Book: The Apostle by J.A Kerley

Strange religious murders and an ailing Preacher are the focus of the latest Carson Ryder novel which sees the welcome return of his old partner, Harry Nautilis.

Newly retired Nautilis is employed as a driver / bodyguard by an up-and-coming tv preacher who is soon summoned to stand in for the sickly veteran. This takes Harry to Miami where he soon teams up with his old buddy Ryder as they compare notes and attempt to solve the latest series of grisly murders. 

Jack Kerley took a chance when he decided to relocate his novel series from Alabama to Miami. Uprooting the main character and surrounding him with new faces was a test for even the most loyal fan.

For the most part it has worked as the Miami novels have been fresh but the absence of Nautilis has been noticeable and his re-introduction brings a much needed grounding to the Ryder series v.2. The promotion of Carson’s enigmatic brother Jeremy to a regular character is also welcome.

12 books in and these books remain as intriguing and entertaining as ever but I wouldn’t recommend The Apostle as either a starting point or a stand alone novel. Start right back to the beginning with The Hundredth Man or join the Miami series with The Death Box to get the most from The Apostle.

Visit www.jackkerley.com for more information on the author and his books.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended  

Book: The Nightmare Place by Steve Mosby

Detective Inspector Zoe Dolan is experiencing a recurring dream that gives her the strange feeling that something awful is coming. This is happening while she is working on a troubling case. There is a rapist on the loose who stalks women and then attacks them in their own home, he is known as The Creeper.

Steve Mosby’s latest sinister crime story grips from the chilling first chapter until the last. As well as the ongoing investigation we have a dispute between neighbours and a volunteer helpline worker who soon regrets doing the right thing.

Short  chapters make this a quick easy read which is over all too soon. A real pity as Mosby isn’t the most prolific of writers.

For more information on the author and his work visit www.theleftroom.co.uk and click on the Steve Mosby label below for more reviews and an interview.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.

Book: Field Of Prey by John Sandford

You wouldn’t think that it would be possible that the 24^th book of an ongoing series would be one of the best but that’s exactly what Field Of Prey by John Sandford is.

A young couple make a gruesome discovery and the hero of the Prey series, Lucas Davenport, is soon on the case. Aided by a local sheriff’s deputy Davenport must track down a killer responsible for the deaths of many young women as well as a colleague of his.

This is gripping stuff from start to finish and Davenport is back to his dangerous best as he throws protocol aside in the race to catch up with one of his most formidable foes yet.

As with all ongoing series I’d recommend starting at the beginning but Field Of Prey also works as an entry point to the series or a one off.

For more reviews of John Sandford books click the tab below.

Ric’s Rating: Essential. 

Book: Wolf by Mo Hayder

DI Jack Caffery returns and this time he’s off duty.

Jaded and disgruntled by his workload Caffery decides to take some time out, much to the chagrin of his superiors. This sabbatical will be spent finding out what became of his brother Ewan, who vanished when they were both children.

In order to progress his private investigation Caffery must first solve the puzzle of a lost dog that carries a note which simply says “help us”. The case of the little dog takes Caffery on a journey to trace her owners and find out if they really do need help.

The family are caught up in a hostage situation which unfolds alongside Caffery’s investigation and you are urging him on each step of the way as he slowly gets closer to them. But will he make it in time?

Wolf is another top notch thriller from Mo Hayder and assuming she continues with the series I can’t wait to find out what’s next for her captivating main character.

Ric’s rating: Highly Recommended.      

Book: Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer

Patrick Fort has Asperger’s Syndrome so he sees the world around him a bit differently than most people do. When his father is the victim of a hit & run Patrick decides to try to understand death. This leads him to an anatomy class where the dissection of a human body focuses Patrick’s mind on the cause of death and he doesn’t believe the cause listed here.

Meanwhile a recovering coma patient makes a startling discovery but struggles to communicate with anyone in a position to act on the information he has.

Belinda Bauer again manages to absorb the reader into a fascinating murder story woven around a coming-of-age tale featuring a brilliant main character who overcomes many obstacles in both the investigation he begins and the awkwardness of teenage life.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.

Book: Poppet by Mo Hayder

DI Jack Caffrey investigates the bizarre goings on at a local Mental Hospital while also attempting to find closure for the troubled Mother of a missing young woman in the latest thriller from Mo Hayder.

Some years ago I read Hayder’s fantastic debut book, Birdman, which was closely followed by The Treatment. Those books lived long in the memory as they effortlessly combined a surreal feeling of horror with repulsion at the criminal acts described within their pages. The books also introduced the character of Jack Caffrey, a police officer haunted by the disappearance of his Brother when they were both children.

Much to my surprise Hayder’s next novel did not feature Caffrey, and neither did the next. Cafferey eventually reappeared in 2008’s Ritual but I hadn’t got round to catching up with him….until now.

Having long left events of the first two books behind we join Caffrey in Bristol, where reports of strange sightings of a figure known as The Maude followed by some particularly nasty incidents bring a concerned Mental Health Nurse to his office.

Can Caffrey get to the bottom of the mysterious sightings and will colleague Flea Marley tell him what happened to that missing girl?

Having read this sixth instalment of the Jack Caffrey series I now can’t wait to get my hands on the ones I missed. The author yet again manages to create a truly eerie atmosphere, the type of which is usually only found in quality horror novels, and combine it with fascinatingly macabre crime scenes. Throw in an interesting and complex cast of characters and you have a novel that will appeal to both crime and horror fans despite having a rather predictable twist.

Poppet is available everywhere now.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.  

Book: The Survivor by Sean Slater

It’s Detective Jacob Striker’s first day back on the job following stress leave and what a day it turns out to be. He gets called into the office of his Daughter’s school to discuss her absenteeism and while he’s there a massacre takes place. For the first time ever Striker is glad his daughter has skipped school! After the shoot-out Striker and his partner peruse a fleeing gunman but do not manage to capture him.

After starting with a literal bang this cop v killer tale descends into an onslaught of clichés. The author seems to have taken elements from all the police procedurals he’s read and tried to include them here.

We have the depressed rebellious cop who only takes shit from his equally rebellious daughter and one of the things she rebels against is his affair with his partner!

The Survivor had plenty of promise and I usually don’t mind stereotypical characters but I just didn’t like this main character enough to see past it all. 100 odd pages were enough.

Ric’s Rating: Abandoned.

Book: The Death Box by J.A Kerley

In the 10th book of JA (Jack) Kerley’s Carson Ryder series the author decides to take a chance and relocate the main character to Miami, leaving behind his previous life and friends in Alabama.

After an unenthusiastic welcome from his new colleagues Ryder is called to an alarming discovery. Numerous bodies have been buried in a cistern type box which has then been filled with concrete.

The investigation leads the dogged Detective to a despicable people trafficking organisation headed up by some truly awful individuals.

Kerley has a knack for bringing characters in for one book but never returning to them. Some are perhaps worthy of spin- off novels. However, this new setting for Ryder feels like a whole new beginning and I have the feeling that several of the new supporting cast will turn up again. Old favourite Harry Nautilus is gone (forever?) but the brilliant Jeremy (Ryder’s fugitive Brother) does appear with a vague promise of more future interaction.

Kerley’s story-telling and ability to present well-rounded characters ensure that this series easily survives the bold move and fans should embrace this change rather that be sceptical of it. The Death Box also works very well for anyone new to the books.

Easily one of the best ongoing detective novel series around.

Ric’s Rating: Essential

Book: The Paradise Trees by Linda Huber

Alicia Bryson returns to the village of her childhood when she hears that her Father’s health has deteriorated. Unfortunately she does not have many happy memories of the house or the man himself, as he was often abusive and violent towards his daughter.

This time though her own daughter, Jenny, is with her and hopefully the little girl will create better memories for herself during the summer spent at Granddad’s.

Unbeknown to Alicia is the fact that their arrival has not gone unnoticed. A stranger has seen them and begins to formulate a plan that will send them both to “Paradise”.

The story is told from the perspectives of Alicia and The Stranger and quickly becomes a bit of a guessing game as to who The Stranger is. Could it be the local Doctor, the pet shop owner, the care home manager or even Jenny’s own Father who comes back into her life after a long absence.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Alicia and The Stranger the story moves along swiftly towards the tension filled finale.

Often uncomfortable but totally compelling The Paradise Trees is an excellent debut novel by Linda Huber and I’ll certainly look out for her future work.

Available now from Legend Press.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.

Book: Stolen Prey by John Sandford

An entire family has been murdered in the most horrific scene Lucas Davenport has ever seen. The level of violence and ruthlessness makes him immediately suspect the involvement of a Mexican drug cartel but he can find no evidence whatsoever to support this theory.

A tale of robbery, greed, drugs and murder follows featuring a whole host of unsavoury characters which includes: Three Mexican hitmen, disgruntled bank employees, a questionable Mexican cop and his assistant, along with Virgil Flowers who now has his own spin-off series of books.

While attempting to get to the bottom of all this Lucas must cope with an arm injury caused when he became the victim of opportunistic muggers. Will he catch up with them?

Being familiar with this series definitely enhances the reading experience as this one on it’s own doesn’t quite have the excitement of previous efforts, but as part of the series it’s another reasonably satisfying outing for Davenport and Co. largely thanks to the gripping finale.

Ric’s Rating: Good.        

Book: The Good Girl by Sinclair Macleod

Insurance investigator turned private detective Craig Campbell returns in Sinclair Macleod’s sequel to The Reluctant Detective.

This time out Campbell takes on the case of a missing girl in St. Andrews, a Scottish town famous for its University and golf course which attracts visitors from all over.

The girl in question is a farm worker from Poland who came to Scotland so that she could help support the family back home. Her disappearance is reported by a fellow worker who is gravely concerned.

The investigation leads Campbell from the migrant worker community to the student body of the town and then into the world of escorts and prostitution.

Throw in a brilliant sub-plot with Craig’s feisty Mother looking into the discovery of a dead baby and you have all the ingredients of an excellent thriller that manages to retain a light-hearted tone thanks to Campbell’s humorous outlook.

Before picking this up I’d recommend reading the first in the series as there are several references to past events. In any case I always find that any book in a series is more enjoyable if you know the characters history.

The Good Girl is another brilliant example of the current Scottish crime fiction scene.

Ric's Rating: Highly Recommended

Book: Murder By Prophecy by Gary Kassay

Detective Inspector Duke Becker and the Special Investigations Unit (Homicide) of New York City return in this sequel to the brilliant Murder In Silence, from cop-turned-author Gary Kassay.

This time Becker and the team are in pursuit of a serial-killer known as The Prophet, a killer who sends taunting letters to the Chief Of Police, who may know more than he is admitting to.

This novel is no whodunit, we are immediately introduced to Samuel Maxwell, a man hell-bent on avenging the brutal murder of his family by becoming The Prophet and eliminating those he holds responsible.

All the winning elements from the first book are back. Duke and the gang are on fine form and the reader again finds themselves able to relate to the character that would traditionally be presented as the bad guy.

Before picking this up I’d advise reading Murder In Silence as there are lots of recurring characters, even some peripheral characters are back. Wheelchair-bound Fred Haynes and reporter Marielle Wilson both return and it’s a nice touch, as all too often authors quickly ditch good characters for no apparent reason.

Maxwell’s meticulous planning leaves the cops struggling to keep up but will he succeed in his mission or will the lure of a possible new life knock him off course?

Exciting, fast-paced and loads of fun Murder By Prophecy is a cool follow-up to a fantastic series opener and I can’t wait to see what Becker and the team encounter next.

Click the Gary Kassay label for my review of Murder In Silence and more.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended. 

Book: Birthdays For The Dead by Stuart MacBride

Detective Ash Henderson has a secret. Everyone thinks his daughter ran away years ago but he knows different, because he has the pictures. Ash’s daughter was taken by the notorious serial killer known as The Birthday Boy but he can’t tell anyone or he’ll be taken off the case.

When victims are found Ash must work with the eccentric psychologist Dr MacDonald as she attempts to build a profile of the man they are tracking down.

In this novel Stuart MacBride takes a break from his successful Logan McRae series but manages to retain his trademark humour amongst some very grisly goings on.

As well as finding the killer Ash has the local gangsters to contend with but as a former bare-knuckle fighter he’s not one to back down from a confrontation. This set-up makes for some fantastic scenes. Mr Pain paying Ash a visit and a fabricated lead which ends in big trouble provide added drama to an already enthralling tale.

Some parts of the story’s climax are pretty predictable but that doesn’t detract from what is another superior crime fiction book from one of Scotland’s top authors.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.    

Book: The Party by JD Carter

Cab driver turned author J D Carter takes us into the London crime scene with this self-published debut.

A London gangster revels in the attention lavished upon him at his 50^th birthday party but little does he know that one of the guests plans to expose him as a murderer and informant.

At 181 pages The Party is a relatively short book which makes it suffer when too many characters are introduced. The plethora of “geezers” is hard to keep up with but the various trips into the murky past of all involved does keep the reader interested enough to see how events pan out.

Ric’s Rating: Good.    

Book: The Necessary Death Of Lewis Winter by Malcolm MacKay

In the first part of a planned trilogy we meet gunman for hire Calum MacLean who is asked by shady underworld figures to eliminate an up-and-coming drug dealer before he becomes more powerful.

The interesting thing is that the intended victim, Lewis Winter, has only manoeuvred himself into this position to appease his money-hungry young girlfriend, Zara.

Winter becomes quite the pitiful character and you soon begin to hope that he’ll escape his fate.

Will Calum execute Winter? What will the consequences be for those involved?

This is the second book in a row I have read that has been set in Glasgow (my home city) and it’s another cracker. All the characters have many layers. There are big-time villains, corrupt cops, innocents caught up in events and a scheming temptress. All of whom add to the tale.

The satisfying ending also wisely leaves the reader wanting more. A brilliant debut, bring on the second instalment.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.     

Book: Buried Prey by John Sandford

The discovery of the bodies of two young girls at a construction site takes top cop Lucas Davenport back to his very first homicide case.

We travel back to the mid-eighties and join a much younger Lucas and rookie Detective Sloane (another recurring character from the Prey series) as they attempt to get to the bottom of the abduction of the Jones sisters.

When a suspect emerges Lucas can’t help thinking that something just isn’t right and despite force veterans being satisfied he continues his attempts to track down another elusive person of interest.

In this gripping police procedural the author shows how a flashback story should be done. A large chunk of the action takes place in the eighties but Sandford doesn’t dwell there too long and returns the tale to the present day at exactly the right point in the story.

The Prey series always takes the reader right into the heart of the investigation as leads are pursued and suspects eliminated and in this, the 21^st novel, there are even a few surprises as well as a shocking farewell to a well liked character.

Forget Cross and Reacher, for the best long-running series you have to check out Lucas Davenport in John Sandford’s brilliant Prey novels.

Click the John Sandford tab for more reviews.

Ric’s Rating: Essential.     

Book: Blood Diamonds by Ed Lynskey

Some years ago Jonas Blades was involved in a diamond heist. His accomplice, a femme –fatale by the name of Jacquie Mantooth, was arrested and then imprisoned for her role in the robbery. Jonas got away with the diamonds but instead of cashing them in he has kept them hidden away....and now Jacquie is out.

Blades soon regrets his decision to keep the diamonds as Jacquie is not alone in her pursuit of them. Jonas’ current lover and an old flame of Jacquie’s soon enter the fray and none of them can trust each other as a boys versus girls treasure hunt begins.  

Ed Lynskey’s latest slice of crime-noir feels a lot like a crime-caper. As more characters joined the hunt for the stolen gems I kept waiting for a gag or comedy moment but none were forthcoming.

The author maintains a serious tone throughout and perhaps his eloquent and articulate prose may not lend well towards laughs, but this tale would have benefited from one or two.

Coming it at approximately 156 pages Blood Diamonds is a quick read that contains plenty of twists & turns and despite the rather short format each character’s motive is fully explored.

The climax leaves some unanswered questions but in this case that works, it leaves the reader to ponder events and wonder what happens next.

Blood Diamonds is available as an e-book now and you can click the Ed Lynskey tab to read my reviews of Lake Charles and Ask The Dice.

Ric’s Rating: Good.    

Book: Dark Room by Steve Mosby

Evil does not exist. That is the opinion of Detective Andrew Hicks, a man who has encountered many murders but firmly believes all such crime has a relatively mundane reason behind it.

The brutal murder of a woman recently separated from her partner is quickly categorized as a domestic case by Hicks but when the estranged Ex produces a solid alibi and more victims turn up he begins to realise that there is something going that isn’t easily explained.

As Hicks pursues the culprit there are also intermittent chapters in which a young boy recounts gruesome events he has witnessed. What relevance, if any, does this have to the case?

This is an immediately absorbing tale that explores strained family relationships and the consequences of them. Hicks is an intriguing and somewhat complex character who struggles with his own issues as the case envelopes him. There is also an old candle-maker, Hicks’ pregnant wife and the mysterious General, each of whom add depth to the story.

Dark Room can be labelled a traditional police procedural / whodunit novel but the surreal feeling and multi-layers created by the author elevate this high above standard fare.

See elsewhere on this page for my interview with Steve Mosby.

Ric’s Rating: Essential.             

Reviews Interviews: Steve Mosby

Steve Mosby is the author of six previous novels including The 50/50 Killer, Still Bleeding and Black Flowers, which has been short-listed for the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Novel Of The Year, after already picking up a CWA Dagger.

Prior to the release of his latest title, Dark Room, he took some time for a chat.

Tell us a bit about Dark Room.

It’s about a detective called Hicks, who has a somewhat matter-of-fact attitude to crime. He doesn’t believe in evil, and relies heavily on logic and statistics to solve murders. To him, they always happen for banal, ordinary reasons: lust and jealousy; anger; greed; etc – so he categorises them as bedroom crimes, or bar room crimes, or boardroom crimes, and so on. But then he has to deal with a murderer who flies against all that, who appears to be killing a lot of people entirely at random, and Hicks has to try to break the pattern.

It’s my attempt at a fairly straightforward police procedural. After Black Flowers, which has a really elaborate structure, I wanted to do something that moved forward in a more traditional way.

All of your previous novels have been stand-alone tales. Is this the case with Dark Room?

Yes, it is. The original plan was to take Hicks into the next book as well, but it didn’t work out that way. The world laughs at my plans.

Black Flowers has been up for (and won) awards recently. How do you enjoy receiving recognition like this and what’s it like competing against other authors?

Well, it’s lovely to be nominated for stuff, and it’s lovely to win too, but I don’t think you can take that kind of stuff too seriously. It’s really good to get a nod, and cool to see my name appearing on shortlists that have such amazing authors on them. Flattering company, to say the least.

I don’t really see myself or my books in competition, exactly. I’m a fan as well as an author, and it’s good to see someone rewarded and getting recognition for writing a brilliant book, even if that someone isn’t me.

Your early novels had a sci-fi element. What made you move away from that into more traditional crime writing?

To be honest, it was an accident. It just turned out that the third book I had in mind – The 50/50 Killer – had no SF elements in it at all. And that’s the way it’s continued since. The thing about crime is that it’s a really broad genre, and I find that whatever idea I start to get interested in, I can work it into a crime narrative. I’ve kept some horror elements, though, and I do like to experiment with structure, which I suppose is a vaguely SF-ish trait. And when I do short stories (which isn’t often), they don’t tend to be straightforward crime either, so there are still outlets if I get an urge to weird things out a bit.

Still Bleeding is a very dark tale of murder and suicide and it’s just about my personal favourite of yours. Do you have a favourite yourself?

I’m pretty fond of Still Bleeding, in terms of what the book does. I was pleased with the ways the separate stories resolved: the endings I could give the characters. So I do like that one too.

Hard to pick an overall favourite though. The 50/50 Killer opened doors for me, and feels like a book where I began to figure out what I was doing, so I’ll always have affection for it. And Black Flowers turned out well, I think, given how inaccessible it could potentially have been. Least favourite is easy: The Cutting Crew. That’s probably the only one I’d go back and change. There are a couple of scenes I’d tone down, and a few themes I’d try to tie together better. But you do the best you can. That’s all you can do.

I remember reading about a possible film version of The 50/50 Killer. Any news on that or any other potential film adaptations?

All still up in the air a bit. There have been a few options, but the way it works is that you just sign things off and only believe it’ll ever happen when you’re watching it with your own eyes. Cry For Help came to nothing. 50/50 is still ongoing in France, and the last I heard they were hoping to start filming this winter. I really hope that happens; I’d be really intrigued to see how they handle it. Black Flowers is in development too, but it’s early doors on that. So essentially, nothing concrete to report.

Good luck with the awards and with Dark Room.

Dark Room by Steve Mosby is published by Orion and will be available from 19^th July 2012. For more information visit the author’s website at www.theleftroom.co.uk

Reviews News: Murder In Silence by Gary Kassay

Murder In Silence, the fantastic debut novel by Gary Kassay arrives in USA bookshops on Thursday 5^th July 2012 courtesy of Sapphire Star Publishing.

I was lucky enough to read an early copy and you can find my review by clicking the Gary Kassay tab at the foot of this post.

Here is a brief description:


Two police officers have been brutally killed by having their throats ripped out, but the wound appears to have been done with surgical precision. With no witnesses, no forensic evidence, and two bizarre clues to follow, the case falls to Inspector Duke Becker, head of the high profile Special Investigations Unit, Homicide.


Becker and his squad must find the killer before more cops are murdered. The case will lead Becker on a wild chase through the streets of New York City, back over 15 years into the past and to a cover-up that will rock City Hall.

In a first for Ric’s Reviews a quote from my review will appear in the book!

For more information you can check out the author’s website www.garykassay.com and his blog which you will find in the “visit these places” section on this page. You can also find him on Twitter.