CRIME FICTION
The Godmother | Hannelore Cayre | $27.99 | Black Inc.
The Swallows | Lisa Lutz | $18.99 | NewSouth Books
Socially engaged, original, incisive and packed with humour. Patience is a 53-year-old widow and a poorly paid legal translator, translating phone surveillance on drug deals from Arabic to French. Then Patience reaches breaking point. She knows everything about drug trafficking, the pricing and the networks; the Godmother has a plan… No wonder this novel won best crime novel in France when it was first published in 2017. Just translated into English, read it before the movie is out!
Lutz is one of my favourite thriller writers for her brassy female protagonists, exhilarating sense of humour and twisty plots. Her new novel sounds like a treat I’m going to gobble up in one sitting. When a new teacher at an elite school inspires the female students to question the school’s patriarchal attitude of “boys will be boys,” secrets are spilled and tensions rise. Polite silence turns to a deafening roar. And when justice fails, revenge is sought. I’m so keen.
— Fabienne
— Kate
Good Girl, Bad Girl | Michael Robotham | $32.99 | Hachette Another corker by a master of the thriller-crime crossover. Set in England, forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven assists detectives investigating the murder of Jodie, a teenage ice-skating prodigy whose life harbours many secrets. He is also called to rehabilitate Evie, ward of the state with a disturbing past, who can detect when someone is lying. The broken Evie is one of the most memorable characters I’ve read in ages. This grips you from the off, and has a great twist, the two strands coming together in an explosive conclusion. Who is the good girl and who is the bad? Gold standard from Robotham. — John
THE FIRST IN A NEW SERIES, PERFECT FOR AVID CRIME FICTION READERS
SCI-FI/FANTASY
Wanderers | Chuck Wendig | $29.99 | Penguin Random House
A Little Hatred | Joe Abercrombie | $32.99 | Hachette
Epic and completely enthralling, Wanderers is a magnum opus of sorts, spanning over many lives and intertwining tales of the end of the world. Wendig has transformed traditional notions of apocalyptic fiction. He has created a story that is great not only in its length but also depth, through its riveting characters including a rock star, a radio host, and a disgraced scientist among many others.
A Little Hatred is Abercrombie’s latest addition to his richly-imagined fantasy universe. He takes the familiar fantasy settings we love and drags them through the mud. It’s grim and violent and darkly comedic with characters that are bent, bruised and broken. Suffer alongside them as they weather the consequences of their decisions, and the guiding hand of fate. Vividly imagined battles and political intrigue will keep you guessing who’s going to make it out alive. — Sanjo
— Lucy V.
The Institute | Stephen King | $32.99 | Hachette Stephen King is back with a fresh new take on the mutant genre. The Institute follows the story of six children with superhuman abilities; however this is no Hogwarts scenario. The Institute is in place to test and extract the force of their powers. But those who have ‘graduated’ are never seen again. Under the watchful eye of the director, Mrs. Sigsby, the children are meagrely rewarded for good behaviour and punished to the extreme for bad. As they become suspicious to the fates of their graduated peers, they hatch a plan to escape. This is bound to be a horrifying tale of good vs. evil by the master of suspense himself. — Angelita
A FRESH NEW READ FROM THE MASTER OF SUSPENSE
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