‘Collaboration’ is a buzz word in technology and the creative industries at the moment, and it seems to be the in thing in crime fiction too. It’s something that has made crime author James Patterson one of the most popular authors in the English language. Of all his collaborations, none has been bigger than working with former American president Bill Clinton. The pair first worked together in 2018 and now they’ve produced a second novel that starts off in the Oval Office. That’s where our new books column starts this week as well.
From the centre of political intrigue in Washington, we then move to one of the most remote places in the world with Ragnar Jonasson’s The Girl Who Died, set in Iceland. And we’ve also got a quirky first crime novel from RJ Barker, an anthology of short crime stories from Ghana and a brutal cold case banging at the door in Sweden. Read on!
The President’s Daughter by Bill Clinton and James Patterson
The second collaboration between former US president Bill Clinton and crime novelist James Patterson is a thriller with – you’ve guessed it – a former president of the United States at the heart of the action. His name is Matt Keating and as well as holding the highest office in the land, prior to that he was a Navy SEAL. When his daughter is kidnapped by a ruthless Islamist, Keating is itching to get stuck in and find her. Standing in his way is the new administration, and a serving president who has previously stabbed Keating in the back and may well do it again to save her political skin. The President’s Daughter is a real page turner, and it’s out on 7 June.
Pre-order now on Amazon
The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jonasson
A standalone from one of Iceland’s finest is definitely something to cheer about, and you only have to wait until 3 June for Ragnar Jonasson’s The Girl Who Died. It is 1986 and teacher Una has moved from Reykjavik to the remote fishing hamlet of Skálar, a place with just 10 inhabitants. Una soon has time on her hands – her only students are two girls aged seven and nine – and the bottle becomes her friend. In her tiny attic home, she is plagued by dreams of a little girl in a white dress singing a lullaby. Then a tragedy occurs. The population has been reduced by one, the people of Skálar close ranks, and Una determines to uncover the secrets of her new home.
Pre-order now on Amazon
A Numbers Game by RJ Dark
Award-winning fantasy author RJ Barker swaps names and genres for A Numbers Game, his crime fiction debut, out on 4 June. Meet the exotically named Malachite Jones, plying his trade as a medium on the run down Blades Edge estate in Yorkshire. It’s all a sham but it pays the bills. Until a grieving widow comes along with a tale about a lottery ticket. It’s a winner, belonged to her husband and it’s missing – can Mal help? With the police and a bunch of local gangsters on his tail, Mal enlists the help of his dodgy best mate Jackie Singh Kattar. Can the pair get the job done to everyone’s satisfaction before they’re in need of a psychic medium themselves?
Pre-order now on Amazon
Accra Noir edited by Nana-Ama Danquah
Akashic Books’ award-winning series of original noir anthologies set in a distinct neighbourhood or location within a particular city continues with Accra Noir, edited by Nana-Ama Danquah. It offers a rich flavour of Ghana, and is described as “a virtual map of the nation’s soul, a complex geographical display of its indigenous presence”. With contributions from such authors as Kofi Blankson Ocansey, Billie McTernan, Ernest Kwame Nkrumah Addo and Anne Sackey, this is the ideal read for a crime fiction fan who is looking for something a little different.
Buy now on Amazon
Knock Knock by Anders Roslund
Translated from Swedish by Elizabeth Clark Wessel, number 9 in the series featuring Detective Superintendent Ewert Grens sees the past catching up with him. Almost two decades ago, Grens was involved in the investigation of a brutal crime which left a family dead. The only survivor was a five-year-old girl and the killer was never found. Now the apartment where the crime took place is the scene of a mysterious break-in and Grens fears for the safety of the girl who was spirited away into witness protection. Meanwhile, someone in the city’s criminal underworld is executing weapons smugglers… Knock Knock by Anders Roslund is already available in hardback and out on 10 June for Kindle.
Pre-order now on Amazon