My Review (5 stars out of 5) In need of somewhere to live, DCI Ryan and his partner Anna have moved to temporary accommodation within the grounds of Cragside, a country mansion near Rothbury, Northumberland. Invited to a Victorian murder-mystery event, Ryan’s detective skills are called upon when the lights go out at the house…
Category: Noir
‘Double Indemnity’ by James M Cain
***** Insurance agent Walter Huff gets into deep water when he meets beautiful temptress Phyllis Nirdlinger. Cooking up a plot to kill the woman’s husband, Huff looks forward to getting the money and the girl. Unfortunately, the plan to pull off the perfect murder falls foul of Huff’s boss, Barton Keyes, who knows more about…
‘The Big Nowhere’ by James Ellroy
The Big Nowhere by James Ellroy ***** Los Angeles, 1950. Communist witch hunts and a spate of violent killings throw three men into a complex and dangerous web of lies, deceit and murder. (Audiobook/paperback) This is Ellroy’s second novel in the LA Quartet series. Though there are a few nods to the first book, The…
‘In Harm’s Way’ by Owen Mullen
***** After an idyllic first year of marriage, Mackenzie realises she’s made a mistake. Her controlling husband Derek dominates her life, refusing to let her see friends and restricting contact with her family. But Mackenzie’s drinking is getting out of control and when she tells her siblings about a stalker, they don’t believe her. When…
‘The Black Dahlia’ by James Ellroy
The Black Dahlia January 1947, Los Angeles: the body of a beautiful young woman is found drained of blood and cut in half. Two police officers find the woman’s death intriguing and go on a hunt for the truth. But the journey takes them into the darkness of their own lives, as much as that…
‘The Moving Target’ by Ross MacDonald
The Moving Target When millionaire Ralph Sampson goes missing, PI Lew Archer is called in to hunt him down before something really bad happens. The trail leads Archer all over Southern California, from sun-bleached canyons and sea-side beach houses to dodgy bars and even dodgier women. But is this case about money, sex or just…
Colin Garrow 