Paula Longhurst's Blog, page 7

Station Eternity, Mur Lafferty

 Leaving Earth was the best thing for Mallory Veridian. The ‘murder magnet’ is almost alone on a sentient space station packed with alien races. Mallory isn’t a) being accused of murder b) solving said murder before the cops have even called for forensics.

However, Eternity has been conducting some back door diplomacy with Earth; she's invited a shuttle full of humans to come visit. It contains diplomats, plain clothes military, some ‘lucky’ winners and at least one murderer.

Mallory’s quiet life just got tossed out of the airlock.

For Mur's other work try 'Six Wakes'

Back To The Garden , Laurie King

 Introducing SFPD Inspector, Raquel Laing.

Laing, is working with the 'Highwayman' task force. Like the Golden State killer, the Highwayman operated in the shadows for years, making young blonde hitchhikers vanish across Southern California. Now identified as terminally ill Michael Johnston, Laing has only a short time to get Johnston to give up the locations of his victims. Is the body found below a statue on the palatial Gardener Estate one of them?

Laing probes the estate’s chequered history, the commune that once flourished within its grounds and walls. The Gardener brothers Rob and Fort and Meadow, the free spirited glue holding the commune together, who vanished the night the concrete was poured.... 

Killers of a Certain Age, Deanna Raybourn

RED meets the Golden Girls.

In 1979 Billie, Mary Alice, Helen and Natalie became part of Project Sphinx, run by former SOE/OSS operatives. The only all female group of assassins, they’ve been eradicating greedy evil men - and women for almost forty years and retirement is looming.

But they may not live to see their pensions as the organisation that supported them is now trying to terminate them. The Sphinxes may be older but go ahead, underestimate them; that'll be fun...

Alias Emma, Ava Glass

London is protected by the ‘ring of steel’ an extensive security network of CCTV cameras monitored day and night. What if a foreign power hacked the system?

Agent Emma Makepeace is pulled off her boredom inducing surveillance op and tasked with bringing in a Russian defector’s son. It sounds easy, quick trip across London, drop off at the safe house, home in time for News at Ten. When it all goes wrong the hunters didn’t bank on Agent Makepeace - who is hiding secrets of her own.

Last to Vanish, Megan Miranda

Abby Lovett came to Cutter’s Pass in the wake of her mother’s death. The town has a reputation, a frisson of danger, the trails swallow people whole and journalist Landon West came seeking a story. Almost a year since he vanished his brother comes to investigate and the town closes ranks against him. What are they hiding? Who are they protecting and is Abby willing to pay the price for finding out?

Upgrade, Blake Crouch

Crouch envisions a near future where Logan Ramsay’s last name is forever linked with ‘The Great Starvation’ his geneticist mother’s hubristic attempt to change the world.

Now released from prison and working for the Gene Protection Authority, Logan has a family that he cherishes and a job that his 118 IQ can easily handle. But his mother isn’t done with him yet. Logan has been targeted for an ‘upgrade’. The Gene War has begun and if Logan loses millions will die.

This one left me thinking about the ending for days - you might want to read The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis which Crouch refers to in his acknowledgments. Also the letter that Logan Ramsay writes to his family at the end of the book about the 'upgrades' which could save humanity (hint they are nothing to do with strength or intelligence.) really got under my skin.

It Girl, Ruth Ware

Pelham College Oxford was where Hannah Jones met April, beautiful, moneyed, smart and now many years dead.

The murder trial, the publicity caused Hannah to bury herself in a bookshop in Edinburgh. When the murderer dies in prison a heavily pregnant Hannah and her fellow student - now husband - Will are free but did Hannah’s evidence convict the wrong person? Did someone at Pelham get away with murder? 

Dark Objects, Simon Toyne

In a multi million pound house in Highgate the cleaner makes a gruesome discovery. Laid out around the body are four objects including a book written by Laughton Rees on processing a murder scene. Having Laughton, estranged daughter of now Metropolitan Police Commissioner John Rees be drawn into the investigation is part of the killer’s plan. 

Cold Fear, John David Mann & Brandon Webb

Mann and Webb tackled a ‘locked ship’ mystery in ‘Steel Fear’ now they’ve turned to Scandinavian noir with Finn’s second outing.

Rogue navy seal Finn arrives in Iceland with a target on his back. He’s posing as a crime writer; having tracked three of his former teammates here. However, his intention to question them and learn the truth about the Mukalla mission is sidetracked by a ‘mermaid in ice’, an Icelandic billionaire and a tenacious cop. Finn cannot afford to get himself locked up; for an assassin from his past just hit Iceland and the city’s peace is about to be shattered

Hidden Pictures, Jason Rekulak

Teddy Maxwell is a sweet natured kid. For twenty-one-year-old Mallory Quinn it’s love at first sight. The tiny town of Spring Brook is too good to be true and her job as the Maxwell’s nanny enables her to resurrect the running career that was derailed by an OxyContin addiction.

Teddy bonds with Mallory, the child is never without his sketchbook his artwork however is concerning; where he used to draw stick figures now he’s drawing dead bodies.