On the Radar — We hope you had a good holiday season, and wish you a Happy New Year here at Crime Fiction Lover. Apologies for the service outage in our news department over Christmas, but we aim to hit the ground running and gunning in 2020, and for our first report of the year there’s plenty of both among the new crime fiction releases highlighted. How about a Mexican woman and her son running to the US border to escape the cartels, the Nine Elms serial killer, or some new domestic noir? Here’s to 2020 and great new crime reads!
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American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
They don’t come more finger-on-the-pulse than this heart-wrenching thriller released on 21 January. Book store owner Lydia has a loving husband, who’s an investigative journalist, and a wonderful eight-year-old son called Luca. Life is good in Acapulco, until 16 of Lydia’s relatives – including her husband – are shot and killed at a family barbecue. Suddenly, Lydia and Luca are running for their lives, pursued by a drugs cartel and the only way out is to cross the Mexico-US border illegally. This book is already being hailed as one of the must-reads of 2020 – can’t wait to see if we agree! For more Mexican drug cartel drama, try The Border by Don Winslow.
Pre-order now on Amazon
Dying to Tell by Keri Beevis
What really happened that night? This is the question at the centre of Dying to Tell, the psychological thriller out now from Keri Beevis. The first person who wants to know the answer is Lila, the woman just out of hospital who survived the crash that horrific night. Then there’s Jack Foley, who lost his sister Stephanie in the same incident. Lila’s memory of what happened is very foggy, and when she gives Jack a locket that may have belonged to Stephanie they start to think the version of events they’ve been fed might not be the truth. And, someone’s watching them…
Buy now on Amazon
Nine Elms by Robert Bryndza
After six successful novels in his Erika Foster series, Robert Bryndza is starting afresh with a new thriller and a new heroine – Kate Marshall. It’s 15 years since Kate, then a promising young detective, was caught up in the Nine Elms serial killer case. It nearly ruined her, but at last she’s getting over it. Then the killings start all over again, with the same MO and those same horrible feelings in Kate’s stomach. Is this a copycat, something new, or was the old investigation flawed. Maybe Kate’s brilliant research assistant, Tristan, can help? Nine Elms is out now digitally and as a hardback. A sequel is already planned for October.
Buy now on Amazon
Mr Nobody by Catherine Steadman
Downton Abbey actress Catherine Steadman won plaudits for her debut novel, Something in the Water, reviewed here. Now she’s back with another tricksy, twist-filled standalone which will keep you guessing… and guessing again. Dr Emma Lewis is a neuropsychiatrist, and her particular skills are called upon when a confused man is discovered on a deserted Norfolk beach. The mysterious Mr Nobody begins to capture headlines, which is the last thing Emma needs, because she’s living under an assumed name after an incident 14 years ago sent her and her family running for their lives. And it happened just up the coast from where her new patient was found. Coincidence?
Buy now on Amazon
Six Wicked Reasons by Jo Spain
In the summer of 2008, 21-year-old Adam Lattimer disappeared without trace, leaving his family confused and heartbroken. Move on 10 years and the Lattimer family is still feeling the reverberations of that loss. Adam’s mother is dead and his siblings are scattered across the globe. Then Adam returns and things get mighty awkward. As Adam and his family reunite at the family home in Spanish Cove there are plenty of things they want to ask him, but as tensions reach boiling point, someone out there is meticulously plotting revenge… Out 16 January. Read our review of Jo Spain’s With Our Blessing here.
Pre-order now on Amazon