The June Crime review
These are the crime books which have been read and reviewed by our excellent booksellers this month - all in one place!
Smoke by Michael Brissenden
Reviewed by Chris Gordon, events and programming manager for Readings
Journalist Michael Brissenden has covered the impact huge fires have on communities in his work for the ABC. This knowledge is apparent in his latest novel; an atmospheric dive into how a fire-ravaged town deals with the trauma of losing homes, lives, and livelihoods.
Set in an imagined place in California, Detective Alex Markov returns to her hometown, Jasper, to work. When a fire hits the area, she becomes convinced that a family friend has been killed; left alone to burn in a locked room. To find the answers, she needs to question people she has known since her youth. It would be easier to overlook the crime, but, of course, she does not. As the consequences of her investigation begin to emerge, the townspeople’s reactions become frightening. However, thankfully, Alex knows exactly how power works.
It is Brissenden’s experience as a journalist that makes this plot so believable. As a reader, you are thrust immediately into the smoky landscape and the homes of the survivors. You become privy to conversations held and learn that this is a story about more than a murder. It is a story of corruption, small-town pettiness and history. It is a portrait of what happens when isolation, grief, and racism are allowed to prosper.
You could also say, on one level, that this is simply a fast-paced, good old-fashioned detective story, and fans of rural crime reading will relish the setting. Readers of Don Winslow and Chris Hammer will delight that there is a new detective on the scene, and she is harder on herself than anyone else. Most of all though, this is a novel that is a warning to us all. Smoke is an examination of what happens if we do not speak up. It is a story that endorses truth-telling.
The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
Reviewed by Nicole Vasilev from Readings Emporium
Lucy Foley is back with another suspenseful read, The Midnight Feast. The story unfolds at The Manor, an extravagant estate promising a tranquil escape for only the most privileged, which is having its opening night. Owned by Francesca Woodland, The Manor hides dark secrets beneath its facade of serenity. Francesca’s husband, Owen, is captivated by her charm, and their whirlwind marriage, but he carries his own shadows from the past which threaten their future together.
Plans for a summer solstice feast at The Manor are disrupted by Bella, a mysterious guest from Francesca’s past, who arrives and stirs up unresolved tragedies. Amid this, 19-year-old Eddie, a kitchen helper, struggles with loyalty to The Manor as his local community seeks vengeance against it, all while dealing with his own dysfunctional family.
As the narrative unfolds, Detective Inspector Walker investigates the solstice’s chaotic aftermath, which culminates in multiple deaths, terrified guests, and a blazing inferno at The Manor. The events raise a barrage of questions: What transpired during the solstice? Who perished in the fire? Who bears responsibility for the chaos? Readers are drawn into a riveting game of unravelling the truth, guided by Foley’s masterful storytelling, which keeps us guessing at every turn.
With its multiple points of view and intricate narrative structure, The Midnight Feast immerses readers in a world where nothing is as it seems. From its incisive commentary on the privileged elite to its exploration of class divisions, the book offers a compelling and immersive reading experience. As the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, readers are challenged to piece together the truth behind The Manor’s dark secrets, navigating through twists and turns that keeps us enthralled until the final revelation. Highly recommended for all mystery lovers.
Death in the Air by Ram Murali
Reviewed by Aurelia Orr from Readings Kids
Knives Out meets Crazy Rich Asians in this entertaining and witty whodunnit where murder has never been so glamorous. Everyone who’s anyone goes to Samsara, a luxurious and extravagant spa at the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. When Ro Krishna, a lawyer in training and expert in living the most opulent lifestyle possible, goes for some much-needed R&R during the Christmas period, he is fully prepared to undergo the true meaning of ‘samsara’, which is Sanskrit for the cycle of death and rebirth. However, there is more death than he was bargaining for when he stumbles across the dead body of a woman. As more and more people are found dead, the guests of the spa become suspicious of each other and of Samsara, and what secrets lurk beneath its glittering exterior.
With the familiar features of the classics such as those by Agatha Christie and Richard Osman, yet contemporary and sparklingly unique, Ram Murali’s debut offers something new to the crime genre. With commentaries on race and class, he explores discussions surrounding greed, cultural appropriation, and the horrors of Partition. Death in the Air is a tale of cultural identity; of the difficulty of feeling disconnected from one’s roots after moving to a new country with a different language and customs, and of ultimately finding oneself again. In this story, Ro is not only solving the murders of the upper elite, but he is also figuring out who he is and what it means to be an American son of Indian parents.
Peppered with dark humour, charm and cleverness, Death in the Air will make you laugh, think, and struggle between bingeing it all in one go or savouring every juicy detail. This is the perfect book to read between friends, for a book club, or for one’s own enjoyment!
And if these aren't enough, other Crime fiction titles to tempt you this month are:
Clete by James Lee Burke, the latest Robicheaux novel where Clete Purcel - veteran, private investigator, and former New Orleans cop - takes centre stage for the first time; A Refiner's Fire by Donna Leon in which Brunetti returns with a gripping and powerful case about the murkiness of power and a test of loyalties; the new thriller set on Camino Island from John Grisham called Camino Ghosts; The Switch by Lily Samson, a dark, sexy debut thriller with a shocking twist at its core; Westport by former FBI director James Comey, and Shadows of Winter Robins by Louise Wolhuter.
