Retired Detective Inspector John Rebus is asked to contact the long-time Edinburgh crime boss “Big Ger” Cafferty. An ambitious young hoodlum is jockeying to push Cafferty aside so he can take control. Of course there’s been a murder, and Rebus often solves crimes by ignoring regulations. Ian Rankin reaches new heights in this one.
“IQ” by Joe Ide (Mulholland, 321 pages, $26)
This novel marks the debut for a sleuth nicknamed ‘IQ,” a former criminal who functions as a private investigator in the slums of southern California. IQ is hired to identify who is stalking a rap music star. IQ has a shadowy history with a crack dealer named Dodson (their exchanges are priceless). Joe Ide has a wonderful ear for street dialogue.
“The Other Side of Silence” by Philip Kerr (Putnam, 416 pages, $27)
Philip Kerr’s novels featuring the former Berlin detective Bernie Gunther continue. It is 1956, and Bernie is hiding out in the south of France. A murder takes place, and Bernie is drawn into a circle of espionage and intrigue. He encounters a former Nazi who recognizes him. Both men are living under assumed names. Kerr always drenches Bernie in moral ambiguity.
“The Trespasser” by Tana French (Viking, 464 pages, $27)
The Dublin Murder Squad returns. Two detectives investigate a seemingly straightforward murder case. A young woman has been found dead in her home. Her table was set for a romantic dinner. Can we presume her boyfriend did it? Not so fast. Tana French weaves together spiraling layers of doubt and intricate suspicions. Her investigators eventually identify an unexpected perpetrator.
“Rain Dogs” by Adrian McKinty (7th Street Books, 315 pages, $15.95)
This latest offering featuring Sean Duffy of the Royal Ulster Constabulary contains a charming revival of the “locked door” schemes which were popular in mystery novels during the 1930’s. When an investigative reporter is found dead inside a castle, the police are inclined to write it off as a suicide. Detective Duffy has doubts. He solves this murder case while never forgetting to check beneath the undercarriage of his car for IRA bombs.
“Kill the Next One” by Federico Axat (Mulholland, 405 pages, $26)
As this story opens, Ted McKay is preparing to take his own life. There’s a knock on the door. He answers it, and we are instantly submerged in the most clever and surreal crime novel of 2016. Ted believes he has an inoperable brain tumor. He has had it all: a wonderful wife, lovely kids, a great job. Then he started acting weird. In “Kill the Next One,” we never know who or what is real. This is an extraordinary murder mystery disguised as a bizarre journey into the mind of Ted McKay.
“The Night the Rich Men Burned” by Malcolm Mackay (Mulholland, 352 pages, $26)
Malcolm Mackay takes readers deep into a scary universe of Scottish loan sharks in Glasgow. This novel is inhabited by dozens of eccentric criminals. There are crime bosses and lackeys, hit men and enforcers, gun smugglers and grifters. And all are doing their sinister jobs. These motley hoods are mostly despicable, but a few of them evoke our sympathy. Mackay’s devilishly intricate storylines ultimately converge with lethal force.
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