The Boy In The Headlights by Samuel Bjork


The Boy In The Headlights by Samuel Bjork
Publisher: Penguin, Random House
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Mindless killer? Or do they know exactly what they’re doing?

Winter 1996. An old man is driving home when his headlights catch an animal on the empty road up ahead. He stamps hard on the brakes. But it is not an animal at all. It is a young boy, frightened and alone, with a set of deer antlers strapped firmly to his head.

Fourteen years later, a body is found in a mountain lake. Within weeks, three people have died. Each time, the killer has left a clue, inviting Special Investigations Detectives Munch and Krüger to play a deadly game – a game they cannot possibly win. Against the most dangerous and terrifying kind of serial killer. One who chooses their victims completely at random.

To find the killer they must look deep within their own dark pasts, but how can you stop a murderer when you cannot begin to predict their next move?

Once again the Special Investigations team has been disbanded – only to be called together when three young people are murdered all in quick succession. Munch and Kruger are reunited again to solve the hardest cases Norway has to offer. The victims are random, baffling the team, and when they realise all sorts of distractions and misleading clues are being peppered throughout the series of cases they all struggle to figure out what is helpful and what is part of this killers game. A game the team isn’t sure they can win.

I have greatly enjoyed the other two books in this Scandinavian Noir series and this book is absolutely no exception. Slightly darker and grittier than many British and other police murder mysteries I really love how complicated and interwoven the plot is. With plenty of short, sharp chapters this author draws all sorts of characters and seemingly random scenes and skillfully weaves them into one giant plotline that all comes together at the end. Plenty of these scenes truly appear random – or potentially meaningless distractions – but I know from previous experience that it will all slot together somehow, I just can’t possibly see how until it’s all revealed.

While the tone and setting is certainly darker than many other books that I read, this story is not gory and nor does it use violence or the crimes as titillation. This is solidly a suspenseful murder mystery, but the feel and tone of the book is darker and grittier than plenty of others out there. Readers who like a bit more edge in their mysteries should find this style very appealing. I also really enjoy the fact that the police team really do work well together – but unlike many British police procedurals each character works quite solidly alone and not just as a cohesive part of the full team. I found that quite different to many other books where the style is more each character is a fully integrated part of a whole, whereas in this style of book many of the members work quite independently of each other, though they do all collaborate and freely share details and seek help from each other when needed.

There were quite a few sub-plots going on as well, Mia and her baggage from her dead twin sister, Munch and his daughter’s recovery, and I especially liked getting to know Curry a bit better in this book – his plotline was very well handled as well.

Readers who enjoy a slightly darker and stronger murder mystery should definitely give this a try. I have greatly enjoyed the two previous books in this series by this author and am eager to try the next one along.

The Scorpion’s Tail by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child


The Scorpion’s Tail by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Publisher: Head Of Zeus Ltd
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

A mummified corpse, over half a century old, is found in the cellar of an abandoned building in a remote New Mexico ghost town. Corrie is assigned what seems to her a throwaway case: to ID the body and determine cause of death. She brings archaeologist Nora Kelly to excavate the body and lend her expertise to the investigation, and together they uncover something unexpected and shocking: the deceased apparently died in agony, in a fetal position, skin coming off in sheets, with a rictus of horror frozen on his face.

Hidden on the corpse lies a 16th century Spanish gold cross of immense value.

When they at last identify the body — and the bizarre cause of death — Corrie and Nora open a door into a terrifying, secret world of ancient treasure and modern obsession: a world centered on arguably the most defining, frightening, and transformative moment in American history.

FBI rookie agent Corrie Swanston finds herself under investigation when an unexpected shoot out has Corrie using her gun and a senior agent finding himself hurt in the fire fight. Despite her supervisor assuring her the investigation is standard and it’s not her fault, Corrie feels an incredible amount of guilt. When she’s given a new case – that if a mummified corpse discovered at a remove ghost town it’s hard for Corrie to not feel as if she’s being punished. Yet slowly the case leads on to other things, including a breathtaking priceless artifact and a number of excavations where she requires the help of Dr Nora Kelly once again. Can Nora and Corrie work together to solve yet another serious crime?

I have been a massive fan of Preston and Child for many years and greatly enjoyed their earlier book featuring both Corrie and Nora. I found myself really pleased with this book and I got sucked into the whole thing really quickly. Readers who haven’t read the previous book – or indeed readers even new entirely to Preston and Child – are absolutely in for a treat. No prior knowledge of the two main characters is needed to thoroughly enjoy this story and while there are a few links thrown in for readers who know all the back story these references are fleeting and small so I really feel someone can just pick this book up cold and enjoy it virtually as much as I did.

As with most of Preston and Child’s stories this had a lovely multi-layered plot. Nothing was quite as simple as it first appeared, and I really enjoyed going along on the journey with Corrie and Nora as they unearthed everything. There was a fair bit of archaeological stuff which was where Nora obviously shone best and plenty of mystery/thriller action which was Corrie’s forte. Indeed, I really commend the balance the authors made between the two and at no point did I feel like one character outshone the other. I found the pacing and plot of the book was really well handled and very balanced and this was a big part of the reason I felt the story flowed so well and I as the reader got so caught up in everything.

Readers looking for a well moving plot with plenty of layers and a good chunk of history/archaeology and mystery solving should find this book gripping and a pleasure to read. With two strong female leads I really loved this aspect to it and some strong and really well written men as secondary characters who equally were vital to the plot going on.

An excellent book and a brilliant addition to my shelf of keeper stories by this pair of authors. Recommended.

The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths


The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths
Publisher: Quercus
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Ruth’s partner in crime, DCI Nelson, has been receiving threatening letters. They are anonymous, yet reminiscent of ones he has received in the past, from the person who drew him into a case that’s haunted him for years. At the same time, Ruth receives a letter purporting to be from that very same person—her former mentor, and the reason she first started working with Nelson. But the author of those letters is dead. Or is he? The past is reaching out for Ruth and Nelson, and its grip is deadly.

DCI Nelson has received a few anonymous letters that are eerily similar to those he received during his first case with Dr. Ruth Galloway and a Bronze Age girl buried at a local henge. He’s uneasy, but resolves to ignore them as the original author of the letters is long dead now. But then Ruth calls to say she’s found what she thinks are somewhat recent bones of a young girl she finds when excavating at a new location right near that original henge, a recently discovered stone circle. Ruth and Nelson are finding their past is becoming ominously part of their present.

I’ve been a big fan of this series for a while now and even though I admit Nelson and Ruth’s off/on relationship drives me mental sometimes, I really enjoyed this book a lot. There is what I felt to be a satisfying amount of progress (of sorts) between Nelson’s family and Ruth/Kate. I loved that Cathbad was once again a solid and prolific character and part of this story. I even really enjoyed the amount of time spent with Judy and Cloughie this time around. I thought there really was a good amount of progress and time spent with all these main characters and the plot revolving around the missing girl whose bones were discovered. Overall, I found the balance in this story – for myself personally – was excellent. I do admit though that people who prefer the archaeology aspect to these books and the time spent focused on the dig and field work and more historical aspects might find this book a little light on for them and they might not be as satisfied as I am.

I particularly enjoyed how a good amount of the first quarter or so of this book really seemed to hark back to the first in this series (The Crossing Places) and even though it’s been quite some time since I’ve read that book, I enjoyed the parallels between the two. I wondered at times if the author was trying a sort of soft reset with the storylines – but I can’t decide if it’s my imagination and I’m reading too much into the parallels or not.

Readers who enjoy British police procedural books – especially those with strong ties to history and archaeology – should definitely find this series as a whole suits their tastes. With a strong cast of secondary characters and a well woven plotline that has a number of red herrings to keep most mystery readers guessing this was an enjoyable book and is a series I greatly enjoy. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

Hideout by Jack Heath


Hideout by Jack Heath
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Publishers
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Horror
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A tense, unputdownable thriller from the author of Hangman.

Timothy Blake has nothing to lose. He’s headed to an isolated house in rural Texas with a hammer in his pocket and murder on his mind. His target is Fred, the ringleader of a criminal empire on the dark web. Once Fred is gone, Blake can disappear for good.

But it turns out that Fred isn’t alone. Five other psychopaths live in the house. They work together and call themselves the Guards. Torture, extortion and death are their business. Blake manages to convince them that he’s one of their online associates. Soon they think he’s a monster, like them. They’re not wrong.

Blake decides to pick them off one by one. But when a Guard is found with a bullet in his skull, Blake realises that someone else in the house may have the same idea – and he might be their next target.

Meanwhile, who are the desperate people chained up in the building behind the house? One of them will change everything . . .

Timothy Blake no longer works as a civilian consultant for the FBI, but after deciding to tackle one last loose end from his previous case he finds himself in much deeper waters than expected. Faking his way into a house full of serial killers, he’s trying to work out how to extract himself when he discovers there are a number of civilian captives being held – and tortured – on site. Blake finds himself getting sucked deeper and deeper into the situation and what started as a quick in and out soon spirals out of control.

This is the third book by this author revolving around Timothy Blake and while I need to be in the right frame of mind to read and enjoy this series – it’s a little gory and gruesome – overall this is a really well written anti-hero thriller/horror series and one I just can’t help but enjoy. This third book picks up literally seconds after the second finishes. Readers who dislike reading their series out of order should absolutely read these four books in order as they very closely link up together into one much longer story and while there’s plenty of hints and explanations of what has occurred previously this is one of the few series where I really think reading the books in order is a sensible plan and will absolutely help make everything fit into place a bit better.

While there is no titillation in the horror aspects to this book this absolutely isn’t a series or book for the faint of heart. This particular book is about a group of serial killers with live victims and their very own slaughterhouse. Most of the gruesome aspects occur off scene but the author doesn’t pretty anything up and these are killers who do have some teeth. Readers should definitely be aware of that going in.

That said, I really do enjoy Blake’s character. He is there for his own reasons and while he is far from innocent and in many ways, he isn’t even trying to do “the right thing” he has his own reasons and driving force and in that way under those parameters he is doing what he can. I don’t think this will sit well with all readers, but I find it interesting and engrossing enough I read the book fairly quickly, definitely eager to see what occurs next.

Readers who want something different should find that here in this book. This is the only series I’ve ever read with a main character (even an anti-hero) like Blake and his unusual circumstances and personal drives, that alone is worth giving the series a shot to my mind. Readers who enjoy a twisty plot and don’t mind a bit of gore or serial killers should absolutely go back to Hangman and the beginning and give this series a try. I’ve never read anything like this series and while it’s not a comfortable read, it is different, interesting and absolutely a complicated plotline with multiple moving parts all woven together by the author in an astonishingly interesting manner.

Murder At The University by Faith Martin


Murder At The University by Faith Martin
Publisher: Joffe Books, London
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

A pretty French student is found dead in her room at an exclusive Oxford college. Everyone thinks it is another tragic case of accidental drug overdose.

But Detective Hillary Greene has a nose for the truth. She quickly discovers that the student was involved in some very unusual activities.

With a shocking cause of death found, the case becomes a high-profile murder investigation.

Adding to the pressure, Hillary’s nemesis is transferred to work with her at the station.

Can Hillary keep her cool and get justice for the unfortunate student?

This is the second book in the series featuring DI Hillary Greene and I really enjoyed it. With a layered and interesting murder mystery plot and a number of realistic and complicated characters in the police team I found there was plenty in this British police procedural book to keep my interest keen.

While at a first glance the murder appeared straightforward, I was pleased when a number of twists were uncovered and the mystery quickly deepened to be far more than first expected. I also like how the author kept a good balance with the plot and characters remaining realistic and believable but never simple – there were enough twists to keep me guessing and hold my attention firm.

I also really appreciated how Hillary is not a young woman (somewhere in her forties) and not a novice when it comes to her police work and investigations. That is still quite a refreshing change to me, and I love the series for that difference alone.

Readers looking for a well-paced British police procedural story with an intricate plot and solid characters should check this series out.

A Quiet Man by Tom Wood


A Quiet Man by Tom Wood
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

One day a man arrives in town. Unassuming. Quiet.

The assassin known as Victor is hiding out in a small motel in Canada after a job across the border. A few days laying low and he’ll be gone and leave no trace behind.

He doesn’t count on getting to know a mother and her boy who reminds him of his own troubled childhood. When both vanish, only Victor seems to notice.

Once he starts looking for them, he finds himself at odds with the criminals who own the town. They want him gone. Only Victor’s going nowhere until he discovers the truth and to them he’s just a quiet man asking the wrong questions.

But that quiet man is a dangerous man.

Spending only a day or two across the border laying low after the successful completion of a job, Victor finds himself making a simple – though highly unusual – promise to a young boy. Agreeing to meet again at dawn to show the young man how to fish, Victor is perturbed when neither the boy nor his mother arrive. Curious, Victor looks for them in the small, quiet little border town. What should have proved very straight-forward quickly turns complicated and soon is extremely messy. Can Victor extract himself safely?

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series but found this book in particular to be even more exceptional than I had been expecting. Unlike many series, these books all very much stand alone – Victor usually severing all ties before quickly moving on and almost never leaving anyone behind him. So these books can absolutely be read out of order if a reader wants to. What I found particularly pleasing and different about this book was the fact the job Victor was hired to do was pretty much over and finished before the book really even began. This book is all about happenstance and the decisions we make after the main event and so that is quite different to the other books of this author’s that I’ve read.

Something else I really enjoyed was most of the characters and plots in this book are around fairly normal level criminals. They’re people we can see and relate to and understand. They’re not really of Victor’s usual caliber of enemy. That said, there are a large number of different people, circling around in different plots, all currently focused on Victor for varying reasons. So with enough people coming from enough different angles even though by themselves they might not be a threat, Victor is definitely kept on his toes and it made for a highly gripping read to me.

Readers should be aware this isn’t a cosy mystery or a simple read. While definitely not horror or overly gory, neither does the author shy away from the multiple fight scenes nor the ramifications of these altercations. Readers who prefer police procedural style of mysteries or more puzzle/thinking style of plots might find this a little too action orientated and a little too visceral at times for their tastes.

With a definite anti-hero in Victor and a slightly different take on the “assassin tries to do a good thing” style of plotline, this was a great read and one I shall absolutely enjoy re-reading again in the future. Recommended.

Days Like Shadows Pass by MS Morris


Days Like Shadows Pass by MS Morris
Publisher: Landmark Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Myth. Mystery. Murder.
DCI Tom Raven’s hopes for a few quiet days with his daughter, Hannah, are shattered when a shocking murder plunges him into a macabre mystery in the nearby coastal town of Whitby.

In the hallowed grounds of the ruined abbey, a man lies lifeless: drained of blood and marked by the symbol of a dragon.

As rumours of a vampire-like killer echo through Whitby’s cobbled streets and his own daughter becomes entwined in the town’s dark legends, Raven is forced to play a twisted game of life and death, navigating a deadly maze of myth, mystery and murder.

DCI raven has finally managed to take some well-earned leave and he’s excited his daughter, Hannah is finally able to come and visit him. Only a bizarre case drops in the lap of his team and Raven’s boss insists he take the lead. A local Goth festival has the small coastal town crammed with tourists and costume wearing visitors. One of the regulars has been murdered by having all his blood drained. Can DCI Raven and his team figure out what’s going on?

I’ve been enjoying this Yorkshire series and this book in particular was an excellent addition. I found the murder mystery interesting and complicated enough to really hold onto my attention. All the regular police team characters were there but I found Raven’s daughter, Hannah, to be an excellent addition. Young and interesting but also not really a member of the team I enjoyed her input and felt her character really added a fresh and different twist to the story. I also really enjoyed her open mindedness and hope we might see more of her in some of the future books.

Readers who like British police procedural mysteries should find this an excellent book and not be too worried by the slower pace of the plot. Personally, I find the knottier mystery plots and slower pace complicated enough to maintain my interest and this style of smaller town setting a real bonus in the stories. I’m looking forward to the next in this series.

Aspire To Die by MS Morris


Aspire To Die by MS Morris
Publisher: Landmark Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Lust. Ambition. Murder.
When a beautiful, wealthy student is found dead in her room in Oxford’s most prestigious college, Detective Inspector Bridget Hart is called to investigate. The murdered girl appeared to have no enemies, yet was killed in a brutal and bloody assault.

Haunted and driven by her own personal tragedy, newly promoted DI Bridget Hart has a lot to prove as she leads her first murder case. Her investigation uncovers a tangled web of lies, lust and ambition, and brings her into conflict with powerful interests.

But no one can be above suspicion within the closed and claustrophobic confines of an Oxford college, where students and academics live and work side by side, and a ruthless killer waits to strike again.

When a beautiful, wealthy student is found dead in her room at one of Oxford’s most prestigious universities, DI Bridget Hart is called to investigate. Newly promoted, DI Hart is determined to do her best, only there’s no real evidence and no clear enemies who wish ill upon this young student. Can Bridget sort through what really happened in time?

While I have been enjoying the Tom Raven series by this author this book is the first in a different series revolving around DI Bridget Hart in Oxford. Fast approaching middle age with a teenage daughter I found Bridget to be an enjoyable and relatable character. I feel it’s clear the author is well versed in the location of Oxford and the University setting was both interesting and well integrated into the murder mystery.

I do feel the pace of the story was a little on the slower than usual side. Partly this was because the main characters and other team members really needed to be introduced and they all had to settle in a bit together – so I understand how important that is – but equally there felt to me to be quite a few viable and understandable lines of inquiry that the police team needed to investigate. While a lot of this ended up as red herrings I do feel the author should be commended – at no time did I feel like the story was being padded out and nor did it feel like DI Hart or the team were chasing their tails or falling for false leads.

The plots all felt legitimate but upon reflection it did seem like a larger than usual amount of mess and false leads. I thought this book had loads of atmosphere, good and strong characters and a thoroughly relatable storyline and easiness to be read and binged on. I was a little over half way through the book when I ordered the next one and I’ll happily read that when it arrives. A good new series I am eager to sink my teeth into.

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths


The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths
Publisher: Quercus
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

When archaeologist Angelo Morelli asks Ruth Galloway to come to the Italian countryside to help identify bones found in picturesque Fontana Liri, she jumps at the chance to go—and brings her daughter along for what she assumes will be a working vacation. Upon arriving, Ruth hears murmurs of Fontana Liri’s strong resistance movement during World War II, and begins to sense that the townspeople are harboring an age-old secret. But how, if at all, could this chapter in history be connected to the human remains that Angelo has unearthed? Just as she’s getting her footing in the dig, DCI Nelson appears, unexpectedly and for no clear reason. When Ruth’s findings lead her and her crew to a modern-day murder, their holiday turns into anything but as they race to find out what darkness is lurking in this seemingly peaceful place. . .and who may be on their trail.

Dr Ruth Galloway finds herself in a bit of a low patch. With her mother only recently dead in the last few months, her off/on relationship with her married lover – DCI Harry Nelson – solidly off for now, and Nelson’s wife newly pregnant things are feeling difficult for Ruth. When an old colleague from Italy calls out of the blue asking for Ruth’s assistance, it feels like exactly the right time for her and her young daughter to take a quick working vacation before the school year starts once again. Only things in the sleepy little Italian town are not as peaceful as Ruth was expecting. Can she sort out what’s really going on before she and her daughter find themselves in danger?

I really love the plots in this series – always finding them to be a solid weaving together of British police procedural mystery and scientific archaeology. The plots and mystery are always clear and multi-layered. The romantic and family relationships, however, is usually quite murky, messy and often heart wrenching. I find Ruth generally to be a strong and independent heroine for these stories. While it’s completely understandable that Ruth is a little blue with quite a few changes having occurred in the recent past for her, I did find that low ebb of her confidence really seemed to cast a bit of a cloud over the story for me. I also think having Cathbad back in England and Ruth in Italy for the majority of the book might have helped this darker cloud feeling seep into the story for me. I feel Cathbad often can help Ruth feel a little more optimistic and seen. I really feel he lightens her thoughts sometimes and for this book I could have used a bit more of that.

That all said I absolutely love the murder mystery aspect to this plot and as always, I found the strongly written and well plotted archaeology was a joy to read. For me personally this is hands down the best series out there with this style of writing – I guess I just wish the personal and romantic relationships weren’t as messy and complicated as they are.

Readers who want a straightforward mystery might not find this gives them what they wanted. The inter-personal relationships take up a fair bit of space in this novel and while the plot and history are strong components of this book the relationships certainly give the other plots a run for their money. Readers who have enjoyed the previous installments likely will thoroughly enjoy this book as much as they have the others – and like me curiosity on what will happen next shall likely compel them into reading more, just like I’m sure I’ll be picking up the next in the series as well. A well plotted and well written novel, though an emotionally difficult one to read.

Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch


Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch
Publisher: Gollancz
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The Faceless Man, wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud, and crimes against humanity, has been unmasked and is on the run. Peter Grant, Detective Constable and apprentice wizard, now plays a key role in an unprecedented joint operation to bring him to justice.

But even as the unwieldy might of the Metropolitan Police bears down on its foe, Peter uncovers clues that the Faceless Man, far from being finished, is executing the final stages of a long term plan. A plan that has its roots in London’s two thousand bloody years of history, and could literally bring the city to its knees.

To save his beloved city Peter’s going to need help from his former best friend and colleague–Lesley May–who brutally betrayed him and everything he thought she believed in. And, far worse, he might even have to come to terms with the malevolent supernatural killer and agent of chaos known as Mr Punch….

Detective Constable Peter Grant and Nightingale finally know who The Faceless Man is and their main mission is to now stop him. But when it comes to magic in London – and The Faceless Man in particular – nothing is ever easy, and this time the nefarious plan is already well under way by the time Peter and Nightingale finally feel they might catch up to him.

I have been thoroughly enjoying this series and can highly recommend all the books in the series. While I do feel if readers come fresh to this book having not read any of the previous installments the book is still quite enjoyable and a great paranormal mystery on it’s own merits, I do believe that a lot more connection and enjoyment can be had having read the previous books.

I was really pleased that a lot of the overarching plots got a semblance of conclusion in this book and while there are still plenty of loose threads and clearly more stories to come I do think a lot of readers who have been following along will find this story particularly satisfying.

Readers who enjoy magic and paranormal stories – especially with a bit of mystery and police procedure thrown in – should find this book and this series as a whole highly enjoyable. I absolutely love this series and find the whimsy and even at times laugh out loud craziness is a joy to read. The characters are vibrant and relatable and the plot is delightfully complicated while still having a bit of the messiness and craziness of real life added in.

A great series and one I can strongly enjoy. Recommended.