There’s nothing like a good heist story and that’s where we’ll begin with this week’s news column – Michael Kardos’s Fun City Heist. Plus, you’ll find intriguing historical crime, futuristic scheming, the death of a fiddler and an alphabet killer. It spells mystery aplenty for crime fiction lovers like you.
Fun City Heist by Michael Kardos
One last gig for a band that went their separate ways – not much to ask, is it? Ah, but one of the musicians involved is playing to a different tune in Fun City Heist by Michael Kardos, published on 2 December. Mo Melnick was once the drummer in rock band Sunshine Apocalypse. These days he rents beach umbrellas on the Jersey Shore. Until Johnny Clay, his old bandmate turned enemy, comes along with a proposition. Clay is dying and wants to play one final time at Fun City, the beachfront amusement park where their musical journey began. Reluctantly, the guys agree, but then Johnny reveals his true motive. He has a daring plan to rob Fun City on 4 July. Are they in? You betcha!
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A Grave Deception by Connie Berry
Past and present collide for antiques expert Kate Hamilton when she’s asked to solve a centuries-old mystery with disturbing similarities to a modern-day murder. She has settled into married life with DI Tom Mallory, in Long Barston, but when a local archaeological dig uncovers the well-preserved body of a 14th century woman, Kate is called upon to appraise grave goods found beside her. It soon becomes clear that the woman was murdered and was pregnant at the time. Then the lead archaeologist is murdered at the dig site, and suddenly Tom is on the case too. Connie Berry’s A Grave Deception comes out on 9 December.
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Artificial Truth by JM Lee
Bestselling South Korean author JM Lee explores the revolutionary possibilities of AI and what it means to be human in Artificial Truth, out on 1 December. Fantasies become real in the virtual city of Alegria, home to more than 100 million people. It was created by tech genius KC Kim, who died of cancer six years ago and whose legacy lives on through an AI named Allen who surges with KC’s memories. KC’s widow, Minju, has recently married Junmo, but strange things are happening to the newlyweds and she can’t shake the feeling that KC is still watching them. Can they hope to escape KC’s all-seeing eye? And whose plans are they, really? Food for thought, this one.
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Accidents Will Happen by Andrew J Field
Andrew J Field’s previous novels have stuck to the mean streets of Manchester – but Accidents Will Happen, published on 5 December, sees him exploring pastures new. Instead, he focuses his northern noir sights on Northumberland, where the body of a talented classical violinist is found beneath some rugged cliffs. Did Lisa Wright jump to her death or was she pushed? An inquest decides the death was accidental but Lisa’s friends Mike Nicholls, an ex-marine, and Sally Palmer, a conflicted nurse, want the truth. Could they have pushed their friend to the brink of suicide, or is someone else to blame for her untimely death?
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The Alphabet Killer by Keri Beevis
A serial murderer who carves letters into the bodies of his victims is the subject of The Alphabet Killer by Keri Beevis, out for Kindle on 7 December. Rebecca Angell was a high school graduate in Oregon when the killer first struck, soon racking up A to H as he targeted students. But I was his downfall, and when they managed to escape the unmasked Professor Rodney Boone died in a house fire. Or did he? Now Angell is a rookie police officer and when she finds a body with a J carved into his chest it’s assumed the murderer is a copycat. But as the body count rises, Angell is not so sure. One thing is certain though – whoever is committing these crimes has to be stopped… and fast. The book is out now in print, titled M for Murder.
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