H is for........
Hamburg and the setting for Simone Buchholz's Chastity Riley series......two so far and one coming soon....... Blue Night (2017), Beton Rouge (2018) and Mexico Street (2020).
Synopsis/blurb.....
After convicting a superior for corruption and shooting off a gangster's crown jewels, the career of Hamburg's most hard-bitten state prosecutor, Chastity Riley, has taken a nosedive: she has been transferred to the tedium of witness protection to prevent her making any more trouble. However, when she is assigned to the case of an anonymous man lying under police guard in hospital - almost every bone in his body broken, a finger cut off, and refusing to speak in anything other than riddles - Chastity's instinct for the big, exciting case kicks in.
Using all her powers of persuasion, she soon gains her charge's confidence and finds herself on the trail to Leipzig, a new ally and a whole heap of lethal synthetic drugs. When she discovers that a friend and former colleague is trying to bring down Hamburg's Albanian mafia kingpin single-handedly, it looks like Chas Riley's dull life on witness protection really has been short-lived....
Fresh, fiendishly fast-paced and full of devious twists and all the hard- boiled poetry and ascerbic wit of the best noir, Blue Night marks the stunning start of a brilliant new crime series, from one of Germany's best-selling authors.
When I eventually get around to reading some European crime fiction this one will be near the top of the pile.
H is for ......
Hidden River - a 15 year old standalone novel from Adrian McKinty.
Synopsis/blurb.......
Alexander Lawson is an ex-detective for Northern Ireland's police force. After a disastrous six-month stint in the drug squad, he became addicted to heroin and resigned in disgrace. Now twenty-four, sickly, and on the dole, Alex learns that his high school love, Victoria Patawasti, has been murdered in America. Victoria's wealthy family sends Alex to Colorado to investigate the case, and he seizes the opportunity for a chance at redemption. But things don't go exactly as planned. Struggling to kick his heroin habit, forced to go on the run after the only credible witness to Victoria's murder is accidentally killed, wanted by both the Colorado cops and the Ulster police who believe he has information about a corruption scandal, and with the murderer closing all the time, Alex will have a fight on his hands just to stay alive, never mind solving the case.
McKinty's The Chain was enjoyed last year.
H is for.......
Hammett - Dashiell, the author from the 20s, 30s and 40s and Hammett - a 1975 novel from Joe Gores featuring the hard-boiled author as his detective
From Chinatown's dark alleys to the fog shrouded Golden Gate, crooked politicians ran San Francisco. To Hammett, retired Pinkerton detective and struggling writer, it was all just grist to his fictional mill. Until the night his pal walked into a baseball bat. Then Hammett hung up his typewriter, put on his gumshoes and went out into the brawling, swaggering city to find the brutal murderer.
Dashiell Hammett ........ from Wikipedia
Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. He was also a screenwriter and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade, Nick and Nora Charles, and the Continental Op.
The Dain Curse (1931) is from his Continental Op series
Everything about the Leggett diamond heist indicated to the Continental Op that it was an inside job. From the stray diamond found in the yard to the eyewitness accounts of a "strange man" casing the house, everything was just too pat. Gabrielle Dain-Leggett has enough secrets to fill a closet, and when she disappears shortly after the robbery, she becomes the Op's prime suspect. But her father, Edgar Leggett, keeps some strange company himself and has a dark side the moon would envy. Before he can solve the riddle of the diamond theft, the Continental Op must first solve the mystery of this strange family.
Previous entries
CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - A IS FOR.... AX, ABBOTT, ABERDEEN
CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - B IS FOR ....... BOSTON, BIRD, BONES
CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - C IS FOR.........CAPE TOWN, CONFIDENCE MEN, CROSS
CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - D IS FOR ....... DETROIT, DISHER, DEAD
CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - E IS FOR ....... EDINBURGH, EXCESS, ELLIS
CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - F IS FOR ....... FLORIDA, FRANCIS, FLOATERS
CRIME FICTION ALPHABET - G IS FOR ....... GALWAY, GUNS, GRAFTON
I still have to read Adrian McKinty and rediscover Dashiell Hammett. I haven't come across the latter's books in a long time.
ReplyDeleteI have only read Hammett once, more years ago than I care to remember. That said I can't remember what I read anyway. I have a few from him, but don't intend to read them all, just to get a taste. McKinty is very good, but again I overlook him because of all the other great stuff on the pile.
DeleteOh, I want to try that McKinty, Col. I like his Sean Duffy novels, but I haven't read that standalone. Thanks for sharing - it's piqued my interest.
ReplyDeleteMargot I hope you can track it down and that you enjoy it afterwards. I ought to read more from the Duffy series.
DeleteI'll be interested to hear what you think of the Buchholz, Col.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was you who tipped me off to it?
DeleteThanks, fingers crossed
ReplyDeleteCol – Buchholz is new to me. I am acquainted with McKinty. And Hammett is an old friend.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite looking forwardto reading Buchholz and also Hammett.
DeleteI have Blue Night and will maybe read it this year. I have read Hammett by Joe Gores and we have seen the film based on that book multiple times.
ReplyDeleteI will have to keep an eye out for that film, Tracy. I would like to get some of Gores DKA series read sooner rather than later.
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