One of the highlights of my recent trip to Scotland was getting to meet and interview Christopher Brookmyre, an award-winning and internationally-bestselling Scottish crime author. During our conversation, I was particularly intrigued by Chris’ description of his thriller BLACK WIDOW; well, I finally had the chance to read it, and I was blown away by the sophistication, precision, and complexity of this book. BLACK WIDOW is a far cry from your average psychological thriller. Its intelligence, masterful plotting, and twisty, shocking plot make it a cut above. There’s an undercurrent of intensity running throughout BLACK WIDOW that demands the reader’s attention from first page to last, and an assurance to Brookmyre’s writing that is an absolute pleasure to read. If you haven’t read Christopher Brookmyre yet, now’s the time.
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Book Review: PERFECT REMAINS by Helen Fields (DI Callanach Series)
What’s a crime reader to do when visiting a new country for the first time? Find a crime book set there, of course! On my first-ever trip to Scotland this fall, I picked up a copy of PERFECT REMAINS by Helen Fields - a Scottish crime novel which came highly recommended to me by friends and a Waterstones bookseller alike! PERFECT REMAINS has all the gore and shock value that readers expect from a serial killer thriller, coupled with its uniquely-Scottish backdrop and roots. If you’re in the market for a visceral and relatively gory crime novel with a side of police procedural, PERFECT REMAINS will be right up your alley. While this book didn’t upend some of my recent favorite serial killer thrillers (THE FOURTH MONKEY by J.D. Barker and HIDE AND SEEK by M.J. Arlidge, to name a couple), I thoroughly enjoyed this chilling story.
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