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Friday, 21 March 2025

‘Imperfect Strangers’ by Lea O’Harra

Published Independently,
8 January 2025.
ISBN: 979-830632388-6 (PB)

Chief Inspector Kenji Inoue commands the police station in Fujikawa, a small town with a low crime rate in rural Japan. One swelteringly hot morning in July, his peace is shattered when Professor Nomura, the president of Fujikawa University, is discovered in his office with his throat cut.

Aided by two young sergeants, Kubo who is smart and efficient, and Ando who is scruffy but understands people, Inoue starts investigating. There is no shortage of suspects. The Professor’s plans to change the charitable, Christian ethos of the university and to make lecturers redundant by closing the English department have made him unpopular. Added to which there were rumors that he, or an obedient minion, had been syphoning off money from the university’s kitty for their own nefarious uses. On the personal side he was seen as a lecherous individual who preyed on young, female students, and his younger brother hates him.

Andrew Thomas, a Canadian professor of English, becomes the prime suspect for several reasons: he was discovered covered in blood with the dead man’s body in his arms; he is likely to be made redundant; and his wife Alyson was having an affair with the Professor. A second death followed within the week. Hideo Akamatsu, from the accounts department, was attacked and subsequently died. Whilst all this is happening, Inoue has his boss, the ambitious Superintendent Takenaka, breathing down his neck. Thankfully, Takenaka is not based in Fujikawa, but at a much larger police station in the nearby town of Ishizaki.

Whilst Imperfect Strangers works perfectly well as a murder mystery, its main interest for me was the insightful and fascinating glimpses it provided into Japanese culture and institutions. The characters, and the manifestations of what might be viewed by many of us as employees unacceptably hierarchical relationships with each other, are portrayed with admirable clarity alongside the darker, less acceptable, subservient side of domestic society. Originally published in 2015, and set in the present day, much of the behaviour described seems to have been derived from a distant epoch. Overall, this is a book that can be read on many levels, but whatever one’s approach, it makes an interesting, informative and enjoyable read. 
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Reviewer: Angela Crowther

Lea O’Harra has previously published four crime fiction novels: Imperfect Strangers, originally published in 2015 by Endeavour Press, republished in 2022 by Sharpe books; Progeny, originally published in 2016 by Endeavour Press, republished in 2022 by Sharpe books; Lady First, originally published in 2017 by Endeavour Press, republished in 2022 by Sharpe Books, and Dead Reckoning, published in 2022 by Sharpe Books. The first three books comprise the so-called ‘Inspector Inoue murder mystery series’ and are set in Japan. The fourth book is a standalone in small-town America. In autumn 2017 Lady First was awarded finalist status in the crime fiction section of the Beverly Hills Books Awards. It was also a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards in 2018. Dead Reckoning was selected as a Book Excellence Award Finalist in 2023 in the thriller category. 

http://leaoharra.com 

Angela Crowther is a retired scientist.  She has published many scientific papers but, as yet, no crime fiction.  In her spare time Angela belongs to a Handbell Ringing group, goes country dancing and enjoys listening to music, particularly the operas of Verdi and Wagner.

Thursday, 20 March 2025

‘The Oligarch’s Daughter’ by Joseph Finder

Published by Head of Zeus Ltd,
13 February 2025.
ISBN: 978-1-83893058-5 (HB)

Paul Brightman is a well-regarded Wall Street trader with some impressive deals to his name when he meets Tatyana at an exhibition of her photography.   They fall in love and then Paul discovers that her father, Arkady, is a Russian oligarch.  Paul gets on well with Arkady and, with his blessing, marries Tatyana.  Their main difficulties centre on how to avoid a typical oligarch wedding (they get married in secret), but other gifts prove more difficult to refuse.  And then Arkady offers Paul a job in his own financial company.  What could go wrong?  Well, Paul soon begins to find out.

When the reader first meets him, Paul is living under an assumed name in a small New England town – for the past six years he has been a fugitive with a price on his head.  But his security is breached, and he runs for his life aiming to get to the New Hampshire wilderness to escape the Russians or whoever else might be after him.  As a boy, Paul’s father had taught him survival techniques and he recalls his father giving him instructions as he tries to employ these in his efforts to remain alive and at liberty.  His father’s reputation also ensures that he receives invaluable help in his flight.  Paul uses his somewhat rusty skills to deal with frightening and claustrophobic situations and is forced to rely on people who might not have his well-being at heart.  As he tries to understand what has been going on and who, among an increasing field, is responsible for the situation in which he finds himself, he starts to reveal some surprising and shocking answers.

The story is told in a series of current/past sections, as Paul’s life is patched together, and his experiences start to make some sort of sense.  It is well-paced, the tension being maintained by periods of fast–moving and high anxiety flight interspersed with slow, quiet and frightening periods of pursuit.  Apart from the revelations about who is actually after Paul, the background story, includes descriptions of oligarch life, and quietly emphasises the roles of family and family loyalties.  It’s an interesting book to read in current circumstances.
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Reviewer: Jo Hesslewood
Other books by this author:  House on Fire, Judgement, The Fixer, Guilty Minds, The Switch

Joseph Finder was born in Chicago  and spent his early childhood living around the world, including Afghanistan and the Philippines. In fact, Joe's first language -- even before English -- was Farsi, which he spoke as a child in Kabul. Finally, after a stint in Bellingham, WA, his family finally settled outside of Albany, NY.  After taking a high school seminar on the literature and history of Russia, Joseph went on to major in Russian studies at Yale. He then completed a master's degree at the Harvard Russian Research Center, and later taught on the Harvard faculty. He was recruited to the Central Intelligence Agency but eventually decided he preferred writing fiction.  In 2006 he won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Novel for Killer Instinct. Now a bestselling thriller writer, Jo in addition to his fiction, does occasional work for Hollywood and has written on espionage and international affairs for a number of publications, including TheDailyBeast.com, Forbes, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The New Republic. He roots for the Boston Red Sox and lives in Boston with his wife, daughter, and a needy golden retriever, Mia, a dropout from seeing-eye-dog school.

http://www.josephfinder.com

Jo Hesslewood.  Crime fiction has been my favourite reading material since as a teenager I first spotted Agatha Christie on the library bookshelves.  For twenty-five years the commute to and from London provided plenty of reading time.  I am fortunate to live in Cambridge, where my local crime fiction book club, Crimecrackers, meets at Heffers Bookshop .  I enjoy attending crime fiction events and currently organise events for the Margery Allingham Society.

Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival launches The Bloody Scotland crime podcast

The Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival is launching its own podcast which will run from 28 March for an initial 12 episodes.

Going out on a Friday, the Bloody Scotland Podcast, will  take the place of the Bloody Scotland Book Club - which has been running since lockdown and has over 2.9K members – forming a countdown to the festival programme launch.

Host duties will rotate between the authors on the Bloody Scotland board – Lin Anderson, Craig Robertson, Abir Mukherjee and Gordon Brown aka Morgan Cry with regular co-hosts Bloody Scotland Director Bob McDevitt and Digital Manager, Dawn Geddes.

The first three episodes of the Bloody Scotland Podcast will feature Scottish superstar crime writers Val McDermid, Chris Brookmyre and Denise Mina. The podcast will also elevate debut writers. In the same way Bloody Scotland's’ ‘Crime in the Spotlight’ gives new authors the chance to share the stage with established writers, each podcast will pair a debut writer with a more famous one.

In the first episode, going out on Friday 28 March crime writer and board member, Lin Anderson and festival director, Bob McDevitt will interview Val McDermid before introducing debut writer, Richard Strachan, author of The Unrecovered published by Raven Books.  The following week Abir Mukherjee and Dawn Geddes will interview Chris Brookmyre then have a quick chat with debut author Rose McDonagh (One Came Back, Trapeze).

Director Bob McDevitt said:
"Alongside our amazing headliners every year, Bloody Scotland has long championed unpublished, debut and emerging writers, with Crime in the Spotlight, Pitch Perfect and the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize as key pillars of the festival programme We hope that the podcast will continue to introduce our loyal audience to the very best in crime fiction."

Sunday, 16 March 2025

St Patrick's Day Mysteries

 

ALBERT. Susan Wittig

1997

Love Lies Bleeding

ALESSIO, Amy

2017

Struck by Shillelagh

BRANDT, Harry

2015

The Whites

CAHOON, Lynn

2019

Corned Beef and Casualties

CRAWFORD, Isis

2012

A Catered St Patrick's Day

CREEDON, P

2018

Murder on Saint Patrick's Day 

DALEY, Kathi

2015

Shamrock Shenanigans

DEMILLE. Nelson

1981

Cathedral

DOHERTY, Tom Dots

2019

ShamrockSnake

EVANOVICH. Janet

2008

Plum Lucky 

FIFFER, Sharon

2012

Lucky Stuff

FRANKLIN, Bernadette

2019

Shammed 

GONZALEZ, Andrew

2011

St Patrick's Day

GREELEY, Andrew Morley

1994

Irish Gold

HADDAM. Jane

1992

A Great Day for the Deadly

HAMILTON, Lyn

2000

Celtic Riddle

HARRINGTON. Jonathan

2001

A Great Day For Dying

HARRIS,Lee

1994

St Patrick's Day Murder

HART, Jennifer L

2019

Sleuthing for the Weekend 

HOWELL, Dorothy

2014

Duffle bags and Drownings

HUNTER, Carolyn Q

2018

Shamrock Pie Murder 

JACKSON, Melanie

2012

The Sham

JOHNS, Madison

2017

Lucky Strike

KELLY, Diane

2013

Love. Luck and the Little Green Men

LEE, Amanda

2012

The Long Stitch Good Night

LEE, Wendi

1994

The Good Daughter

MAHONEY, Dan

1998

Once in Never Out

MCINERNY, Ralph

1998

Lack of the Irish

MEIER. Leslie

2008

St. Patrick's Day Murder

O'CONNOR, Carlene

2021

Murder in an Irish Bookshop

O'MARIE,  Sister Carol Ann

1998

Death Takes Up a Collection

PARKER, Mark

2014

Lucky You

SMITH, Janet Elaine

2002

In St Patrick's Custody

TROCHEK. Kathy Hogan

2000

Irish Eyes

VIGUIE, Debbie

2010

Lie Down in Green Pastures 

WALD, Noreen

2000

Death Never Takes a Holiday

Saturday, 15 March 2025

‘The Elusive Dietrich’ by Jared Cade

Published by Scarab Books,
7 July 2024.
ISBN: 978-1-06867290-3 (PB)

As a young woman, Diana, Duchess of Marsden been active in fighting the Nazis during the Second World War. She had been a member of the French Resistance and had narrowly missed being murdered by an evil Nazi officer, Captain Dietrich, who had already killed the couple that had given her refuge in their beautiful home. Dietrich had intended to massacre the rest of the household and steal the contents of the house. He was prevented from doing so by Diana’s courage, cunning and determination (not for nothing was her code name The Vixen), which enabled her to contact members of the Resistance, who attacked Dietrich and his men. When the French Resistance moved in to rescue her, Diana had thrown a hand grenade at Dietrich, and she believed that she had killed him.

Over forty years later, in 1983, the past comes back to cause more disruption, when Oliver Seymour, the owner of Valiant Productions, intends to make a documentary film about Diana’s remarkable life. Oliver reveals to his friend, Lyle Revel, that, contrary to common belief, he has discovered that Captain Dietrich survived the war and is now living under a new identity and is enjoying a privileged position in English society. Oliver does not claim to know Dietrich’s identity, but he does claim that he would recognise the Nazi war criminal’s signature, which he says is both elegant and distinctive.

Lyle tells his partner, Hermione Bradbury, about Oliver’s search for Captain Dietrich, and she is especially interested because Diana is her godmother, and she loves and admires her. Hermione and Lyle are the caretakers of Milsham Hall, a role that they combine with Hermione’s career as a musician and Lyle’s as an actor. They have another, unofficial, role as amateur detectives, and are intrigued by Oliver’s story about Captain Dietrich, as well as being concerned about its effect on Diana. Even without this added complication, the relationships between Diana and her family and friends are complex and often turbulent. Diana is an extremely wealthy woman, and there is a tug-of-war to inherit her money. Despite his infidelity, her husband wants Diana’s fortune to maintain his stately home; but her two grandchildren by her first marriage think that the money should come to them. Diana loves her grandchildren but feels that they are too young and irresponsible to be entrusted with such a large amount of money. However, her grandson, Sebastian, is about to be married, and she is considering altering her will to benefit her grandchildren, especially as, despite his promises, her husband continues to see his mistress.

The tension mounts up as a near-fatal accident is followed by several deaths. Hermione and Lyle are desperate to discover whether the elusive Captain Dietrich is still alive and, if so, is he really someone who is part of the social circle surrounding Diana? However, when probing the identity of such a ruthless man with so much to lose, seeking out the truth can be very dangerous.

The Elusive Dietrich is the first book in the series featuring Lyle Revel and Hermione Bradbury. It is a book with larger-than-life characters, an intriguing, complex plot and an unexpected, very dramatic solution. Although it is set in the 1980s it has a fascinating feel of the Golden Age. An unusual and enjoyable read. Recommended.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron

Jared Cade is a former tour guide for a bespoke luxury travel company, escorting parties around Agatha Christie’s former home Greenway, in Devon, which is open to the public courtesy of the National Trust. During an appearance on the British television quiz the 64,000 Dollar Question, he won the top prize on his specialist subject of Agatha Christie’s novels. Jared Cade’s writing is heavily influenced by the Golden Age of crime fiction. He has a fondness for amateur sleuths, traditional mysteries, locked-room murders, and impossible crimes. He is the creator of the crime-solving duo of actor Lyle Revel and cellist Hermione Bradbury who take centre stage in a series of British cosy murder mysteries. He shares his tips for writing on the Crime Writers’ Association website.  

Carol Westron is a Golden Age expert who has written many articles on the subject and given papers at several conferences. She is the author of several series: contemporary detective stories and police procedurals, comedy crime and Victorian Murder Mysteries. Her most recent publications are Paddling in the Dead Sea and Delivering Lazarus,

Thursday, 13 March 2025

‘Echoes on the Fens’ by Joy Ellis

Published by Joffe Books,
31 October 2024.
ISBN: 978-1-83526-240-5 (PB
)

The fifteenth book in this series opens with an exciting offer, to DI Nikki Galena, that of promotion to Detective Chief Inspector in charge of a new Serious Crimes unit acting out of the Fenland Constabulary HQ. It sounds good but raises the question of her relationship with her Sargeant Joseph Easter, which so far, they have managed to keep secret.  Recently Joseph has been uncharacteristically quiet, and Nikko knows they must somehow resolve the situation.

While Nikki is pondering her personal problem, she is called to the home of Angela Sandford which appears to be a suicide. But investigation shows that Angela was in her late sixties, an avid walker, very fit and planning the trip of a lifetime. And on the face of it had everything to live for. Her death is deemed as suspicious.

Meanwhile, while out walking the dog Eve Anderson, Nikki’s mother, and Eve’s friend Wendy are interested to see that the big house Monks Lantern is now occupied.  The surprise is that the owner is Justin Connaught, an archaeologist and the TV presenter of the programme Digging History. When they get chatting Eve discovered that she had worked with Justin’s father, Lionel at the MOD for many years. Justin drops into the conversation, looking at her thoughtfully, that his father never re-married.  He invites them over for dinner the next day.

The following night there is a second death. A young woman deliberately run down as she picked up a takeaway fish and chip supper. And the next day, a man found dead, lying in a pool of blood on the floor of his grand old house.  

In all three cases there appears to be no clue, and no motive for these three deaths. It's up to Nikki and her team to find the link before more people die.

With a complex case, and worry over her personal situation, to find that her mother knew one of the victims finds Nikki with one of the most difficult cases of her career. Will she solve these three, at present, seemingly unrelated cases, and resolve her personal dilemma?

Joy Ellis does it again. Intriguing, and cleverly plotted I could not put this book down. Another enthralling mystery. Most highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

Joy Ellis was born in Kent but spent most of her working life in London and Surrey. She was an apprentice florist to Constance Spry Ltd, a prestigious Mayfair shop that throughout the Sixties and Seventies teemed with both royalty and ‘real’ celebrities. She swore that one day she would have a shop of her own. It took until the early Eighties, but she did it. Sadly, the recession wiped it out, and she embarked on a series of weird and wonderful jobs; the last one being a bookshop manager Joy now lives in a village in the Lincolnshire Fens with her partner, Jacqueline. She had been writing mysteries for years but never had the time to take it seriously. Now as her partner is a highly decorated retired police officer; her choice of genre was suddenly clear. She has set her crime thrillers in the misty fens.   

www.joyellis.info 

Wednesday, 12 March 2025

‘The Case of the Deadly Deception’ by Charlie Cochrane

Published by Williams and Whiting,
12 December 2024.
ISBN: 978-1-91588792-4 (PB)

Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe spent the Second World War as Spitfire pilots, heroes of the RAF, but since the war ended, they have become heroes of the silver screen, as two of the most popular actors Landseer Studios has ever employed. However, there is one secret that neither the fans nor the Press must ever guess: despite the numerous beautiful starlets that Alasdair and Toby are seen escorting, the two romantic heroes are in love with each other. Homosexuality is illegal in the 1950s, and the two actors have to tread very carefully, so that only the few people who can be trusted not to betray them know about their true relationship. On screen, Alasdair and Toby have made a hit playing Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, and life seems to imitate art as they have been involved in several real-life investigations. Now a film is about to be released in which they portray two celebrated amateur sleuths, the Cambridge Fellows, Orlando Coppersmith and Jonty Stewart, who started investigating crimes in Edwardian times, before the First World War.

Toby is puzzled when he receives an invitation to attend a meeting of the Monday Evening Association at the offices of a firm called Herbert and Chapman. He has never heard of the Monday Evening Association, nor of its chairman, Lloyd Conway, and the whole thing seems somewhat fishy. However, both Toby and Alasdair are curious, and when the Head of Landseer Studios, Sir Ian Sheringham, gives permission for Toby to attend the meeting, he decides to do so.

Sir Ian is already concerned about an ill-fated production in which the principal actor had died two days into filming. Because of this he stipulates that Toby takes back-up to the meeting, in case the Monday Evening Association intend harm to the star, either physically or by damaging his reputation. Because of this, Toby asks Jonny Stewart, the great-nephew of Jonty, to accompany him and watch his back. The office where the meeting is due to be held is unmarked and hard to find, which Toby and Jonny find suspicious, but they find the correct place and meet the members of the Monday Evening Association, a diverse and strange set of people. All the members claim to have extraordinary but random powers, and Toby and Jonny find their claims unbelievable. Lloyd Conway insists that Toby has a special power and invites him to join the Association. When Toby denies this, Lloyd insists that it is just that Toby has not yet discovered his power. Toby is unconvinced and does not accept Lloyd’s invitation.

When Toby and Jonny report back to Alasdair he tells them that he has been digging into the background of the firm of Herbert and Chapman and has discovered the reason why their offices are unmarked. Alasdair explains that they are a combination of solicitor and private investigators who will use dirty tricks and illegal practices to ensure their wealthy clients are not convicted, even if they are guilty. He has also discovered that the Landseer actor, who died by falling under a train, was a client of Herbert and Chapman.

Moira Matthews, another member of the Monday Evening Association, contacts Toby to apologise for the strange impression he must have received of the group and invites Toby, Jonny and Alasdair to meet her so that she can explain. They accept her invitation and meet Moira and two other members of the Association, who try to interest them in investigating the disappearance of a young woman who was a member of the group. Intrigued, the amateur detectives investigate but soon they realise that they could be uncovering a far deeper and darker plot than they anticipated, one which could even threaten the forthcoming coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Case of the Deadly Deception is the fourth book featuring Toby and Alasdair. It is a lively, historical novel, with engaging protagonists who are trying to keep their relationship secret under very difficult circumstances. It is great fun and a very enjoyable read.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron 

Charlie Cochrane couldn't be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice—like managing a rugby team— so she writes. Her favourite genre is gay fiction, predominantly historical romances/mysteries.  A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and International Thriller Writers Inc, Charlie's Cambridge Fellows Series, set in Edwardian England, was instrumental in her being named Author of the Year 2009 by the review site Speak Its Name.  

http://www.charliecochrane.co.uk

Carol Westron is a successful author and a Creative Writing teacher.  Her crime novels are set both in contemporary and Victorian times.  Her first book The Terminal Velocity of Cats was published in 2013. Since then, she has since written 6 further mysteries. Carol recently gave an interview to Mystery People. To read the interview click on the link below. 

https://promotingcrime.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/carol-westron.html www.carolwestron.com
http://carolwestron.blogspot.co.uk/

To read a review of Carol latest book click on the title
Delivering Lazarus