SECTIONS

Crime/thriller

EntertainmentOctober 22

Slow-paced mystery in unusual setting

The Sun is God is one of those books that crosses a lot of genres. Part humour, part crime, part history - this novel really tries to do it all.
Slow-paced mystery in unusual setting
Slow-paced mystery in unusual setting
EntertainmentSeptember 22

Thrilling concept as authors face off in tandem

If, like me, you're an avid thriller fan, you'll have your favourite authors and be familiar with the nuances of their characters.
Thrilling concept as authors face off in tandem
Thrilling concept as authors face off in tandem
EntertainmentAugust 22

Big build-up but no resolution

Volume 2 of Robert Goddard's The Wide World thriller trilogy does not really get to the corners of the globe but it does travel from the Orkney Isles to Scotland, London and Paris and seems to promise more travel (to Japan) in the final volume.
Big build-up but no resolution
Big build-up but no resolution
EntertainmentJuly 25

Spy thriller fine read

Even in a world swamped by technology which allows instant access to global terror, a good spy thriller has its place.
Spy thriller fine read
Spy thriller fine read
EntertainmentJuly 25

Anti-hero hits the paydirt

Anti-heroes can usually be relied upon to provide entertainment and Australian author Jock Serong has hit paydirt with his choice in Charlie Jardim.
Anti-hero hits the paydirt
Anti-hero hits the paydirt
EntertainmentJuly 18

Prequel ups the ante

Last year, I reviewed Alex by the same author, a clever but gruesome thriller.
Prequel ups the ante
Prequel ups the ante
EntertainmentJuly 18

Intrigue and suspense

Pairs of victims are abducted, imprisoned and traumatised until forced to make a choice in a virtual game of Russian roulette. The task of tracking down the person responsible falls to Detective Inspector Helen Grace.
Intrigue and suspense
Intrigue and suspense
EntertainmentJuly 11

Not the usual Nesbo standard

Jo Nesbo novels are anxiously awaited by a legion of adoring fans around the world. Well known for his Harry Hole series, Nesbo explores the dark side of human nature and The Son is no exception.
Not the usual Nesbo standard
Not the usual Nesbo standard
EntertainmentJuly 4

Deaths pile up in no-nonsense, no-frills thriller

Martha Fluke is a wannabe journalist in Edinburgh. On her first day with the struggling newspaper her recently deceased father worked on, she's put on the ''Dead Beat'', the obituary column department.
Deaths pile up in no-nonsense, no-frills thriller
Deaths pile up in no-nonsense, no-frills thriller
EntertainmentJune 17

Legacy of war looms large

I hadn't read any Inspector Rutledge mysteries before, but as ''whodunits'' go this one's an absorbing read, albeit with some peculiarities.
Legacy of war looms large
Legacy of war looms large
EntertainmentJune 13

Harkens back to good old detective fiction

The case looks to be straight-forward, the murder-suicide of a family. ''Five bodies, one weapon, one suspect, much blood'', say the police.
Harkens back to good old detective fiction
Harkens back to good old detective fiction
EntertainmentJune 13

Improbable, gung-ho, but a real page-turner

In the latest Baldacci thriller, the US president approves a course of action which, if it goes wrong, will see him charged with misconduct, i.e. impeached.
Improbable, gung-ho, but a real page-turner
Improbable, gung-ho, but a real page-turner
EntertainmentJune 13

New and original crime series takes reader to Paris

The Lying-Down Room is the first of a new crime series, and features Paris detective Chief Inspector Serge Morel.
New and original crime series takes reader to Paris
New and original crime series takes reader to Paris
EntertainmentJune 13

Not fot late-night reading

Wolf is the seventh of Mo Hayder's novels to feature DI Jack Caffery and the fifth in the Walking Man series.
Not fot late-night reading
Not fot late-night reading
EntertainmentJune 6

Tense French farm stay

Sean, a Londoner, is on the run in rural France.
Tense French farm stay
Tense French farm stay
EntertainmentMay 9

Eccentric characters, quirky dialogue flavour mystery

Fred (short for Frederique) made her reputation with a string of Commissaire Adamsberg mysteries but she launched a new band of colourful characters in the Three Evangelists novel of 2006.
Eccentric characters, quirky dialogue flavour mystery
Eccentric characters, quirky dialogue flavour mystery
EntertainmentMay 9

Well-drawn characters, plenty of surprises

Seven years ago Colonel Vaughn de Vries, of the South African Police Service, worked on a case in which three small boys were abducted. The case was not solved.
Well-drawn characters, plenty of surprises
Well-drawn characters, plenty of surprises
EntertainmentApril 4

Sharply written novel with plenty of twists

This is the fourth in a series of psychological thrillers featuring the rather cool and standoffish psychotherapist Frieda Klein.
Sharply written novel with plenty of twists
Sharply written novel with plenty of twists
EntertainmentApril 4

Family mystery full of intrigue

A cast of people related through blood, interest, intrigue; all are here.
Family mystery full of intrigue
Family mystery full of intrigue
EntertainmentMarch 28

Intriguing tale in deep south

Sycamore Row follows John Grisham's 1984 first novel, A Time to Kill.
Intriguing tale in deep south
Intriguing tale in deep south
EntertainmentMarch 28

Killer manuscript plot pivot

An anonymous writer sends a scandalous manuscript to a literary agent, scandalous in the sense that it's likely to pull down a prominent figure in the media (shades of Rupert Murdoch).
Killer manuscript plot pivot
Killer manuscript plot pivot
EntertainmentMarch 14

Annoying habits balanced by psychological mystery

This debut thriller annoyed me with constant yo-yoing back and forth between present and past action.
Annoying habits balanced by psychological mystery
Annoying habits balanced by psychological mystery
EntertainmentMarch 14

Uneven and unbelievable but sure to sell

In my book, kidnapping and imprisoning a young female is more a subject for an R18 programme on a TV channel. But then I'm not in the business of writing and selling books.
Uneven and unbelievable but sure to sell
Uneven and unbelievable but sure to sell
EntertainmentMarch 14

Intriguing mystery set in the future

This intriguing story, set in the future, describes Eve Dallas, detective, and her partner, Roarke.
Intriguing mystery set in the future
Intriguing mystery set in the future
EntertainmentFebruary 28

An intriguing tale that will keep readers guessing

Tom Rob Smith takes a considerable risk in this book: 75% of the action - as it were - takes place offstage.
An intriguing tale that will keep readers guessing
An intriguing tale that will keep readers guessing