The Red Herring

The world is on the brink of World War III, Khrushchev and Kennedy are at loggerheads over Cuba, and everyone is on tenterhooks.

DCI Charlie Woodend, DI Bob Rutter and DS Monika Paniatowski have been called out to a farm where the body of a woman has been found in a pig sty; the pigs have been breakfasting on her body.  A handbag found nearby gives the team her identity.

Paniatowski's investigation leads her to the pub where the victim's car had been left.  She finds out that the victim had met up with an American from the nearby air base.  She also finds out that the victim spoke to other men who were also in the pub.  Rutter gets a surprising reaction from the London policeman he speaks to when he mentions to the name of the victim to him.

Meantime the daughter of the base's squadron leader has gone missing from her school.  Woodend and Rutter are pulled from the murder investigation to head up this one, while Scotland Yard is going to send someone to work with Paniatowski on the murder investigation.  Paniatowski runs into roadblocks when she speaks to an officer on the American air base.  He is obviously more concerned about the current international situation than helping the murder investigation.

Rutter wonders if the two cases might be linked; the murder victim taught in the school from which the girl has gone missing.

DCI Jack Horrocks is the detective sent from Scotland Yard to work with Paniatowski.   Monika finds him very different to work with.  Rutter meantime, has determined who one of the kidnappers could be; however, when he gets to the place of work, the man has apparently been taken by two policemen already.

Author Sally Spencer has written a tale that has a superbly twisted plot.  This novel is well titled.  An entirely enjoyable read.

A Killing Season

Prioress Eleanor has travelled with her brother Hugh, Brother Thomas, Sister Anne, and physician, Master Gamel to a castle on the coast owned by a crusader friend of Hugh's.  As they arrive at the castle, a potential heir to the castle falls from its ramparts.

Brother Thomas is of the opinion that the man who fell might have been pushed to his death.  Eleanor finds out from the mother of the young man that he actually thought he could fly when he plunged out the window, however prior to his fall his behaviour seemed very strange.

Baron Herbert had requested Hugh bring healers of soul and body to him.  Thomas now finds out that no one has seen the baron since his return because he is in perpetual hiding.  Why is he doing that?  Thomas also learns from a guard that the castle's priest had died in mysterious circumstances, however from the description the guard gives, Thomas wonders if the priest wasn't smothered.

Mysterious deaths in the past causes Thomas to question the guard further.  He learns that the guard had seen mysterious lights beneath the castle walls.  When they were investigated, nothing was found.

Shortly afterwards one of the remaining heirs is knifed in the chest.  Did Thomas find him in time?  Eleanor, Anne and Gamel set about searching for the killer.  Will they find him before he kills again?

Author Priscilla Royal has concocted an interesting tale of murder and conspiracy.  A good, quick read.

Footsteps on the Shore

A killer, who has served his time, has been released from prison, however, for some reason he has gone missing.  DI Andy Horton and his DS Cantelli have gone in search of him.  The search is called to a halt when a body is found along the shore.  It is in bad shape, so identification is impossible immediately.

As the investigation is making headway, a call is received by Horton informing him of a body.  This time it is a person he knew, because he was going to buy her yacht.   Her house is unusually sterile, as if it had been cleaned, also, the yacht is missing.  Is it possible that the missing man, the death of the woman and the missing yacht are tied together?

When Dr. Clayton, the pathologist, identifies the body on the shore her information is immediately flagged.  This causes Horton to wonder just who this person was and what his connections are.  It isn't long before two agents of the Serious Organised Crime Agency are in his office.  He is told by them he no longer needs to continue his investigation into the victim.

Author Pauline Rowson has an intriguing solution to the case of the missing man, although DI Horton takes awhile to get it right.  A good, quick read.

Laughing Boy

DI Charlie Priest and his team have been investigating the random stabbing of a young woman for the past month.  Having gotten nowhere with it, it is time to set the case aside.  However, it wasn't the end, as another girl is killed that same night. The team looks into links with other murders.  A psychologist suggests to Priest that the violence is escalating.

Priest is called down to Scotland Yard to discuss the possibility that there is a serial killer at large.  There he is informed that there are more murders, and the killer has taunted the Yard. Priest is invited to take over the investigation.  It isn't long after this that the killer strikes again.

One of Priest's team, Pete Goodfellow, discovers that the bodies were not left in a random pattern, but  when place on a grid map, the co-ordinates match the lyrics of a song.  The killer is taunting the police.

Author Stuart Pawson provides the reader with an exciting conclusion to this murder mystery.  It is a real page turner, hard to put down.

Falling More Slowly

DI Liam McLusky has just accepted a new job in Bristol.  Moments after arriving at his new police station he is called out to a domestic.  He takes DS Austin, whom he has just met with him.  On the way back to the station an incredible explosion on a nearby hill requires their attention.  Vandals or terrorists?

Superintendent Denkhaus puts McLusky in charge of the investigation despite DI Fairfield being of equal seniority and having been in Bristol longer.  Convinced that the explosion is a one off, McLusky is surprised when a young woman has a compact blow up in her face during her lunch break a few days later.

A third explosion later results in the death of a man.  A man on a powered skateboard had been seen nearby prior to two of the explosions.  After a fourth bomb, McLusky gets an anonymous letter from the bomber.  He holds back the information hoping the bomber will make further mistakes.

Author Peter Helton has written a gripping thriller.  I found it hard to put down this novel.  A very good read.

The Fire Witness

Violent death has been visited upon a home for troubled girls in Sweden.

At this time DI Joona Linna has received a cryptic message about his daughter who has been missing for some time.  He needs to search for some answers and takes some leave to do just that.  He is asked by his senior officer to be an observer on the above case.

Detective Gunnarsson is not impressed that Linna is going to be observing, however, the scene of crime officers are.  Linna wonders why the victim's body is clean of blood, yet blood is spattered all about the room.  Could the murderer have escaped and stolen a car with a child in it?  If that is the case, where is the car?

When the prosecutor finds out that Linna is under review, she removes him from the case.  Linna doesn't give up however.  Checking with a profiler, they come to the conclusion that the young girl thought to have committed the murders couldn't be the killer.

Meantime, Flora Hansen has started to see visions of the girl.  She has seen her with the murder weapon.  She tries to get the police to listen to her, but the person she talks to thinks she is just a crazy woman.  Only and Joona and three others know about the murder weapon; how could Flora know?  

Author Lars Kepler has written an intense murder mystery with many twists and surprises.  This is a novel that you will not want to put down.  An extremely good read.

Gods and Beasts

DS Alex Morrow and DC Harris have been called to the scene of a armed robbery and murder at a post office.  Martin Pavel is one of the witnesses who gives a very detailed description.  From his description of the incident it appears that the robber was known by the man he killed.

Meantime, DCs Leonard and Wilder have been set up by a drug dealer.  Tamasin Leonard isn't sure how she is going to get her and Wilder out of their predicament, but she is going to figure something out.  DS Morrow needs to figure out how to deal with the two, despite nailing a criminal for the setup.

Morrow is shocked when another of her officers investigated for corruption.

Author Denise Mina has created a story that leaves the reader hanging, and wondering what all the connections are.  As a result you want to read the next in the DS Alex Morrow series.

Blood on the Line

Two police me have been brutally murdered while transferring a prisoner by rail.  Inspector Colbeck has been called on to locate the suspect.  Colbeck is familiar with the prisoner who managed to escape with the help of an accomplice.  He wants to desperately catch this criminal.

At the beginning of their investigation, Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming determine that another constable gave out the time of the train's departure.  Back in London, Leeming is informed that he and Colbeck are to have a new assistant; DC Peebles.  Leeming is not impressed.  Meantime, Colbeck has gone on to Manchester, following a lead.

When Colbeck releases information to the press, the two culprits panic.  They kill another policeman they assumed was Colbeck.  This puts Colbeck hard on their trail, but they slip out of his grasp before he can capture them.

The two culprits have escaped to America, and Colbeck takes Leeming with him to apprehend them, however they must arrive there before the culprits do.  Is it possible or will they escape Colbeck's clutches permanently?

Author Edward Marston has undoubtedly made this murder mystery the mos exciting so far in the Inspector Colbeck series.  A very good read.

Red Wolf

Annika Bengtzon has received permission from her editor to investigate an explosion at a military base near Lulea that occurred 30 years ago.   When she arrives in Lulea she discovers that the journalist she was to meet with has been killed in a hit and run accident.  She also discovers that he had some information that she was unaware of.

While looking at the place where the journalist was killed, Bengtzon discovers a boy who saw the hit and run while hidden in the shadows.  The vehicle which hit the journalist not only hit him, but backed up over him.  The driver then dragged the body off the road.  The boy is afraid because he knows the driver.

She passes the information on to Inspector Suup.  Suup later returns the favour with a name of who might have been involved in the terrorist action 30 years ago.  He gives her permission to publish the name.  Shortly after she returns home the boy is attacked in his own home and killed.

An apparent suicide takes Bengtzon off on an investigative tangent.   Bengtzon finds out that a letter, with what seems rambling thoughts, has been sent to relatives of the victims.  A friend of hers tells her that the thoughts are those of Chairman Mao.  She also discovers some shocking and distressing news about a minister of the government.

Author Liza Marklund has written an exciting murder mystery in "Red Wolf".  As a reader you are looking forward to the next page, and just when you think the conclusion has been reached, Marklund presents a new dilemma.  An entirely good read.

The Marx Sisters

DS Kathy Kolla has been tasked with working with Chief Inspector David Brock of Scotland Yard on a case that might prove to be murder.  Kolla is sure that the victim was suffocated with a plastic bag, however, the pathologist is not so sure, based on the evidence that he finds.

Brock is not the lead investigator on this case, and is giving Kolla free rein, much to her surprise.  He also has a previous case bearing on his mind; a criminal who was involved in shooting police, has absconded to South America, and he is hoping to be able to bring him back.

As they continue their investigation, they are presented with numerous lies.  They wonder what is behind the lying from the different people they question.  As the investigation progresses, Kalla and Brock discover that the victim and her sisters had papers and books that once belonged to Karl Marx.  They are valuable, which the old dears were not aware of.  Could this be the reason for the death?  Unfortunately, Kolla's Inspector tells her to cease the investigation based on the pathologist's report.

Six months later, one of the sisters of the original victim is found murdered.  This time, Brock is assigned the case and he wants Kolla to help him.  DS Bren Gurney is an integral part of this team, and he is sure that the crime can be pinned on the son of the original victim.  Brock isn't so sure.

It seems as though they have the first murder wrapped up.  A confession has been secured, now to just prove the second case.

Author Barry Maitland provides the reader with some real surprises in this murder mystery.  Just when you think the case has been successfully solved a new twist is thrown at the reader. A very entertaining read.

The Mills of God

Reverend Nicholas Lawrence has just moved to Lakehurst where he is to take up his first posting in the church there.  He finds out on the day after he arrives that his vicarage could be haunted.  A week after his arrival Nick hosts a welcome party for his parishioners.  That night a local couple are murdered in their bed.

DI Dominic Tennant is in charge of the investigation.  He has in his possession a note, left at the crime scene, indicating that there would be more murders, and indeed another comes quickly.  A fourth victim is found in an alley the following night.  Tennant wonders what the connection is between the victims.

Nick becomes the next victim of an attack.  Fortunately he is only knocked unconscious.  The village is on edge.  Shortly after that incident another person is bludgeoned to death.  Will the killer reach his goal before the police catch him?  Tennant shares the contents of the notes that the killer leaves at the scenes of the murders with Nick, who comes to the realisation that each one has referred to one of the Ten Commandments.  Another murder, another commandment indicated by the note left at the scene.

Author Deryn Lake has a very surprising conclusion for the reader after presenting a few likely culprits.  A good, quick read.

Dressed to Kill

Kate O'Donnell has been assigned by her agency to learn how to photograph models.  Meantime her friend, DS Harry Barnard is busy investigating the death of a young girl outside a jazz club in Soho.  Kate finds out that the assistant to the photographer who is apprenticing with has been recruiting young girls to be models from schools.  She decides to share this information with Barnard.

Kate gets an offer to work for an opposing modelling firm.  She is hesitant, yet at the same time interested as the offer comes from the cousin of the photographer she is apprenticing with.   Barnard has been involved in a raid on the jazz club.  They are hoping to find a connection to the murder of the girl.

Kate is attacked on the steps of her flat by the assistant of the photographer one evening.  Her employer tells her to stick it out until the apprenticeship is done.  Barnard, on the other hand, has different ideas.  He decides to turn to his underworld sources for information.

When the body of the photographer's assistant is found with his throat slashed, DCI Keith Jackson wants answers, now.  Was the photographer and his assistant pimping the girls?  There is a lot more going on behind the scenes than both Kate and Barnard know.

Author Patricia Hall brings a quick climax to this murder mystery.  A good, quick read.