17) Blue Moon by Lee Child It's that time of year when only a Jack Reacher novel will do - when my brain can take little else, and I have a need for pure escapism where the good guys win, the bad guys get punched in the face and everything is put back in its right place.… Continue reading Year 5 / Book 17: Blue Moon
Category: thriller
Year 5 / Book 15: The Plea
15) The Plea by Steve Cavanagh I think it's understandable when the entire world feels at sea to reach out for things that are familiar and bring order: for some that is a crossword, for others a film they've watched 50 times before, and for others still a crime thriller in which the good guys win… Continue reading Year 5 / Book 15: The Plea
Year 5 / Book 13: Joe Country
12) Joe Country by Mick Herron And we are back at Slough House with the Jackson Lamb-led band of outcasts and misfits from the world of espionage and intelligence. If you haven't been reading this series, then I heartily recommend - as I've written before, like Le Carre with a touch more thriller and a… Continue reading Year 5 / Book 13: Joe Country
Year 5 / Book 12: After You Die
13) After You Die by Eva Dolan I'm a great fan of Eva Dolan's Zigic & Ferreira series of police procedurals (you can read my review of the previous episode here: Tell No Tales), and much enjoyed the first two I'd ploughed through. This third installment starts pretty bleakly: a woman is found murdered, and… Continue reading Year 5 / Book 12: After You Die
Year 5 / Book 9: Dark Sacred Night
9) Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly Michael Connelly has been at this game for a long time - with Harry Bosch, Micky Haller (the Lincoln Lawyer) and now Reneé Ballard as his well-known leading characters. I haven't read one for a while but this felt like a decent return to form. It brings together… Continue reading Year 5 / Book 9: Dark Sacred Night
Year 5 / Book 8: The Skeleton Road
8) The Skeleton Road by Val McDermid Val McDermid is best known for her Tony Hill & Carol Jordan series, but as I mentioned in my review of A Darker Domain last year, I've always preferred those featuring Karen Pirie - who has always felt to me like a more grounded and rounded protagonist; and… Continue reading Year 5 / Book 8: The Skeleton Road
Year 5 / Book 2: Homegrown Hero
2) Homegrown Hero by Khurrum Rahman I read Rahman's first book, East of Hounslow about a year ago, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, as a pacy, up-to-the-minute terrorist thriller (with a nice sideline in humour). Homegrown Hero is the follow-up, and in some senses it is more of the same - we are back with (our hero) Jay Qasim,… Continue reading Year 5 / Book 2: Homegrown Hero
Year 4 / Book 50: The Godmother
50) The Godmother by Hannelore Cayre In a strong field of good thrillers and crime books that I've read towards the end of 2019, this is right up there. It has won several prizes in France and Europe, and I can completely see why, as funny, sharp, and thrilling. It features the wonderfully droll Patience… Continue reading Year 4 / Book 50: The Godmother
Year 4 / Book 49: Black Dahlia, Red Rose
49) Black Dahlia, Red Rose by Piu Eatwell The 'Black Dahlia' was the name given to Elizabeth Short, a young woman killed in Los Angeles in early 1947, and has since been made famous by authors like James Ellroy (who wrote a fictional book with that title) and by countless people still trying to solve… Continue reading Year 4 / Book 49: Black Dahlia, Red Rose
Year 4 / Book 48: To The Lions
48) To The Lions by Holly Watt I hugely enjoyed this thriller, which is both a dive into the depths of human depravity and evil (steel yourselves!) and also a fascinating look at the world of investigative journalism, and how they overlap with the criminal worlds they are trying to expose. Casey and Miranda are two… Continue reading Year 4 / Book 48: To The Lions
