CANBERRA WEEKLY 6 NOVEMBER 2025: NEW CRIME BY VAL McDERMID, ALAN CARTER and MATTHEW REILLY
This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed three very different new thrillers about new and old crimes.
First up is Silent Bones, (Little, Brown, 23 October 2025), by the master of the cold case crime story, Val McDermid.
This is the eighth book in Val’s highly entertaining series about Scottish cold case detective DCI Karen Pirie and is another engrossing read.
In the Canberra Weekly I said:
“Val McDermid is the Queen of cold case crime, and her latest Karen Pirie thriller is another exquisite murder mystery.
Karen and her Scottish Historic Cases Unit are called into action when a torrential storm uncovers a body. The victim is quickly identified as journalist Sam Nimmo who had been the prime suspect in the murder of his fiancé when he disappeared eleven years ago. Now Karen has to re-investigate the original murder and Nimmo’s, along with the suspicious death of an Edinburgh hotel manager. Once more Val provides an engaging plot, a great cast of characters and believable investigative detail. Highly recommended.”
Val is in fine form with Silent Bones, which ably mixes a good crime story with sharp reflections on contemporary political issues and well developed characters. The dialogue and the investigative detail both have a credible feel to them and the story smoothly flows to a good outcome. First class crime fiction.
I did a longer review here: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/october-2025-reading-new-books-by-val-mcdermid-vaseem-khan-and-david-whish-wilson/
Silent Bones was released on 23 October 2025 in Australia and the United Kingdom. Thanks to the publisher and the Canberra Weekly for a copy of the book for review.
Alan Carter excels in his ability to weave international intrigue and tensions into local crime stories set in Australia and New Zealand, and his latest book, Franz Josef (Fremantle Press, 1 November 2025), is another fine effort.
Franz Josef returns us to the southern island of New Zealand, and detectives Nick Chester and Latifa Rapata, and is a good atmospheric crime novel with a strong sense of place.
In the Canberra Weekly I said:
“Alan Carter is also in very good form with his latest novel about New Zealand detectives Nick Chester and Latifa Rapata. A body has been found in a glacier near the small South Island town of Franz Josef, and the pair are sent to investigate. Their efforts, however, are hampered by flooding from a massive storm, which cuts the town off from help. As the body count rises, Chester and Latifa have to deal with environmental dangers and a crime with international origins.
Franz Josef opens well with a strong sense of place, and the action and suspense continues till the end. Very entertaining.”
Franz Josef is a mature and substantial crime thriller that really gets you in.
I did a longer review here: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/downunder-crime-update-november-2025-reviews-news-and-previews/
Franz Josef is released in Australia on 1 November 2025. Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book for review.
Australian author Matthew Reilly moves into new territory with his latest novel, The Detective (Macmillan, 21 October 2025). Best known for his wild, over-the-top international thrillers, Reilly has been expanding his range of work with recent books and The Detective is more of a straight crime novel, albeit with a sharp political and social edge:
In the Canberra Weekly I said:
“In a dark, remote corner of the American South women have been going missing for 150 years. And all of the investigators that have gone in search of them have also disappeared. Now Sam Speedman, an unusual private detective on the spectrum, is on the case, and as he ventures into the vast swampland he finds more than he was expecting.
Fast paced with furious action and some very gruesome scenes, The Detective is a gripping thriller that also shines a sharp light on the dark belly of the American South. Speedman is a great character, and this is probably Reilly’s best novel to date.”
Darkly entertaining, with some exciting set-pieces and scathing assaults on parts of American culture, The Detective will have you keenly turning the pages. The good news is that Speedman is also apparently returning in a new adventure next year.
I did a longer review here: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/blockbusters-for-christmas-new-books-by-lee-andrew-child-harlan-coben-reese-witherspoon-peter-james-and-matthew-reilly/
The Detective is released in Australia on 21 October 2025. Release in the United Kingdom is not until April 2026. Thanks to the publisher and the Canberra Weekly for a copy of the book for review.
So three very good crime novels for an entertaining weekend read. They would also make good companions for annual beach holidays after the festive season.