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May 5, 2014

The Skin Collector, Jeffery Deaver

A Rhyme/Sachs novel.

In the depths of a brutal New York fall, a killer stalks the underground passages and basements of the city. He literally inks his victims to death, using a tattoo gun loaded with poison. Lincoln Rhyme is drawn into the case and he and his partner Amelia Sachs are soon on the killer’s tail. What is the significance of the killer’s message, the locations, the fascination he seems to hold for the Bone Collector, the case that brought Rhyme and Sachs together in the first place.

Oblivious New Yorkers face a threat of biblical proportions, one that only Rhyme can detect and stop, and the killer knows where he lives.

The Son, Jo Nesbo

Sonny Loftus’ father was a dirty cop and Sonny is a killer doing prison time for two murders and now a possible third, but there is a conspiracy revolving around Sonny. For some reason it is important to keep him locked up and doped up on heroin. For if Sonny should somehow learn the truth he might be motivated to escape, clean himself up and go after his father’s killers.

And for some people that would be very bad news indeed.

N.B. This is not a Harry Hole novel.

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, Joel Dicker

First novels propel you into the stratosphere and then you have to write the second and Marcus Goldman is suffering from a massive case of writers block, he hasn’t written any pages and with his publisher losing patience Marcus runs to his mentor Harry Quebert.

Enfolded in the small seaside town of Somerset, Marcus stumbles on a stunning fact. Harry had an affair with 15 year old Nola Kellergan, a waitress at Clarks diner and when a body is found on Harry’s property clutching a damning piece of evidence the writer is arrested, his book withdrawn from sale. In the court of public opinion he’s already been found guilty.

Marcus begins his own investigation into Harry and Nola, juggling ever approaching deadlines and legal threats with discovering the secret that someone killed to keep hidden 33 years ago. Can Marcus save the man he owes his writing career to and what will that do to their friendship? This book within a book (which unseated Dan Brown from the top spot in Europe) has twists, turns and surprises galore and will keep you guessing right up to the final page.

The Devil’s Workshop, Alex Grecian

Dangerous prisoners are on the loose in London, some with old scores to settle with members of the murder squad.

While Inspector Day’s officers are determined to recapture them, Day himself finds his investigations hampered by an old mentor who seeks a different kind of justice for the escapees.

And deep below London’s streets waits the unthinkable, one whose name caused a city wide panic, now freed to kill again.

Invisible City, Julia Dahl

At the tender age of six months old, Rebekah Roberts lost her mother. Aviva went back to the Hasidic faith she’d struggled to break free from and Rebekah never forgave or forgot her.

23 years later Rebekah, now a stringer for the NY Tribune is called to report on a murder. The victim, Rivka Mendelssohn is removed from the crime scene by Hasidics and Rebekah, aided by an old friend of her mother’s is drawn into their closed world, where people like her mother suffocated under the secretive religion and mental disorders are allowed to run unchecked.

The story has everything a cub reporter could need to make their career, corruption, murder, madness but will Rebekah break the story before it breaks her?

Water Rat of Wanchai, Ian Hamilton

An early chapter in the career of Ava Lee, globe-trotting forensic accountant. Andrew Tam needs Ava’s help. His business partners have spirited away five million dollars worth of inventory, money his family can’t afford to lose.

Ava makes quick work of tracking the money the hard part is going to be getting the account holder out of his bolt hole in Guyana and convincing him to give the money back. To do that Ava has to deal with Captain Roberts and his little brother Jack, who think they can push Ava around. Big mistake.

Jack of Spies, David Downing

Take an English businessman with a uncanny knack for languages, give him a few ‘tasks’ to do while he’s selling luxury cars around the globe and you have Jack McColl. McColl’s Scottish roots are going to come in handy, he’s been a part-time spy for several years and as 1913 rolls to a close he realizes that the spy game is calling him, luring him into dangerous waters. Using the luxury car business for cover he’s picked up some useful intelligence in China, along with the radical but feminine journalist Caitlin Hanley.

Jack falls for Caitlin but she may not feel the same way. Her San Francisco based family has ties to some dangerous alliances, connections that Jack may have to exploit to complete his mission. The world is lurching towards war; and Jack’s got to choose between his personal and professional lives, and either decision will cost him dearly.

I Am Pilgrim, Terry Hayes

On September 12, 2011 ‘Scott Murdoch’ retires. He is one of the best covert intelligence agents the US has ever had but the upcoming war on terror renders his skills useless. ‘Murdoch’ slips away to Paris and starts a new life, writing a book under the pseudonym Jude Garrett. The book brings resourceful NYPD detective Ben Bradley into his life and not long after he’s recruited to find a cleanskin, codenamed Saracen, this man has no country, no allegiance and one goal; to bring down the ‘far enemy’. If he succeeds, he’ll make 9/11 look like a church picnic. All ‘Murdoch’ has is snippets of a satellite phone call, his tradecraft and his codename ‘Pilgrim’.

Fasting moving and chillingly plausible, Hayes delivers a thrilling debut.

Marvelous May reads

Just got back from a packed trip to London and Holland. We went with a group of people from the bookstore and the only things set in stone were two book signings. One with Chris Ewan (and James Carroll) and the other with Peter Lovesey. Both readings took place at the Waterstones flagship store in Piccadilly. Both were fantastic and of course I now have Dead Line and The Stone Wife, both signed by Chris and Peter respectively.

I took the opportunity to do a bit of research for book #4, managed to communicate in Dutch without making an ass of myself. So there is my excuse for the May post being late, it's a pretty impressive one:-)