The Matthew Bartholomew Chronicles: Susanna Gregory

Series published by Sphere. Monks and murder in the Middle Ages—an irresistible formula! Maybe it's the mixing of piety and nefarious doings that makes it so attractive. And a reason why this is one of my favourite crime series. It is set in Cambridge in the 14th century, and the detective is Matthew Bartholomew, a young physician …

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The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken: Tarquin Hall

Published by Simon & Schuster, 2012, 341 pages. How can anyone resist this title? I would have bought this book even if I hadn’t already known this series of detective novels set in Delhi. The book’s main character is Vish Puri, India’s Most Private Investigator, who is often helped—against his wishes—by his mother (the formidable …

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The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter: Malcolm Mackay

Published by Mantle / Pan, 2013, 256 pages. A gangster book with a difference. We follow a professional hitman, Calum MacLean, as he figures out how he is going to kill Lewis Winter, a smalltime drug dealer who has become a thorn in the side of a powerful criminal gang. The book is set in …

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Ultimatum: Matthew Glass

Published by Atlantic Books, 2009, 448 pages. This is in response to Lulu’s review of The Twelfth Imam, which she said was her first political thriller and seems to have been quite disappointing. Try this one. The book is set in the near future. Because global warming has made sea levels rise, several countries are …

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One Shot: Lee Child

Review by Kamakshi BalasubramanianPublished by Bantam Press, 2005, 368 pages. Does it matter what the title of a Lee Child’s novel happens to be? One Shot is a pretty good read, even if you think you are about to get tired of Child and his brand of writing. The entire thing from start to finish …

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