octane adrenalin rush of an explosive car chase or stunt.  Here, I've focused on a few pieces of crime fiction where the bridge's stoic structure plays a significant role in the story

Where They Found Her  by Kimberley McCreight, deals with the claustrophobic judgements' of a small town mentality and throws up secrets and lies that have remained dormant for years.