A.A. Abbott

GREAT CRIME STORY WRITER

book review

Book Review – A Brush with Death, by Jean Burnett

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Curl up with a cosy mystery

Jean Burnett's cosy mystery or cozy mystery crime novel A Brush with Death beside a cup of coffee

My last four psychological thrillers were set in Bristol, and I enjoy reading other stories about the city. While Jean Burnett doesn’t name Bristol University in her cosy mystery,‘A Brush with Death’, the references to local landmarks make it pretty clear. This hilarious tale, laced with Jean’s trademark humour, is an absorbing read. And what better way to while away a dim winter day than curling up with a cosy mystery and a coffee?

Novel murder methods

The year is 1987. A serial killer stalks the campus. His gloriously over-the-top murder methods include electrocution by a computer, and an ice pick through the brain. Yet it takes a while for the police to cotton on. They’re convinced the first death is accidental. It seems reasonable to them that Lynne, a secretary in the English department, would unwittingly touch a live keyboard.

Only Cass Crombie, Lynne’s best friend, is convinced there’s been foul play. However newfangled these computers, they shouldn’t be dangerous. Someone has set out to silence Lynne, and Cass is determined to discover the truth.

The amateur sleuth goes undercover

Cass, a fortyish divorcée whose only child has left home, has too much time and not enough money. The university offers a solution when it advertises for cleaners. More importantly, working as a so-called domestic operative gives Cass a licence to snoop around. In these pre-outsourcing days, there’s time to stop for a coffee and a chat. Cass picks up gossip from support staff, students and academics. “Money and kudos are the motivating forces in academia,” a lecturer crisply informs her. Cass finds evidence of dirty dealings in pursuit of both.

Steamy affair

Detective Sergeant Don Newton realises what Cass is up to. He warns her off. She ignores his advice, albeit not his manly charms. Attracted to the hunky cop on first sight, she begins a steamy affair with him. This continues even when she’s arrested on suspicion of murder. Yes, the killer has struck twice more, and Cass is in the vicinity on each occasion. But a friend finds Cass a good lawyer, and she’s released to dive back into bed with DS Newton.

Escape from danger

Having unmasked the culprit, Cass escapes death at his hands by a whisker. (Of course! This is the first book in a series after all). Dumping Don Newton, she jets off to sunnier climes. Will she be back to solve more crimes and over-share with the sergeant again? We wait with bated breath for Book 2.

Do you like books that take you back in time? Then you’ll love my psychological thriller, ‘Run For Your Lies’. In 1992, families are ripped apart by the discovery of a body in Bristol’s Floating Harbour. Over thirty years later, a former teacher returns to the city she left in a prison van. Juliet has lost everything. She’s exhausted and unable to run from her foes any longer. But if they find her now, the consequences will be fatal. Read ‘Run For Your Lies’ in ebook, Kindle Unlimited, hardback, paperback, large print and dyslexia-friendly print.

Book review – A Saintly Grave Disturbed by Nikki Copleston

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A deeply satisfying short read

A Saintly Grave Disturbed by Nikki Copleston is a short read set in the English West Country

Short reads are having a moment. This detective story is a stunning example, packing tons of twists and emotional development into two hours. It’s a deeply satisfying read. 

Fleeing his demons to fight crime

Detective Inspector Jeff Lincoln has fled a failing marriage and personal tragedy to fight crime in England’s West Country. The city of Barbury might seem sleepy, but a stabbing on the local council estate and thefts from the museum keep him busy.  Then there’s the archaeological dig near the abbey, where volunteers appear to be falling victim to a mysterious assailant, perhaps even to each other.

Intriguing characters

While Nikki Copleston focuses on Jeff’s point of view, she also gives us insights into the thoughts of his colleagues, and other leading characters. There’s Beth Tarrant, for example, leading the dig and hoping to solve a family mystery while she uncovers the remains. Meanwhile, Trish Whittington, local librarian and Jeff’s lover, isn’t too besotted to ignore a sexy archaeologist.

Twists layered upon twists

Twists multiply and build upon each other, as Jeff links the crimes together and then finds his theories unravelling. Despite the complexity of the plot, the flow of the story is smooth, its separate strands neatly woven together at the end.

Flawless writing

Nikki Copleston is a class act, writing flawlessly and covering an amazing amount of detail in this interesting novella. It is the second book in a series about DI Jeff Lincoln (the others are all longer), but can be read as a standalone. ‘A Saintly Grave Disturbed‘ is a great way to dip a toe in the water and see if you enjoy Jeff Lincoln’s world. I suspect you will be hooked!

Do you like short crime reads? Then you’ll love ‘A Hint of Crime’, an anthology of short crime stories by the Bristol Fiction Writers’ Group. I’ve contributed three tales, all with a tantalising hint of mystery.

Book Review – Phosphate Rocks by Fiona Erskine

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Phosphate Rocks by Fiona Erskine is a Scottish noir murder mystery set in a chemicals factory

Scottish noir

Years ago, before I threw caution to the winds and became a full time writer, I worked for a company who proclaimed themselves world leaders in phosphorus chemistry. They, too, relied on solidified bird droppings – the “Phosphate Rocks” of the book’s title – as their raw material. Fiona Erskine’s thriller says a great deal about this, and other little-known (but absolutely fascinating) facts about the industry.  A slice of Scottish noir, it begins in true murder mystery fashion with the discovery of a dead body when a chemical works is demolished. Brisk young Detective Inspector Rose Irvine soon homes in on the one man who holds the key to the mystery: John Gibson, the former shift manager.

Literature meets chemistry

As Rose questions John however it becomes clear that “Phosphate Rocks” is much more than a simple police procedural story. The corpse, encased in a crust of phosphate, is surrounded by ten objects. When John identifies each item, pouring out his reminiscences in the process, we receive a sequence of chemistry lessons. Furthermore, John’s memories are a rich seam of social history. He tells Rose about canny men and glamorous women and a manufacturing environment decaying as much as the deliquescent corpse.

Layers of mystery

Although the mystery is solved, it’s a bitter-sweet victory. Too many other questions remain unanswered. Is Rose the orphaned child of good-time girl Polly, who ended up feeding the fishes? What became of the proud workmen thrown on the scrapheap when the factory closed, victims of head office accountants?

This is not a formulaic, stripped down style of book, but it is beautifully written. If you fancy a refreshingly different crime story, “Phosphate Rocks” delivers it.

For a mystery with a difference, read “The Bride’s Trail”, first in my Trail series of British thrillers. When a shy graduate finds herself framed, can she survive long enough to clear her name?

Book Review – Double Identity by Alison Morton

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Book Review. Alison Morton's international thriller Double Identity, set in Paris and London.

Dreams turn to nightmares…

Mel has found the man of her dreams. After an aristocratic upbringing in rural France and a spell in the French army, she’s ready to settle down and make babies. Parisian financier Gérard appears to be everything she’s looking for: rich, handsome and besotted with her. Sadly, a romantic holiday in London turns into the stuff of nightmares. Mel wakes up in a hotel room to find Gérard dead in bed beside her. Worse, London cop Jeff McCracken thinks Mel is the killer.

Partners from Hell

Once her innocence is proven, Mel is offered a job with an elite European spy team. She jumps at the chance. They’re investigating dodgy financial deals with which Gérard was apparently  involved. She hopes to prove him innocent and find his murderer. To their mutual dismay,however, Mel is required to work alongside the newly promoted Jeff McCracken. A man from a deprived background, Jeff regards as Mel as snobby. She sees him as coarse and misogynistic. Perhaps they are both right, but as the case progresses, they learn to work together. What they find causes Mel to question her belief both in herself and her relationships.

Absorbing action thriller

This is an action thriller, with plenty of fist fights and shoot-outs. They’re very believable, as you’d expect from Alison Morton, a former British Army captain. Her knowledge of Poitou in France, where she now lives, is also put to good use. While the genre is a departure for Morton, who previously penned a series of alt-history thrillers, the story follows her tradition of creating ballsy, kick-ass heroines.

Well-written and fast-paced, “Double Identity” is an absorbing read and a perfect piece of escapism during the pandemic. It’s currently on a blog tour, so you can find out more about it here.

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If “Double Identity” has whetted your appetite for an international thriller packed with action, dodgy deals and a strong female lead, look no further than “The Vodka Trail”. It’s the second thriller in my Trail series, and also a superb read on its own!

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Book Review – the Mind Cops

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A book review looking at 3 great psychological profiling specialists, or mind copsSometimes, the most gripping crime stories are true tales written by the law enforcers charged with bringing criminals to justice. The Netflix show, “Mindhunter”, cast a spotlight on psychological profiling, a relatively recent weapon in the fight against crime.  Qualified psychologists on both sides of the Atlantic have written about their successes in solving cases by getting under the skin and into the brain of an unknown perpetrator.

Their skill produces uncanny results. John Douglas, writer of “Mindhunter”, tells the cops to look for a man with a speech impediment. When they get their man several murders later, he turns out to have a stutter. How spooky is that?

 

A serial killer template

In fact, he isn’t the first stammering killer John Douglas has encountered, and he won’t be the last. Douglas’ book and similar chronicles from British psychologists David Canter and Paul Britton, reveal that many serial killers are stamped out of the same mould. They‘re socially inadequate, with a history of bed-wetting, fractured relationships and minor sex offences. As their experience and confidence of delinquency grows, their activities increase in severity. Douglas, Canter and Britton practically provide a template for a serial killer, and I’m sure some fiction writers use it.

All three writers briefly explain how they became involved in this line of work, then get into the real meat: a detailed account of cases they’ve solved. Douglas also built his knowledge by interviewing serial killers who had already been captured. Bored after long years inside the prisons where they would see out the rest of their lives, many agreed to talk to him.

Netflix & Hollywood

Based in the FBI’s special unit at Quantico, Virginia, John Douglas inspired the Silence of the Lambs as well as his own Netflix series. His case studies – based on the maxim familiar to HR managers, that past activities predict the future – are interesting and well-written. The only downside is an occasional hint of arrogance. This is not the case with Paul Britton, who has a more self-effacing, perhaps typically British, approach to his abilities. In his first book, “The Jigsaw Man”, he includes a chapter on a case where he was unsuccessful. When a beautiful young model, Rachel Nickell, was murdered in a London park, Britton’s lengthy and expensive sting operation led to the arrest of the wrong man. It is sad that, twenty years later, Britton is still pilloried by the media for this failure. He’d applied scientific rigour in the case and had made it clear that it wasn’t open and shut. It unfortunately overshadows his numerous successes. For instance, his work was instrumental in bringing murderer Rose West to justice and to identifying Michael Sams, who held estate agent Stephanie Slater as a hostage in a wheelie bin and killed another woman. Britton’s “The Jigsaw Man” is a thrilling read, as is its sequel, “Picking up the Pieces”.

David Canter, another Englishman, was heavily influenced by the FBI’s techniques. His book, “Criminal Shadows”, is more academic than the others, but still a page turner. The chapter on Criminal Maps – plotting the location of crimes to identify the villain – is especially compelling. Thanks to him, police arrested London’s evil Railway Rapist (who also murdered three women) and the young Brummie sex offender who dragged his OAP victims onto the roofs of tower blocks.

All three writers offer fascinating insights into the criminal mind, as well as an entertaining read. Even if fiction is usually your bag, you’ll find Douglas, Britton and Cantor have plenty of true tales to interest you.

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I’m an English crime thriller writer, and invested in these books as research: to understand how a serial killer thinks. Not all fit the socially inadequate sex offender model – some are charming psychopaths, while others fall under the spell of a sadistic lover. One day, this research will find its way into another tense and twisting crime thriller, so do sign up for my monthly newsletter to find out more! You’ll also receive a free e-book of short stories.

Book Review – The Fatal Coin, by Lucienne Boyce

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The Fatal Coin is a novella, commissioned by Lucienne Boyce’s publisher as an e-book-only taster for her Dan Foster historical mysteries. Although short, there’s plenty of drama and danger for Bow Street Runner Dan Foster as he heads to Staffordshire to solve his latest case.

Historian Lucienne Boyce hails from Wolverhampton, and brings the roots of the present day Midlands landscape to life as she describes canals being built and the bullion coach leaving Matthew Boulton’s Soho Works in Birmingham. The story revolves around a stash of gold coins turning up in a Staffordshire field and then promptly disappearing. This is not, incidentally, the Anglo-Saxon Staffordshire Hoard on display in Birmingham today, but Roman Empire gold and artefacts. Naturally, the find draws unsavoury characters as well as serious archaeologists to the area. The two groups do not combine well, with fatal consequences.

Dan Foster has crossed swords with the villainous Colonel Pepper before, and is determined to bring him to justice. A killer, thief and forger, Colonel Pepper is also cautious and clever. Dan does not survive unscathed in his task, almost losing his life in his quest to outwit the Colonel.

As well as exciting action and an interesting historical setting, emotions are played out in the tale. Dan, who is beginning to regret his own shaky marriage, is sympathetic to the misfortunes of others. He spots a young woman’s unrequited love and a squire’s alcoholic loneliness, even noticing that Colonel Pepper may not be quite the blackguard that he seems. Yet he is a lawman, not a social worker. Ultimately, he cracks the case and moves on. It will be interesting to see what writer Lucienne Boyce has in store for him next.

The Fatal Coin is a gripping historical mystery by Lucienne Boyce, Read my book review.

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I also write crime stories. If you like a good read on your Kindle, check out my Trail series of crime thrillers set in the British cities of London and Birmingham. You can download free samples from Amazon, or even read all three books completely free if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited.