Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "mystery"

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved the first two Cormoran Strike novels and loved this third novel in equal measure. Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) beautifully captures a mix of a classic cosy detective novel and a modern gritty psychological thriller.

In this third high-profile case for Strike and Robin, a woman's severed leg is delivered to their office, beginning an investigation into dangerous criminals from Strike's past, dredging up and instigating revelations for both main character's lives which threaten them in more ways than ever before. The conclusion is both a gripping and satisfying end to a novel that begged to not be put down throughout.

I hope the wait for the fourth novel won't be too long and that the BBC TV series currently being produced will live up to the quality of all three novels. Strike is already a classic detective and long may this series continue.



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A Meditation on Murder by Robert Thorogood

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A delightful slice of 'Death in Paradise' from the creator of the TV series.

'A Meditation on Murder' is the first in the series of 'Death in Paradise' tie-in novels, starring DI Richard Poole, the original fish-out-of-water detective who featured in the first two series of the TV show. Robert Thorogood perfectly captures the setting, the characters, the humour and the mystery that he created for the screen.

The plot centres around the murder of Aslan Kennedy, a meditation and healing guru, who runs a spiritual retreat/hotel with his wife on the island of Saint-Marie. Every morning, he hosts a session known as Sunrise Healing with five guests, locked in a meditation space constructed of paper and wood, situated in the middle of the hotel lawn. On this particular morning, he is murdered during the session, and soon Richard, Camille, Dwayne and Fidel are called to the scene.

What originally appears to be a clear-cut case soon manifests into a complex investigation for Richard and the team. One of the five guests inside the meditation space with Aslan must be guilty, but which of them wielded the knife?

The novel features the many classic twists and turns that you expect during episodes of the TV series, with Richard showing his brilliance and his attention to apparently inconsequential details. As the story progressed, I could easily picture the lead cast in their roles and it was great to revisit the characters again, as they have, with the exception of the hilarious Dwayne, since left the show.

Thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end, 'A Meditation on Murder' is a clever, locked-room mystery and the perfect escape from everyday life with the Saint-Marie police team.



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Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Strike and Robin return in the fourth in JK Rowling's series written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

Picking up immediately where 'Career of Evil' concluded, 'Lethal White' immediately proves it has been worth the wait. We are reintroduced to both characters at a significant point in Robin's life, in the aftermath of the capture of the Shacklewell Ripper in the previous novel.

The investigation at the centre of the novel takes place a year later, a mystery which begins with a young man visiting Strike's office. He is deeply disturbed by the memory of witnessing a child being strangled while he was a child himself. After the man flees, Strike is determined to discover the truth, despite having enough cases from paying customers to contend with.

The mystery takes another turn when Strike is contacted by a government minister, who wishes to hire him to dig dirt on two people who are trying to blackmail him for reasons he doesn't wish to disclose. As they investigate, Strike and Robin are drawn deeper into the murky lives of the people they are working for and investigating, while the image of the strangled child continues to haunt them.

The twists and turns in the investigation are intertwined with the complexities of both Strike and Robin's private lives, leading to a tense finale that has you hanging off the edge of your seat. 'Lethal White' is a brilliant novel, both a gripping thriller and enthralling mystery, with Strike and Robin at its heart. I couldn't wait to get back to them every time I picked up the book.

Already anticipating book five, I'm waiting expectantly for news on when it will be released, as well as when 'Lethal White' will be adapted as part of the 'Strike' TV Series. In the meantime, I have immensely enjoyed this complex novel, a superb addition to the previous three books. Long may the series continue.



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My Christmas novella Alone is available from Amazon and iBooks amongst other retailers.
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All things must end.

Recovering from a recent accident and faced with the prospect of spending another Christmas alone, Jessica accepts the invitation of an old flame to spend Christmas with him and his aged aunt at his manor house in the midst of the Brecon Beacons.

Feeling her arrival is unwelcome, Jessica awaits her reunion with a face from the past, while a snowstorm postpones his arrival and renders her trapped within the house. Behind the silence, something dark is lurking.

Left with little choice, Jessica finds she must face the secrets the old house hides. Yet what she may come to learn is that nothing haunts us more than the secrets of our own pasts, and that burying them does not make them forgotten.
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Read on for a sample below:

December 16th

The gentle trickling of a glittering melody drifted on the air, creeping into the ears of the sleeping woman who lay on the bed in the corner of a sparsely furnished room. Her skin was deathly white, the only sign of life the water vapour escaping between her delicate lips as she breathed.

A shadow crossed her face, a slight creasing of anguish in her expression. There was something troubling about the sight of seeing innocence vanquished in something as subtle, like the moment a child suffers the loss of believing in magic. Worse still was that there was no one to witness the sight. Emptiness swirled around her clammy skin, dancing a Viennese Waltz with the silence that fell like frost in the wake of distant music that wasn’t quite alive.

Jessica awoke, her eyes drifting over the high ceiling. From her memory she grasped vaguely at what had woken her. A metallic tinkle. She listened to the dense blanket of night. The sound of being alone.

She rubbed her heavy brown eyes and sat up. Her unfinished glass of Irish Cream whisky sat on the bedside table, beside the candle that still held the ghost of its extinguished flame. She pulled her cardigan tighter around her shoulders, looking to the window, the landscape aglow even in the black of night.

She closed her eyes and touched her face. If she tried hard enough it was as if a hand reached from memory, fingertips brushing over her fingers, grasping her hand, lips bowing to graze her skin.

She shivered involuntarily. She had a feeling she could hear music, faint and distant, like bells carried on a still wind.

Her toes were cold. She flexed them on the worn carpet. Her feet were weary as she stood, crossing slowly to the window, watching the sky and the snow covered earth, the stars glowing beyond and the desolation of the stretch of beacons. She was lost, a lost girl nearing the end of her journey.

Turning from the window, she found the owner of the metallic tinkle. She stooped, a silver chain grasped in her fingers as she withdrew her hand. She felt the beads grasped under her cold fingertips, squeezing them as the crucifix fell across her palm. She felt the weight of her soul on her heart, sinking to her knees and bowing her head to her hands.

All things must end. And this was how it began.

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You can order now for:
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and is also available in multiple formats on Amazon and Lulu.com.

Merry Christmas!

Some book reviews for the festive season, beginning with a mystery from the Mistress of Suspense...

Deck the Halls by Carol Higgins Clark

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An entertaining, cosy, Christmas mystery.

This was my first encounter with both Mary Higgins Clark's Alvirah and Willy and Carol Higgins Clark's Regan Reilly, pulled together in a kidnap and ransom tale that takes place just days before Christmas.

For one reason and another, I was struggling to get into the Christmas spirit this year, but this book was the perfect remedy to that. I read it across three days and wanted to keep reading even when I had to place the book down.

This was a light-hearted delight - I hope the other co-written Christmas mysteries prove to be just as enjoyable!




Now for something a little darker...

Ghosts of Christmas Past by Tim Martin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A haunting mix of Christmas ghost stories, featuring a mix of the brilliant, the poignant, the humorous and the downright bizarre.

Highlights for me were: 'Dinner for One' by Jenn Ashworth, the story of a couple in a dysfunctional, at times abusive, relationship; 'This Beautiful House' by Louis de Bernieres, the reminiscence of family Christmases spent long ago; 'The Step' by E.F. Benson, a classic haunting of a gentleman stalked by a mysterious step; and 'The Visiting Star' by Robert Aickman, the retelling of the time a famous actress visited a small town to star in a theatre production.

An enjoyable collection to devour over the festive period - Neil Gaiman's amusing 'anecdote' on a cursed Nicholas may be perfect for reading to a crowd when the children are out of earshot.




After encounters with the paranormal, time for some adventure...

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An entertaining festive adventure from David Baldacci.

Journalist Tom Langdon, unable to fly from Washington to LA for Christmas, is forced to take the journey by train, a journey he hopes will help him discover himself and result in a new piece of writing. Aboard the train, he meets a host of colourful characters, finding himself offered to work on a movie project by a famous director, assisting eloping lovers with their wedding, a thief, an avalanche and coming face to face with the one true love of his life.

Well-written and fast-paced, 'The Christmas Train' is a light and frothy treat amongst the murder and skulduggery of many Christmas mystery and suspense novels.




And, finally, some classic Christmas crime...

Murder on Christmas Eve: Classic Mysteries for the Festive Season by Cecily Gayford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A thrilling collection of mystery and murder from a host of brilliant authors.

It's incredibly difficult to select the highlights from this collection, which includes appearances from Rebus, Father Brown and Campion. Possibly my favourites were: 'The Trinity Cat' by Ellis Peters, where a cat assists in the investigation of a murder; 'No Sanity Clause' by Ian Rankin, which sees Rebus attending a murder mystery evening; 'A Wife in a Million' by Val McDermid, the tale of a malign poisoner; and 'Cambric Tea' by Marjorie Bowen, where a young doctor uncovers a diabolical poisoning.

Credit must go to editor Cecily Gayford for selecting a perfect concoction of Christmas crime stories, making 'Murder on Christmas Eve' a delight to be revisited for many Christmases to come.




Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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The Mystery Of Three Quarters: The New Hercule Poirot Mystery by Sophie Hannah

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Another ingenious mystery for Hercule Poirot to solve in Sophie Hannah's third novel featuring Agatha Christie's famous detective.

Returning home after an enjoyable lunch, Poirot is accosted in the street by a woman who claims to have received a letter from him accusing her of murder. Poirot assures her he has written no such letter, but she does not listen. Puzzled and aggrieved, Poirot soon receives a second visitor who makes the same claim. It soon transpires that four such letters have been sent, all accusing the recipients of murder, all claiming to have been sent by Hercule Poirot.

So begins another complex puzzle for Poirot to solve, along with the assistance of his friend Inspector Catchpool of Scotland Yard. The man whom the letters claim was murdered is believed to have died as the result of an accident, but is this true, or has someone got away with murder? Who is the mysterious letter writer and for what purpose were the letters written?

Masterfully plotted, 'The Mystery of Three Quarters' moves at a lightning-speed, unspooling twists and turns, leading to a conclusion in Poirot's own inimitable style - the gathering of the players and the final revelation of the guilty party.

Hannah has again perfectly captured the character of Poirot and the style and pitch of the series, so beautifully crafted by Christie herself across the numerous novels, short stories and play in which Poirot appears.

The Poirot stories, both in print and the television series starring David Suchet, were my introduction to adult crime fiction almost two decades ago. I was delighted when, four years ago, I was able to experience a brand new Poirot novel in 'The Monogram Murders', followed by 'Closed Casket' two years later. This equally brilliant third novel is a fantastic addition to Hannah's series and to the Poirot canon as a whole. I very much hope there will be a fourth.



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The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An absolute joy, full of intriguing mystery, with Poirot as brilliant as ever!




Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Another delightful new case for Hercule Poirot from Sophie Hannah.

I had been anticipating reading this for months after enjoying 'The Monogram Murders' two years ago, and this certainly did not disappoint. This is a classic mystery with the interactions of the characters and the chain of events taking the story on many twists and turns, skilfully tied together by Poirot in the final chapters.

A fantastic read.



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The Understudy by Sophie Hannah

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Four authors. Four mothers. Four daughters – and a fifth girl around whom the mystery knits together. ‘The Understudy’, a serial from Serial Box, written by Sophie Hannah, B.A. Paris, Clare Mackintosh and Holly Brown, is an intriguing mystery, a gripping thriller and an insight into the complexities of human relationships.

Thank you to Serial Box for sending me an Advanced Reader Copy, which I devoured across the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

Jess, Ruby, Bel and Sadie are pupils at the Orla Flynn Academy, studying musical theatre, who form an apparently close-knit friendship group. Their mothers, Carolyn, Kendall, Bronnie and Elise, also became friends, until an incident of bullying the previous year shattered this illusion. This year’s troubles begin with the discovery of a music box in Jess’ locker, featuring a bloody and broken ballerina, which can only be interpreted as a threat.

In an effort to prevent trouble before it escalates, the academy’s headmaster suggests a new girl is introduced to the group – Imogen, strange and at times almost otherworldly. The four girls make her feel welcome, but soon it is clear that this has simply put a new strain on them and cracks begin to appear. Told from the perspectives of the four mothers, the tension, the paranoia and the incidents escalate. The women know their daughters are in danger – but which of the girls is responsible and where will it end?

Formed of ten parts, with writing duties for each of the four mothers split between the four authors, I couldn’t wait to move on to the next episode as I finished the last, as bingeworthy as a TV serial. Serial Box presents fiction in eBook and audio formats, split into episodes that you can enjoy in the same way as novels serialised as radio plays or in magazines, with the ability to binge as you would series via streaming services.

Secrets are revealed, lies are uncovered, and the lives of both mothers and daughters are exposed to scrutiny and judgement. I particularly enjoyed the way the story was told from differing perspectives, whilst still driving the plot forward. Prior to this, I have only read work by Sophie Hannah, so will definitely also be looking to read the other three authors in the future.

Light, refreshing and fast-paced, ‘The Understudy’ makes a perfect summer read.

The Understudy will be available from SerialBox.com in May 2019 - The Understudy

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The Killing Of Polly Carter by Robert Thorogood

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


DI Richard Poole and the team return to solve another intriguing murder mystery on the island of Saint Marie, in the second novel from the creator of the BBC series ‘Death in Paradise’.

Richard is still stranded on Saint Marie, suffering its many discomforts and indignities. To make matters worse, his mother is due to visit and he is scheduled to pick her up from the airport. But he is soon thrown into a new case – ex-supermodel Polly Carter has fallen from a cliff, minutes after declaring she’s going to commit suicide and running down the cliff steps away from her disabled sister, the exchange overheard by her sister’s nurse. Richard becomes convinced she was murdered – but how could the murderer have committed their crime and escaped unseen? This is the first of many questions in a case that features many twists and turns.

In the same way as each episode of the TV series, the suspects are introduced to us early in the story, part of the joy for the reader found in theorising whodunit alongside the detectives. The team are as entertaining as they are on television, written with the same wit and humour with which they are portrayed by the actors. The suspects are well-written, their backstories explored to reveal their potential motives. ‘Death in Paradise’ has always done well in balancing drama and comedy, keeping the mood light-hearted while at the same time never detracting from the seriousness of the crimes. Much of the humour comes from the characters and their personal interactions – Richard’s dilemma arising from his mother’s visit playing alongside the case, giving us a rare insight into the emotion hidden behind the buttoned-up Englishman. The mystery concludes with a satisfying revelation of the murderer, showcasing Thorogood’s clever sleight-of-hand writing (to highlight particular scenes would spoil the ending).

‘The Killing of Polly Carter’ feels like a feature-length episode in written form; an enjoyable follow-up to ‘A Meditation on Murder’ and continuing addition to the TV series, currently in production of its ninth series, with a tenth also commissioned, featuring its third lead detective in DI Jack Mooney. Thorogood has also published two further novels – ‘Death Knocks Twice’ and ‘Murder in the Caribbean’ – so there's still plenty more mystery and intrigue to enjoy in the company of original series lead DI Richard Poole and the rest of the original team.



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The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A fantastic debut thriller packed with secrets, lies and betrayal.

A group of friends reunite for New Year’s Eve, an annual tradition they have observed since leaving university. This year they have travelled to a hunting lodge in the Scottish Highlands, a lonely, desolate wilderness with only two on-site staff. A snowstorm renders the group evermore isolated before one of their number goes missing. The gamekeeper and site manager undertake the search and soon uncover a body – but what led to this person’s demise?

Told from the perspectives of several characters, the narrative flashes back and forth between before and after the murder, uncovering the events that led to one of the friends going out into the snow and plummeting to their death. Long-buried secrets, grudges and old wounds are brought back to the surface, leading to revelations which members of the group would rather leave hidden.

In the style of a classic whodunit with a modern psychological twist, ‘The Hunting Party’ isn’t just a whodunit, it’s also a why-dunit, with the added complexity of the identity of the victim also kept part of the mystery to leave you guessing until the end. The mysteries are carefully unravelled, tension building to the final chapters. While I had worked out the motivation of the guilty party, with the victim’s identity unconfirmed it still left you guessing, wondering at the direction in which the twists would take you.

An engrossing murder mystery set in the heart of midwinter, ‘The Hunting Party’ is a highly enjoyable novel that will make you question even your closest friendships. Lucy Foley’s second thriller, 'The Guest List', is due for release next year and already I'm looking forward to reading as it promises to be as good as the first.



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Here are my reviews of the Christmas crime, horror and mystery I've been reading in the run-up to Christmas...

A Christmas Guest by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A Victorian murder mystery in the tradition of the Golden Age of crime fiction.

This was the first of Anne Perry's Christmas novellas that I read, this one featuring Mariah Ellison, who is incensed to discover she will not be spending Christmas with her granddaughter as usual, but will instead be sent to spend time with her ex-daughter-in-law and her new husband. Once there, she is determined not to enjoy herself, becoming further distressed when another guest arrives unexpectedly. But when this guest is found dead, Mariah becomes convinced she may have been murdered, and sets out to find the perpetrator.

I flew through 'A Christmas Guest' - at times humorous, at other moments touching, with a classic mystery at its heart - a traditional tale of the redemption of a human soul through discovering the spirit of Christmas.



Spirits of the Season: Christmas Hauntings by Tanya Kirk

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A collection of creepy and chilling tales of hauntings of the Christmas season.

Featuring short stories originally published between 1867 and 1940, 'Spirits of the Season' is a wide-ranging collection featuring the gothic and macabre, continuing the tradition of telling ghost stories in the days leading up to Christmas, particularly on Christmas Eve - as editor Tanya Kirk explains, much like on Hallowe'en, souls of the dead are most active on the eve of a holy day.

Personal highlights were Frank R. Stockton's 'The Christmas Shadrach', telling of a gift that holds supernatural influence; Marjorie Bowen's 'The Prescription', the tale of a visitation and the legend of a local murder; and A. M. Burrage's 'Smee', the ghostly tale of a party game joined by an extra player.

If your Christmas is not complete without a horror story on a chilly evening, this collection will satisfy your craving.



The Christmas Pudding Murders by Various

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Another delightful seasonal collection of short stories, curated by Cecily Gayford.

With appearances from classic characters such as Campion and Rumpole and standalone stories from crime fiction greats such as Ellis Peters and Dorothy L. Sayers, 'The Christmas Pudding Murders' is the perfect companion to Christmas evenings, featuring deceptively cosy tales of murder and skulduggery.

My personal highlights were Ellis Peters' 'Let Nothing You Dismay', an atmospheric story about a break-in on the night before Christmas Eve; Julian Symons' 'Twixt the Cup and the Lip', about the planning and execution of a jewellery robbery; and my favourite, Gillian Linscott's 'A Scandal in Winter', as a young girl recounts a story of how she may have witnessed a murder, featuring some surprise appearances that I shan't ruin for those that won't expect them as I didn't.

This annual tradition demonstrates how crime fiction and the Christmas season are natural companions.




Merry Christmas!

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