The Truth And Lies Of Ella Black by Emily Barr
(Penguin Random House, Rs399)
Not your assembly-line crime, this is the story of 17-year-old Ella Black, a seemingly ordinary young girl, attending a private school, with an ordinary problem: an inherent inability to fit in with her peers. Ella, however, isn’t an outcast, thanks to her best friend, who cuts a popular figure, and, at home, the parents dote on her. But not all is well within her, where a darker version of herself she calls Bella lurks. Keeping this “secret”, which goes back to her early years, turns out to be the tip of the iceberg. One day, Ella is transported to Brazil by her parents, where she uncovers more sordid truths.
My Sister’s Grave by Robert Dugoni
Homicide detective Tracey Crosswhite may remind you of Stieg Larsson’s “girl with the dragon tattoo” in this police procedural, part of a series created by the internationally best-selling writer. As the title indicates, in this first volume, Crosswhite has to reckon with the truth behind the disappearance and murder of her sister Sarah 20 years ago, when her mortal remains are discovered in the North Cascade mountains of Washington state. Harrowing and intense, this may whet your appetite for the books that follow.
Murder Of A Lady: A Scottish Mystery by Anthony Wynne
First published in 1931, this is a reprint of a forgotten classic from the prime of British crime fiction, when locked-room mysteries were a rage. Set in Duchlan Castle, in the grim isolation of the Scottish Highlands, it deals with the murder of Mary Gregor, sister of the laird of Duchlan, who was, by all appearances, a kindly woman. Inspector Dundas, deputed to solve the crime, uncovers a more sinister truth with the help of the deductive genius of amateur sleuth Eustace Hailey.
I See You by Clare Mackintosh
With years of experience in the UK police force, Mackintosh tried her hand at writing—with remarkable success. After the best-selling debut, I Let You Go, here’s another gripping psychological thriller from her, about a woman who discovers a photograph of herself in the classifieds section of a London newspaper. In her quest to find out why it’s there, Zoe Walker uncovers a trail
of horror.
The Accident On The A35 by Graeme Macrae Burnet
Another mystery by a Scottish writer, one who was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize (no less) for his novel His Bloody Project, this is a page-turner with Inspector Georges Gorski on a case that begins with an accident on a highway but takes him as far as the sleepy French backwater of Saint-Louis.
