I had the best of intentions to get this done on the scheduled date but we all know that life gets in the way sometimes. I am backdating this post to it’s scheduled date, the day that the Adelaide Hills were blazing. I was out in the morning and returned home earlier than planned to prepare for a possible evacuation; which meant the computer was unplugged and spent the next 3 days on the kitchen table in case we had to throw it all in the car. Fortunately a change in wind direction stopped the fire getting too close to where I am but the widespread destruction is devastating.

In the November-December review period when a lot of people switch to Christmas tales we still had quite an impressive number of Crime reviews logged. Our reviewers logged 70 reviews of 42 books by 36 authors. That tells me we have some prolific reviewers, and probably some popular authors. Let’s check out what we’ve got.

There is some pretty tight competition for the most reviewed title of the period so let’s look at all of the forerunners.

Cry of the Firebird by T.M. Clark was released in December by Harlequin Mira and it was reviewed 6 times, a new release is always pretty popular. Clark is an author whose work I always love, and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into this one. Reviews were logged by Helen, Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out, Jennifer Cameron-Smith, Brenda, Theresa Smith and Amanda @ Mrs B’s Book Reviews.

Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out says: Offering a multilayered plot that includes more than one thread of intrigue, Cry of the Firebird, is a fast paced and exciting thriller in which Clark explores several issues, among them drug tampering, profiteering, police corruption, AIDS, early onset Alzheimer’s, wildlife conservation (particularly with regards to flamingos), and displacement.

Theresa Smith had this to say: T.M. Clark returns with another gripping African adventure/crime thriller. Set in South Africa, Cry of the Firebird dives into the grim world of tainted pharmaceuticals, corruption, gang violence, and the AIDS epidemic. This novel is exactly the type of gripping crime I favour within the genre. And as is the way with T.M. Clark, the beauty of Africa’s wildlife makes its mark upon the page, along with a cast of characters who demonstrate that it is possible, even in the most dire of circumstances, for humanity to prevail. With cutting edge themes and high action, Cry of the Firebird is one of my recommended Summer reads.

The Strangers We Know by Pip Drysdale is another book released in this review period and it attracted 5 reviews. This is another that I am hoping to get to, one day. It was reviewed on Goodreads by Cloggie Downunder, Jennifer Cameron-Smith and Carolyn, and on the blogs of Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out and Amanda @ Mrs B’s Book Reviews.

You Don’t Know Me by Sara Foster has attracted my attention, and will to read, as well as four reviews. Brenda reviewed on Goodreads, and reviews appear on the blogs of Amanda @ Mrs B’s Book Reviews, Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out and ReadRoundOz.

Dead Man Switch by Tara Moss was reviewed by Cass Moriarty, Jo @ Booklover Book Reviews, Heidi @ but books are better, Brenda on Goodreads and Denise Newton Writes.

Cass Says: The research generally for this novel is painstaking, detailed and meticulous. The era of post-World War Two is replicated in everything from the rationing to the clothing, from the food to the societal views. Returned disfigured soldiers are common, and the novel makes clear the legacy of war and the trauma faced by those who survived.

Jo @ Booklover Book Reviews begins her review like this: As a fan of Moss’ confident and engaging writing style, I had no doubt Dead Man Switch would be great reading. But, the combination of vivid scene depiction, taut plotting, diverse and engaging characters and the exploration of meaty issues, made it so much more than that.

 

The Great Divide by L.J.M. Owen seems to be the beginning of a new series that is grittier than her previous work and went down quite well with Cloggie Downunder, Jo @ Booklover Book Reviews, Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out and Brenda.

Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out says: Set in Tasmania, this is an atmospheric story portraying a small insular community, blanketed in the fog of winter, and shrouded in lies. It begins when the body of an old woman is found dumped in the overgrown grounds of a vineyard. While investigating her murder, Jake, a recent transfer to Dunton, learns some odd facts, and as the case progresses he begins to uncover links between both the current and historical crimes. While I did find it fairly easy to determine who was culpable early on, I thought the case was complex and interesting, though the details are quite grim and disturbing,

 

Bruny by Heather Rose is a title getting a lot of attention and it was featured 4 times. Check out reviews by Dark Matter Zine, Cloggie Downunder, Kim Forrester @ Reading Matters and Bill Holloway.

Dark Matter Zine closes with: I love Bruny. Its rollercoaster plot, romance and compelling question: how far would you go? What is your ideology? What would you do to protect your home? Rose rattled me, chilled me, thrilled me. A book not to be missed.

Cloggie Downunder says: The maps Rose includes will be much appreciated by readers, even those familiar with the area. This novel is topical and relevant, presenting scenarios that are just a whisker from today’s world and, therefore, scarily believable. An utterly fascinating and thought-provoking read.

Thanks to Carolyn Scott and Brenda who have logged an impressive 10 and 8 reviews respectively in this period. Great work ladies.

That’s probably enough for today but there are so many other great crime novels reviewed and if you want to check out all of the crime novels that have been reviewed you can head to the AWW Books Reviewed page and search by Genre. It will put all of the reviews at your fingertips.

We would love to hear about the great crime reads you have enjoyed recently.