BRITISH CRIME FICTION 2025: NEW BOOKS BY CARA HUNTER AND ALICE FEENEY

These two very different British crime novels both offer some dazzling twists and unexpected conclusions.

Cara Hunter’s last novel, Murder In The Family, was a masterful mystery told totally through emails, text messages, newspaper reports and podcast transcripts etc. It was not the first novel to use such devices, but it is the best one that I have come across. It really engaged the reader’s mind, and emotions, and built to an unexpected resolution.

Now with Making A Killing, (Hemlock Press, 13 February 2025), Cara returns to her popular series about DCI Frawley.

Making A Killing is the seventh book in the series, and links back to the first book, Close To Home. If you have not read the earlier book, but are intending to do so, you should probably avoid the below discussion of Making A Killing.

Eight years ago Daisy Mason was declared dead, although her body was never found. Her mother, Sharon, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Sharon was a nasty piece of works but always maintained innocence. The discovery now of a body in a shallow grave under a spooky tree linked to a famous witch-trial centuries ago, throws some doubt on Sharon’s conviction for murder and causes the case to be re-opened. DCI Fawley led the investigation that resulted in Sharon’s arrest, and he, and his old team, are given the job of re-examining the original crime and investigating the new murder.

This is an expertly crafted police mystery that effectively employs a mixed media approach to narrate the story. Elements such as emails, photographs, news reports, audio transcripts, and other media components are seamlessly integrated into concise narrative chapters, maintaining a brisk and engaging pace. The diverse media usage enhances reader immersion, often making it feel as though the reader is actively participating in the investigation by examining various pieces of evidence. While this methodology could potentially impede character development, Cara skillfully utilizes the brief narrative sections, and a Shadow Journal, to provide depth to the characters and explore their motivations.

The twists and turns of the investigation certainly keep the reader engaged and the plot moves in unexpected directions. After some good build up, the book races to a suspenseful ending over the final quarter and Cara delivers a nice sting on the final pages.

I really enjoyed MAKING A KILLING, but some readers may find the style and the large cast of characters a little challenging. There are useful character summaries of Frawley’s team at the front of the book to help keep everything straight, but the addition of another police squad from Gloucester does make for a slightly confusing beginning. The plot also hinges on a slightly unlikely approach by the police authorities, but this is acknowledged and explained by Cara in the Author’s Note at the end. However, these are minor quibbles and did not hamper my enjoyment of the book.

Finally, regular readers of the series will enjoy not only re-acquainting themselves with the various characters from the earlier books in the series, but will also like the links to the stand alone MURDER IN THE FAMILY.  Highly recommended!

Making A Killing is released in the United Kingdom on 13 February 2025, with the Australian release date a couple of weeks later on 5 March 2025.

Alice Feeney is well known for her ability to bedazzle readers with surprising twists, and she certainly offers a very slippery plot in her latest book, Beautiful Ugly (Pan Macmillan, 14 January 2025).

Struggling, self-absorbed author Grady Green is on the phone to his wife as she drives to their relatively isolated home. While on the phone to him, she sees a woman lying by the side of the road, and gets out to help her. Then nothing. Grady finds her car abandoned by the side of a cliff and no sign of her. A year later and Grady is still tortured by what happened to her. He can’t sleep. Can’t write, and is quickly losing all his assets. His agent suggests that he goes and lives for three months in the remote writing cabin of a much-loved and deceased author on a small Scottish island to get his writing mojo back. In desperation he agrees, but then his problems really start when he thinks he sees a woman that looks just like his dead wife.  

This a very atmospheric, slow burn psychological thriller that relies heavily on the author’s reputation for surprising twists to draw the reader in. The story unfolds smoothly, with Grady’s increasingly hazy narration alternating with another point of view in the past. The island is well described and interesting, and Alice creates a strong sense of place. The rhythm of life on the island is vividly conveyed, although it takes Grady way too long to realise something about the people there. Not a lot happens in the first half, but gradually the tension mounts as Grady’s small island retreat becomes creepier and creepier. The final reveal is largely unexpected, and the book’s final sentence is chilling.

I think that fans of message oriented, psychological suspense thrillers will like this one, but for me it was just a bit too slow and none of the characters were particularly appealing. Nevertheless, I am sure that readers of Alice’s earlier books will keenly devour this one.

Beautiful Ugly was released in Australia and the United States on 14 January 2025 and will be released in the United Kingdom on 30 January 2025.