The Last Devil to Die

The Last Devil to Die is the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman. Stephen's friend, antiques dealer Kuldesh Sharma, is found dead in his car. He had been shot. Why? It is soon discovered that a package that he was minding is missing. Members of the Thursday Murder Club want answers.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim, residents of Coopers Chase Retirement Village, investigate with the assistance of Donna and Chris, members of the local police force. It soon becomes apparent that this is a drug related crime as the bodies of a number of drug dealers are found. Who will be the last devil to die?

Members of the the Thursday Murder Club also help a new member of the retirement village who has become involved in a romance scam. 

Like the other books in the series the exploits of the Thursday Murder Club members are described with humour however this novel is not just about a group of elderly people trying to solve a crime. Richard Osman also provides a compassionate account of the effects of dementia - not just on the person with dementia but also how families and friends of the person with dementia are affected.

Thank you Richard Osman for allowing us to enjoy another adventure with the Thursday Murder Club.

Ripper

Three people were murdered in a small town located off the main road between Sydney and Melbourne. When seventeen years later another murder occurs after a proposal is made to operate a tour of the murder sites in the town, the small town of Ranier is once again gripped in fear as memories of past events resurface. Gemma Guillory, who witnessed the death of one of the victims many years previously, now faces the trauma of the latest murder occurring outside her tearooms and the fears of the past reemerge. 

Ripper by Shelley Burr is another gripping crime novel set in a small community where everyone seems to have a secret and nothing is as it first appears. Gradually we learn about the three people who were the original victims and their interaction with the town. One of the victims was never identified and there are several theories as to her identity. A parallel story occurs in a prison where a prison officer encourages a prisoner and former private investigator, Lane Holland, to establish whether the unidentified victim was the prison officer's missing daughter.

Ripper is another action packed Australian crime novel set in a small town with a hidden past and many complex characters providing an insight into the consequences of a person's actions on other people. 

The raging storm

When Jem Rosco returns to Greystone there is speculation among the locals as to why he is there. And then he disappears again. When a body is found in a small boat off Scully Cove during a storm, Matthew Venn and his team are called in to investigate.

Like many small communities there are numerous stories as to what might have happened in the community, now and in the past. Many of the inhabitants of this north Devon town belong to the Barum Brethren, a sect that Matthew's parents belonged to, as did he until he rebelled when a teenager. Returning to this region therefore brings back many memories from the past. The rivalry between Jen Rafferty and Ross May continues as they assist in the investigation.

Scully Cove appears to be a key to the investigation, but why? A second body is found at the cove then another key character disappears. As to be expected there are lots of twists and turns until the crime is solved.

The Raging Storm is the third book in the Two Rivers series by Ann Cleeves.

Fire with Fire

Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire, at least that is what Ryan and Elsie Delaney believe as they take over the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Laboratory with the intention of regularly destroying police laboratory samples until their daughter, aged five when she disappeared two years earlier, is found. They have also taken three hostages.

Fire with fire by Australian author, Candice Fox, is set in Los Angeles. While the LAPD and the SWAT teams are in place, police officer Charlie Hoskins and recently fired police recruit, Lynette Lamb, set out to discover what happened to Tilly Delaney. 

For five years Hoskins was under-cover with a ruthless bikie gang. Police recently raided the gang making many arrests however the three leaders are still at large and are after Hoskins. Forensic evidence relating to the gang that Hoskins collected is stored at the laboratory under siege. Lamb is furious at having been fired on her first day in the police force and wants to prove that she is more than capable of being a good police officer. Hoskins and Lamb make up a strange but determined team.

This is an action packed novel from start to finish with complex characters that we learn more about as the story progresses. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I suspect that this is not the end of the investigations of Hoskins and Lamb.

The adventures and memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

This Vintage Conan Doyle edition contains the collection of the short stories originally published in the books The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. 

Dr Watson, the narrator and observer in these short stories, accompanies Sherlock Holmes as he solves puzzles and crimes that the police have difficulty resolving. The importance of the case varies in each story and very occasionally Holmes is outwitted but it is fun to try and follow the clues, obvious and not so obvious, and work out the solution.

There are twenty-four stories in this compilation all, of course, set in Victorian England. Times may have changed but it was good to become immersed again in the world of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. Looking at the range of films and television series based on Sherlock Holmes and the number of Sherlock Holmes inspired mystery series books, the writings of Conan Doyle and his two main characters continue to be relevant in the 2020s.

Slaughter Park

Harry Belltree disappeared to Far North Queensland after his wife, Jenny, said she no longer wanted to see him again. But when Jenny disappears leaving her baby with her sister, Kelly Pool travels to Queensland to find Harry and bring him back to Sydney. Harry knows that his wife is in danger and that the only solution is to solve the mystery of his parent's death which seems to be behind events threatening his family. 

Harry is unable to return to the police force but he still has a few contacts who unofficially assist him as does Kelly Pool. Kelly needs information for an article that she is writing for a Sydney newspaper but she is also grateful to Harry for saving her life. Harry knows that Jenny has gone into hiding and sets out to find her. He also realises that she must remain hidden until the case is solved.

Meanwhile the police are investing a series of murders discovered in Slater Park which becomes known as Slaughter Park. How are these murders connected to Harry's family investigation.

Slaughter Park is the final volume in the Belltree Trilogy by Barry Maitland. The over-riding story in the series flows from one volume to  the next with an additional crime as the focus of each book.There are lots of murders, however the author has ensured that the books are easy to easy to read with constant action and insight into the lives of the main characters. I was able to borrow copies of the three books in the series from my local library. It is advisable to read the books in order to fully follow the story.

Ash Island

After police detective Harry Belltree recovers from being shot he is transferred to Newcastle. Not long after arriving in the town Harry investigates the finding of a body at Ash Island. The investigation  intensifies as more bodies are discovered and police attempt to discover the connection between them.

It soon becomes obvious that events from the past continue to follow Harry. When he investigates a case of domestic violence, Harry is recognised by the accused though Harry is not sure why. Then his home is bombed and Harry and his wife return to Sydney. Both Harry and Jenny realise that they need answers as to why Harry's parents were murdered three years previously if they are to live a 'normal' life again. As the danger to Harry's family increases, he does not know who to trust.

Ash Island by Barry Mortimer is the second volume in the Belltree Trilogy.

A history of Ash Island - Australian Museum