CANBERRA WEEKLY 21 MARCH 2024: NEW CRIME NOVELS BY JUAN GOMEZ-JURADO, SULARI GENTILL and AMY TINTERA
This week in the Canberra Weekly, I reviewed three very good crime novels that ranged across the spectrum of the mystery genre from literary crime to thriller to modern psychological suspense.
First up is a fast moving thriller from one of the rising stars of Spanish thriller writing, Juan Gómez-Jurado. Black Wolf, (Macmillan, March 2024), is the second book in his series about the highly intelligent, but greatly flawed special detective Antonia Scott, and is a highly enjoyable read.
In the Canberra Weekly I said:
“Juan Gómez-Jurado’s Black Wolf is the thrilling sequel to his bestselling Red Queen, which is currently screening on Amazon Prime.
It features Spanish detective extraordinaire Antonia Scott, who is part of a secret investigation unit designed to solve the most devious and dangerous crimes. Sent to Malaga to find the wife of a recently murdered mafia figure, Antonia becomes caught up in something much darker when a shipping container arrives in Spain with the corpses of nine women. This is a fast paced and unpredictable thriller that builds to a tough and bloody climax, and the hint of a further book. Terrific!”
I really enjoyed Black Wolf and thought it was one of the better thrillers that I have read so far this year. I cannot wait for the concluding volume, White King, which is apparently due in March 2025. I should also add that both Red Queen and Black Wolf have been superbly translated by Nick Caistor.
Here is a link to the longer review I did of Black Wolf a few weeks back: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/murder-and-mayhem-in-march-2024-fast-paced-crime-novels-by-lisa-gardner-juan-gomez-jurado-and-max-luther/
Also featuring a slightly quirky central character is Amy Tintera’s Listen For The Lie, (Bantam, March 2024).
Listen For The Lie is an enthralling debut crime novel, which features an interesting mixture of unreliable narrator, old crimes, small town gossip and podcast structure.
In the Canberra Weekly I said:
“Five years ago, Lucy was found wandering the rural back streets of a small Texas town with a head wound and covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood. Everyone was quick to assume that she had murdered Savvy, but the police could not find enough evidence to convict her, and Lucy can’t remember anything about that night. Lucy now lives in LA, but is drawn back to her hometown when an infamous podcaster decides to do a show on Savvy’s murder.
This is an enjoyably edgy crime novel with a modern feel to it and a quirky set of characters. Highly recommended.”
I really liked the wit and breezy tone of Listen For The Lie and suspect that it will be one of the top debuts of 2024.
Here is a link to my earlier longer review of it: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/listen-for-the-lie-by-amy-tintera/
Finally, Sulari Gentill’s latest novel, The Mystery Writer (Ultimo Press, March 2024), is a cleverly constructed mystery thriller, which takes great delight in playing with the conventions of the genre, as well as raising some interesting points about the manipulation of public opinion.
In the Canberra Weekly I said:
“Sulari Gentill’s The Mystery Writer, is a cleverly concocted and original novel, which gently plays with the conventions of the crime genre, while providing a good dose of mystery and suspense. I think that it is Sulari’s best novel to date.
The story revolves around Australian Theo Benton who heads to America on a whim to pursue her dream of becoming a bestselling author. But her plans take an unexpected turn when she befriends a famous author, Dan Murdoch, at a local bar and becomes the key suspect in his murder. Twist follows twist as Theo tries to clear her name. Good fun!”
This is certainly one to put high on your ‘to read’ list.
Here is a longer review I did back in February 2024: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/aussie-crime-round-up-february-2024-news-reviews-and-previews/
So three good, but very different novels, all of which would make for good reading companions over the forthcoming Easter long weekend. Happy Easter Reading!
Here is a link to the review on the Canberra Daily (Weekly) site. There is also other reviews and news on the site and it is well worth checking out: https://canberradaily.com.au/book-talk-thrilling-crime-novels-2/