"I'd been in this business a long time and been in a lot of nasty situations, but nobody had ever sent me a head in a box." ~ from Roger Hobbs' Vanishing Games
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Running towards danger
by Tina Clough
Karen's life is abruptly thrown into chaos when her flatmate is gunned down in front of her in the street where they live. Within days she is forced to take drastic action to ensure her own safety. She criss-crosses New Zealand to evade the killers, changes her appearance and settles into a small community as 'Cara'. But danger still stalks her and she is forced to make dramatic choices in the face of threats and brutal violence. Can she trust the man she is attracted to or has he been sent by the killers? A dramatic series of events test Cara to the extreme limits of her endurance when her life hangs in the balance and every decision is crucial.
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The man who watched women
by Michael Hjorth
As a heatwave blazes in Stockholm, a series of women are found brutally murdered and the Criminal Investigation Department is getting nowhere. The murders bear all the hallmarks of Edward Hinde, the serial killer jailed by psychological profiler Sebastian Bergman fifteen years earlier. Sebastian desperately needs some order in his chaotic life. The revelation that he has a daughter, Vanya, could provide this longed-for stability. But should he tell her the truth and risk destroying her life and career? Forcing his way into the investigation, Sebastian soon learns that the murders are connected to him and that no one around him is safe. Including Vanya.
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| Vanishing games: a novel by Roger HobbsIn this sequel to Roger Hobbs' well-received debut Ghostman, our unnamed "hero" is back. Known mostly as "Jack White" (just one of many aliases), he's agreed to help the one person who knows him best - his former mentor, "Angela." Her last ambitious heist has been dangerously compromised - and the extent of the damage isn't immediately clear. As in Ghostman, the action starts early and doesn't let up: you're in for a long (but exciting) night if you start this after dinner. |
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Hand of God
by Philip Kerr
City players know they aren't well-liked in Greece, but they never expected to face death on the football pitch. Scott Manson and London City are in Athens battling for the UEFA Champion's League title. The situation in Athens is tense, and some of City's players are so unpopular in Greece they've been assigned bodyguards. Karaiskakis Stadium is packed to the rafters when tragedy strikes. Christoph Bundchen collapses and dies mid-match. Is it a heart attack? Or something more sinister? The team have a crucial match in England but they can't go home until the investigation is complete. The Greek authorities are dragging their heels. Can Scott Manson find the truth and get the team home in time?
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The assassins
by Gayle Lynds
After noticing a man dressed in his clothes being killed in a hit-and-run accident, former military spy Judd Ryder must determine if he or the imposter was the intended victim. By the author of The Book of Spies.
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A song for drowned souls
by Bernard Minier
They find the boy by the swimming pool, dolls floating on its surface. Inside the house, his teacher lies dead. But he claims to remember nothing. Marsac is a quiet town in the Pyrenees, best known for its elite university. But when one of its professors is murdered, it becomes clear that the tranquil surface is a lie. The chief suspect is the son of Commandant Servaz's university sweetheart; and when she implores him to investigate, he cannot refuse. To close the case, Servaz must delve into his own past and re-open old and terrible wounds. It will be his most dangerous and his most personal investigation yet.
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| Bull Mountain: a novel by Brian PanowichClayton Burroughs has taken a job as county sheriff, in part to distance himself from his drug-running family, in part to help maintain the peace in the Georgia mountains. There's an uneasy truce of sorts between him and his brother, who runs the family business, until an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms upsets the balance. With plentiful violence, great characterization, and a vividly rendered setting, this debut novel has been compared to some pretty big names in the country noir tradition: Cormac McCarthy, Daniel Woodrell, John Steinbeck, and Ron Rash. |
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| The Cartel: a novel by Don WinslowThis long-anticipated sequel to The Power of the Dog (published ten years ago) catches us up on DEA agent Art Keller's life: he's become a beekeeper for a New Mexico monastery. But when his nemesis, cartel leader Adán Barrera, escapes from a Mexican prison, Keller is drawn back into the world to stop the escalating violence between cartels. At nearly 600 pages, this is an epic tale, not only taking on personal vendettas but incorporating the very real damage done to bystanders in Mexican drug wars. |
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If You Like: John Connolly
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John Connolly is a hard author to categorise: his Charlie "Bird" Parker novels are one part psychological suspense and one part horror, thanks to the supernatural elements of the series. They're also violent, atmospheric, and intelligently plotted, with a complex and tortured main character. These are Connolly's best-known novels, though he's also written science fiction, fantasy, and a series of humorous horror novels. Here, though, we've collected a variety of books that share some of the same appeals as the Charlie "Bird" Parker novels.
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| Wolf: a Jack Caffery thriller by Mo HayderThis 7th and most recent entry in the Detective Inspector Jack Caffery novels is, like John Connolly's books, best suited for readers who can tolerate (or skip) graphic violence and appreciate complex characters fighting their own personal demons. The books in this series also have a tendency to intermingle suspense and horror. In Wolf, the DI is drawn into a violent hostage situation after a stray dog is found carrying a scrap of paper with the desperate plea "HELP US." Readers familiar with Caffery will enjoy the Walking Man's appearance here, as well. |
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| Until you're mine: a novel by Samantha HayesClaudia Morgan-Brown is coming to realise that she can't do it all - nearing her due date, she's exhausted by both working and caring for the two kids she already has while her husband is away. It's time to hire some help, and on paper, Zoe looks great. But Claudia can't help but feel that there's something off about her. Told from both Claudia and Zoe's points of view, as well as that of Detective Inspector Lorraine Fisher, who's been assigned to the attacks, Until You're Mine is a satisfyingly twisty, creepy read, much like the Charlie "Bird" Parker series. |
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| The Ridge by Michael KorytaReaders who like John Connolly's particular blend of suspense and horror will enjoy Michael Koryta's novels; both authors write gritty, atmospheric stories with dark and disturbing crimes at their hearts, often with subtle supernatural elements. In The Ridge, one of Koryta's more supernaturally tinged novels, a Kentucky reporter receives an unsettling phone call from the builder of a land-locked lighthouse in the middle of the woods. There, he discovers that its walls are covered with information about tragic local history - and eerie, reoccurring phenomena. Koryta's newest book, Last Words, is another good bet for Connolly fans. |
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| Irène by Pierre LemaîtreNot quite five feet tall, Paris detective Camille Verhoeven nevertheless commands the respect of his peers. But a cunning serial killer - who reenacts famous, grisly literary murders - has so far been able to evade his grasp. Tense and suspenseful, the graphic prose and contemporary noir style found in Irène will appeal to fans of John Connolly, who will be happy to know that there are three Camille Verhoeven books in total: Irène, Alex, and Camille. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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