Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "crime"

No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Linwood Barclay’s gripping thriller about a missing family and the long shadows of the past.

When she was fourteen years old, Cynthia’s parents and brother disappeared one night, following a family row. Now, twenty-five years later, Cynthia is married to Terry and they have a child of their own, Grace. Haunted by her family’s disappearance, Cynthia takes an opportunity offered by the makers of a true crime documentary, hoping some new leads or evidence will be brought to light.

Initially the documentary appears to result in nothing new, while Cynthia’s paranoia over the safety of her daughter continues to grow. Then she receives a phone call, the caller telling her they have a message from her family – that they forgive her. This begins a chain of events that will lead all three of them into danger and ultimately reveal what happened on that night twenty-five years before and the fates of Cynthia’s father, mother and brother.

Narrated by Cynthia’s husband, Terry, the novel follows many twists and turns, featuring a multitude of suspects and red herrings along the way. As the family buckles under the strain, we witness Cynthia’s desperation to find the answers to questions she’s been asking herself for a very long time, giving the novel a raw edge and the mystery a human heart – you don’t want to put the book down, eager to return to the characters and find out what happens next.

Culminating in a thrilling climax, a shocking twist and an emotional denouement, ‘No Time for Goodbye’ delivers on all levels – a phenomenal, suspenseful crime thriller.



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Afraid of the Shadows: An Anthology of Crime Stories by Victoria Selman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A charity anthology of spooky short stories from multiple crime writers.

‘Afraid of the Shadows’ in the third anthology in the ‘Afraid of the Light’ series, featuring nineteen stories from the group of creators plus some contributions from guest authors. Profits from each anthology are donated to frontline domestic abuse charities ESDAS and Rights for Women, with this third also sponsoring mental health charity Samaritans.

M.W. Craven opens the collection with ‘Strange Ink’, featuring Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw, probably the most traditionally crime fiction story with its police procedural elements. An eclectic mix of the fiendish, creepy, humorous and bizarre follows throughout the collection, with twists and psychological melodrama galore, culminating in T.M. Logan’s chilling ‘With the Others’.

My personal favourites were:
“Mirror Mirror” by Trevor Wood, for its tragic romance;
“When I Grow Up” by Robert Scragg, when trick-or-treating takes an unexpected turn;
“Hidden” by Victoria Selman, a revenge plot with a twist;
“The Jumper” by S.R. Masters, exploring the power of superstition;
“Indelible” by Elle Croft, a touch of dystopian sci-fi;
“With the Others” by T.M. Logan, a dark and emotive psychological thriller.

Overall, this is an enjoyable collection that captures the chills, magic and fun of the season and is a showcase of the work and talent of all its featured writers. As Peter James himself states in his foreword, short stories are the perfect medium for capturing a moment in time and accessible to many people in our modern world of a dizzying amount of choices of entertainment. I shall certainly be looking out for more from these authors, whose contributions here have helped support those in need through sales of this book.

Delectable slices of the horrifying and the criminal, ‘Afraid of the Shadows’ is a great collection to whet your appetite during the Hallowe’en season.



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The Classified Dossier: Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula by Christian Klaver

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Two titans of Victorian literature collide in a series of supernatural adventures.

Holmes' attention has been drawn to multiple unexplained events, discerning connections between them that only serve to be more perplexing and lead to one inescapable conclusion - the existence of vampires.

Count Dracula enlists Holmes' help to find his missing wife, Mina, kidnapped by an enemy who Holmes fears may present a greater threat than Dracula himself.

So begins a series of perplexing new cases for Holmes and Watson, descending into new realms of terror unlike any they've faced before.

'Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula' is the first in 'The Classified Dossier' series; Dr Watson chronicling Holmes' investigations into the supernatural that were previously locked away, never to be published. This volume contains four stories - each a novella with its own defined narrative, with an ongoing story arc throughout that culminates in the final novella. The original versions of the first three were first published as 'The Supernatural Case Files of Sherlock Holmes'; indeed, the new title is a little misleading, with Dracula only featuring in two of the stories and in more of a supporting role as opposed to co-lead protagonist or chief antagonist.

I must admit I was dubious about this book, having loved both distinctly separate characters and original stories from a young age. Of course, there have been many adaptations and interpretations of both characters in the last century, and it isn't the first time they've been combined either, so I decided to give it a try. Personally, I found changes to the literary canon of both unnecessary and struggled to embrace one major twist in particular, which didn't seem to contribute much to the overarching narrative. Purists of either or both should proceed with caution.

Despite my misgivings over certain plot elements, this was nevertheless an enjoyable read, with the original stories' shared elements of mystery, action and adventure threaded throughout, and the intrigue of detective fiction moulded well with the atmosphere of gothic horror and graphic imagery of vampire fiction. Holmes' scientific approach to the phenomenon of vampirism is detailed well, with some interesting exploration of the concept. Klaver has crafted a well-written collection, demonstrating a detailed knowledge of Conan-Doyle's tales and believably capturing Watson’s narrative voice. The third and fourth stories were my favourites, bringing the emotional turmoil to the forefront and delivering a thrilling climax and satisfying overall conclusion to the story arc of the enemy lurking in the shadows.

A second volume, 'Sherlock Holmes and Mr Hyde', continues the series, exploring another icon of Victorian gothic horror literature and furthering Holmes’ supernatural cases.



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Dalziel and Pascoe Hunt the Christmas Killer & Other Stories by Reginald Hill

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A sublime collection of crime fiction from a master storyteller.

A killer targets clergymen each Sunday of Advent…
A husband determines how best to dispose of his wife’s body…
With murder in mind, a man seeks perpetrators of the perfect murder…
A man awaits the thaw while battling his own guilt…
The search for a stolen ornamental statue…
A detective enters a pact to tell nothing but the truth for twenty-four hours…
A man reminisces following his ex-wife’s funeral…
A letter reveals what lies beneath tragedy…
A competitive hunt for corpses in a sleepy seaside town…
A man strives to finally be free from his friend’s shadow…
A mysterious theft one Boxing Day morning…

‘Dalziel and Pascoe Hunt the Christmas Killer & Other Stories’ is a collection of eleven short stories by Reginald Hill, all previously published in newspapers or anthologies and collected together for the first time; both a Christmas gift for fans of crime fiction and a tribute to Hill, complete with a foreword by Val McDermid. Featuring three cases for Dalziel and Pascoe, plus another story featuring Dalziel in a pivotal role, and seven standalone stories, the collection is bursting with crimes, mysteries and philosophical pondering galore, along with a hefty dose of dark, dry humour and delicious twists in the tales.

Making such a selection with great difficulty, my personal favourites were:
‘Dalziel and Pascoe Hunt the Christmas Killer’, for its serial killer thriller and religious themes;
‘The Thaw’, for its psychological depth and devious twist;
‘Fool of Myself’, for its confessional style and finely orchestrated twist;
‘John Brown’s Body’, for its classic crime set-up and atmospheric setting.

This is a fantastic collection of stories, all cleverly written, simultaneously concise and rich in detail, each of the highest quality. Reginald Hill was a master of the genre and his legacy lives on – this book a showcase of his skill with both the police procedural and psychological thriller; the stories perfectly paced, laced with witty dialogue and touches of satire. The characters are conjured vividly to life, perhaps none more so than Andy Dalziel, at his most colourful, obstinate and brilliant in his appearances. There is a deep sense of nostalgia amongst the pages; Hill’s work feels instantly classic even on experiencing a story for the first time, every one thoroughly entertaining while never losing its murky shadows.

Perfect for Christmas reading and for revisiting all year round, ‘Dalziel and Pascoe Hunt the Christmas Killer’ deserves a place on every crime lover’s bookshelf.



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Afraid of The Christmas Lights by Miranda Jewess

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A charity anthology of festive short stories from a variety of crime writers.

'Afraid of the Christmas Lights' is the second collection in 'Afraid of the Light', a series of charity anthologies that began in the lockdown of the 2020 pandemic. This seasonal selection from later the same year, edited by Victoria Selman and Miranda Jewess, with a foreword by Val McDermid, features eighteen stories; Mark Billingham opens the collection with DI Tom Thorne investigating the murder of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, the list of contributors also including Sophie Hannah and Harriet Tyce as special guests for this second volume.

My personal favourites were:
"Bad Guy" by Kate Simants, for its keen characterisation and devastating twist;
"Heavenly Peace" by Heather Critchlow, for its psychological and gothic undertones;
"The Switch" by James Delargy, for its moral dilemma and emotional turmoil;
"Driving Home for Christmas" by Rachael Blok, for its twisty thriller plot;
"Bloody Christmas" by Harriet Tyce, a seasonal splash of the author’s domestic/legal blend.

Overall, 'Afraid of the Christmas Lights' is an enjoyable compendium of festive morsels to partake of during Advent evenings; entertaining slices of murder and malice with plenty of splashes of blood and dashes of snowfall. As Val McDermid notes, perfectly capturing the essence of everything this book was about, “the comfort of reading is constant. It’s a salve for isolation and a haven when we need to escape into someone else’s imagination.”

Crucially, all profits from sales of this second volume go towards supporting two charities - East Surrey Domestic Abuse Services; and Rights of Women. Both organisations do incredible work to support people suffering domestic violence, which alarmingly became a shadow pandemic at the time when we all remained in our homes to fight the COVID pandemic, victims stranded with their abusers and little avenue for escape. Even as the world returned to normality, the work of both these charities remains vitally important and a truly worthy cause for a seasonal anthology of crime fiction.



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Death Comes at Christmas by Marie O'Regan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A festive selection box of murder and mystery.

'Death Comes at Christmas' is a anthology of eighteen short stories, all written by crime and thriller authors, edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane. From stories in the style of Golden Age classics to gritty modern thrillers, set in the snowy English countryside to the heat of Bombay, India, we are treated to a delightfully gripping mix of brutal crimes and complex puzzles, with flourishes of comedy, romance and creepy chills, all with a sprinkling of seasonal fun.

My personal favourites were:
'Christmas Yet to Come' by Helen Fields, for its strong characters and devious plotting [a legacy sequel to Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'];
'The Red Angel' by Russ Thomas, for its gothic isolation and chilling atmosphere;
'The Midnight Mass Murderer' by Alexandra Benedict, for its twisty plot, deranged killer, and returning characters [a sequel to Benedict's own 'The Christmas Jigsaw Murders'];
'A Deadly Gift' by Angela Clarke, for its classic locked-room mystery complete with festive trimmings.

Overall, this is a collection of well-written, thrilling tales, many in the tradition of much-loved and classic Christmas tales and mysteries, and a fantastic showcase of writers from the world of modern crime fiction, each tale an enjoyable slice of Yuletide magic. Highly recommended reading for these cold nights as we count down to Christmas.



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