No. It’s not because we’re woke cultural Marxists. It’s not inverted institutional sexism or conscious unconscious bias. It’s just how the cookie crumbled. Which is a long-winded way of getting to the fact that all five of the new books in this week’s report are by woman authors – something we’re quite pleased about, nonetheless.
Fiona Cummins, Cathy Ace and AK Turner are all writers we already know well and it’ll be hard to choose which of their books you should grab first, a choice made complicated by two new names – Kate Gray and Annie Taylor. In terms of themes and subgenres, well we’ve got cosy, serial killer, secrets to kill over and a touch of the paranormal in the mix, and more besides. Enjoy.
All Of Us Are Broken by Fiona Cummins
It was back at the start of 2017 when former showbiz journalist Fiona Cummins hit the ground running with her crime fiction debut, Rattle which featured the creepiest of serial killers. Six years on it’s time to meet DS Saul Anguish, a charismatic police officer who is about to come up against some unique adversaries – Missy and Fox, a violent and dangerous young couple hell-bent on infamy. Their love story is etched in blood and they have a dark and dangerous past, which is bad news for the Hardwicke family who stumble across the pair after travelling to the Scottish Highlands for a much needed holiday. Prepare for some late night reading when All Of Us Are Broken comes out on 20 July.
Order now on Amazon or Bookshop.org
The Case of the Uninvited Undertaker by Cathy Ace
Fans of Cathy Ace‘s WISE Enquiries Agency Mystery cosy crime series will be delighted to hear that book eight arrives on 19 July. The Case of the Uninvited Undertaker finds the enquiry agents looking forward to a summer sojourn, but when a mysterious figure is spotted in Anwen-by-Wye, heralding tragedy, all thoughts of relaxation are forgotten. Stress levels rise as death strikes close to home, and the stakes are raised in a fatal game of cat and mouse… revealing dark secrets hidden by a person everybody thought they knew. There are challenges aplenty to test the mettle of the WISE women – are they up to the task?
Order now on Amazon
The Honeymoon by Kate Gray
Kate Gray is a new name on the crime fiction roster, and her dark and twisted debut thriller The Honeymoon arrives on 20 July. Two honeymooning couples meet in Bali and immediately make friends, rounding off a dream holiday by celebrating their last night together at a fancy cliffside restaurant. But the evening ends with a death. Was it an accident? Maybe, maybe not… The honeymoon may be over but it soon becomes clear that there’s another side to this story. Many marriages can survive anything – but when it starts on a lie, is it really ’til death do us part?
Order now on Amazon or Bookshop.org
Case Sensitive by AK Turner
Goth-girl mortuary technician Cassie Raven is back in book three of the series, and her ‘gift’ of being able to sense the last thoughts of the dead is about to cause her problems once again. When a drowned man knocks against the hull of her canalboat, the mystery victim with the golden-green eyes doesn’t seem keen to share his secrets. But the case gets under her skin and when Cassie joins forces with Detective Phyllida Flyte, together they start to dredge up the past – unaware that someone is watching, and they’re ready to kill to stop those secrets coming to the surface. Case Sensitive by AK Turner is out on 20 July.
Order now on Amazon
The Truth About Her by Annie Taylor
When Callie rents a beach cottage in Whitstable, she is surprised to discover that its owner is glamorous influencer Vanessa Lowe. Vanessa is a woman who has everything – a lovely home, a loyal husband, three perfect children and an army of adoring online fans. But as a starstruck Callie gets to know the influencer better, her suspicions grow that there’s more to the woman she admires than meets the eye. Then Vanessa’s son disappears, and Callie begins to question everything she thought she knew. Is she witnessing a mother falling apart, or is it all a calculated act? Annie Taylor’s The Truth About Her is out on 20 July.
Order now on Amazon or Bookshop.org