#harper collins noir

[angelitam]

Partageons mon rendez-vous lectures #26-2024 & critiques

Voici mes critiques littéraires sur Livres à profusion. La mort sur ses épaules de Jordan Farmer La mort sur ses épaules de Jordan Farmer – Editions Rivages Noirs La jurée de Claire Jéhanno La jurée de Claire Jéhanno – Harper Collins Poche Le dernier Linley et Havers, dédicacé il y a un an, Une chose à cacher d’Elizabeth George Une chose à cacher d’Elizabeth George – Editions Presses de la…

[dotthings]

Gotham Knights 1x07 "Bad to Be Good"

Thank you to the writers, Allegre Rodriguez & Michelle Furtney-Goodman.

Loved this ep overall. Also bless this series for how it films Misha Collins. Who is himself a work of art.

Following on that theme from the past few eps, Cullen's concern about saving the painting from the black market, where it would wind up hidden from public eyes, is very community-minded of him. He also genuinely cares about the role of art. Steph also takes this up, as we're told they talked about "the importance of art." But also during their coffee and art talk, found a link to their immediate interests and needs.

Harper wonders why she or the Knights should care about works of communal value. She only gets interested when Steph tells them the paintings were all owned by Alan Wayne, which is a link to the Court of Owls. Harper needs a specific and immediate purpose link that involves self-preservation or protecting people she's close to before she cares. Cullen and Steph see a bigger picture but are also motivated by the specific interest and needs, they do both.

Carrie and Duela are a really fun chaos duo, opposites conspiring together and bickering the whole time. Carrie's judging-you-both faces at Eunice and Duela, the epic eye-rolls, Carrie regretting all her life choices, Carrie's thinking FML how did I wind up in this mess. And then Duela eye-rolling over Carrie. Comedy gold. The beginnings of that friendship was unexpected. They're demonstrating different points on the morality and ethics scale. This show has a lot of moral relativism. "Potato, tomato, little bird." Carrie was morally right, but wrong in this situation, Duela isn't ethical, but Duela's antics allowed them to save Detective Green's family.

Eunice stabbing Duela's hand with the ballerina from her music box was very hard core.

Turner seems like he's emerging as more of a leader in this ep. He's also using the bat-toys. Following his dad's legacy, but in his own way, not trying to be Batman.

I immensely enjoy how Misha plays every scene in this like the lead in a classic Hollywood noir or suspense thriller. He's got some great Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart vibes going on. That shot of the cordless phone ringing, looming ridiculously large in foreground, is also vintage Hollywood, Hitchcock kind of style. Misha has the range, the gravitas, and the camera adores him. And Harvey's a whole meal of a character here (on top of being an absolute snack), one of the few decent Gotham leaders, a regular guy in over his head, wondering if he's going mad, trying to solve the mystery, plagued by his inner demons, while being a good person, but shadows over his shoulder.

Lauren Stamile does a great job playing Rebecca March. Her role here is the femme fatale of classic Hollywood. Vulnerable, sincere, yet a touch dangerous. Doesn't mean Rebecca is lying. But anyone who's watched some of those old films knows there could be some plot twists. I wonder where this arc is going to lead.

Steph tending to Harper's wound outside the warehouse and in the end scenes. Their cute flirting. The little smiles. After Harper saved Steph from mobster bullets, Steph taking care of Harper's bullet wound. Enemies to reluctant allies to sorta kinda friends to lovers? Yes please.

Cressida going to Harvey for help...might be sincere. It's looking like all of Gotham is in deadly peril, so much so that Cressida's fear for the fate of millions is overcoming her fear for herself. If the Court's bigger picture plans are a lot more dire than just controlling Gotham financially and socially. Something has scared her badly. Or it's another ploy.

That's one of the fun things about this series, there's a lot of layers, and secrets inside secrets and things not being what they seem.

[odnagnisul]

100 livres à avoir lu dans sa vie (entre autres):

1984, George Orwell ✅

A la croisée des mondes, Philip Pullman

Agnès Grey, Agnès Bronte ✅

Alice au Pays des merveilles, Lewis Carroll ✅

Angélique marquise des anges, Anne Golon

Anna Karenine, Léon Tolstoï

A Rebours, Joris-Karl Huysmans

Au bonheur des dames, Émile Zola

Avec vue sur l'Arno, E.M Forster

Autant en emporte le vent, Margaret Mitchell

Barry Lyndon, William Makepeace Thackeray

Belle du Seigneur, Albert Cohen

Blonde, Joyce Carol Oates

Bonjour tristesse, Françoise Sagan ✅

Cent ans de solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Charlie et la chocolaterie, Roald Dahl ✅

Chéri, Colette

Crime et Châtiment, Féodor Dostoïevski

De grandes espérances, Charles Dickens

Des fleurs pour Algernon, Daniel Keyes

Des souris et des hommes, John Steinbeck ✅

Dix petits nègres, Agatha Christie ✅

Docteur Jekyll et Mister Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson ✅

Don Quichotte, Miguel Cervantés

Dracula, Bram Stocker ✅

Du côté de chez Swann, Marcel Proust

Dune, Frank Herbert ✅

Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury ✅

Fondation, Isaac Asimov

Frankenstein, Mary Shelley ✅

Gatsby le magnifique, Francis Scott Fitzgerald ✅

Harry Potter à l'école des sorciers, J.K Rowling

Home, Toni Morrison

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte

Kafka sur le rivage, Haruki Murakami

L'adieu aux armes, Ernest Hemingway ✅

L'affaire Jane Eyre, Jasper Fforde

L'appel de la forêt, Jack London ✅

L'attrape-cœur, J. D. Salinger ✅

L'écume des jours, Boris Vian

L'étranger, Albert Camus ✅

L'insoutenable légèreté de l'être, Milan Kundera

La condition humaine, André Malraux

La dame aux camélias, Alexandre Dumas Fils

La dame en blanc, Wilkie Collins

La gloire de mon père, Marcel Pagnol

La ligne verte, Stephen King ✅

La nuit des temps, René Barjavel

La Princesse de Clèves, Mme de La Fayette ✅

La Route, Cormac McCarthy ✅

Le chien des Baskerville, Arthur Conan Doyle

Le cœur cousu, Carole Martinez

Le comte de Monte-Cristo, Alexandre Dumas : tome 1 et 2

Le dernier jour d'un condamné, Victor Hugo ✅

Le fantôme de l'opéra, Gaston Leroux

Le lièvre de Vaatanen, Arto Paasilinna

Le maître et Marguerite, Mikhaïl Boulgakov

Le meilleur des mondes, Aldous Huxley

Le nom de la rose, Umberto Eco

Le parfum, Patrick Süskind

Le portrait de Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde ✅

Le Petit Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery ✅

Le père Goriot, Honoré de Balzac ✅

Le prophète, Khalil Gibran ✅

Le rapport de Brodeck, Philippe Claudel

Le rouge et le noir, Stendhal ✅

Le Seigneur des anneaux, J.R Tolkien ✅

Le temps de l'innocence, Edith Wharton

Le vieux qui lisait des romans d'amour, Luis Sepulveda ✅

Les Chroniques de Narnia, CS Lewis

Les Hauts de Hurle-Vent, Emily Brontë

Les liaisons dangereuses, Choderlos de Laclos ✅

Les Malaussène, Daniel Pennac ✅

Les mémoires d'une jeune fille rangée, Simone de

Beauvoir

Les mystères d'Udolfo, Ann Radcliff

Les piliers de la Terre, Ken Follett : tome 1

Les quatre filles du Docteur March, Louisa May

Alcott

Les racines du ciel, Romain Gary

Lettre d'une inconnue, Stefan Zweig ✅

Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert ✅

Millenium, Larson Stieg ✅

Miss Charity, Marie-Aude Murail

Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf

Ne tirez pas sur l'oiseau moqueur, Harper Lee ✅

Nord et Sud, Elisabeth Gaskell

Orgueil et Préjugés, Jane Austen

Pastorale américaine, Philip Roth

Peter Pan, James Matthew Barrie

Pilgrim, Timothy Findley

Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier

Robinson Crusoé, Daniel Defoe ✅

Rouge Brésil, Jean Christophe Ruffin

Sa majesté des mouches, William Goldwin ✅

Tess d'Uberville, Thomas Hardy

Tous les matins du monde, Pascal Quignard

Un roi sans divertissement, Jean Giono

Une prière pour Owen, John Irving

Une Vie, Guy de Maupassant

Vent d'est, vent d'ouest, Pearl Buck

Voyage au bout de la nuit, Louis-Ferdinand Céline ✅

Total : 37/100

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

Black Femme Character Dependency Dark Skin Directory || Characters Masterlist Pr. 1 (A-J)

A

Abbie Mills | Adelaide Wilson/Red | Agent 355 | Agura Ibaden | Aleesha Morrison | Alexa Brandt | Alexandra Crane | Allison Sawyer | Amanda Stern | Amari Peters | Amber Bennett | Amie Sammuelson Conde | Amina Ramsey | Amy Bellafonte | Anaya Imanu | Angel Dynamite | Angela Abar | Angela Goddard | Angela Moore | Angela Vaughn | Anissa Pierce | Anita Fthe13th | Annalise Keating | Annie Keller | Annie Pearson | Antigone | Aphasia | April Sexton | Apocalypta | Arabella | Artemis | Ashley Banks |  Ashley Collins | August King | Ava Coleman | Aya Al-Rashid | Ayo | Azima Kandie 

B

Barbara Howard | Becca Palmerstone | Beckett Mariner | Becky | Becky Todd | Bella Crawford | Belle Newman | Betty | Billie the Reaper | Bilquis | Bisma | Blackfire | Bo | Bobbi | Bow Kid | Bree Matthews | Bumblebee

C

Caprice Winters | Carmen Eguiluz | Carol | Carol Lockhart | Carole Clarke | Catherine Halliday | Catty Noir | Celeste Bisme Lyons | Celie Johnson | Chantelle Blades | Charlotte Page | Cherise | Chondra Unkrich | Clash | Claudia Grant | Cleo Sowande | Cleopatra Jones | Cobra | Coffee | Cocoa Cookie | Coco Conners | Coco Monvoisin | Condola Hayes | Conny Spalding | Cressida | Cynthia Rose Adams

D

Daisy Grant | Damita | Dana Mythical Quest | Darli Dagger | Dayna Mellanby | Death of the Endless | Deja Pearson | Delilah Benson | Denise Hayworth | Denise Johnson | Diana Freeman | Doc McStuffins | Doctor Slone | Donna Siren | Donna Meagle 

E

Ela | Elektra Abundance |  Elena Felton | Ella McFair | Elzora | Enchantress | Erin Cortland | Esi Jiwe | Esther Hopkins | Ethel Peabody | Evangeline Williamson | Eve Doll 

F

Fanta | Farah Black | Felicia | Foxxy Love | Fringilla Vigo

G

Genevieve Quik | Georgiana Lambe | Girl 6 | Grace Hitchens | Grace James |  Grace Monroe | Grace Ryder | Grace Sienar | Grace Walker | Grandmother 

H

Hailey Collins | Hallie McDaniel | Hanna Lovecraft | Hannah Grose | Hannah Steale | Harley Hidoko | Harper Bettencourt | Harriet Lennox | Harriet Tubman | Hattie Mitchell | Hazel Levesque | Henriette | Hippolyta Freeman | Holly | Honeybear | Hunter | Hunter B 15 

I

Ikora Rey |  Imane Bakhellal | Imani | Imani Izzi | Indra | Inquisitor Reva | Irene Federic | Iridessa | Iris Watkins | Ironheart | Isis

J

Jack Starbright | Janai | Jane Amphibia | Jane Hayward | Janie Egins | Janine Teagues | Jasmine TD | Jasmine Davis | Jean Peterson | Jennifer Sisko | Jenny Jackson | Jenny Pizza | Jessica Crashing | Jessica Williams | Jill TUA | Jinna | Joana Coelho | Joanna Crawford | Jodie Landon | Jojo Williams | Jolene | Jonelle Abraham | Jordan Armstrong | Jordan Moore | Josie McCoy | Juanita Benson | Judith | Julia Freeman | Juniper Andromeda | Justine Dancer

...

I ran out of time. LOL. I’ma work on it tho...

I got 2 jobs. Sometimes, I’m not gonna have the things I intend to bring.\

If anybody want me to tag them whenever I finish actually making this list, just leave it in the replies and I’ll tag everybody once I finish K-Z characters, hopefully before the month is over. 

[fictionfromafar]

A Death In Denmark by Amulya Mallad

A Death In Denmark

By Amulya Malladi

William Morrow (Harper Collins)

Paperback Publication Date: 11 May 2023

To get one of my bugbears out quickly first, I’ll admit that I’m not so keen on novels with broad and obvious title although I must say that I rarely find that a predictable title means a predictable read.

I was interested to note that this is Amulya Malladi’s ninth novel and a very quick look at her previous novels indicates that these could be categorised either as literary fiction (The Mango Season) or Romance (The Copenhagen Affair). While you would certainly hope that many readers would be able to enjoy all of her public work, it perhaps appears evident that the “death” of the title was given in order to give a heads up that this is a crime fiction novel. In fact, it appears this will be the first of many as the book cover clearly indicates that this is first in a new series by Malladi, featuring a main protagonist called Gabriel Præst.

While I am reasonably familiar with Denmark and very familiar with its crime fiction writers, I felt Malladi’s background in other types of fiction and also her south Asian heritage could provide an interesting perspective as well as a contract to some of the more traditional Nordic noir writers. The opening chapter of this book provides a string historical setting, the impact of which will not be known for quite some time. It’s an intriguing and ominous start which indicates that the novel will have some substance and depth. Having finished the novel, I can say with certainty that it does so.

I found a pleasing surprise in the subsequent chapter, set in contemporary Copenhagen as the reader first encounters Præst in a blues music bar that I have previously visited in the city. Told in first person narrative, the former police officer, now private investigator and occasion blues musician immediately observes the arrival in the bar of someone whom he knew very well in the past. However, given his position on stage, he can only imagine what it can relate to until such time as the band is able to complete their set. This time allows us to understand that Leila, who runs a legal practice is a woman that Gabriel Præst had a relationship with in the past. This to his obvious regret that ended badly and that she must have only come to see him as a last resort.

Leila informs Præst that she is intended to appeal a life sentence given to Yousef Ahmed who was convicted of the murder of far-right politician Sanne Melgaard. While the case had been high profile, Præst then goes to see Nico, a friend with benefits who tells him more about Ahmed’s circumstances. His apparent motive for killing Melgaard was the murder of his own son by ISIS as he had worked as a Danish interpreter in Iraq but then was refused asylum in Denmark. Melgaard, whose party followed an anti-immigration agenda, not only agreed with the rejection of the asylum request but also made sweeping statements about the man’s Muslim religion. The investigation leads Gabriel Præst to make enquires around the people who knew Sanne Melgaard, many of whom have unsavoury opinions. However, behind their obvious Islamophobia, he also discovers that Melgaard has an interest in links between leading members of Danish society and the Nazis during the second world war.

A Death In Denmark is a very satisfying read that works on a number of levels. The process of the investigation is exciting as Præst encounters hostility and the realisation that his every move is being followed and he has to try to keep ahead. While I must admit that I found something flagged up early in the book which I felt could perhaps be the direction that the novel would take, a slight hint of the destination in no way spoiled the journey for me. I found that the main character’s relationships with the women in his life, including his 20-year-old daughter Sophie are compelling, particularly his unresolved feelings towards Leila. There was a freshness to Præst’s risk taking, how he considered his dress sense for each occasion (often very absence from consideration in Scandi-noir), and other quirky habits which would also encourage me to continue to read more of the series. Also key to the success of the novel is its very credible exploration two significant societal issues. The first of these is the story’s portrayal of life for those of different ethnic groups in modern Denmark. Præst’s ex wife shares some of the prejudices that he witnesses while he is given further insight though a lifelong friend of Turkish descent and Leila’s Iranian heritage. Not only does it hinder the investigation, but it vividly reminds us of many of the battles that people face every day for having a different faith or skin colour. The shadow of Danish collaboration with Germany during the early 1940s is the second issue of consideration. This is something which leaves a stain on the country’s conscience just as much as it does for other Nordic countries. Many of the historical discoveries certainly feel plausible. I will add that recent publications by Petra Rautiainen and Kjell Ola Dahl take very different approaches to examine the same issue through crime fiction from Finnish and Norwegian perspectives, each of which stands well on its own merits. A Death In Denmark is certainly a book you can get your teeth into which will also give you reason to think about some of society’s injustices. I look forward to reading more of Amulya Malladi’s work in the future.

The Blurb

Meet Gabriel Præst, an ex-Copenhagen cop (who dresses with panache), jazz aficionado, and relentless pursuer of truth as he explores Denmark’s Nazi-collaborator past and anti-Muslim present in a page-turning Nordic murder mystery with a cosmopolitan vibe Everyone in Denmark knew that Yousef Ahmed, a refugee from Iraq, brutally murdered the right-wing politician Sanne Melgaard. So, when part-time blues musician, frustrated home renovator, and full[1]time private detective Gabriel Præst agrees to investigate the matter because his ex—the one who got away—asked him to, he knew it was a no-win case. But as Gabriel starts to ask questions, his face meets with the fists of Russian gangsters; the Danish prime minister asks him for a favour; and he starts to realize that something may be rotten in the state of Denmark. Wondering if Yousef was framed to heighten the local anti-Muslim sentiment, Gabriel follows a trail back in time to World War II when anti-Semitism was raging in Europe during the German occupation of Denmark. Fearing a nationalistic mindset has resurfaced, Gabriel rolls up the sleeves of his well-cut suit and gets to work. From the cobblestone streets of Copenhagen to the historic Strassen of Berlin where the sounds of the steel-toed boots of marching Nazis still linger, Gabriel finds that some very powerful Danes don’t want him digging into the case—as the secrets he unearths could shake the foundations of Danish identity.

The author

Amulya Malladi is the bestselling author of nine novels, including A Death In Denmark and The Copenhagen Affair. Her books have been translated into several languages, including Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Danish, Romanian, Serbian, and Tamil. Currently living in California, she is a Danish citizen born and raised in India.

Many thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inclusion on the blog tour and to Harper Collins for an advance copy of Death In Denmark. Look out for the other reviews of this book on the blog tour coming over the next two weeks, as shown below.

[isabelle201180]

Matière noire, Ivan Zinberg, Harper Collins Noir

Merci pour ce retour

[sidekick-archer]

When we are possibly met.

Since then, I started meeting amazing people who already become friend of mine and if you are wondering who I am in the other universe as, so there you go:

Winko Factory as Lai Guanlin (GUANLINwf).

Hawkinstories as Dylan Sprouse (TroopDylans).

The Noir Lens as Dylan Sprouse (DyIanLens).

The Normal Folk as Win Metawin (folkyWIN).

Gotham Sirens as Lily Jane Collins (LILYJANEgcs).

Life Of Runways S2 as Rhys Pickering (PICKERING95ss).

New York Folks as Cody Christian (fwCCHRISTIAN).

Memories In Stage as Zhang Yixing / Lay (PerformerYixing).

The Prada Returns as Niall Horan (NiallofTPR).

5 First Letters as Meerqeen (Meerqeen5FL).

StarringLand as TK Strand (DreamerStrand).

TheGrooveVerse as Luke Hemmings (Luke6TGV).

amourestivo as Logan Sargeant (logan00aes).

FuntasyInc as Ong Seongwoo (CASTseongwu).

RedBullAcademy as Logan Sargeant (RBAsargeant).

BreakneckPlace as Dan Humphrey (escapyDAN).

we_used_to as Nicholas Galitzine (wUt4nicholas).

Loveratrope as Gabriel Guevara (GABRIELtropes).

whodidthats as Murakami Nijiro (NijiroDidnt).

e_the_realm as Murakami Nijiro (NumbNiji).

AtMaranello S3 as Logan Sargeant (TifosiLogan).

SeaOfVoyage as Kol Mikaelson (PiratiesKOL).

PeakyCrew as Kol Mikaelson (PeakyKol).

LUMIEREINSIGHT as Erisha Dionè Soeharsono (ErishaNUANCE)

Cinepoeme as Jamie Miller / Malachai 'Kai' Joshua Herbert (CineMillers).

FilesOf500s as Theo Raeken (Raeken500s).

HopeForSerafina as Roy William Harper (CitizenHarper).

principeopl as Rudy Pankow (prp8rudy).

Cinemalgia as Boran Kuzum (BoransAct).

THEIAMFORCE as Malachai Parker (IAM8MALACHAI).

Lol1nFive5 as Eren Ören (eren98lol).

I've worked as an administrator or caretaker at a closed agency, and you can find me under the alias:

SweetNeighbours as Jeannette Erie Fletcher (ERIEisNA).

BreakneckPlace as Kendrick Morton (BP_THEPI).

[talewaggercreations]

Beware of Dogs by Elizabeth Flann

This is a novel that sets us up for expectations of a very tense page-turning tale based around events that Alix Verhoeven has catapulted herself into from the moment she accepts an invite to a weekend house party on an isolated island. The opening words of her field diary entry dated Friday 13 April starts us off on the story that also arouses our curiosity. Why is she terrified to the point her ‘heart is pounding’?

In this well structured rather literary take on a thriller that sits quite comfortably within the emerging crime fiction genre of Australian Noir, author Elizabeth Flann introduces us to Alix Verhoeven who is a very skilled, resourceful, highly organised young woman; a geologist well respected in this field.

As the day-to-day mounting fear and tension for Alix, her field diary provides very interesting information around ‘bush tucker’ survival foods and skills as she recalls studies with Professor Atkinson’s Guide to Bushcraft for Geology Students. Alongside the tension and fear Alix has quieter moments during nights in a 'not-quite-cave that is really more of a shallow rock shelter' where she can’t lie down or fully stand. As Alix reflects on moments across her life to this point we get to know her and where the complexities of her life take shape. I could feel sympathy with the constricted tightened muscles and joints along with Alex as she emerged each morning to go through her self-disciplined well-planned day to ensure some exercise, food gathering and familiarisation with the surrounding area.

The style of this novel allows the landscape of the island (there’s a hand-drawn map to check it out ourselves) to become a character itself in this and in other circumstances would no doubt be a most interesting exploration in it own right. Although the author informs us it is a fictional place. There are quite cinematic moments within this well-written book and I wonder whether it will gain an option. It would be quite a chilling and very visual work in the right hands. Alix is a very complex character, and the book hints at topical matters around women, law enforcement, wealth and youth boredom along with loneliness and isolation that this brings.

It is no surprise Elizabeth Flann was the Banjo Prize 2019 recipient.

My thanks to Georgia Williams of Harper Collins for the opportunity to review the uncorrected proof version of Beware of Dogs by Elizabeth Flann.

Kay Hart

The book is available from today 6 January 2021 and is available through Amazon, Booktopia, Dymocks, Angus & Robertson, The Nile. It is available in paperback and also as an Audio Book.

[audikatia]

Considering my goal this year was 50 books, not too shabby! My full list (and my ratings) is under the read more for anyone interested.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling *****

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling *****

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling *****

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling *****

Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix by J. K. Rowling *****

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling *****

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling *****

Sleep Demons: An Insomniac’s Memoir by Bill Hayes ****

The Witchfinder’s Sister by Beth Underdown ***

The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, The Epidemic That Shaped Our History by Molly Caldwell Crosby ****

The Strange Case of the Broad Street Pump: John Snow and the Mystery of Cholera by Sandra Hempel **

Dread: How Fear and Fantasy Have Fueled Epidemics from the Black Death to Avian Flu by Philip Alcabes *****

Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery by Henry Marsh ***

The Matter of the Heart: a History or the Heart in Eleven Operations by Thomas Morris ***

The Chick and the Dead: Life and Death Behind Mortuary Doors by Carla Valentine ****

Pulse by Michael Harvey **

The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It by Dr. W. Chris Winter *****

The Mourner’s Dance: What We Do When People Die by Katherine Ashenburg ***

Pantomime by Laura Lam ****

Shadowplay by Laura Lam ****

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson ****

Weirdo by Cathi Unsworth ***

I’ll be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamera ****

The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum ****

Frida Kahlo, 1907-1954: Pain and Passion by Andrea Kettenmann ****

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin **

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert ****

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen **

Uprooted by Naomi Novik (recommended by Genevieve Senechal) **

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker ***

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together In the Cafeteria?: and Other Conversations About Race by Beverly Daniel Tatum ****

The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur *****

Why Men Love Bitches: From Doormat to Dreamgirl - A Woman’s Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationships by Sherry Argov  (recommended by Arielle Ridolfino) ***

The Elizas by Sara Shepard ***

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard ***

Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas *****

Veronica Mars: Mr. Kiss and Tell by Rob Thomas *****

The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston ***

Haunting the Deep by Adriana Mather ***

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black ****

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini ****

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs ***

The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown ****

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black ***

The Vegetarian by Han Kang ***

Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris (recommended by Eileen Streeter) ****

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz ***

Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz ***

Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz ***

The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz ***

Trial of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz ***

The Last Word: A Spellman Novel by Lisa Lutz ***

The Passenger by Lisa Lutz ***

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective by Kate Summerscale ***

The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman ****

The Murder Business: High Profile Crimes and the Corruption of Justice by Mark Fuhrman **

I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong (Lauren Duguid) ****

Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham ***

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan ***

The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon **

The Winter Sister by Megan Collins **

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly ****

The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini (recommended by Joseph Guillen) ****

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs **

Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham ****

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins ***

Bossypants by Tina Fey ****

White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in American by Nancy Isenberg ****

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus ****

The Poison Squad: One Chemist’s Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century by Deborah Blum *****

Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep  *****

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston *****

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green ***

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes ****

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty (recommended by Rachel Dunn) *

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore *****

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus ****

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray ****

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson ****

The Mermaid by Christina Henry ****

Fruits Basket, Vol 1 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 2 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 3 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 4 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 5 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 6 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 7 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 8 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 9 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 10 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 11 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 12 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 13 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 14 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 15 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 16 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 17 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 18 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 19 by Natsuki Takaya *****

Fruits Basket, Vol 20 by Natsuki Takaya *****

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman (recommended by Julia Stenard) *

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman *****

Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia *****

The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen ****

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green **

Yes Please by Amy Poehler ***

Say Nothing: a True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe *****

The Last Lone Inventor: A Tale of Genius, Deceit, and the Birth of Television by Evan L. Schwartz ***

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris ***

You by Caroline Kepnes ****

The Swallows by Lisa Lutz ***

The Silent Patient by Alexander Michaealides ***

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz ****

The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz ***

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (recommended by Sarah Mullersman) *****

She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge ***

Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater *****

Bright Earth: Art and the Invention of Color by Philip Ball **

The Murder of the Century: The Gilded Age Crime that Scandalized a City and Sparked the Tabloid Wars by Paul Collins **

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton ****

The Whisper Man by Alex North *****

The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor *****

Unsub by Meg Gardiner *****

Into the Black Nowhere by Meg Gardiner ****

Noir by Christopher Moore ***

Death Prefers Blondes by Caleb Roehrig ****

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith/J. K. Rowling (recommended by Caitlin Markey) ***

The Hunger by Alma Katsu ***

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (recommended by Kiersten Spence) ****

As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner ***

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (recommended by Sheyla Ruiz) ****

The Pursuit of Miss Heartbreak Hotel by Moe Bonneau ***

The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum ****

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite ****

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith/J. K. Rowling ****

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith/J. K. Rowling ***

[angelitam]

Le prix de la vengeance de Don Winslow

Le prix de la vengeance de Don Winslow

Le prix de la vengeance de Don Winslow – Editions Harper Collins noir Le prix de la vengeance de Don Winslow, présentation Eva McNabb est opératrice au 911 à la Nouvelle Orléans. Son mari était flic et ses deux flics le sont. Tous les policiers sont ses gars. Un assaut a lieu sur un bateau. Ils sont 4 dont le fils d’Eva. Plus tard, Danny est enlevé et torturé. Le prix de la vengeance de Don…

[voyagelitteraire]

Corruption - Don Winslow

Corruption – Don Winslow

Corruption – Don Winslow –

“QUAND TOUT LE SYSTÈME EST POURRI

AUTANT JOUER SELON SES PROPRES RÈGLES

Denny Malone est le roi de Manhattan North, le leader charismatique de La Force, une unité d’élite qui fait la loi dans les rues de New York et n’hésite pas à se salir les mains pour combattre les gangs, les dealers et les trafiquants d’armes. Après dix-huit années de service, il est respecté et…

[les-tentatrices]

Sommeil blanc - Emelie Schepp

Sommeil blanc – Emelie Schepp

*Je remercie Netgalley et les Editions Harper Collins pour ce sp*

J’ai une fâcheuse tendance à prendre un livre en me basant que sur le titre et la couverture et bien évidemment par moment, il m’arrive de petites bricoles comme ici. Je vous rassure rien de bien méchant à part qu’il y’avait un tome 1 rire.Heureusement, je m’en suis aperçu lors de la lecture du résumé et j’ai donc acheté ce…

[rollingstonemag]

Un nouvel article a été publié sur https://www.rollingstone.fr/livres-fetes-de-noel/

Les livres à poser sous le sapin de toute urgence

Les Fêtes de Noël approchent et pour l’occas’, la rédaction vous propose une liste de bouquins à commander sans hésiter ! De Michael Jackson à The Clash, en passant par une édition anniversaire de Pif Gadget et un recueil de Carole Epinette… il y en a pour tous les goûts

Pour commander vos exemplaires, cliquez sur les visuels. 

Johnny Hallyday Inside, de Renaud Corlouër (Le Cherche Midi)

Plus qu’un simple résumé des tournées Jamais seul et Born Rocker Tour en 2012 et 2013, Johnny Hallyday Inside, signé par le photographe Renaud Corlouër, présente le chanteur disparu il y a un an dans toute sa puissance. Dès la couverture, en noir et blanc, on plonge dans le monde du Taulier, dans son regard d’acier, souligné par les poings serrés, les doigts bagués.

Plus qu’un making of des concerts et en même temps, de la vie de l’idole à ce moment, cet ouvrage conséquent de 3,7 kg, rappelle que Renaud Corlouër passera dix-huit mois durant sur les routes et prendra plus de  50 000 photos.  Accompagnateur VIP, il participe et mieux, partage ces tranches de vies, que ce soit en jet privé ou en convoi �� moto. En photo-reporter chevronné,  il se fondra dans le décors pour mieux capter l’essence même de ce que représente Johnny. Gonzo-photographe ? Non, il ne s’intègre pas dans l’histoire pour lieux la raconter.

The Clash – L’intégrale, de Martin Popff (Editions Place des Victoires)

Journaliste musical canadien aguerri, Martin Popoff propose dans cette intégrale Clash une chronologie fouillée de tous les albums et chansons du groupe, assortis de photos peu vues jusqu’ici et d’illustrations constituées de flyers, billets de concerts, affiches… Cette plongée au cœur du processus créatif du quatuor punk montre clairement que les Clash n’ont pas versé dans cette anarchie tant revendiquée à l’époque : ils ont trimé durement pour s’imposer et quelle qu’aient été les erreurs commises, chaque décision était prise avec une sincérité et un engagement rarement démenti. Punk mais consciencieux !

Le rock est mort (vive le rock !), de Vincent Brunner et Terreur Graphique (Flammarion)

Célébration d’une centaine de patriarches du rock « still alive ». Catégories vieilles canailles, sex symbols du 3e âge, icônes, punks, déglingos, mystiques ou sourdingues… avec état de santé, destroymètre, chansons doudou et même épitaphes ! Obsolescence rapide avec Johnny et Rachid Taha… mais humour noir et catharsis garantis.

  Miles Davis, les sessions photographiques de Jean-Pierre Leloir et Philippe Margotin (Glénat)

La première image de cet imposant album immortalise Miles Davis avec Juliette Gréco, dans les loges de l’Olympia, en novembre 1957. Des clubs de Saint-Germain à ses ultimes concerts, Jean-Pierre Leloir ne va cesser de développer une relation de profonde complicité avec le trompettiste, et d’accumuler des clichés absolument exceptionnels, aujourd’hui réunis dans cette monumentale monographie de plus de 200 photographies, dont beaucoup inédites à ce jour. A kind of beau cadeau !

Michael Jackson – La Totale, de Richard Lecoq & François Allard (E/P/A)

Dernier né d’une collection au succès amplement mérité, Michael Jackson La Totale, écrit par deux spécialistes incontournables de Jackson, fait en plus de 600 pages le tour quasi exhaustif de la question, de « Big Boy », le premier enregistrement référencé des Jackson Five en 1967 au récent scandale des trois titres publiés sur la compilation posthume « Michael » (2010), qui auraient été interprétés par un clone vocal de la star. Si cet ouvrage richement documenté et aux analyses érudites souvent brillantes lève le voile sur beaucoup de secrets du King of Pop, il en reste encore quelques un à percer… ou pas !

Andy, un conte de faits – La vie et l’époque d’Andy Warhol, de Typex (Casterman)

Réputé pour ses illustrations dans la presse musicale anglo-saxonne, notamment le Mojo britannique, l’auteur et artiste néerlandais Typex a consacré cinq ans de sa vie à ce Andy, Un conte de faits, qui relate en pas moins de 562 pages la folle existence du pape du Pop Art. C’est très documenté et très impressionnant, tant du point de vue des dessins que du scénario. Dix chapitres à lire petit à petit – les infos et les références fourmillent – et où l’on retrouve Lou Reed, Nico ou Jean-Michel Basquiat. Et à un prix plus que raisonnable au vu de la qualité de l’objet.

Annie Leibovitz au travail, d’Annie Leibovitz (Phaidon)

Richard Nixon quittant la Maison Blanche (1967), les Stones en 1975, Arnold Schwarzenegger en 1988, John et Yoko avant l’assassinat, Leigh Bowery en 1993, tout de latex revêtu, la Reine d’Angleterre en 2007, son dernier portrait de Susan Sontag… Derrière chaque image, une rencontre, un éclairage, un appareil plutôt qu’un autre, une histoire à raconter au delà même de la force expressive, évidente, du cliché. C’est ce que l’on retrouve dans ce livre aussi beau qu’intelligent d’Annie Leibovitz, révélée par Rolling Stone en 1967.

Rock Fictions, de Carole Epinette (Cherche midi)

L’idée a saisi la photographe en pleine nuit et ne l’a plus lâchée : proposer à des auteurs venus de tous les univers de choisir un cliché parmi ceux qui avaient composé son exposition itinérante Rock Is Dead et laisser voguer leur imagination. D’Amélie Nothomb à Thomas VDB, en passant par Jérôme Attal ou Erwan Lahrer, ils sont une vingtaine à avoir répondu à l’appel des Tool, Rage Against the Machine, Pete Doherty, The Cure et consorts. Le chic des photos et le poids des mots ? Ça matche !

Rock, de Philippe Manœuvre (Harper Collins)

Voici donc venue l’heure du grand bilan, de l’inventaire, des souvenirs d’une enfance champenoise à sa grande rencontre avec le rock, pour l’homme au Perfecto & lunettes noires. Dans ce roman autobiographique (donc pas la peine de chipoter sur les anecdotes), le rédacteur en chef de Métal Hurlant et Rock & Folk raconte ses rencontres avec Gainsbourg, Johnny, Dionnet, Moebius, Prince, Polnareff, JoeyStarr, ou encore Jean-Luc, son chauffeur et ex-bras droit de Mesrine. Ou l’itinéraire d’un enfant gâté du rock.

Rock’n’roll Animals, grandeur et décadence des rock stars 1955/1994, de David Hepworth (Rivages Rouge)

Pour info, David Hepworth, célèbre critique musical anglais n’est autre que le fondateur de Q, Empire ou Mojo… Dans ce condensé de l’histoire du rock, on découvre sous la forme originale d’une réflexion, quarante portraits d’icônes saisis à un moment clé de leur carrière et inscrite dans la perspective de l’évolution de l’espèce rockstar : la rencontre entre McCartney et Lennon, Little Richard braillant son « Tutti Frutti », Brian Wilson qui devient fou, les Stones virant Stu Stewart ou encore les dernières heures de Kurt Cobain… Un must par un maître.

Pif Gadget, l’album des 50 ans (Éditions Hors Collection) 

En 1945 débarque l’hebdo Vaillant, qui deviendra en février 69 Pif Gadget. Un tournant médiatique inédit à l’époque. Des aventures (Rahan, Corto Maltese), aux faits historiques et d’actualité, jusqu’aux pastilles humoristiques parsemées de pages en pages… En parallèle d’une belle renaissance du fameux journal, dans une version modernisée, ce recueil spécial anniversaire retrace ses meilleurs moments, en images et récits. La saga passionnante d’un magazine hors du temps mais jamais démodé, intergénérationnel.

Une sélection concoctée par Loraine Adam, Philippe Blanchet, Xavier Bonnet, Sophie Rosemont et Denis Roulleau. 

[immersinelmondodeilibri]

Anteprime libri Harper Collins

Anteprime libri Harper Collins

Buongiorno readers, Non c’è niente di meglio che iniziare la giornata aggiornandoci sulle ultime novità Harper Collins in libreria, tanti libri da acquistare e leggere… Voi che ne dite? Io non sono pronta e voi?     Bad Boy di Jim Thompson “Vi invidio, se ancora non lo avete letto.” JO NESBØ “Il maestro indiscusso del noir di provincia americano.” SEBA PEZZANI, IL GIORNALE “I suoi romanzi…

[fictionfromafar]

Crime Fiction Novels In Translation due in 2022

This list will be added over the coming months so look out for additions. Dates given relate to physical edition release dates in the UK, these dates and indeed occasionally book titles may vary in other territories. USA releases only also shown in brackets.

4th January

Phenotypes by Paulo Scott, translated by Daniel Hahn, And Other Stories BRAZIL

Federico and Lourenço are brothers. Their father is black, a famed forensic pathologist for the police; their mother is white. Federico – distant, angry, analytical – has light skin, which means he’s always been able to avoid the worst of the racism that Brazilian culture has to offer. Lourenço, on the other hand, is dark-skinned, easy-going, and well-liked. Federico is called home as his niece has just been arrested at a protest carrying a concealed gun. And not just any gun. A stolen police service revolver that Federico and Lourenço hid for a friend, decades before. A gun used in a killing.

Dead of Winter by Anders de la Motte, translated by Marlaine Delargy, Zaffre SWEDEN

With her aunt's death, Laura inherits the cabin village Hedda used to manage and is forced to return to the town she hasn't set foot in since the tragedy. Laura's presence stirs up repressed emotions in the small community and it isn't long before a series of arson attacks casts suspicion on her.

The Wanderer by Luca D'Andrea, translated by Katherine Gregor, MacLehose Press ITALY

Out walking his St Bernard, Tony Carcano is confronted by a girl on a motorbike who shows him a photograph from his past. Of him posing with the body of a young woman. Smiling. "Why were you laughing?" It's not the last Tony sees of Sybille Knapp, an orphan whose mother drowned herself in Kreuzwirt lake in 1999.

Cry Wolf by Hans Rosenfeldt, translated by Elizabeth Clark Wessel, Harper Collins SWEDEN

Hannah Wester, a detective in the remote northern Swedish town of Haparanda, finds herself on the precipice of chaos. When human remains are found in the stomach of a dead wolf, Hannah knows that this summer won’t be like any other. The remains are soon linked to a bloody drug deal that went down just across the border in Finland. But how did the victim end up in the woods outside Haparanda? And where have the drugs and money gone?

11 Jan

Buried in Secret by Viveca Sten, translated by Marlaine Delargy, Amazon Crossing SWEDEN

When two cold case disappearances are reopened, a decade of deadly secrets is unearthed on Sandhamn Island. A woman’s skeletal remains are excavated on an uninhabited island in Sandhamn’s archipelago, and Thomas Andreasson is called to officially investigate. But his best friend, Nora Linde, can’t help but get involved.

13 January

My Annihilation by Fuminori Nakamura, translated by Sam Bett, Soho Crime JAPAN

What transforms a person into a killer? Can it be something as small as a suggestion? Turn this page, and you may forfeit your entire life. With My Annihilation, Fuminori Nakamura, master of literary noir, has constructed a puzzle box of a narrative in the form of a confessional diary that implicates its reader in a heinous crime.

Silver Pebbles by Hansjoerg Schneider, translated by Mike Mitchell, Bitter Lemon Press SWITZERLAND

A hunt for drug gang diamonds is keeping Basel Inspector Hunkeler on tenterhooks. Basel, nestled at the border of Switzerland with Germany and France, has been hammered by a huge snowstorm, cars and trams can barely move, trees are groaning under the weight of the recent snowfall, the cathedral and city roofs are smothered.

18 Jan

The Night by Rodrigo Blanco Calderon, translated by Daniel Hahn and Noel Hernández, Seven Stories VENEZUELA

Recurring blackouts envelop Caracas in an inescapable darkness that makes nightmares come true. Real and fictional characters, most of them are writers, exchange the role of narrator in this polyphonic novel. They recount contradictory versions of the plot, a series of femicides that began with the energy crisis. The central narrator is a psychiatrist who manipulates the accounts of his friend, an author writing a book titled The Night; and his patient, an advertising executive obsessed with understanding the world through word puzzles.

20 Jan

The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier, translated by Adriana Hunter, Michael Joseph FRANCE

Winner of the Goncourt Prize and now an international phenomenon, this dizzying, whip-smart novel blends crime, fantasy, sci-fi, and thriller as it plumbs the mysteries surrounding a Paris-New York flight. An ingenious, timely variation on the doppelgänger theme, it taps into the parts of ourselves that elude us most.

21 Jan

Bitter Flowers by Gunnar Staalesen, translated by Don Bartlett, Orenda Books NORWAY

Varg Veum has returned to duty following a stint in rehab, but his new composure and resolution are soon threatened when three complex cases arrive on his desk in quick succession. A man is found dead in an elite swimming pool and a young woman has gone missing. Most chillingly, Varg Veum is asked to investigate the ‘Camilla Case’: an eight-year-old cold case involving the disappearance of a little girl, who was never found.

3 Feb

We Know You Remember by Tove Alsterdal, translated by Alice Menzies, Faber & Faber SWEDEN

A missing girl, a hidden body, a decades-long cover-up, and old sins cast in new light: the classic procedural meets Scandinavian atmosphere in this rich, character-driven mystery, awarded Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year, that heralds the American debut of a supremely skilled international writer.

Land of Snow and Ashes by Petra Rautianen, translated by David Hackston, Pushkin Press FINLAND

Finnish Lapland, 1944: a young soldier is called to work as an interpreter at a Nazi prison camp. Surrounded by cruelty and death, he struggles to hold onto his humanity. When peace comes, the crimes are buried beneath the snow and ice. A few years later, journalist Inkeri is assigned to investigate the rapid development of remote Western Lapland. Her real motivation is more personal: she is following a lead on her husband, who disappeared during the war.

10 Feb

Winter Water by Susanne Jansson, translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles, Hodder & Stoughton SWEDEN

Martin, who has always been drawn to the ocean, moves his wife Alexandra and their two young children move to his family's idyllic summer cottage in the picturesque island village of Orust, on the west coast of Sweden. Martin begins to cultivate a mussel farm, where he soon runs into trouble with the locals.

17 Feb

Unhinged by Thomas Enger & Jorn Lier Horst, translated by Megan Turner, Orenda Books NORWAY

Investigator Sofia Kovic has uncovered a connection between several deaths and murder cases in Oslo over the last year and a half. She tries to call her closest superior, Alexander Blix, not yet wanting to involve anyone else in the police, but before Blix has time to return her call, Kovic is shot and killed in her own home – execution style. And in the apartment below, Blix’s daughter Iselin narrowly escapes becoming the killer’s next victim.

Wild Shores by Maria Adolfsson, translated by Agnes Broome, Zaffre SWEDEN

Though Detective Karen Eiken Hornby returned to her homeland, the island nation Doggerland, from London some years ago, she has largely avoided visiting the northernmost island where her father's wayward family reside. But when a man's body is discovered in a flooded quarry on Noorö and with illness preventing any of her colleagues attending, Karen has no choice but to head north to investigate.

Lady Joker Vol 1 by Kaoru Takamura, translated by Allison Markin Powell and Marie Iide, John Murray Press JAPAN

One of Japan’s great modern masters, Kaoru Takamura, makes her English-language debut with this two-volume publication of her magnum opus. Tokyo, 1995. Five men meet at the racetrack every Sunday to bet on horses. They have little in common except a deep disaffection with their lives, but together they represent the social struggles and griefs of post-War Japan: a poorly socialized genius stuck working as a welder; a demoted detective with a chip on his shoulder; a Zainichi Korean banker sick of being ostracized for his race; a struggling single dad of a teenage girl with Down syndrome. The fifth man bringing them all together is an elderly drugstore owner grieving his grandson, who has died suspiciously after the revelation of a family connection with the segregated buraku community, historically subjected to severe discrimination.

22nd Feb

Even the Darkest Night: A Terra Alta Novel by Javier Cercas, translated by Anne McLean, MacLehose Press SPAIN

When Melchor goes to investigate the horrific double-murder of a rich printer and his wife in rural Cataluña nothing quite adds up. The young cop from the big city, hero of a foiled terrorist attack, has been sent to Terra Alta till things quieten down. Observant, streetwise and circumspect, Melchor is also an outsider. The son of a Barcelona prostitute who never knew his father, Melchor rapidly fell into trouble and was jailed at 19, convicted of driving for a Colombian drug cartel.

24 Feb

The Harbour by Katrine Engberg, translated by Tara Chace, Hodder & Stoughton DENMARK

When fifteen-year-old Oscar Dreyer-Hoff disappears, the police assume he's simply a runaway - a typically overlooked middle child doing what teenagers do all around the world. But his frantic family is certain that something terrible has happened. After all, what runaway would leave behind a note that reads: "He looked around and saw the knife that had stabbed Basil Hallward."

3 March

When Women Kill by Alia Trabucco Zerán, translated by Sophie Hughes, And Other Stories CHILE

Corina Rojas, Rosa Faúndez, Carolina Geel and Teresa Alfaro all committed murder. Their crimes not only led to substantial court decisions, but gave rise to multiple novels, poems, short stories, paintings, plays, songs and films, produced and reproduced throughout the last century. In When Women Kill, we are provided with timelines of events leading up to and following their killings, their apprehension by the authorities, their trials and their representation in the media throughout and following the judicial process.

The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-Mo, translated by Chi-Young Kim, Canongate Press KOREA

At sixty-five, Hornclaw is beginning to slow down. She lives modestly in a small apartment, with only her aging dog, a rescue named Deadweight, to keep her company. There are expectations for people her age—that she'll retire and live out the rest of her days quietly. But Hornclaw is not like other people. She is an assassin.

Portrait of an Unknown Lady by María Gainza, translated by Thomas Bunstead, Harvill Secker ARGENTINA

In the Buenos Aires art world, a master forger has achieved legendary status. Rumored to be a woman, she specializes in canvases by the painter Mariette Lydis, a portraitist of Argentinean high society

On the trail of this mysterious forger is our narrator, an art critic and auction house employee through whose hands counterfeit works have passed. As she begins to take on the role of art-world detective, adopting her own methods of deception and manipulation

5 March

The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock, translated by Tara Chace, Swift Press DENMARK

It’s early September in Copenhagen, the rain has been coming down for weeks, and 36-year-old journalist Heloise Kaldan is in the middle of a nightmare. One of her sources has been caught lying, and she could lose her job over it. And then she receives the first in a series of cryptic and ominous letters from an alleged killer.

17 March

Reptile Memoirs by Silje Ulstein, translated by Alison McCulloch, Grove Press UK NORWAY

Mariam Lind goes on a shopping trip with her eleven-year-old daughter, Iben, who angers her mother by asking for a magazine one too many times. Mariam storms off, leaving Iben in the shop and, expecting her young daughter to find her own way home, heads off on a long calming drive. Detective Roe Olsvik is assigned to the case of Iben's disappearance; he has just turned sixty and is new to the Kristiansund police department. As he interrogates Mariam, he instantly suspects her—but there is much more to this case and these characters than their outer appearances would suggest.

River Clyde by Simone Buchholz, translated by Rachel Ward, Orenda Books GERMANY

Mired in grief after tragic recent events, State prosecutor Chastity Riley escapes to Scotland, lured to the birthplace of her great-great grandfather by a mysterious letter suggesting she has inherited a house.

In Glasgow, she meets Tom, the ex-lover of Chastity’s great aunt, who holds the keys to her own family secrets – painful stories of unexpected cruelty and loss that she’s never dared to confront.

22 March

A Harmless Lie by Sara Blaedel, translated by Mark Cline, Dutton (USA) DENMARK

Detective Louise Rick is on a beach in Thailand when the panicked call from her father comes through. Louise′s beloved brother, Mikkel, has attempted suicide. His wife, Trine, left him days earlier, walking out the door one day with no warning and leaving Mikkel devastated.

23 March

Paradais by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sarah Hughes, Fitzcarraldo Editions MEXICO

Inside a luxury housing complex, two misfit teenagers sneak around and get drunk. Franco Andrade, lonely, overweight, and addicted to porn, obsessively fantasizes about seducing his neighbor--an attractive married woman and mother--while Polo dreams about quitting his grueling job as a gardener within the gated community and fleeing his overbearing mother and their narco-controlled village. Each facing the impossibility of getting what he thinks he deserves, Franco and Polo hatch a mindless and macabre scheme.

29 March

The Resting Place by Camilla Sten, translated by Alexandra Fleming, Macmillan (USA) SWEDEN

When Eleanor walked in on the scene of her capriciously cruel grandmother, Vivianne’s, murder, she came face to face with the killer—a maddening expression that means nothing to someone like her. With each passing day, the anxiety of having come so close to a killer--and not knowing if they’d be back—overtakes both her dreams and her waking moments, thwarting her perception of reality.

31 Mar

For the Lost by Lina Bengtsdotter, translated by Agnes Broomé, Orion SWEDEN

In Karlstad, nine-month-old Beatrice is missing from her pram. Her parents are in shock and the media is in a frenzy. DI Charlie Lager is struggling with her own demons when she's called to investigate, forced to push them aside as the case intensifies. As lead after lead goes nowhere, Charlie starts to feel like nobody actually wants the truth to come out about Beatrice as reluctant locals shut down in the face of her questions. And with each passing hour, the chance of finding Beatrice alive becomes less and less likely...

Killing Happiness by Friedrich Ani, translated by Alexander Booth, Seagull Books London Ltd GERMANY

Happiness is extinguished completely one cold November night when eleven-year-old Lennard Grabbe fails to return home. Thirty-four days later, he is found to have been murdered, and former inspector Jakob Franck, the protagonist of Friedrich Ani’s previous novel The Nameless Day, is entrusted with delivering the most horrible news

4 Apr

Three Assassins by Kotaro Isaka, translated by Sam Malissa, Harvill Secker JAPAN

Suzuki is just an ordinary man until his wife is murdered. When he discovers the criminal gang responsible he leaves behind his life as a maths teacher and joins them, looking for a chance to take his revenge. What he doesn’t realise is that he’s about to get drawn into a web of unusual professional assassins, each with their own agenda. The Whale convinces his victims to take their own lives using just his words. The Cicada is a talkative and deadly knife expert. The elusive Pusher dispatches his targets in deadly traffic accidents. Suzuki must take each of them on, in order to try to find justice and keep his innocence in a world of killers.

7 Apr

The Missing Word by Concita De Gregorio, translated by Clarissa Botsford, European Editions ITALY

Based on a true story, an urgently told psychological thriller and the fierce portrait of a woman in all her frailty and courage. Irina’s life with her husband and her twin daughters is orderly. An Italian living in Switzerland, she works as a lawyer. One day, something breaks. The marriage ends without apparent trauma, but on a weekend seemingly like any other, the girls’ father takes Alessia and Livia away with him. They disappear. A few days later the man takes his own life. Of the girls, there is no trace.

14 Apr

The Dark Flood by Deon Meyer, translated by KL Seegers, Hodder & Stoughton SOUTH AFRICA

One last chance. Almost fired for insubordination, detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido find themselves demoted, exiled from the elite Hawks unit and dispatched to the leafy streets of Stellenbosch. Working a missing persons report on student Callie de Bruin is not the level of work they are used to, but it's all they get. And soon, it takes a dangerous, deeply disturbing turn.  As Griessel and Cupido intensify their search, real estate agent Sandra Steenberg confronts her own crisis: state corruption has caused the real estate market to crash, exacerbating the dire financial straits facing her family.

22 Apr

Vanda by Marion Brunet, translated by Katherine Gregor, Bitter Lemon Press FRANCE

Set in Marseilles, this the story of Vanda, a beautiful woman in her thirties, arms covered in tats, dark luxuriant hair in heavy curls, skin so dark that some take her for a North African. Devoted to her six-year-old son Noe, they live in a derelict shed by the beach, a mother surrounding and defending her child like a lioness. Everything changes when Simon, the father of her son, surfaces in Marseilles. He had left Vanda seven years earlier, not knowing that she was pregnant. When Simon demands custody of his son, Vanda's suppressed rage threatens to explode. The tension becomes unbearable, both parents fully capable of extreme violence.

28 Apr

Outside by Ragnar Jónasson, translated by Victoria Cribb, Michael Joseph ICELAND

When a deadly snowstorm strikes the Icelandic highlands, four friends seek shelter in a small, abandoned hunting lodge. It is in the middle of nowhere and there's no way of communicating with the outside world. They are isolated, but they are not alone...

Young Beasts At Play by Davide Longo, translated by Silvester Mazzarella, MacLehose Books ITALY

September 2008. Commissario Arcadipane arrives at the scene of a macabre discovery: the bones of twelve men and women buried in the countryside near Torino. By the next morning, a task force specialising in mass graves from WWII is already in place. But something doesn't feel right: one of the femurs shows signs of an operation that couldn't have taken place before the seventies.

Cigarette by Per Hagman, translated by Elinor Fahrman, Nordisk Books SWEDEN

Stockholm. Early summer, 1989. Johan is a young waiter working at the Hard Rock Café. His nights are filled with parties, drugs, booze and MTV. An endless chase of the next girl, the next high... the next music video.

4 May

Expect The Unexpected by Vicente Raga, Addvanza (USA) SPAIN

Two stories narrated in parallel. The first one is about the Holy Inquisition in Spain, where the main characters are the European humanists Luis Vives, among Erasmus of Rotterdam and Thomas More. All the characters lived in their time period, and every narrated fact occurred in reality. The second story stars a group of friends from the actual Valencia that discover that the mystery they thought was solved, in reality, has just started.

Death In Summer by Lina Arkelew, translated by Tara Chase, Canelo SWEDEN

When murder comes to a secluded island, the ghosts of he past will resurface. As a young boy, Frederk Froding survived one of Europe's worst ferry disasters. The tragedy haunts him and he refuses to give up hope that his brother Niklas also lived.

5 May

This World Does Not Belong to Us by Natalia Garcia Freire, Oneworld Publications ECUADOR

Lucas was just a child when his father sold him to another farmer as a laborer. Years later, Lucas returns, full of resentment and burning for revenge. After years away, Lucas returns uninvited to the home he was expelled from as a child. The garden has been conquered by weeds, which blanket his mother’s beloved flowerbeds and his father’s grave alike. A lot has changed since Eloy and Felisberto were invited into the family home to work for Lucas’s father, long ago.

11 May

The List by Florian Dennisson, Bloodhound Books FRANCE

A man confesses to four murders—but will tell the police nothing more—in this stunning psychological crime thriller. I killed them all. The stranger who walks into the police station says it again and again, but the only information he will provide is a list of the victims’ names. Yet when officers go in search of the bodies, they find only empty rooms, forensic traces of blood, and more questions than answers.

19 May

Kalmann by Joachim B Schmit, translated by Jamie Lee Searle, Bitter Lemon Press SWITZERLAND

The book is narrated by Kalmann, a thirty-four-year-old neurodiverse man, who often has an innocent and literal interpretation of events and relationships. The author uses a combination of simple language and rather stilted, formal expression which skilfully and successfully conveys his unconventional way of seeing the world. When Kalmann finds a pool of blood up in the hills outside the small village of Raufarhöfn and local bigwig Robert McKenzie goes missing at the same time, the hunt is on to find McKenzie’s body and his murderer.

22 May

The Silence by Yrsa Sigurdardottir, translated by Victoria Cribb, Hodder & Stoughton ICELAND

Detective Huldar and child psychologist Freyja are now working in the same police building, on the same team. Freyja believes that personal and professional relationships must remain separate, however hard that may be. But when a woman's dismembered body is found in a deserted car, her head missing, and Freyja and Huldar find themselves working on the same case, the secrecy around their affair threatens to crack. And when Freyja is accused of a serious breach of police protocol, will Huldar be able to help her?

Little Drummer by Kjell Ola Dahl, translated by Don Bartlett, Orenda Books NORWAY

When a woman is found dead in her car in a Norwegian parking garage, everyone suspects an overdose ... until a forensics report indicates that she was murdered. Oslo Detectives Frølich and Gunnarstranda discover that the victim's Kenyan scientist boyfriend has disappeared, and their investigations soon lead them into the shady world of international pharmaceutical deals.

26 May

Trapped by Camilla Lackberg & Henrik Fexeus, translated by Ian Giles, Harper Collins SWEDEN

It’s a case unlike anything detective Mina Dabiri has seen before. A woman trapped inside a magician’s box, with swords pierced through. But this time, it’s not a magic trick. It’s murder. Knowing she has a terrifying killer on her hands, Mina enlists the help of celebrity mentalist, Vincent Walter. Only he can give her an insight into the secret world of magic and illusions. Mina and Vincent soon discover that the murder victim has the roman numeral III engraved on her leg. The killer is counting down. There are going to be three more murders. And time is running out to stop them.

The Mirror Man by Lars Kepler, translated by Alice Menzies, Zaffre SWEDEN

Detective Joona Linna is on the trail of a kidnapper who targets teenage girls and makes their worst nightmares a reality. Sixteen-year-old Jenny is abducted in broad daylight and taken to a dilapidated, isolated house where she is chained and caged along with several other girls.

16 June

Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight by Riku Onda, translated by Alison Watts, Bitter Lemon Press JAPAN

This gripping psychological thriller takes place in a desolate apartment in a Japanese city. The protagonists, Aki and Hiro, fell in love at university before becoming convinced that they were brother and sister, separated when young after Aki was adopted. After living together platonically for some years they went on a trek in the mountains, where their guide—their estranged natural father—died inexplicably. Each believes the other to be the murderer and are determined to extract a confession.

23 June

The Lover by Helene Flood, translated by Alison McCulloch, MacLehose Press NORWAY

Rikke is deceiving them both. When their upstairs neighbour Jørgen is found dead, she's questioned alongside her husband Åsmund. How can Rikke admit in front of Åsmund that Jørgen and she were having an affair? Or explain to the police the complexity of her feelings for Jørgen? The hint of relief that he's dead. And, as the investigation closes in on the neighbourhood, how long can she conceal the affair from her neighbours, her husband and her teenage daughter.

Impossibe by Erri De Luca, translated by NS Thompson, Mountain Leopard Press ITALY

Without evidence, an experienced hiker is held in solitary confinement under suspicion of murdering a man who fell to his death on a mountain path. In a series of tense, metered interviews, the political causes of the suspect's past emerge. The men knew each other decades earlier, were brothers-in-arms against a greater social injustice until the victim turned state’s evidence and the accused was sent to prison.

Sweet Revenge by Camilla Läckberg, translated by Ian Giles, Harper Collins SWEDEN

Two gripping novellas from the No.1 international bestselling author, Women Without Mercy & Truth or Dare

30 June

Gokumon Island by Seishi Yokomizo, translated by Translated by Bryan Karetnyk, Pushkin Vertigo JAPAN

Detective Kosuke Kindaichi arrives on the remote Gokumon Island bearing tragic news--the son of one of the island's most important families has died, on a troop transport ship bringing him back home after the Second World War. But Kindaichi has not come merely as a messenger--with his last words, the dying man warned that his three step-sisters' lives would now be in danger. The scruffy detective is determined to get to the bottom of this mysterious prophesy, and to protect the three women if he can.

Tokyo Express by Seicho Matsumoto, translated by Jesse Kirkwood, Penguin Modern Classics JAPAN

In a rocky cove in the bay of Hakata, the bodies of a young and beautiful couple are discovered. Stood in the coast's wind and cold, the police see nothing to investigate: the flush of the couple's cheeks speaks clearly of cyanide, of a lovers' suicide. But in the eyes of two men, Torigai Jutaro, a senior detective, and Kiichi Mihara, a young gun from Tokyo, something is not quite right. Together, they begin to pick at the knot of a unique and calculated crime...

4 July

The Hitchhiker by Gerwin van der Werf, translated by David Colmer, Text Publishing (USA) NETHERLANDS

Tiddo plans a holiday to Iceland, travelling the tourist circuit in a rented campervan. On their trip, they pick up a hitchhiker named Svein, who is tall, handsome and covered in tattoos of ancient runes. When Svein offers to guide them off the beaten track, Tiddo is conflicted. Does Svein pose a threat or offer salvation? Is there wisdom in his stories? What power do his tattoos hold?

Farewell Fountain Street by Selcuk Altun, Translated by Mel Kenne & Nilgun Dungan, Telegram TURKEY

Ziya Bey has six months left to live. From his mansion on Farewell Fountain Street, the Ottoman aristocrat plans to tie up some questionable business affairs and say goodbye to the people he cherishes. He hires Artvin, a disillusioned professor with a troubled past, to assist him. Intrigued by his employer's mysterious household, Artvin spends the days uncovering Ziya Bey's turbulent life story. The two men become bound together as they reveal dark elements from their pasts. But when Ziya Bey releases Artvin from his duties sooner than expected, Artvin inherits a spiral of violence he cannot control.

6 July

Of Saints and Miracles by Manuel Astur, translated by Claire Wadie, Peirene Press SPAIN

An unconventional thriller laced with lyrical nature writing, Of Saints And Miracles is a sensuous portrayal of an outcast’s struggle to survive in a changing world and a seamless blend of the tragic and the majestic. Marcelino, a gentle outsider who flees into the mountains after a moment of anger changes his life forever.

7 July

The Whisperer's Game by Donato Carrisi, translated by Katherine Gregor, Little Brown ITALY

The phone call to the police arrives at dusk from an isolated farmhouse, fifty miles from the city. A terrified woman's voice pleads for help. But a violent storm rages in the area and the first available patrol only succeeds in reaching her hours later. It is too late. Something perturbing has happened, something which leaves the investigators in the dark.

The Final Nail by Stefan Ahnhem, translated by Agnes Broome, Head Of Zeus SWEDEN

He has extorted. He has abused. He has raped. He has sacrificed souls as a means to reach the very top. In every way, he is a despicable man. His name is Kim Sleizner and he works as a police chief in Copenhagen. Dunja Hougaard has gone underground to covertly investigate her former boss, Sleizner. For months, Dunja and her team have been gathering information. When a high-ranking man within the Danish intelligence service and an unknown woman are found dead at the bottom of a lake outside Copenhagen, the trap is finally ready to close.

Of Fangs And Talons by Nicolas Mathieu, translated by Sam Taylor, Sceptre FRANCE

When a factory that employs most of a small town is scheduled to close - to the despair of the workers and disdain of the overlords - things start to fall apart. The disenfranchised factory workers have nothing left to lose. Martel, the trade union rep with innumerable tattoos and Bruce, the body-builder addicted to steroids resort to desperate measures. A bungled kidnapping on the streets of Strasbourg goes horribly wrong and they find themselves falling prey to the machinations of the criminal underworld.

A Grain of Truth by Christian Unge, translated by George Goulding, MacLehose Press SWEDEN

A woman is found wandering the corridors of Nobel Hospital in Stockholm, accompanied by a young boy. She appears to be looking for a man who was involved in a car accident earlier that day. Meanwhile, in one of the emergency rooms, Tekla Berg is fighting to save a patient who was seriously injured in the same incident. The resulting chaos goes beyond anything anyone could have predicted, leaving hospital staff, police and everyone else involved equally shocked and perplexed.

14 July

Mothers Don’t by Katixa Agirre, translated by Kristin Addis, 3TimesRebel Press BASQUE COUNTRY

A story that highlights he primal guilt that comes with becoming a mother. Halfway between a thriller and a journalistic chronicle, in Mothers Don’t a mother kills her twins while another woman, the narrator, is about to give birth. How could a woman be capable of neglecting her children? How could she kill them?

Dead Lands By Núria Bendicho, translated by Martha Tennent and Maruxa Relaño 3TimesRebel CATALONIA

A rural drama in which a violent death unleashes the story of a cursed lineage. Featuring thirteen characters and thirteen different points of view, the novel is a kaleidoscopic narrative that unfurls an atavistic universe where characters are burdened by brutal origins, two deaths, and a dark secret.

22 July

Night Shadows by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, Translated by Victoria Cribb, Orenda Books ICELAND

Icelandic detective Elma faces mortal danger as she investigates the death of a young man in a mysterious Akranes house fire, and a Dutch au pair’s perfect placement turns deadly. The small community of Akranes is devastated when a young man dies in a mysterious house fire, and when Detective Elma and her colleagues from West Iceland CID discover the fire was arson, they become embroiled in an increasingly perplexing case involving multiple suspects.

26 July

Blood Ties by Ruth Lillegraven,  translated by Diane Oatley, Amazon Crossing NORWAY

Norway’s newly appointed minister of justice, child-rights advocate Clara Lofthus comes home from work to make a terrifying discovery: her sons have been kidnapped. Clara’s search leads to her hometown in Western Norway, where she learns that her mother has been released from the mental hospital she has been living at for the past thirty years.

26 Jul

The Forgery by Ave Barrera, translated by Ellen Jones, Ellen & Robin Myers, Charco Press MEXICO

A failing artist turned forger, an architectural masterpiece hidden behind high walls, an impish vagabond, and some very resourceful, very intimidating twins-Forgery pays homage to greats like Juan Rulfo and Luis Barragan, traversing late 20th Century Guadalajara with the exuberance and eccentricity of an 18th Century picaresque.

2 August

The Shadow Lily by Johanna Mo, translated by Alice Menzies,  Penguin Books SWEDEN

Small-town police detective Hanna Duncker has a past. Her deceased father was convicted of murder and arson long ago, and she has taken up residence and resumed her police career in her hometown after his death. She and her partner Erik Lindgren are called to investigate the disappearance of a father and his infant son from their home while his pregnant wife was away on a weekend trip.

4 Aug

Bad Kids by Zijin Chen, Translated by Michelle Deeter,  Pushkin Press CHINA

One beautiful morning, Zhang Dongsheng pushes his wealthy in-laws off a mountain – the perfect crime. Or so he thinks. Even though the murders were as carefully choreographed as a play, he did not expect that three teenagers had caught him in the act. But Zhang Dongsheng seriously underestimates them . Dark, murky and violent, Bad Kids is the Chinese suspense thriller about the inner lives of teenagers that has taken China by storm.

The Ice Fisher By Anna Ihren, translated by Emma Ericson, SAGA Egmon SWEDEN

When the research vessel "Idun" arrives in Smögens harbour one early winter morning, the head of research, Kaj Malmberg, is found murdered in his cabin. For the university's rector, Regina Löfdahl, the tragedy is leaving her short, because Malmberg is supposed to present the research elite's top prize in marine research at Smögens Havsbad that same evening.

Wake Me Up at 9:00 in the Morning By A Yi, translated by Nicky Harman, Oneworld Publications CHINA

A thrilling journey through China's dark criminal underworld, from a celebrated voice in Chinese literature. When Hongyang is found dead after a night of debauched drinking, it looks as if his reign of terror has finally come to an end. Few in this insular community have much reason to mourn his passing: Hongyang is an infamous mob boss, a man with plenty of enemies. But now it seems that his years of crime have also earned him some very dangerous friends.

18 Aug

Punishment by Ferdinand von Schirach, Translated by Katharina Hall, Baskerville, GERMANY

A young lawyer puts aside her sense of justice to succeed at her new firm. A man who values silence is driven to murder by his noisy neighbours. A cheated wife seeks revenge. How do you decide what punishment fits the crime? Our narrator is a man you'd never want to meet unless you really needed him. A nameless criminal defence lawyer, he coolly narrates the fate of twelve characters who cross his path. In spare, gripping prose, he tells their stories, uncovering the loneliness and alienation, desire and desperation which drive their choices and shape the consequences they face.

Whisper of the Seals by Roxanne Bouchard, translated by David Warriner, Orenda Books CANADA

Detective Moralès takes on a chilling case set on the icy seas of Quebec’s remote Magdalen Islands, in the midst of a brutal seal hunt. An atmospheric, race-against-the-clock thriller set on the icy seas in the midst of a brutal seal hunt, where nothing is as it seems and absolutely no one can be trusted.

Conviction by D A Mishani, translated by Jessica Cohen, riverrun ISRAEL

Two investigations began on the same day. One seemed domestic, almost banal: a newborn is found in a bag outside a hospital and the woman who left it there is captured after a few hours. The second investigation appeared stranger and more intriguing: a Swiss tourist disappeared from a beach-hotel near Tel-Aviv, and a quick inquiry showed he had been using a fake passport and at least two names. Can he be a Mossad agent like his daughter claims? And is he in danger?

The Guilty One by Anna Karolina, translated by Lisa Reinhardt, Thomas & Mercer SWEDEN

Is he guilty or innocent? Even he doesn't know... On the eve of their thirtieth birthday, twins Jasmine and Nicolas Moretti celebrate late into the night. But when Nicolas wakes several hazy hours later, Jasmine is dead--and he is covered in her blood.

Emma Tapper, an ex-cop driven to drink by a tragedy she's devastated she couldn't prevent, is recruited by defence lawyer to help with this high-profile case.

The Red Notebook by Michel Bussi, translated by Vineet Lal W&N FRANCE

Leyli Maal is a beautiful Malian woman, mother of three, living in a tiny apartment on the outskirts of Marseille. Her quiet life as a well-integrated immigrant is suddenly shaken when her beautiful eldest daughter, Bamby, becomes the main suspect in two murders linked to a lethal illegal immigration racket. Is Bamby really involved? And why is everyone desperate to get their hands on Leyli’s mysterious red notebook?

Dark Music by David Lagercrantz, translated by Ian Giles, MacLehose SWEDEN

Professor Hans Rekke is a world authority on interrogation techniques, Micaela Vargas is a street-smart police officer, the daughter of Chilean political refugees. Micaela needs Hans’s unique mind to help her solve the case of a murdered asylum-seeker from Afghanistan. Hans needs Micaela to save him from himself. Together, they need to find the killer before they’re both silenced for good.

25 Aug

There Are No Happy Loves by Sergio Olguín, translated by Miranda France, Bitter Lemon Press ARGENTINA

Haunted by nightmares of her past, Veronica is soon involved in a new investigation. Darío, involved in a car accident that supposedly killed all his family, is convinced that his wife and child have in fact survived and that his wife has abducted their child. A lorry, searched in the port of Buenos Aires on suspicion that it is carrying drugs, is revealed to be transporting human body parts. These seemingly separate incidents prove to be tied in a shadowy web of complicity involving political, medical and religious authorities

Ghost Town by Kevin Chen, translated by Darryl Sterk, Europa Editions TAIWAN

Keith Chen, the second son of a traditional Taiwanese family of seven, runs away from the oppression of his village to Berlin in the hope of finding acceptance as a young gay man. The novel begins a decade later, when Chen has just been released from prison for killing his boyfriend. He is about to return to his family’s village, a poor and desolate place. With his parents gone, his sisters married, mad, or dead, there is nothing left for him there. As the story unfurls, we learn what tore this family apart and, more importantly, the truth behind the murder of Chen’s boyfriend.

1st Sept

Cruel Tides by Maria Adolfsson, translated by Agnes Broome, Zaffre SWEDEN

Detective Inspector Karen Eiken Hornby is not the only person to have returned to her native Doggerland after years abroad. Following a ten-year hiatus, Luna has chosen to secretly record her comeback album where she was born and raised. Spirits are high among her team at the wrap party, though Karen is less than impressed with the simpering singer. The next morning, Luna is nowhere to be found.

Broken Summer by Jung-Myung Lee (J M Lee), translated by An Seon Jae, Amazon Crossing KOREA

Lee Hanjo is an artist at the peak of his fame, envied and celebrated. Then, on his forty-third birthday, he awakens to find that his devoted wife has disappeared, leaving behind a soon-to-be-published novel she’d secretly written about the sordid past and questionable morality of an artist with a trajectory similar to Hanjo’s. It’s clear to him that his life is about to shatter and the demons from his past will come out. But why did his wife do it? Why now?

The Bleeding by Johana Gustawsson, translated by David Warriner, Orenda Books FRANCE

Queen of French Noir, Johana Gustawsson returns with the first in a startling new series – a dark, horrifying, powerful historical thriller with an extraordinary mystery at its heart and three women pushed so far beyond breaking point, they have only one way out…

The Axe Woman by Håkan Nesser, translated by Sarah Death, Mantle SWEDEN

Sweden 2012. When Inspector Gunnar Barbarotti returns to work after a terrible personal tragedy his boss asks him to investigate a cold case, hoping to ease him back gently into his police duties. The Axe Woman is the fifth and final Inspector Barbarotti novel from bestselling author Håkan Nesser.

15 Sep

The Enigma Of Room 622 by Joël Dicker, translated by Robert Bononno, MacLehose Press FRANCE

It all starts with an innocuous curiosity: at the Hotel Verbier, a luxury hotel in the Swiss Alps, there is no Room 622. This anomaly piques the interest of the writer Joël Dicker, Switzerland’s most famous literary star, who is staying at the hotel to recover from a bad breakup, mourn the death of his longtime publisher, and begin his next novel. Before he knows it, Joël is coaxed out of his torpor by a fellow guest – Scarlett, a captivating aspiring novelist with a nose for intrigue, who swiftly uncovers the reason behind Room 622’s deliberate erasure: an unsolved murder.

Good Reasons to Die by Morgan Audic, translated by Sam Taylor, Mountain Leopard FRANCE

A haunting thriller set in the radioactive Chernobyl exclusion zone, Good Reasons to Die will keep readers hooked to the last page. In a village close to Chernobyl, detectives Joseph Melnyk and Galina Novak uncover a man's mutilated body hanging from a building. All clues left at the scene of the crime point to a double homicide that took place on the very night that the nuclear power plant exploded. Doubtful of the abilities of the Ukrainian police, the murdered man's father, a Moscow mafia boss, summons Rybalko, a Russian police officer of dubious morals, to conduct a parallel investigation to find and execute his son's killer.

Harm by Sólveig Pálsdóttir, translated by Quentin Bates, Corylus Books ICELAND

When wealthy doctor Ríkharður Magnússon goes to sleep in his luxurious caravan and doesn’t wake up, Guðgeir and Elsa Guðrún travel to the Westman Islands to investigate what looks like murder. The obvious suspect is the victim’s young, beautiful and deeply troubled girlfriend – but that would be the easy option, and they begin to uncover a trail of enemies the man had left behind him. Family feuds, disgruntled friends and colleagues, a bizarre group of acquaintances, a bitter former wife and a drug cult all leave them wading through the wreckage of the man’s life as they search for his killer. Harm is Sólveig Pálsdóttir’s third novel featuring soft-spoken Reykjavík detective Guðgeir Franssson to appear in English and she again weaves a complex web of intrigue that plays out in the Westman Islands and Reykjavík, while asking some searching questions about things society is not prepared to tolerate and others it accepts without question.

Femicide by Pascal Engman, trranslated by Michael Gallagher, Legend Press SWEDEN

When 25-year-old Emelie is found murdered in her Stockholm apartment the same week her ex-partner is released from prison, it feels like an open and shut case for Detective Vanessa Frank. Who else would launch such a frenzied attack on the young woman? But Frank suspects there is something they’re missing. Could the killing be linked to the rising online movement of men who want to punish women, the so-called ‘incels’?

Sweet Dreams by Anders Roslund, translated by Elizabeth Clark Wessel, Vintage Publishing SWEDEN

Two little girls go missing on the same day in Stockholm. Their disappearances are never explained. In time, the investigations are abandoned. A chance discovery puts Detective Ewert Grens back on the trail five years later. His own personal trauma makes him determined to find out what happened to these children who were snatched from a supermarket and a car park and never seen again.

27 Sept

The Shadow Murders by Jussi Adler-Olsen, translated by William Frost, Quercus DENMARK

On her sixtieth birthday, a woman commits suicide. When the case lands on Detective Carl Mørck’s desk, he can’t imagine what this has to do with Department Q, Copenhagen’s cold cases division. It’s a tragedy to be sure, but the cause of death seems to be clear. But his superior, Marcus Jacobsen, is convinced that this is not in fact a suicide, but a murder related to an unsolved case that has been plaguing him since 1988.

29 Sep

Ashes in the Snow by Oriana Ramunno, translated by Katherine Gregor, Harper Collins ITALY

A young Jewish prisoner... Auschwitz, 1943. It's snowing outside and Block 10 looks even bleaker than usual. Gioele Errera, a young Jewish boy imprisoned in the camp, finds the body of an SS officer. A detective with everything to prove... Hugo Fischer is sent to investigate the unexplained death of the renowned Nazi. But Hugo is hiding a secret

4 Oct

Cocoon by Zhang Yueran, translated by Jeremy Tiang, World Editions (USA) CHINA

In this literary thriller, two friends, born in the 1980s, seek to understand the experiences of their parents and grandparents during one of the most turbulent periods in Chinese history and the terrible crime that connects their families.

Cruz By Nicolás Ferraro, Translated by Mallory N. Craig-Kuhn, Soho Press ARGENTINA

Tomás Cruz swore he would never be like his father, an abusive cocaine junkie whose gangland exploits are notorious throughout the underbelly of northern Argentina. When Samuel Cruz is sentenced to thirteen years in prison, he leaves a laundry list of unfinished cartel business. Seba, Tomás’s revered older brother, has no choice but to abandon his straight life and take over his father’s underworld debt.

The Winners by Fredrik Backman, trranslated by Neil Smith, Simon & Schuster SWEDEN

Two years have passed since the events that no one wants to think about. Everyone has tried to move on, but there’s something about this place that prevents it. The residents continue to grapple with life’s big questions: What is a family? What is a community? And what, if anything, are we willing to sacrifice in order to protect them?

6 Oct

The Tattoo Murder by Akimitsu Tagaki, translated by Deborah Boehm, Pushkin Press JAPAN

Kinue Nomura survived World War II only to be murdered in Tokyo, her severed limbs discovered in a room locked from the inside.  Gone is the part of her that bore one of the most beautiful full-body tattoos ever rendered. Kenzo Matsushita, a young doctor who was first to discover the crime scene, feels compelled to assist his detective brother, who is in charge of the case. But Kenzo has a secret: he was Kinue’s lover, and soon his involvement in the investigation becomes as twisted and complex as the writhing snakes that once adorned Kinue’s torso.

13 Oct

1794: The City Between the Bridges by Niklas Natt och Dag, translated by Anna Stina Knapp, Baskerville SWEDEN

In 1794, the second installment of Niklas Natt och Dag's historical noir trilogy, we are reunited with Mickel Cardell, Anna Stina Knapp, and the bustling world of late eighteenth century Stockholm from The Wolf and the Watchman. The city is about to see its darkest days yet as veneers crack and the splendour of old gives way to what is hiding in the city's nooks and crannies.

Deeds of Autumn by Anders De La Motte, translated by Marlaine Delargy, Zaffre SWEDEN

Five lifelong friends gather for a last farewell to their childhoods and each other at an abandoned quarry. The mood is effervescent, but under the surface tensions run deep as not everyone is ready to let go - or be left behind. When dawn breaks, only four remain alive. The police rule the death a tragic accident, but not everyone is convinced, and the incident remains an open wound in the community. When the old chief of police is replaced by Anna Vesper, a newly arrived detective from Stockholm, whispers and rumours about that night can no longer be silenced.

Red as Blood by Lilja Sigurðardóttir, translated by Quentin Bates, Orenda Books ICELAND

When entrepreneur Flosi arrives home for dinner one night, he discovers that his house has been ransacked, and his wife Gudrun missing. A letter on the kitchen table confirms that she has been kidnapped. If Flosi doesn’t agree to pay an enormous ransom, Gudrun will be killed. Forbidden from contacting the police, he gets in touch with Áróra, who specialises in finding hidden assets, and she, alongside her detective friend Daniel, try to get to the bottom of the case without anyone catching on.

18 Oct

Lady Joker Vol 2 by Kaoru Takamura, translated by Allison Markin Powell and Marie Iide, John Murray Press JAPAN

This second half of Lady Joker, by Kaoru Takamura, the Grand Dame of Japanese crime fiction, concludes the breathtaking saga introduced in Volume I.

27 Oct

The Moose Paradox by Antti Tuomainen, translated by David Hackston, Orenda Books FINLAND

Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen has finally restored order both to his life and to You Me Fun, the adventure park he now owns, when a man from the past appears–and turns everything upside down again. More problems arise when the park’s equipment supplier is taken over by a shady trio, with confusing demands.

30 Oct

Deceit by Jonina Leosdottir, translated by Quentin Bates, Corylus Books, ICELAND

Reykjavík detective Soffía finds herself struggling to cope with a single-handed investigation into a spate of malicious acts taking place across the city, and enlists help from an unexpected direction. Her psychologist ex-husband Adam has advised the police before, but with Covid raging in the city, would prefer to stay holed up in his basement flat as he deals with challenges in both his working and private life.

3 Nov

Urgent Matters by Paula Rodríguez, Translated by Sarah Moses, Pushkin Press ARGENTINA

A train crashes in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, leaving forty-three people dead, including two unidentifiable bodies. Hugo, a homicide suspect wanted for a body found dumped on the outskirts of the city, is on the train. Unharmed, but trapped, he is left holding his phone and a prayer card of Saint Expeditus: the patron saint of urgent causes. To evade the police, Hugo must pretend to be one of the dead bodies. But the police get wise to the trick, and their leads begin unravelling at a furious pace, whipping through Buenos Aires’ cartels and criminal rings to reveal widespread corruption that reaches into the suburbs and beyond.

8 Nov

The Collector by Anne Mette Hancock, translated by Tara Chase, Crooked Lane Books (USA) DENMARK

When 10-year-old Lukas disappears from his Copenhagen school, police investigators discover that the boy had a peculiar obsession with pareidolia—a phenomenon that makes him see faces in random things. A photo on his phone posted just hours before his disappearance shows an old barn door that resembles a face. Journalist Heloise Kaldan thinks she recognizes the barn—but from where?

10 Nov

Breaking Point by Olivier Norek, translated by Nick Castor, Maclehose Press FRANCE

Coste has been sent to see a police psychologist after a case that saw him kill a suspect in self defence and witness the death of a member of his team. But what comes next will be more testing still. Five hardened criminals - a murderer, a paedophile, a Serbian ex-soldier, a kidnapper and a robber - are all caught up in the same case, and Coste is prepared to enter this nest of vipers no matter what the consequences for his colleagues and those closest to him. Lost souls, crimes of passion, cops like fallen angels: redemption is sometimes reached through revenge.

You Are Next by Arne Dahl, translated by Ian Giles, Harvill Secker SWEDEN

Detective Inspector Sam Berger's life has been turned upside down. He is suspected of murder and his partner, Secret Service agent, Molly Blom, is in a coma. Meanwhile, a terrorist attempt is threatening Stockholm and a wanted murderer is on the loose. Berger escapes to the Stockholm Archipelago while he waits for orders from the Swedish Security Service's chief executive. But is he the solution or is he part of the problem?

The Other Sister by Peter Mohlin and Peter Nystrom, translated by Ian Giles, The Overlook Press SWEDEN

Alicia Bjelke has always been the "other sister," the foil to her beautiful sister Stella—people turn their backs when they see Alicia's disfigured face. So she created a life in the background, becoming a coding genius and founding a groundbreaking dating app company. With Stella as the face of the company, Alicia has found success. Until one day, when Stella is found dead and Alicia’s life takes the wrong turn. Soon, she realizes that she is the next target.

Walk Me Home by Sebastian Fitzek, Head of Zeus GERMANY

The Walk Me Home telephone helpline service has proved indispensable. Staffed by volunteers, it provides a reassuring voice at the end of the phone, helping to protect lone women as they walk home at night.Jules has only been working for Walk Me Home for a short time and has never had to deal with a truly life-threatening situation.

24 Nov

The Night Man by Jørn Lier Horst, translated by Anne Bruce, Michael Joseph NORWAY

As the media closes in on the biggest story of the year, Wisting's journalist daughter Line receives a tip. Soon, it becomes clear that there is more to this case than anyone thought. A criminal network has lodged itself deep into the roots of the city, and it's up to Wisting to take down the elusive and dangerous Night Man.

Codename Faust by Gustaf Skoerdeman, Zaffre SWEDEN

Who have you spoken to about me?What do you know about Operation Wahasha?What have you told Detective Sara Nowak?These are the last words priest Jurgen Stiller hears before he is executed by a former terrorist known only by the codename 'Faust'. Then the killer begins the hunt for Detective Sara Nowak. Nowak is dangerously unaware that she is a target - until she is shot at in her own home.

30 Nov

The Boy and the Dog by Seishu Hase, translated by Alison Watts, Scribner UK, JAPAN

Following a devastating earthquake and tsunami, a young man in Japan finds a stray dog outside a convenience store. The dog’s tag says “Tamon,” a name evocative of the guardian deity of the north. The man decides to keep Tamon, becoming the first in a series of owners on the dog’s five-year journey to find his beloved first owner, Hikaru, a boy who has not spoken since the tsunami.

1 Dec

Conspiracy of Blood by Katarzyna Bonda, translated by Filip Sporczyk, Hodder & Stoughton POLAND

A complex and absorbing crime novel which finds Sasza Zaluska, the profiler and former undercover cop first encountered in Girl at Midnight, plunged even deeper into the web of corruption and criminality that has engulfed all levels of Polish society since the fall of Communism.

Hidden In The Snow by Viveca Sten, translated by Marlaine Delargy, Amazon Crossing, SWEDEN

On the day Stockholm police officer Hanna Ahlander’s personal and professional lives crash, she takes refuge at her sister’s lodge in the Swedish ski resort paradise of Åre. But it’s a brief comfort. The entire village is shaken by the sudden vanishing of a local teenage girl. Hanna can’t help but investigate, and while searching for the missing person, she lands a job with the local police department. There she joins forces with Detective Inspector Daniel Lindskog, who has been tasked with finding the girl. Their only lead: a scarf in the snow

15 Dec

A Death in Tokyo by Keigo Higashino, Abacus Books JAPAN

In the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo the statue of a mythic beast - a kirin - stands guard. Late at night, the body of a murdered man, stabbed in the chest, is found under the statue of the winged beast. However, that was not the crime scene - the man was killed a few hundred feet away and his body moved to that position..

The Missing Man by Anna Karolina, Translated By Lisa Reinhardt, Thomas & Mercer SWEDEN

Was she the billionaire’s lover? His partner in crime? Or his killer? Former cop Emma Tapper and her lawyer boss Angela Köhler are defending shipping boss Anita Spendel, charged with murdering her billionaire husband. Anita insists Martin Spendel is still alive, but his car is soaked in his blood. Emma must clear Anita’s name by finding the missing man—dead or alive…

Now for 2023:

[isabelle201180]

Quand tu ouvriras les yeux de Pétronille Rostagnat

https://encoreunlivre.com/2023/03/21/quand-tu-ouvriras-les-yeux-petronille-rostagnat-harper-collins-noir/