Thrillers and Suspense
November 2017

"I am the perfect husband."
~ from Kaira Rouda's Best Day Ever
 
Ngaio Marsh Awards

 
Pictured: Winners Michael Bennett, Fiona Sussman, and Finn Bell
Lovers of crime novels, thrillers, and mysteries - there are plenty of great reads for you to savour amongst the Ngaio Marsh Award winners and finalists:
 
Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel
The winner: The Last Time We Spoke Fiona Sussman (Allison & Busby)
Ngaio Marsh Award for Best First Novel
The winner:Dead Lemons Finn Bell (ebook)
Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Non Fiction
The winner: In Dark Places Michael Bennett (Paul Little Books)
 
Recent Releases
The Blind
by A.F. Brady

Despite her successful career as a psychologist in a Manhattan mental institution, Samantha "Sam" James has some serious personal problems -- namely, she's an alcoholic trapped in an abusive relationship. But it's only when a challenging new patient arrives that her carefully constructed façade starts to crumble; once he's discovered her secrets, there's no closing Pandora's box. With straightforward, crisp writing and a pervasive sense of gloom (the institution is not well-funded), The Blind is a fast-paced character study of a woman who's fast losing her way. 
A killer harvest : a thriller
by Paul Cleave

A blind teen receives a corneal donation that restores his sight but gives him an eerie capacity to experience the memories of their previous owner, his homicide detective father. By the award-winning author of Joe Victim.
A rustle of silk : a Gabriel Taverner mystery
by Alys Clare

Attempting to establish himself as a physician in 1603 Devon, former ship's surgeon Gabriel Taverner is called to examine a body found beside the river and discovers the death may be linked to darker aspects of Plymouth's lucrative silk trade
The Last Mrs. Parrish
by Liv Constantine

Amber Patterson wants one thing: to leave behind her poor, humdrum background and land a wealthy husband, in this case, Jackson Parrish. The fact that there's already a Mrs. Parrish doesn't bother her too much, and in fact she hopes to use Daphne Parrish to get to Jackson. Things don't quite go to plan, and as the narrative shifts from coldly manipulative Amber to Daphne -- who's not as naive as she first appears -- the story heats up. Fans of the villainous characters in Gone Girl will want to give this one a try. 
Miraculous mysteries : locked room mysteries and impossible crimes
by Martin Edwards

Impossible crime stories have been relished by puzzle-lovers ever since the invention of detective fiction. Fiendishly intricate cases were particularly well suited to the cerebral type of detective story that became so popular during the 'golden age of murder' between the two world wars. But the tradition goes back to the days of Edgar Allan Poe and Wilkie Collins, and impossible crime stories have been written by such luminaries as Arthur Conan Doyle, G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers and Margery Allingham. This anthology celebrates their work, alongside long-hidden gems by less familiar writers. Together these stories demonstrate the range and high accomplishment of the classic British impossible crime story over more than half a century.
White Bodies
by Jane Robins

Though Tilda and Callie Farrow are twins, they couldn't be more different -- Tilda is glamorous where Callie is mousy and always in her sister's shadow. Now, though, Callie is increasingly worried about her sister's husband, Felix. Tilda rejects any allegations of abuse, but Callie is not convinced, and soon falls down a rabbit's hole of obsession through an online support group for victims of abuse. Narrated by Callie, this debut opens with Felix's death and, through flashbacks, vividly illuminates the dynamics of sisterhood.
Best Day Ever
by Kaira Rouda

From the outside, Paul and Mia Strom have a picture-perfect life, with a strong marriage, successful careers, and handsome sons. But as the couple drives to their Ohio lake house for the weekend, doubts will arise in the minds of the readers -- why isn't Mia feeling well? What's with the tension in the car? And why is Paul being so evasive? Increasingly chilling and with plenty of surprises for a tale that unfolds over only one day, Best Day Ever is "darkly funny, scandalous, and utterly satisfying" (Kirkus Reviews).  
Domestic Suspense: When Trouble Begins at Home
The absence of mercy
by John Burley

A peaceful small-town existence is shattered for a medical examiner who investigates an increasingly disturbing series of animal-like attacks that forces him to choose between hunting down a killer and safeguarding his family.
Summer House with Swimming Pool
by Herman Koch

Opening in the aftermath of a wealthy patient's death, this unnerving novel is narrated by a Dutch doctor who caters to celebrities. Looking back on his relationship with the patient, the doctor untangles the events of the previous summer, when their two families had summered together with disastrous consequences. Ethical lapses, the misreading or ignoring of certain situations, and the constant pulse of contempt and desire makes for a compulsive read, with characters that just beg to be disliked. 
Pretty Baby
by Mary Kubica

 Chicago literacy tutor Heidi Wood wants to help the homeless teen mom she's seen on her commute, so she invites Willow and her tiny daughter back to the condo she shares with her family (to her husband's horror). Their arrival leads to a spectacular deterioration of the relationships within the home, all told from the rotating perspectives of Heidi and her husband, as well as flashbacks from Willow herself. This narrative technique ramps up the suspense -- it's clear that something devastating happens, but the details...well, you'll have to read the book to find out. (You can follow it up with Every Last Lie, author Mary Kubica's most recent page-turner).   
The couple next door
by Shari Lapeña

When a terrible crime committed on the night of a dinner party casts suspicion on a young couple who seemed to have it all, Detective Rasbach discovers that the panicked duo had been hiding dangerous secrets from each other for years
The Secrets She Keeps
by Michael Robotham

Agatha stocks shelves at a London grocery store; Meghan is a chic and successful customer. The only thing they have in common is that they're each pregnant, and that shared experience is what leads to an acquaintanceship that seems poised to shatter both of their lives in far-reaching and surprising ways. With "brilliantly rendered characters, reckless tension, and numerous plot twists" (Publishers Weekly), The Secrets She Keeps is a must-read for fans of Harriet Lane's Her. 
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Christchurch City Libraries
PO Box 73045
Christchurch 8154
+64 941 7923
library@ccc.govt.nz
christchurchcitylibraries.com