Crime Fiction of July

This has been a much bigger reading month for me than the two preceding, largely because I spent a week in social isolation in the lead-up to surgery and then a week recovering from surgery, which left more available time for books.

As is not unusual for me at times of physical and psychological stress, I dropped back to one of my favourite comfort-read genres, which is mystery fiction. 

Rather than doing a detailed review of each of the six titles I read, here's a little para about each just to give a flavour! No covers because, frankly, I can't be bothered :-P

I've just stepped off into the 2026 Booker Prize longlist reading challenge, so my reading for the next two months will be Booker-dominated (and so will any book posting to this blog). I may end up missing these lighter reads by the end of that! To every season, its book will come...

1. The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

This is the first book in Horowitz's very popular Horowitz and Hawthorne series, which features a fictionalised version of the author as one of the two protagonists. I enjoyed the metafictional aspect, but the puzzle wasn't as good as Horowitz's Magpie Murders series, and I disliked both main characters enough that I'm not in a hurry to read the rest of them. Still, an easy light read. 6/10.

2. A Case of Life and Limb (Sir Gabriel Ward KC #2) by Sally Smith

It's been a while since I've gone to the top of the ratings for a mystery novel, but this book was so, so good! Fantastic double puzzle, wonderful ouevre, excellent vivid secondary characters, and a protagonist, Sir Gabriel Ward KC, who I couldn't possibly love more. I enjoyed it immensely and can't wait for book 3 to come out early next year. 10/10.

3. A Death on Location (Canon Clement #4) by Richard Coles

The fourth outing in the Canon Clement series, this book had both the strengths and weaknesses of its predecessors, but also featured one (in my opinion) hugely cowardly squib of an ongoing plot point resolution that has decided me against further adventures with Daniel and the gang. That said, I quite enjoyed the mystery plot (although I did guess it pretty early) and really enjoyed the late 80s ambience and the vivid, bants-laden writing.  Overall, I had fun, and read it really quickly, but was sufficiently irritated by the "resolution" of the hangover plot point and the sermonising diversions that I am pretty sure I'm done now. No regrets about reading it, but that's where it can stay. 6/10.

4. The Detection Collection: A Gripping Anthology of British Crime and Mystery Fiction by The Detection Club

This short story collection, with entries supplied by some of the most well-known and impressive of all British mystery writers, was great fun yet entirely ephemeral. Mystery short stories often are, in my view - there's just not enough space in a short to really build a complex mystery or much suspense. Enjoyed it, don't need to ever read them again. 6.5/10.

5. Cold Judgement by Joanne Fluke

This was a bit boring and lacked any real sense of tension / stakes, both of which are not great in a thriller mystery. Like Fluke's more charming cosy mystery series (the one with all the recipes, I think possibly bakery-shop schtick? it's been a long while since I read any!), the book wasn't particularly well-written either, although I can't complain about pacing (brisk) or ease of reading (very high). It filled the gap between naps on a recovery day after illness well enough I guess, but I'm certainly not motivated to try any more. 4/10.

6. The Model Murder (Tea Ladies #4) by Amanda Hampson

This was very entertaining, as the whole series has been, and the social / cultural history aspect (giving a portrait of 1960s Sydney) was again one of the most enjoyable elements. Our four tea lady protagonists are all in form, but unlike previous plots that revolved around Hazel, this is really Merle's book, which was not a development I saw coming (I loved it though!) The plot stretched credulity to breaking point, especially one particular element of the reveal that was entirely unnecessary and slightly irrirating, but it wasn't enough to spoil my experience overall (it does mean it isn't my favourite book in the series, though). 7.5/10.

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