Category: Noir

The Gin Palace Trilogy by Daniel Judson is set in Southampton, Long Island. The hero ‘Mac’ MacManus is a working class detective in a small town who ‘helps people out’ and gets into some pretty tough situations as a consequence, particularly with the corrupt chief of the local police. Through the series his back story unfolds along with that of his deceased parents, the chief, his friend Augie and the dark figure of Frank Gannon.

These are fast paced, dark and gritty novels, there is a lot of violence and perhaps a few too many unlikely escapes but even so worth a read.

3.5/5

Police at the station and they don’t look friendly is the 6th in a series by Adrian McKinty. How could you resist a novel with a title like that? This was an Amazon “daily offer” which grabbed my attention (but why oh why if you want to get me hooked do you send me the 6th in the series rather than the 1st?).

Sean Duffy, the principal character, is a catholic detective in the Royal Ulster Constabulary based in a staunchly protestant area during The Troubles. A drug dealer is found murdered by crossbow, soon after a similar attack. Is there a serial killer on the loose? Are one of the paramilitary groups responsible? It appears that someone wants to prevent Duffy from getting to the truth but inevitably he is determined to get his man even if they try to murder him as well (wouldn’t be much of a crime novel otherwise).

This is brilliant. It’s dark, gritty, full of twists, turns and surprises and has a nice touch of humour running through it, while providing a very convincing impression of the challenges facing the police in Northern Ireland in the 80’s. McKinty seems to be a real gem and I am looking forward to reading more of his work.

4.5/5 (because almost nothing is perfect)

Blue Light Yokohama by Nicholas Obregon is a stunning debut novel set in a very dark Tokyo.

Inspector Iwata, new to Tokyo, is assigned to a brutal  murder that has already caused the suicide of the previous investigating officer. Corruption, cults, flashbacks and more twists and turns than the Corniche, this is a cracking novel that builds to a great climax.

I can’t wait for Obregon’s next book

4.5/5 (nothing’s perfect)

I wasn’t sure about Ragdoll by Daniel Cole at the beginning, it felt like it was a screenplay rather than a novel. It turned into a cracking page turner and well worth reading.

Ragdoll is a tense and disturbing novel – a dismembered body, a serial killer, confusing and compelling. Loads of twists and turns right to the end. Excellent debut.

If you like PJ Treacy or Michael Billingham, this is one to try

4/5

Dear Amy by Helen Callaghan is a tense thriller that reminded me of Minette Walters’ early novels. Margot is a Cambridge secondary school teacher who also writes an agony aunt “Dear Amy” column for her local paper. Shortly after one of her pupils, Katie, disappears she starts to receive letters asking for help from Bethany who disappeared nearly 20 years previously. As the plot unfolds Margot’s own past life and instability start to become entwined with the fate of Katie and Bethany.

This is a dark and compelling read with more twists and turns than a roller coaster. If you like dark and scary give this a try.

4/5

Dodgers by Bill Beverly was billed as “a powerful debut literary crime novel”.

Easy is a tough kid working for an LA drugs crew managing the look outs for a crack den. When the den gets busted he is forced out of LA on a road trip with three others with the aim of murdering a key witness against the head of the drugs gang. Think road trip, right of passage, and gang psychology.

Dodgers is good dark stuff, I’m not sure that I agree with some of the rave reviews that I read before buying it. Half way through it had lost it’s novelty and I wanted it to be over but it was good enough that I would give Beverly a second read when his next novel is published

3/5