The Red Shore by William Shaw

 

First Lines: The boy wakes, scared. Something is wrong. It is all his fault.

Metropolitan police detective Eden Driscoll is quite satisfied with his single and childless life, but then the phone call comes. His estranged sister has vanished from her boat, leaving him the responsibility of Finn, a nephew he didn't know he had.

Resettled in the seaside town of Teignmouth, Eden finds adjusting to parenthood to be difficult, but he soldiers on. Problems mount when his sister's body is finally found. Her death is ruled an accident by the local police, but Eden isn't convinced.

Now the only thing he can do is search his sister's life for answers and continue to forge a relationship with a very recalcitrant little boy.

~

Being an unabashed cheerleader for William Shaw's standalone thrillers and his Alexandra Cupidi series, I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Red Shore, the start to a brand new Devon-set crime series. Wow! When my copy arrived from the UK, I jumped right in and was immediately hooked when I met Finn, a scared little boy alone on a boat at sea.

The Red Shore has an atmospheric setting (par for the course for Shaw) and a 

fantastic mystery that kept me turning the pages-- and even thinking about it when I was forced to stop reading, but the characters bring this book to an entirely different level. Eden, seemingly satisfied with his life in London, yet unable to escape his unconventional childhood. Finn, a little boy who's scared to death by his mother's disappearance and wants nothing to do with this uncle he didn't know anything about.

While I was trying to figure out the mystery, I was constantly intrigued by the dynamics between Eden and Finn. I have to admit that I found Finn to be very mouthy and abrasive at first, but his circumstances made his behavior make sense, and I did gradually warm up to the little boy. (Hey, I'm childless, just like Eden.)

The Red Shore is probably the best book I've read in 2025, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. Write faster, Mr. Shaw! 

The Red Shore by William Shaw

ISBN: 9780008720407

Hemlock Press © 2025

Hardcover, 384 pages

Police Procedural, #1 Eden Driscoll

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Amazon UK.

The Wild Swimmers by William Shaw

 

First Line: It came down to a choice between two directions, north or south.

 

Approaching the beach to search for a missing woman, Detective Sergeant Alexandra "Alex" Cupidi heads north while her teenage daughter, Zoë, goes south. It's a decision that Alex wishes she could remake because Zoë is devastated when she finds a dead body on the shore. Mimi Greene was a regular wild swimmer with a group of close friends, and it was very much out of character for her to be swimming alone-- especially in bad weather. It's not long before Cupidi thinks this is more than an accidental drowning.

Meanwhile, her friend and colleague Jill Ferriter has received a letter from a man claiming to be her father. Stephen Dowles was convicted of two murders and has spent the last twenty years in prison. 

With Alex obsessed with the investigation surrounding Mimi Greene's death and her daughter's fragile emotional state, Jill must rely on former police officer Bill South to uncover the facts around Dowles' conviction, and he begins revisiting old colleagues and criminals.

~

William Shaw's Alexandra Cupidi series is one that I love. I can hear the birds calling overhead and taste the salt in the air while I search for shells in the sand. Yes, he puts me right in the middle of the setting. Having written a couple of standalone thrillers, I was ecstatic to see that he'd come back to this area and these characters again.

As always, the mysteries concerning the wild swimmer and the convicted killer are strong ones with plenty of twists and turns, but it's the cast of characters that I love seeing again and again. After being a hermit for several books, it would appear that Bill South has finally begun to heal from the emotional turmoil of The Birdwatcher as he takes a larger role in The Wild Swimmers. And speaking of wild swimmers, the group of women that Mimi Greene had joined is a strange collection of personalities.

The two main characters, Alex and her daughter Zoë have come full circle. The trauma of finding Mimi has made Zoë terrified of being in a setting in which she had been passionately in love. And with all the determination of a nineteen-year-old, she is now acting older and more judgemental than her mother. Alex, who used to be a certified city girl who hated the country, now loves the beaches and marshlands of southeastern England. The only way Alex hasn't really changed is in her tendency to jump in before she thinks-- sometimes with dangerous consequences, sometimes not.

If you love strong mysteries peopled with multifaceted characters who live in a setting you can see and hear and feel and taste, you must read this series. Start with The Birdwatcher so you don't miss one little bit!

The Wild Swimmers by William Shaw

ISBN: 9781529420128

riverrun © 2024

Hardcover, 384 pages

 

Police Procedural, #6 Alexandra Cupidi

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon UK

May 2024 New Mystery Releases!

 

I don't know why, but I'm having a hard time realizing that May is here. At least I've had some fun (Daisy and Suzanne's visit) lately instead of a boring round of nothing but weekly medical appointments. It's been almost a year since I was sent to the wound care clinic, and I think it's time for me to admit that my legs might never heal. Nothing I (or the doctor and nurses) do seems to work, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying!

Time may fly, but I will always keep my eyes peeled for new reading material. (You knew that already, didn't you?)  The following list contains my picks for the best new crime fiction being released during the month of May. I've grouped them according to their release dates, and the covers and synopses are courtesy of Amazon.

Let's see how many of my choices are on your own Need to Read lists!

=== May 2 ===

Title: A Nest of Vipers

Author: Harini Nagendra

Series: #3 in the Bangalore Detectives Club historical series set in 1920s India.

352 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

 

Synopsis: "This latest novel in the Bangalore Detectives Club mystery series takes the reader deep into the historical era surrounding the visit by Edward, Prince of Wales, to Bangalore in 1921. When the prince begins a tour of a number of Indian cities, he encounters passionate crowds demanding independence from Britain, with rioting on the streets of Bombay in November 1921.

The mood of the prince's subsequent trip to Bangalore and Mysore in January 1922 appears, at first glance, very different and is made to large, welcoming crowds. But perhaps all is not what it seems to be. While exploring another (seemingly unrelated) crime scene, Kaveri and Ramu become tangled in a complex web of intrigue, getting pulled into a potentially dangerous plan that could endanger the life of the visiting prince.

This new novel also takes us into the world of jadoo—Indian street magic—with sleight-of-hand magicians, snake charmers, and rope tricks. Kaveri and Ramu continue their sleuthing, with help from the Bangalore Detectives Club, amidst the growing rumblings of Indian independence and the backdrop of female emancipation." 

 

 

Title: Queen Macbeth

Author: Val McDermid

Series: #5 in the Darkland Tales set in ancient Scotland.

152 pages

 

*UK release

 

Synopsis: "Shakespeare fed us the myth of the Macbeths as murderous conspirators. But now Val McDermid drags the truth out of the shadows, exposing the patriarchal prejudices of history. Expect the unexpected . . .

A thousand years ago in an ancient Scottish landscape, a woman is on the run with her three companions – a healer, a weaver and a seer. The men hunting her will kill her – because she is the only one who stands between them and their violent ambition. She is no lady: she is the first queen of Scotland, married to a king called Macbeth.

As the net closes in, we discover a tale of passion, forced marriage, bloody massacre and the harsh realities of medieval Scotland. At the heart of it is one strong, charismatic woman, who survived loss and jeopardy to outwit the endless plotting of a string of ruthless and power-hungry men. Her struggle won her a country. But now it could cost her life." 

=== May 7 ===

Title: Dodge and Burn

Author: Ellen Crosby

Series: #4 in the Sophie Medina photojournalist series set in present-day Washington, DC.

299 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

 

Synopsis: "When billionaire philanthropist and art collector Robson Blake hires Sophie Medina to take photographs for him, she doesn't expect to show up and find her client dead. It seems he was the victim of a burglary gone wrong. But why was his state-of-the-art security system turned off . . . and why, in a house full of priceless Old Masters, is the only thing missing a beautiful but insignificant Ukrainian religious icon?

Before long, Sophie finds herself in the crosshairs of a D.C. homicide detective who suspects she knows more than she is saying about Blake's murder - and he's not wrong. To Sophie's mixed delight and horror, she's recently learned she has a half-brother . . . who might also be an international art thief, with eyes on Blake's collection.

As the police get closer to finding Blake's killer, Sophie is certain someone is trying to frame her for his murder. Can she find the real killer in time - even if it means turning in her own brother to prove her innocence?" 

Title: Hunted

Author: Abir Mukherjee

Standalone thriller set in the UK and US.

400 pages

 

Synopsis: "In London, the police storm Heathrow Airport to bring in a father for questioning about his missing daughter.
 
In Florida, a mother makes a connection between her son and the bomber, fearing he has been radicalized.
 
And in Oregon, an unknown organization’s conspiracy to bring America to its knees unfolds…
 
On the run from the authorities, the two parents are thrown together in a race against time to stop a catastrophe that will derail the country’s future forever.

But can they find their kids before it’s too late? "

 

 

=== May 14 ===

 

 

Title: Locked in Pursuit

Author: Ashley Weaver

Series: #4 in the Electra McDonnell historical series set in World War II England.

272 pages

Synopsis: "Safecracker Ellie McDonnell hasn’t seen Major Ramsey―her handsome but aloof handler in the British government―since their tumultuous mission together three months before, but when she hears about a suspicious robbery in London she feels compelled to contact him. Together they discover that a rash of burglaries leads back to a hotbed of spies in the neutral city Lisbon, Portugal, and an unknown object brought to London by a mysterious courier.

As the thieves become more desperate and their crimes escalate, it becomes imperative that Ellie and Ramsey must beat them at their own game. Fighting shadowy assailants, enemy agents, and the mutual attraction they’ve agreed not to acknowledge, Ellie and Ramsey work together to learn if it truly takes a thief to catch a thief."

Title: Knot Dead Again

Author: Betty Hechtman

Series: #10 in the Yarn Retreat cozy series set in California.

238 pages

 

Synopsis: "When the perennially cloudy skies of Cadbury unleash a torrential downpour, yarn retreat host Casey Feldstein watches in dismay as the streets surrounding Vista Del Mar become flooded and she and her retreat guests are trapped there. But the storm is the least of their worries when a man is found dead in his room, and the guests begin to speculate that he may have been murdered. With the police unable to reach them, Casey is forced to fill their soggy shoes and investigate. 

She's quick to discover evidence pointing to foul play, but with the guests growing restless and suspicious, it's everything Casey and the staff can do to keep them fed, distracted-and safe. Then another body is found, and as the weather finally begins to clear, Casey realizes she has to act fast before the killer makes a clean getaway. Because the culprit has tampered with the evidence and is tying up loose ends, and Casey fears she may be left high and dry-or drenched and dead . . ." 

=== May 21 ===

Title: The Last Hope

Author: Susan Elia MacNeal

Series: #11 in the Maggie Hope historical series set in World War II Europe.

304 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

 

Synopsis: "Maggie Hope has come a long way since she was Mr. Churchill’s secretary. In the face of tremendous danger, she’s learned espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance. But things are different now that she has so much to lose, including the possibility of a family with John Sterling, the man who’s long held her heart.

British Intelligence has ordered Maggie to assassinate Werner Heisenberg, the physicist who may deliver a world-ending fission bomb for Germany. She’s shaken. An assassination is unlike anything she has ever done. How can the Allies even be sure Nazi Germany has a bomb? Determined to gather more information, Maggie travels to Madrid, where Heisenberg is visiting for a lecture.

At the same time, couturier Coco Chanel, a spy in her own right with ambiguous loyalties, has requested a mysterious meeting with the British ambassador in Madrid—and has requested Maggie join them. As the two play a dangerous game of cat and mouse, Maggie tries to get a better understanding of Heisenberg, but is faced with betrayal and a threat more terrifying than losing her own life.

Maggie desperately wants to find her happily-ever-after, but as the war reaches a fever pitch, the stakes keep rising. Now, more than ever, the choices she makes will reverberate around the globe, touching everyone she loves—with fateful implications for the future of the free world." 

Title: The Last Murder at the End of the World

Author: Stuart Turton

Standalone thriller set on an island in a dystopian world.

368 pages

Synopsis: "Solve the murder to save what's left of the world.

Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched.

On the island: it is idyllic. One hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists.

Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And then they learn that the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn't solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island―and everyone on it.

But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer―and they don't even know it.

And the clock is ticking."

 

 

Title: Return to Blood

Author: Michael Bennett

Series: #2 in the Hana Westerman police procedural series set in New Zealand.

336 pages

 

Synopsis: "After the perils of a case that landed much too close to home, Hana Westerman turned in her badge and abandoned her career as a detective in the Auckland CIB. Hoping that civilian life will offer her the opportunity to rest and recalibrate, she returns to her hometown of Tātā Bay, where she moves back in with her beloved father, Eru. Yet the memories of the past are everywhere, and as she goes for her daily run on the beach, Hana passes a local monument to Paige, a high school classmate who was murdered more than twenty years ago and hidden in the dunes overlooking the sea. A Māori man with a previous record was convicted of the crime, although Eru never believed he was guilty.

When her daughter finds another young woman’s skeleton in the sands, Hana soon finds herself awkwardly involved. Investigators suspect that this is Kiri Thomas, a young Māori woman who disappeared four years earlier, after battling years of drug addiction. Hana and her daughter Addison are increasingly captivated by the story behind this unsolved crime, but without the official police force behind her, Hana must risk compromising her own peace and relationships if justice is to be served.

Expanding the range of vivid characters who made Michael Bennett’s first book, Better the Blood, so appealing, and offering a shocking twist at the end, Return to Blood takes readers further into Māori culture and traditions as it engages us more deeply into the story of Hana Westerman." 

 

 

Title: An Assassination on the Agenda

Author: T.E. Kinsey

Series: #11 in the humorous Lady Hardcastle historical series set in 1912 England.

320 pages

 

Synopsis: "July 1912. Lady Hardcastle and her tenacious lady’s maid, Florence Armstrong, are enjoying a convivial gathering at the home of their dear friends, the Farley-Strouds. The only fly in the idyllic ointment seems to be the lack of musical entertainment for the forthcoming summer party―until, that is, Lady Hardcastle’s brother Harry calls with news of a murder.

Harry dispatches them to Bristol on behalf of the Secret Service Bureau, with instructions to prevent the local police from uncovering too much about the victim. It seems an intriguing mystery―all the more so when they find a connection between the killer and an impending visit from an Austrian trade delegation, set to feature a very important guest…

Summoned to London to help with some very important security arrangements, the intrepid duo will have to navigate sceptical bureaucrats, Cockney gangsters and shadowy men in distinctive hats in their attempts to foil an explosive―and internationally significant―threat."

 

 

=== May 23 ===

 

 

Title: The Wild Swimmers

Author: William Shaw

Series: #6 in the Alexandra Cupidi police procedural series set in southeastern England.

384 pages

 

*UK release

 

Synopsis: "If only Alexandra Cupidi had turned south instead of north, she would have found the dead woman.

Instead it is her vulnerable daughter Zoë who stumbles across Mimi Greene's lifeless body on the shoreline. A regular wild swimmer with a group of close friends, it's out of character for Mimi to have been swimming alone, especially in bad weather. DS Cupidi starts to suspect this is more than just an accidental drowning.

Meanwhile, her friend and colleague Jill Ferriter receives a mysterious letter from a man who claims to be her father. Stephen Dowles has been in prison for the last twenty years, convicted of two brutal and senseless murders.

With Cupidi obsessed by the death of Mimi Greene, Ferriter must lean on Bill South to uncover the facts around Dowles' conviction, revisiting old colleagues and criminals.

The Wild Swimmers is an explosive return to the DS Alexandra Cupidi Series, where the shores of the south Kent coastline expose deadly secrets."

 

 

Title: The Blood Promise

Author: Liz Mistry

Series: #1 in the Solanki and McQueen police procedural series set in Scotland.

394 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

 

Synopsis: "A deadly gift

Imogen Clark wakes up on her 16th birthday to find her parents dead at the breakfast table, along with a message from their killer.

A twist of fate

Detectives Jazzy Solanki and Annie McQueen join the investigation, but the more they discover, the more Jazzy suspects that the killing is a twisted message for her. Jazzy shares the same birthday as Imogen, and believes that this is more than a coincidence.

A race to catch a killer

When Jazzy discovers the connection between the killer and the stalker who has been following her for years, she is forced to confront the dark past she was desperate to keep hidden. She must stop at nothing to solve the case, before she becomes the next victim…

Don't miss the first book in the Solanki and McQueen Crime Series, perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride, Val McDermid and Marion Todd." 

=== May 28 ===

Title: First Frost

Author: Craig Johnson

Series: #20 in the Sheriff Walt Longmire series set in Wyoming.

336 pages

 

Synopsis: "It’s the summer of 1964, and recent college graduates Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear read the writing on the wall and enlist to serve in the Vietnam War. As they catch a few final waves in California before reporting for duty, a sudden storm assaults the shores and capsizes a nearby cargo boat. Walt and Henry jump to action, but it’s soon revealed by the police who greet them ashore that the sunken boat carried valuable contraband from underground sources.

The boys, in their early twenties and in the peak of their physical prowess from playing college football for the last four years, head out on Route 66. The question, of course, is how far they will get before the consequences of their actions catch up to them—the answer being, not very.

Back in the present day, Walt is forced to speak before a Judge following the fatal events of The Longmire Defense. With powerful enemies lurking behind the scenes, the sheriff of Absaroka County must consider his options if he wishes to finish the fight he started.

Going back and forth between 1964 and the present day, Craig Johnson brings us a propulsive dual timeline as Walt Longmire stands between the crossfire of good and evil, law and anarchy, and compassion and cruelty at two pivotal stages in his life." 

As my niece Suzanne would say, "Oh, my giddy aunt!" Just look at all the marvelous books being released in May! An "embarrassment of riches" doesn't even begin to cover it!

Which of my picks were already on your Need to Read lists? Or... did I manage to add a few more that you hadn't heard of? Which ones? Inquiring minds need to know!

On My Radar: William Shaw's The Wild Swimmers!

 

I became a cheerleader for author William Shaw before I'd even finished reading The Birdwatcher, the first book in which Detective Sergeant Alexandra Cupidi appears. I've never rated any book in this five-volume series lower than an "A", and three of them have appeared on my Best Reads of the Year list. If that's not a sign of how much I love this series, I don't know what is.

So, it will be absolutely no surprise that when I learned there was a sixth book in the series coming out next year, I hopped on my scooter and went out to pop a few wheelies on the driveway. Let me share more about it!

Available in the UK May 23, 2024!

Synopsis:

"The body of a local woman is found washed up on the Folkstone shoreline. Cupidi must find the missing link between a group of wild swimmers, an online dating profile, and a slippery killer who feels remarkably close to home."

You may find it strange for me to share a book with a UK release date, but I love this series so much that I can't wait for the US release so I order it from the UK. Yes-- yet another sign of how much I love this series!

Fellow fans will understand my excitement, and if you don't, I urge you to pick up a copy of The Birdwatcher. This is a series best savored in order because of the character development. It's really something special, and I can't wait for May.

The Conspirators by G.W. Shaw

 

First Line: The rich were careless about their wealth.

 

Jacob Meaney's girlfriend has a life plan, and the pittance Jacob earns as a translator does not fit in with her expectations. When an Australian digital marketer named Eloise offers him a lot of money for a couple of weeks' work, he has to take it or risk losing the woman he loves... even though he suspects that this job is too good to be true.

 

Jacob is taken to a villa in Austria. For the next two weeks, living in the lap of luxury, he is to interpret between Hindi, Russian, and English during Zoom calls with an Indian criminal named Nazim who's taken over the manufacture and distribution of a drug villa owner Bondarenko has been selling on the internet.

 

Yes, Jacob has unwillingly become part of an organized crime conspiracy, and he is being held captive by armed guards along with a trafficked worker named Vlada. It soon becomes apparent to Jacob that his boss Bondarenko is in far deeper and more dangerously than he realizes. Jacob's focus should no longer be on translation; it should be on getting out of that villa alive.

 

~

 

I may be hooked on William Shaw's Alexandra Cupidi mysteries (The Birdwatcher, Salt Lane, Deadland, etc.), but after reading his Dead Rich last year written under the name G.W. Shaw, I learned that the man writes a mean thriller, too, so I wasn't about to pass The Conspirators by.

One of the things this book points out is the importance of language and words in Jacob Meaney's job as a translator. I enjoyed my time experiencing life in a decadent villa; however, I wish I could've enjoyed the people I was staying with as much. I found none of the characters particularly likable. Yes, Jacob has a good heart and always tries to do the right thing, but his being under the thumb of his money-grubbing girlfriend Carla and his willingness to jump at something he knows is too good to be true make him a bit spineless. My favorite character, the Ukrainian maid Vlada, is made more sympathetic by the letters she writes to her young son, but her life has made her so angry that she's hard to like, too. 

If I didn't like the good guys, what did I think of the bad guys? They were proper bad guys. They made me nervous. They made me angry, and it was a pleasure to want an ill wind to blow them off the page.

Even though the cast wasn't all that typical in the emotions they evoked, I did find the story compelling. I simply had to know if Jacob and Vlada would escape. How would they escape? Would they be all right? Would Vlada be reunited with her little boy? Would Jacob realize what a loser Carla was? 

It takes skill to make a reader care about unlikable characters, and G.W. (William) Shaw has that skill in spades. His books are must-reads for me.

The Conspirators by G.W. Shaw

ISBN: 9781529420074

riverrun © 2023

Hardcover, 400 pages

 

Thriller, Standalone

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon UK.

Dead Rich b y G.W. Shaw

First Line: They arrive at luxury marinas, slipping up the Thames, shadowing the pink mansion houses that fringe the shores of Portofino, edging slowly into fat moorings off Brooklyn Marina.

 

When Kai's new girlfriend invites him to join her and her family on a Caribbean cruise, he accepts. After all, his once-thriving music career has been slowly sliding into the sunset for a few years now, and he can't drum up enough enthusiasm to attempt anything new.

 

When he steps aboard the super yacht Zinaida, he's in for some culture shock. His girlfriend, Zina, happens to be the daughter of Russian oligarch, Stepan Pirumov, and Pirumov has spared no expense in the building of his floating castle. Fortress-like, the Zinaida has a security officer who checks everyone thoroughly as they board, and there's a state-of-the-art panic room for the family and guests should the unthinkable happen.

Kai spends a lot of time wandering the yacht as it leaves St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Having very little in common with Zina's parents, he spends some time chatting with various crew members like the first officer, a rather standoffish woman named Erin. Then things begin to go pear-shaped. The security officer is arrested and put in jail. The new person in charge of security does little to allay Kai's feelings that something's not right. Zina's parents are on edge. Why? And why does it seem that the worst is yet to come?

In no time at all, Kai is going to find out that there's only one person on board this floating palace that he can trust-- Erin-- and his life is going to depend on her.

~

When I learned that one of my favorite authors, William Shaw, had written a thriller under the name G.W. Shaw, I had to get my hands on it. I was in the mood for murder and mayhem on the high seas, and Dead Rich delivered exactly what I needed. If this book had been available last year, I could probably have read it with less prejudice, but it didn't. Now I've read too many articles about Russian oligarchs having their yachts impounded and how many hundreds of millions of dollars these yachts cost to build. It's obvious from my reaction to this obscene display of wealth that I have quite a few serfs in the upper branches of my family tree.

The story in Dead Rich boils down to two characters: Kai and Erin. Kai, once a well-known name in the music industry, has had his dream fulfilled but is now resigned to watching it slip away. On the other hand, events in Erin's life have always prevented her from fulfilling her dreams. Her life has taught her to be wary and distrustful. From the first, I found myself holding back from Kai while finding myself completely on Erin's side.

 

Once things begin to go wrong on board the Zinaida, Dead Rich turns into a white-knuckle ride, and I loved every minute of watching Kai and Erin fight for survival. There may be serfs in my family tree, but there are also a few generations of sailors. I am of the opinion that a well-written tale of skullduggery on the high seas is one of the best kinds of locked room mysteries, and Shaw certainly delivers the goods. Dead Rich is my favorite escapist read of the year so far. 

 

Dead Rich by G.W. Shaw

ISBN: ‎ 9781529420029

riverrun © 2022

Hardcover, 409 pages

 

Standalone Thriller

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Amazon UK. 

She's Leaving Home by William Shaw

 

First Line: "Why didn't you go when I told you, before we left the house?"

 

Detective Sergeant Cathal Breen is persona non grata at the police station after an inexplicable act of cowardice. When the body of a young woman is found just steps away from the Beatles' Abbey Road recording studio, Breen knows this is his last chance to prove he's up to the job.

 

But the troubled Breen has been saddled with a rookie constable named Helen Tozer. She couldn't represent the changes sweeping the nation more if she tried, dedicated George Harrison fan that she is. 

 

Are the two going to be able to work together to solve this crime?

~

William Shaw's first Breen & Tozer mystery, She's Leaving Home is a perfect snapshot of an era. It's 1968. Beatlemania is strong in England, and the young and free and beautiful seem to be in charge. Although he's not that old, Cathal Breen grew "up in an England of cautious floral prints," an England in which he was expected to turn into his parents and to accept his place in the world. He'd moved his ailing father into his home and had taken care of him until his death, and he wasn't showing any signs of fighting against what had been expected of him. No indeed. Breen has carefully avoided all the changes sweeping the country.

 

But Helen Tozer, fresh from the country and enjoying city life, isn't going to let him avoid those changes forever. She definitely represents The New, and although she takes a misstep or two, she's got more than enough gumption to put up with all the males who think it's ridiculous to have female police officers. That is a very good thing, too, because she even has to put up with nonsense from the secretary.

 

Shaw had me learning things about England in the swinging sixties. The attitudes, the casual racism, the Beatles, lardy cakes... I could really picture myself in London with Breen and Tozer. The mystery is very good, and if I had any little quibble it was the fact that I got to know more about Breen than I did Tozer, and I found Tozer to be every bit as fascinating as the closed-off Breen. But that's what a series is for: each book develops the characters even more while involving readers in new mysteries.

 

It's good to know that I have this series by Shaw to read while I wait for new Alex Cupidi mysteries. He's one very fine writer, and you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't at least sample one of his books.

She's Leaving Home by William Shaw

ISBN: 9780316246842

Mulholland Books © 2014

Hardcover, 432 pages

 

Police Procedural, #1 Breen & Tozer

Rating: B+

Source: Paperback Swap

Win a Copy of William Shaw's The Trawlerman!

 

William Shaw's Alexandra Cupidi police procedural series set in the marshlands of southeastern England is one of my top recommendations for crime fiction lovers. Setting... story... characters... this is a series to sink into and savor. 

The latest book in the series, The Trawlerman, for some reason is difficult to find here in the US, and when I learned that, I knew I had to give away my gently read UK copy so another fan would have a chance to enjoy it, too. Here's more about the book:

Synopsis:

"The naked corpses of Aylmer and Mary Younis are discovered in their home. The only clues are a note written in blood and an eerie report of two spectral figures departing the crime scene. Officer Jill Ferriter is charged with investigating the murders while her colleague Alex Cupidi is on leave, recovering from post-traumatic stress.

The dead couple had made investments in a green reforestry scheme in Guatemala, resulting in the loss of all their savings. What is more disturbing is that Cupidi and Ferriter's disgraced former colleague and friend Bill South is also on the list of investors and the Younis's were not the only losers.

Despite being in counselling and receiving official warnings to stay away from police work Cupidi finds herself dragged into the case and begins to trawl among the secrets and lies that are held in the fishing community of Folkestone. Desperate to exonerate South she finds herself murderously compromised when personal relationships cloud her judgement."

Now it's time to get down to the basics!

 

~~~ What You'll Win ~~~

One hardcover UK edition of William Shaw's The Trawlerman.

 

~~~ Who's Eligible ~~~

Due to the high cost of postage, only those of you who live in the U.S. are eligible to enter and win this book. 

~~~ The Rules ~~~

• Send an email to kittlingbooks(at)gmail(dot)com.
• The subject header of your email must read SHAW GIVEAWAY.
• The body of your email must contain your name and mailing address.
• Get your entries to me no later than noon, Sunday, July 4, 2021.

 

The winners will be announced Sunday evening, July 4, 2021, and the book will be in the mail to the winner by Tuesday at the latest. 

Now it's time to fill my inbox with entries! Good Luck!

Celebrating Mysteries: Europe

 

First of all, I just want to say Thank You to everyone for their response to last week's first post in this series, Celebrating Mysteries: Africa & Australasia. Reading your tweets, emails, and comments added to my own Need to Read list just as I hoped it would, and it was gratifying to see how many readers love books with a strong sense of place.

Last year when the pandemic was raging, reading books set in far-off places kept my mind off the fact that I was a gnat's eyelash from going stir crazy. Reading mysteries set in places I knew well made me vigilant in checking the author's facts. Did they get everything right? Reading books set in places I've never been to helped satiate my wanderlust-- especially if they were set in places I never intend to travel to. 

I love learning about the landscape, the culture, and the food of other places. This world and the people in it are so diverse that the more I learn, the more connected I feel to others. There's no way I can express how much I appreciate authors who can bring another place, another culture to life for me. The only way I can try is to list some of my favorites. 

This week, I'm concentrating on the countries in Europe. There are big gaps in my list, and I'm hoping that you can fill in some of them with your comments. I found that, although I do have many favorite authors whose books are set in Europe, their emphasis seems to be more on character and story rather than putting much emphasis on place. The following authors are my favorite exceptions to that. Clicking on the link in the book's title will take you to my review.

England

William Shaw, compared to many others on my favorites list, is a relative newcomer, but I've been recommending his Alexandra Cupidi series to anyone who will listen. The setting of the marshlands of southeastern England plays a large role in these books. It's a haunting landscape, an elemental landscape, one that reminds me of watching Patrick McGoohan as The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh as a child. It's the perfect setting for Shaw's marvelous characters and stories.

The Birdwatcher is the first book in the series (although it's not always listed as such)

Salt Lane is book two

Deadland is book three

Grave's End is the fourth book

There are currently five books in this series.

I've been a fan of Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson mysteries for years. She writes a marvelous series with two timelines. One set in the past and one in the present day. The area around Dartmouth plays a role in these books in both the present and the past. I can't begin to tell you how much I've learned about England's past by reading these enjoyable stories.

The Merchant's House is the first book

The Armada Boy is the second

An Unhallowed Grave is the third

The Funeral Boat is the fourth

This series currently has twenty-four books. There are no links to reviews for the first four because I started reading them long before I began blogging, but you can check out my review for the later Dead Man's Lane to get an idea of what I'm talking about.

Finland

James Thompson wrote a police procedural series set in Finland featuring Kari Vaara, who began as a police chief in Lapland and later moved to Helsinki as a detective. The series was cut short by Thompson's untimely death. This American-Finnish writer taught me a lot about the people and landscape of Finland in his hard-hitting mysteries.

Snow Angels is the first book

Lucifer's Tears is the second

Helsinki White is the third

Helsinki Blood is the fourth

 

There are only four books in this series.

 

 

France

 

It's a little-known fact that I began my college career as a French major; therefore, when I read mysteries set in France where the setting is so good that I begin thinking in French, I know they're good. There are two series set in France that have that effect on me.

 

If you want to feel as though you're in Paris, all you have to do is read Cara Black's Aimée Leduc series. Aimée is a private investigator who knows how to accessorize, and she'll take you through the mean streets of Paris, one arrondissement at a time. 

Murder in the Marais is the first book

Murder in Belleville is the second

Murder in the Sentier is the third

Murder in the Bastille is the fourth

There are currently nineteen books in this series. I've jumped around in my reading which is why there are no links to reviews for Sentier and Bastille.

Anyone who's been reading my blog for a long time knew that Martin Walker's Bruno Chief of Police series would definitely be on this list. I fell completely in love with the very first book. Of all the mysteries with a strong sense of place, I think Walker takes the cake. I've learned so much about the Périgord, its history, its people, the culture, and the food! I've learned the hard way that it's not a good idea to be hungry when I pick up a Bruno mystery. Yikes!

Bruno Chief of Police is the first book

The Dark Vineyard is the second

Black Diamond the third

The Crowded Grave is the fourth

There are currently thirteen books in the series.

Greece

When I think of mysteries set in Greece, two authors immediately spring to mind. If I want to be transported to ancient Greece, I definitely want Australian author Gary Corby to be my tour guide. I've had a front-row seat at the Olympic Games, and I've narrowly escaped death at sea in a trireme. Not only does Corby have me walking the mean streets with his two sleuths, his sense of humor can keep me laughing, too.

The Pericles Commission is the first book

The Ionia Sanction is the second

Number three is Sacred Games

The Singer from Memphis is the sixth.

There are currently seven books in the series, and I hope there will be more.

When I want to travel to modern Greece, the silver-tongued devil himself, Jeffrey Siger, is my preferred guide. From politics to food to history to gorgeous landscapes to the merest facial expressions, I've learned so much about the Greece of today while enjoying the investigations conducted by Andreas Kaldis and his crack team.

 

 Murder in Mykonos is the first book

Assassins of Athens is the second

Prey on Patmos is the third

Target: Tinos is the fourth

There are currently eleven books in the series.

Iceland

Longtime readers will also know that I sing the praises of Ragnar Jónasson regularly. Jónasson has taught me quite a bit about that amazing country, especially the remoter regions, and-- you know me-- the remoter the better I always say. Jónasson has written some standalones as well as a fantastic trilogy, but it's the series featuring Ari Thór Arason, the young police officer in the far north of Iceland who's probably taught me the most about his country: food customs, landscape, weather, winter darkness... It's an alien place to me which makes it all the more special to learn about it in this series.

Snowblind is the first book

Blackout is the second

The third is Rupture

The fourth is Whiteout

There are six books in the series.

Italy

Andrea Camilleri's long-running series featuring irascible Inspector Salvo Montalbano has been a favorite of mine since the first book. This series is more than a police procedural. The humor is often laugh-out-loud funny, and Camilleri-- through Stephen Sartarelli's masterful translations-- has taught me so much about the landscape, food, customs, and politics of Sicily. 

 

The last book in this series, Riccardino, will be published in September, and it will be sad to see the series end. These books are treasures.

 

 The Shape of Water is the first book

The Terra-Cotta Dog is the second

Third is The Snack Thief

Fourth is Voice of the Violin

 

There are thirty books in this series, and how I wish there could be more. Thank you for so much enjoyment, Mr. Camilleri.

 

My blog was just four months old when I posted the review for Voice of the Violin. You can also read my review of a much later book, A Beam of Light, if you are so inclined.

Scotland

 

My ancestral roots run deep in the mountains and glens of the Scottish Highlands, so it's no surprise that I'm partial to a well-written Scottish mystery series or two (or three or...) When I think of mysteries with a strong sense of place that are set in Scotland, two authors spring automatically to mind.

Author Peter May has written a fantastic trilogy set on the islands of the Outer Hebrides, and he brings that stunning, brooding landscape to life.

The Blackhouse is the first book

The Lewis Man is the second

The Chessmen is the third

Aline Templeton is the second author who springs immediately to mind when I think of mysteries set in Scotland. Let's face it, the big cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow get most of the crime fiction attention, but authors like Peter May and Aline Templeton know that the lesser known corners of the country are no strangers to criminal deeds. Indeed, Val McDermid refers to Templeton as "the crime czar of the Scottish small town." 

One of my favorite series is Templeton's police procedural featuring Marjory "Big Marge" Fleming who is a detective inspector in Galloway, which is in southwestern Scotland. If you want to get a feel for that part of the country, you'll get it in these books, and from different perspectives, for example, as Marjory's husband is a farmer who lost most of his animals to mad cow disease.

Cold in the Earth is the first book

The Darkness and the Deep is the second

The third is Lying Dead

Number four is Lamb to the Slaughter

 

There are nine books in this series.

Templeton also writes a series featuring Kelso Strang, a detective inspector who finds himself traveling from one Scottish village to another solving crimes. The first book in this (currently) three-book series is Human Face.

Thus endeth my list of European mystery series that have a strong sense of place. Now it's your turn. When it comes to Europe, which mystery series transport you to another country-- its landscape, its customs, its food? You added to my Need to Read list last time, and I'm counting on you to do it again this time. Inquiring minds need to know!

Next up at a future date: Asia!