Tag: Murder

Waiting on Wednesday – Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday3 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I check out an intriguing, upcoming murder mystery that is going to be a highlight of early 2026 with Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman.

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Of all the murder mystery authors I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing since I started my blog, few have consistently impressed me as much as Jonathan Kellerman.  A veteran of the crime fiction genre, Kellerman has written a huge array of compelling novels throughout his writing career, including some very gripping reads.  His main body of work is the iconic and long-running Alex Delaware series, which follows the titular protagonist, Alex Delaware, a child psychologist, who works with his best friend, LAPD Lieutenant Milo Sturgis to investigate unusual or complex cases around Los Angeles.

The Alex Delaware novels are a classic and captivating crime fiction series, and Kellerman has written a huge number of them over the years.  I became a fan of the series myself a little more recently, when I was lucky enough to grab a copy of The Wedding Guest back in 2019.  A very cool novel with a great case behind it, The Wedding Guest was a fantastic introduction to the author and the Alex Delaware novels, and I ended up going back to the series the following year to read The Museum of Desire.  This great novel was also outstanding, and it impressed me enough to make the Alex Delaware series a must-read addition to my annual reading schedule.  I have since gone on to read every new Alex Delaware novel that followed, including Serpentine, City of the Dead, Unnatural History, The Ghost Orchid, and Open Season.  All these novels were extremely amazing, and I have had an exceptional time with all of them.

Due to how much fun all the previous novels were, I am always very keen to get my hands on the next Alex Delaware novel, and we already have some details about the 2026 addition to the series, Jigsaw.  Jigsaw will be the 41st book in the Alex Delaware series and will force Alex and Milo to investigate two separate, complicated murders that have an unlikely connection.

Plot Synopsis:

When a young woman is found dead at her kitchen table – with DNA belonging to her ex-boyfriend at the scene – psychologist Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis assume it’s an open-and-shut case.

But the guy has an airtight alibi. Could an enemy from his shady past have framed him?

Many miles away, a former LAPD officer is found brutally murdered in her garage. Her co-workers knew her as meticulously organized, but her house is full of junk and meaningless objects – except for the envelopes full of cash hidden within the chaos…

But as Alex and Milo dig deeper, they discover shocking links between the victims. It soon becomes clear they have a complicated – and deadly – puzzle to solve.

Based on the above synopsis, it sounds like Jigsaw is going to be another excellent entry in this great series.  I am already quite intrigued by the hinted plot, and Kellerman clearly has quite an outstanding mystery brewing for his 41st Alex Delaware novel.  Two seemingly unconnected murders with unique circumstances running at the same time is the great basis for an addictive crime fiction read, and I look forward to seeing the protagonists dive into both compelling victims with the author’s typical methodical, character-focused, style.  While I am curious about both murders, including one featuring an obvious, but clearly innocent suspect, and the other with an unlikely hoarder, the true test of this novel is how the author will bring both separate murders together into a single storyline.  I honestly have no doubt that Kellerman will come up with a clever link between both cases, and this will likely result in Jigsaw being an outstanding and very impressive addition to one of my favourite crime fiction series.

Due to how much fun I have had reading Jonathan Kellerman’s previous novels, Jigsaw is a highly anticipated book for the first half of 2026, especially with its intriguing synopsis.  Kellerman has never failed to wow me with his compelling mysteries, and Jigsaw already looks set to be an incredible read.  I honestly can’t wait to get my hands on the next Alex Delaware novel, and I already know it is going to be amazing.

Quick Review – Landfall by James Bradley

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery, Quick Review, Science Fiction, Thriller1 Comment

Publisher: Penguin (ebook – 23 April 2025)

Series: Standalone

Length: 336 pages

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

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Those in the mood for a though-provoking and powerful Australian crime fiction read would do well to check out the excellent 2025 release, Landfall.  Written by acclaimed Australian author James Bradley, Landfall was a clever and intense standalone novel that presented a gritty crime fiction scenario in a dark Australian future.

Plot Synopsis:

In an already swamped city, a disastrous weather system looms, making the search to find a missing child urgent.

A missing child.

A city on edge.

Time is running out…

The world is in the grip of climate catastrophe. Sydney has been transformed by rising sea levels, soaring temperatures and rocketing social divide and unrest.

When a small girl on the margins goes missing, Senior Detective Sadiya Azad is assigned to find her. She knows exactly what it is to be displaced, and swallowed by the landscape. A murder at the site of the child’s disappearance suggests a connection and web of corruption, but fear keeps eyes turned and mouths closed.

With few leads to go on and only days until a deadly storm strikes the city, Sadiya and offsider Detective Sergeant Paul Findlay find themselves locked in a race against time.

Chilling and utterly compelling, Landfall is crime writing at its best – and a terrifying vision of the future bearing down on us.

Landfall was an excellent and exciting novel from earlier this year that presented a compelling crime fiction read with a complex and emotionally charged background setting.  Taking place in a dystopian version of modern Sydney that is starting to flood due to climate change, Landfall follows Senior Detective Sadiya Azad and her new partner, Detective Sergeant Paul Findlay, as they attempt to find a child who went missing around the Tideline, a slum area of the city that has been most impacted by rising sea levels.  However, they soon find their investigation hampered by multiple elements including corrupt policing, uncooperative family members with their own political agendas, rampart social divides and more.  This proves to be a strong start to Landfall, and Bradley does a good job of setting up the reality of Sydney, as well as introducing the case and some of the key players.

The story takes an interesting turn when a murdered body is found at a site connected to the child’s disappearance.  Assuming the two cases are linked, the protagonists are forced to investigate suspects related to the murder victim and her corporate ties, and the missing child, trying to find out who is responsible, while also dealing with the dark threat of an oncoming tropical cyclone that looks set to destroy half the city.  At the same time, several other key perspective character are introduced, including Tasim, a refugee living on the streets, who witnesses the abduction and finds himself dragged into events, and Sadiya’s dementia-suffering father, Arman, whose fractured mind provides greater context to their family’s history, as well as showing the early days of some of the environmental crisis’s impacting the world.

These character-focused storylines combine nicely to create an intriguing and compelling overall narrative, and I liked the various themes and outlooks at the future they contained.  The main investigative focus of Sadiya’s narrative is well balanced by the more human stories of Tasim and Arman, and Bradley also makes use of some intense flashback sequences to really build up the tragedy surrounding all these figures.  The mystery narrative also goes in some interesting directions, and while the culprit isn’t too surprising, Bradley does a good job focusing on the characters building their case and pulling together the conclusions.  Unsurprisingly, the climax of Landfall comes together amid the cyclone, with all the characters facing the storm in different ways.  This last part of the book, while dramatic and featuring a high-stakes backdrop, was a little rushed, and could have used a little padding to make it more satisfying.  Still, this is a mostly well-balanced narrative that allows for a good conclusion to the main story arc while also allowing Bradley to make all his thematic points.

Landfall ended up being an excellent overall read and Bradley succeeded in pulling together a complex novel with a lot of moving parts to it.  The central mystery element of the novel, while compelling on its own, was greatly enhanced by the author’s examinations of the future, which features some dire predictions and warnings, wrapped up in very human stories to make them even more impactful.  While an excellent police protagonist, I felt that Sadiya’s personal story was a bit overshadowed by Tasim and Arman’s arcs, especially as Tasmin’s story about losing his family to heatwaves and the harsh journey to Australia, as well as the very realistic depictions of dementia with Arman.  All three of these character’s stories are well wrapped up in the final chapters of the book, although I do wish there had been another chapter or two just to showcase what happened in the aftermath.  The overall focus on the potential dire future for Sydney and the world was probably the most impressive and notable part of Landfall, and Bradley provided a compelling, if terrifying, portrait of probable events to come that gives this book a fantastic edge that scrapes the edge of overshadowing the main mystery, and allows for quite a powerful overall read.

With its complex characters, intense story, and compelling visions of the future, Landfall by James Bradley was one of the more distinctive Australian novels of 2025, and I was glad I got the chance to check out my first book from the author.  An extremely interesting novel that blends crime fiction with social messaging, Landfall comes highly recommended, especially for those with one eye on the future.

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Waiting on Wednesday – Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday3 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight an excellent upcoming piece of Australian crime fiction from one of my favourite local authors, with Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath.

Fans of over-the-top crime fiction will be quite familiar with Australian author Jack Heath, who has produced some very interesting and memorable novels over the last several years.  The author is probably known for excellent Timothy Blake series, which follows a murder-solving cannibal as he attempts to solve complex cases while also finding his next gory meal and I have deeply entries such as Hideout and Headcase.

In addition to these fun books, Heath has also written some gripping pieces of Australian crime fiction, including the outstanding novel, Kill Your Brother, which saw a damaged protagonist imprisoned and forced to choose between killing her guilty brother or dying alongside him.  This was an amazing book, and I loved the intense and twist laden story that emerged.  Kill Your Brother ended up being one of my favourite Australian novels of 2021, and I was very excited when Heath subsequently produced a sequel to it in 2023 with Kill Your Husbands.  A particularly memorable sequel to Kill Your Brother that brought back some of the novel’s original protagonists, Kill Your Husbands had a powerful plot involving brutal murders following an ill-advised bout of partner swapping.  This very entertaining sequel proved to be just as clever as Heath’s previous entry in the series, and Kill Your Husbands ended up being one of my favourite Australian novels of 2023.

Due to how impressive Heath’s last several novels have been, as well as the fact that he is consistently one of the best authors of Australian crime fiction, I am naturally keen to read any new novel he releases.  As such, I was particularly stoked to find out that he had a new book coming out later this year with Kill Your Boss.  Set for release in November 2025, Kill Your Boss will see the main police protagonist from Heath’s previous two Australian novels investigate the murder of a hated manager of the local library, who everyone had a motive to kill.

Plot Synopsis:

What would it take to turn you into a killer?

Detective Sergeant Kiara Lui has just broken up a loud brawl between two blokes in front of the Warrigal Public Library. But just as she’s about to leave the scene, a man inexplicably plummets from the sky and slams into the bike rack right in front of her, dead.

Neville Adams was the head of library services, hated by staff, borrowers, or in fact anybody who had ever met him. Kiara quickly seals the building, trapping everyone who might have pushed him off the roof. She expects to have someone in custody within minutes.

Instead, the investigation becomes the most challenging and dangerous of her career as it spirals outward, ensnaring half the town. It seems that Neville was connected to the disappearance of Emmylou Chisholm – a case that Kiara could never solve, and that has haunted her ever since.

If the killer isn’t found fast, the first two victims won’t be the last . . .

Compelling, propulsive and darkly funny, this is a perfect follow-up to Jack Heath’s bestselling Kill Your Husbands.

Very interesting! I must admit that I really like the sound of the above plot synopsis, and it looks like Heath has pulled together another twisty and complex Australian murder mystery.  Focussing the case around a very dislikeable manager figure should make this a very relatable case for the average office worker, and you just know that Heath is going to have fun turning his murder victim into a despicable figure that everyone hates for good reason.  Indeed, I get the feeling that Kill Your Boss is going to have a somewhat humorous tone to it, and it is going to be very interesting to see how Heath balances this with the more serious crime fiction elements.

Based on the synopsis above, it sounds like Kill Your Boss is going to initially become some sort of looked-room mystery with all the suspects contained in the same location.  I think this has a lot of potential, mainly because that’s not an extremely common trope in Australian crime fiction (with Benjamin Stevenson’s Ernest Cunningham books being an obvious exception), and I cannot wait to see how a bunch of likely over-the-top library staff and patrons trapped in the building will react to the whole scenario.  It looks like Heath is going to take this one step further by expanding the murder investigation to encapsulate a cold case that the protagonist has a particular connection to, which should make this quite an intense and powerful read.  The whole scenario sounds particularly intriguing, and with the highly entertaining Heath at the helm, it is likely to result in a very impressive and addictive novel.

Overall, Kill Your Boss sounds like quite a fantastic upcoming novel, and it’s one I pretty darn excited for.  Jack Heath has really impressed me in recent years with his elaborate and outrageous crime fiction novels, and it will be interesting to see how he continues to utilise the protagonists from Kill Your Brother and Kill Your Husbands.  Kill Your Boss will likely end up being one of the top Australian releases of 2025, and I anticipate that it will be a particularly incredible novel.

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Five-Star Books, Murder Mystery3 Comments

Publisher: Hodderscape (Trade Paperback – 29 April 2025)

Series: The Eternal Path – Book One

Length: 646 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Intriguing author Antonia Hodgson presents one of the best fantasy debuts of 2025 with The Raven Scholar, a powerful and complex novel that hooks you early and refuses to let go all the way to its shocking end.

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to receive a copy of The Raven Scholar, a massive fantasy novel with a very interesting plot idea behind it that will set up the new Eternal Path trilogy.  I had really enjoyed Hodgson’s debut novel, the historical thriller The Devil in the Marshalsea, many years ago, and I really got caught up in The Raven Scholar’s complex and brilliant story.

In the empire of Orrun, a new emperor is crowned every 24 years, with a replacement chosen from acolytes of the eight animal guardians whose blessings have warded and kept the empire in check for generations.  However, the current emperor, Bersun the Brusque, has not had a peaceful reign, marred by an attempted assassination and the subsequent execution of his attacker’s daughter.  His replacement offers a chance at a new era for Orrun, but the sins of the past continue to haunt all involved.

As the next Trials to determine the next emperor begin, seven skilled and revered young challengers emerge for the crown, and it falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, if unsocial, High Scholar to organise much of the proceedings.  However, the Trials are thrown into chaos when the Raven contender is brutally murdered, and all the evidence points to Neema as the suspect.

Tasked with proving her innocence, Neema is shocked when emperor Bersun decides to make her the new Raven contender.  Suddenly facing six highly skilled rival contenders who have trained their entire lives to compete in the trials, as well as a proxy chosen by the mystical Dragon temple, Neema finds herself fighting for her life in the deadliest contests imaginable.  If she succeeds, she could take the throne, but to do so she must first survive a dark conspiracy infecting the palace, one that threatens all Orrun and could lead to a new age of darkness for the empire.  Nothing is what it seems, and with the animal guardians returning to the world, chaos is about to engulf the trials, changing its contenders forever.

With an exceptional and powerful story that I could just not put down, The Raven Scholar was a particularly amazing fantasy debut that I absolutely could not stop reading.  Clever, twisty, and continuously exciting, Antonia Hodgson really impressed me with The Raven Scholar, and due to how quickly I absorbed its over 600 pages of content, I have no choice but to give it a full five-star rating.

I must admit, going in I didn’t know what to expect from The Raven Scholar, but I ended up being extremely impressed with the elaborate narrative Hodgson pulled together.  Set around a wonderfully expansive fantasy story about a tournament of skill and brains, Hodgson had to do a lot in this book, and I feel that she ended up creating something very special and particularly addictive.  Starting with an intense introduction that provides some key context for the later events of the story, Hodgson pulls a very interesting move of inflicting a dark fate on the protagonist of this initial part of the book before jumping the plot forward several years and presenting a new main perspective character.  The impacts of this introduction are well felt throughout the rest of the book’s plot, and I love the various secrets, hidden hints and impacts these first couple of chapters had.

Hodgson then moves the narrative of The Raven Scholar into the elaborate period of the tournament to determine the new Emperor of Orrun.  Primarily shown from the perspective of High Scholar Neema Kraa, an isolated figure who suddenly finds herself in the middle of proceedings when the initial Raven contender for the throne, an old rival of Neema, is murdered, and Neema is considered a potential suspect.  Attempting to investigate the crime, Neema finds herself placed as the new Raven contender and must try to survive the intense trials to come.  I love a good tournament arc in fiction, and this proved to be an extremely fun one as each of the participants had to complete several different tasks chosen by each of the participating temples, as well as compete in a series of duels between each task.  This allows for an interesting combination of physical and mental assignments, which proved to be very compelling, as you tried to see who would take the throne.

While the tournament is the narrative highlight of The Raven Scholar, it is only one part of the story, as Hodgson creates some very interesting additional arcs throughout the plot.  Namely, Neema finds herself investigating a dark conspiracy within the palace following the murder of her former contender.  The author uses her past crime fiction experience extremely well here, crafting together a very elaborate and intense mystery narrative that the protagonist is constantly dragged into.  It doesn’t take too long for her to realise the scope of the conspiracy before her, as well as who the participants in it are, although there are a lot of hidden secrets and motivations that come out as the story continues.  I really loved all the impressive twists and turns that resulted in this part of the book, and the massive overarching conspiracy blends extremely well with the tournament part of the story, with the revealed antagonists using elements of it to try and take out the Neema and other problematic contenders.  I also really appreciated how so much of the big moments of the plot flowed on from the complex introduction to the story, and Hodgson does an amazing job hiding hints at what is to come throughout the entire book.  Everything leads to the big finale of The Raven Scholar, where all the secrets come out and you are left shocked by what occurs.  I honestly didn’t see every twist coming, and I loved how Hodgson kept subverting expectations about where the plot would be going.  The book ends on a very interesting note, and you will come away very excited to see where the series goes from here, especially as the story can only get more complex and twisted.

The Raven Scholar was a really well written novel, and I must highlight how well Hodgson combined her elaborate fantasy world and it’s defining tournament, with complex characters and excellent intrigue and mystery.  The range of elements in this novel is very impressive, and I liked how well Hodgson brought them together, allowing for quite a well-layered book.  The author’s ability to insert an array of subtle hints and important details throughout the book was also amazing, with a variety of seemingly inconsequential statements, conversations or observations coming back into play at later parts of the story.  Some of these were particularly clever and I really appreciated seeing all these cool elements coming into play as the story continued.  This powerful narrative is further enhanced by the author’s intricate fantasy universe, which makes good use of its zodiac inspired system of animal guardians to create a very compelling tournament background.  The scenes throughout the tournament are a true highlight and I loved the intense action and the high stakes that accompanied them.  Throw in the machinations of several of the animal guardians, as well as the complex past of some of the characters, and there is so much to absorb and appreciate about this elaborate book.

I also really enjoyed the impressive cast of The Raven Scholar, whose unique stories added some excellent additional detail to the plot.  The main protagonist, Neema Kraa, was a great central figure in the book, especially with her complex past, poor social status, and the fact that her current advancement came as a result of her worst actions.  Neema spends much of The Raven Scholar trying to redeem her past mistakes, and her eventual placement in the tournament allows her the chance to prove herself.  You really get invested in Neema’s struggles as the book continues, and I liked how she kept evolving to meet the challenges before her, becoming a major contestant to the throne.  The rest of the contenders are all interesting in their own way, and I appreciated the compelling storylines and history that the author built around them.  This includes the Fox contender, Cain, whose complicated romantic past with Neema becomes one of the more interesting recurring plotlines in the book, while his bold nature and inappropriate sense of humour made him a firm favourite of the reader.  I personally enjoyed how Neema twisted his past a little as the plot continued, ensuring that his arc went in some surprising and dark directions, and you really feel drawn to him, especially when he annoys all the other more serious figures in the book.

Other key characters include the Tiger contender, Ruko Valit, who was a dark figure in the plot, especially as he deals with the treachery that led him to become a favourite in the tournament.  A determined and arrogant figure, Hodgson works a great potential redemption arc around Ruko, while also cleverly hinting at the destructive role he will have in the future.  Ruko’s sister Yana was a key early figure in the novel, and while you don’t get the chance to know her too well, the consequences of the actions taken around her haunt many of the characters to come.  The rest of the cast are also cool, although I will limit myself by highlighting a really sinister hidden antagonist, as well as certain animal guardians who visit the realm and interfere with some of the contenders in dramatic manners.  I personally felt the various aspects of the Raven for example were fun, not only with how part of them influences Neema, but with the narrator role the main body takes on for part of the book, which includes footnotes.  All these figures, as well as the many other compelling figures featured within the plot, help to make The Raven Scholar something very special, and I look forward to seeing how many of the fantastic character arcs Hodgson started here, continue in the future.

Overall, I found The Raven Scholar to be an extremely cool and outstanding book, especially as author Antonia Hodgson weaved together a particularly intricate and captivating narrative.  Loaded with intriguing details, clever twists, amazing characters, and so much excitement, I quickly fell in love with The Raven Scholar, and I could not stop reading it, powering through hundreds of pages at a time.  I honestly cannot recommend this book enough, and I enjoyed The Raven Scholar so much that I had to include it on my recent list of top books from the first half of 2025.  I cannot wait to see how Hodgson continues this series going forward, but I am already certain it is going to be something really awesome and very memorable.

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Waiting on Wednesday – The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday4 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  I’ve already published another Waiting on Wednesday novel tonight with Born of an Iron Storm by Anthony Ryan; however, I’m also publishing a post to highlight the awesome upcoming fantasy mystery novel, The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso.

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The reason that I am choosing to highlight The Last Soul Among Wolves tonight is because I just published a review for Melissa Caruso’s fantastic 2024 novel, The Last Hour Between Worlds.  A great mystery read that saw the protagonist attempt to investigate a recuring series of magical murders amongst a dark time loop.  I had a ton of fun with The Last Hour Between Worlds, and I have been keen for the sequel for some time now.  It helps that The Last Soul Among Wolves, which is set for release in August 2025, has a particularly intriguing plot idea behind it that will cleverly follow Caruso’s previous book and initiates another dark series of events.

Plot Synopsis:

The Last Soul Among Wolves is the dazzling second instalment in Melissa Caruso’s bestselling Echo Archives series, a whip-smart fantasy adventure packed with murder, mystery and mind-bending magic.

All Kembral Thorne wants is to finish her maternity leave in peace. But when her best friend drags her to a will reading at a decrepit island mansion – along with her once-rival, now-girlfriend Rika Nonesuch – she finds an unexpected reunion of her childhood crew . . . and a deadly curse she must now unravel.

To save her friends, Kem and Rika must once more race against the clock and descend into other realities. But the mansion is full of old secrets and new schemes, and soon the game becomes far more dangerous than they could ever have imagined.

The Last Soul Among Wolves sounds like another fantastic book from Caruso, and I look forward to the seeing how this new captivating narrative unfolds.  Setting the protagonist against another dark curse, this time around the classic scenario of a mysterious will reading at decrepit island mansion, has a lot of awesome potential, and I am very excited to see how it unfolds.  At the same time, the inclusion of several supporting characters from The Last Hour Between Worlds, should result in some fantastic character-focused moments, especially as most of the figures being included are a bunch of outrageous people from across the setting of the Echo Archives, each with their own secrets and history.  I imagine that Caruso has a very complex narrative set around uncovering all these character’s respective secrets, as well as figuring out how it connects to the curse trapping them, which should result in an impressive read.

Due to how amazing the first book in the Echo Archives was, I have very high hopes for The Last Soul Among Wolves, and it is one of my most anticipated reads for the second half of 2025.  Set to feature mystery, elaborate fantasy elements and an array of memorable central characters, The Last Soul Among Wolves will likely be one of Melissa Caruso’s strongest books yet (which is saying something), and I cannot wait to get my hands on it in a few months’ time.

The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Murder Mystery5 Comments

Publisher: Orbit (Trade Paperback – 26 November 2024)

Series: The Echo Archives – Book One

Length: 389 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Take a bold leap through various time loops with one of the more exciting and clever fantasy novels of 2024, The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso.

Melissa Caruso is a very talented author who has been producing brilliant female-led fantasy fiction since her debut in 2017.  Starting with her outstanding Swords and Fire trilogy (The Tethered Mage, The Defiant Heir and The Unbound Empire) and continuing with her sequel Rooks and Ruins trilogy, Caruso made a big impact the first several years of career, and her writing has only gotten stronger since.  As such, I made it a big priority to get my hands on her 2024 novel, The Last Hour Between Worlds, which I had the pleasure of reading at the start of this year.  The first book in the author’s new The Echo Archives series, The Last Hour Between Worlds sets up a cool new fantasy series with a murder mystery twist behind it and some great story ideas.

Plot Synopsis:

A whip-smart adventure fantasy packed with rival guilds, reality-bending magic, and sapphic pining, The Last Hour Between Worlds is the brilliant launch of a new series from David Gemmell Award-nominated author, Melissa Caruso.

Kembral Thorne is spending a few hours away from her newborn, and she’s determined to enjoy herself at this party no matter what. But when the guests start dropping dead, Kem has no choice but to get to work. She is a Hound, after all, and she can’t help picking up the scent of trouble.

She’s not the only one. Her professional and personal nemesis, notorious burglar Rika Nonesuch, is on the prowl. They quickly identify what’s causing the a mysterious grandfather clock that sends them down an Echo every time it chimes. In each strange new layer of reality, time resets and a sinister figure appears to perform a blood-soaked ritual.

As Kem and Rika fall into increasingly macabre versions of their city, they’ll need to rely on their wits—and each other—to unravel the secret of the clock and save their home. 

The Last Hour Between Worlds was a particularly elaborate and compelling read that had me hooked from the start and kept dragging me along, much like its characters were dragged down through death and echoes.  Sharp, intense and featuring a ton of unique world-building, The Last Hour Between Worlds was a bold read that cleverly sets up a great new fantasy series.

I had a brilliant time with The Last Hour Between Worlds, as Caruso features a complex narrative with compelling stakes that proved hard to put down.  Starting off with a good introduction to the protagonist, Kembral Thorne, a nearly retired Hound and expert at travelling through the various arcane Echoes that exists under her city, and several other key characters as they are entertained at a party held by a prominent city politician.  It doesn’t take long for the action to kick off as several dark denizens from the Echoes arrive at the party, determined to kill certain guests and drag the entire gathering down into the reality below.  Dragged along with it, Kembral finds herself stuck in a dark time loop which only she remembers thanks to an interaction with a mysterious grandfather clock.  Forced to watch her friends and colleagues brutally murdered and dropped into a deeper Echo with each variation of the loop, Kembral seeks a way to stop the recurring murders and ensure that everyone comes out alive.

The plot goes in some interesting directions as The Last Hour Between Worlds continues, and it soon becomes apparent that Kembral and the rest of the humans are caught up in a deadly power struggle between the Empyrean, the masters of the Echoes, who are using this event as a key piece in their games.  Forced to team up with the only other person who can remember events, her nemesis and potential love interest, Rika Nonesuch, the two work through various iterations of the time loop, figuring out more clues about the event and trying knock all the competing Empyrean out of the time loop before the final chime of the clock.  This results in an entertaining, exciting and complex storyline, which Caruso sets up extremely well.  The blend of human and magical intrigues that the protagonists are forced to navigate allows for a very compelling story, and I loved all the cool twists that emerge, as well as the deeper personal struggles between Kembral and Rika.  It all leads up to the big conclusion at the final Echo, as the two desperately fight to ensure everyone survives.  I felt that Caruso set up an excellent ending for The Last Hour Between Worlds, especially as this story is wrapped up in a satisfying manner, while also hinting at some more dark adventures to come.

I really enjoyed how cleverly The Last Hour Between Worlds came together.  The slick blend of unique fantasy elements, a cool time-loop mechanism, and the layers of intrigue surrounding events was particularly impressive, and I really got hooked on the story because of how well these elements were utilised.  The time-loop part of the book was especially great, and the way in which Caruso kept reframing the story in each successive Echo ensured that you were constantly on your feet and you never quite knew what was going to happen next.  The underlying setting and magic of The Last Hour Between Worlds was also quite clever, as Caruso envisioned an elaborate array of alternating dimensions and dark creatures that mirror the humans above in twisted ways that the protagonists need to overcome and bargain with.  While I think that some of the elements of the setting could have perhaps been explored in a little more detail before the major events of the plot kicked off, for the most part readers can come in and completely follow what is happening in the plot without any issues.  The resulting action, well-hidden twists, and cool character interactions really enhance The Last Hour Between Worlds’ already compelling narrative, and you won’t be able to turn away from Caruso’s new fantasy adventure.

The final thing I want to talk about were the great characters featured within The Last Hour Between Worlds, with the focus primarily being around the heated pairing of Kembral Thorne and Rika Nonesuch.  A fun case of attracted opposites with lots of history, the law-abiding Kembral and the roguish thief Rika are the perfect foils for each other, and I love their heated interactions.  Despite their initial mistrust, the two soon begin to work together to survive and find their old feelings rekindling.  Caruso nicely slow burns their inevitable romantic attachment, , and they must work through a lot of mistrust, hidden secrets, and their own perceived slights to get there.  The rest of the cast is also interesting and entertaining, and you get quite attached to them as the time loops continue, even though some wind up temporarily dead.  Several are these characters are slated to have bigger roles in the upcoming sequel to The Last Hour Between Worlds, and I cannot wait to see what happens there.  Throw in some excellent dark mystical figures in the Empyrean, who act as either antagonists or shadowy figures on the sidelines, and this was a stacked set of characters that Caruso clearly has some intriguing plans for.

With a slick plot, a great mixture of fantasy adventure of murder mystery hijinks, and some entertaining characters, The Last Hour Between Worlds was an outstanding novel from Melissa Caruso, who continues to showcase why she is one of fantasy fictions most inventive rising stars.  Serving as a great starting point to a new series, The Last Hour Between Worlds comes highly recommended, and I loved its powerful and complex plot.  I honestly cannot wait to see where Caruso takes The Echo Archives series next, although the upcoming sequel, The Last Soul Among Wolves, sounds particularly awesome.

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Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Comedy/Satire, Extended Universe, Fantasy, Five-Star Books, Murder Mystery, Throwback Thursday3 Comments

Publisher: Gollancz/Penguin Random (Audiobook – 1993)

Series: Discworld – Book 15/City Watch – Book Two

Length: 12 hours and 58 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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After yet another re-read, the classic fantasy satire novel, Men at Arms remains as one of my favourite Discworld novels by the late, great Terry Pratchett, especially as its new audiobook version breaths fresh life into the always impressive novel.

Readers of this blog will have noticed that I have been on a real Discworld rampage lately, having re-read several books from my absolute favourite fantasy series.  Much of this is due to the recent release of a cool new audiobook version of all the Discworld books, featuring an awesome array of new narrators and vocal talents.  This new format has proven particularly awesome for books like Pyramids, Moving Pictures and Small Gods, and I have been eager to see how some of the books in my favourite Discworld sub-series, the City Watch books, come across with the new narrators.

While I have a lot of love for all the books in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, my absolute favourites come from the City Watch sub-series.  Following the unlikely members of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, a rag-tag team of guards generally looked down upon by the entire city, the City Watch books features an exceptional combination of fantasy and crime fiction elements, wrapped up in Pratchett’s usual satirical humour, as the protagonists investigate a series of dastardly crimes in the supernatural Discworld.  The series started perfectly with the awesome novel Guards! Guards!, which I reviewed last year, and Pratchett did an outstanding job following this up with the brilliant sequel, Men at Arms.

After saving the sprawling and eternally crime-ridden city of Ankh-Morpork from a fire-breathing dragon, the men of the Night Watch are still at work protecting the city, even though most of the city wishes they didn’t exist.  Despite their previous escapades, it’s a bad time to be a copper in Ankh-Morpork, with species tension between the dwarfs and the trolls at boiling point, while the powerful guilds disregard the Watch’s non-existent authority.  Worse, the Night Watch has been forced to accept three diversity hires, and must now contend with a mad dwarf, a thick troll and a woman (gasp) amongst their ranks.

Despite this, when an explosion at the Assassin’s Guild literally rocks the city, it falls to Captain Samuel Vimes and his small squad to investigate the heist hidden by the blast, despite the deliberate orders of the city’s tyrannical ruler to stop.  Determined to wrap up the case before his impending marriage and retirement, Vimes is soon forced to contend with a series of unusual, but seemingly linked murders, many of which have been caused by a lethal weapon never seen on the Disc.

With riots on the streets, and assassins and fools dodging their questions, all the members of the watch, including their contentious recruits, will need to work together to solve the murders before the city descends into chaos.  But how will they fare when going up against the most dangerous criminal mind the city has ever seen, one determined to bring back the Ankh-Morpork’s ancient kings, while wielding a dangerous new weapon that could change the entire Disc forever?

Even after many, many re-reads, Men at Arms continues to shine as one of Pratchett’s better books.  Featuring an epic crime fiction narrative, loaded with impressive characters, fantastic humour and great use of Pratchett’s iconic Discworld setting, Men at Arms is a complex, emotionally charged and deeply moving read that I could honestly read 100 times and still not get bored with.  A brilliant novel that unsurprisingly gets an instant five-star rating from me.

Pratchett wrote some exceptional narratives throughout his career, but few stand up to Men at Arms in terms of complexity, cleverness and emotional impact.  Expertly reintroducing the cast of Guards! Guards!, while also bringing in some impressive new support characters, Men at Arms starts off an excellent pace, as Pratchett cleverly examines the changes to the characters, sets up the new case, while also showcasing the motivations of the apparent main antagonist.  From there, it doesn’t take long for a dark series of crimes to take place, with Vimes and his squad investigating despite the apathy of the rest of the city.  Pratchett does a lot of excellent set up in the early part of the book, and the reader soon becomes invested in the investigation, especially as the book begins to follow a series of deaths, some of which were caused by a particularly deadly weapon that modern readers will be all-too familiar with.  Some great character arcs are also introduced here, as the extended cast all hit their own various problems they are forced to overcome, with Vimes dreading his eventual retirement, Carrot feeling the added responsibility, the fun buddy-cop arc between Detritus and Cuddy, and Angua dealing with her own problems.  The author sets up and expands on these arcs throughout the book perfectly, providing additional emotional impact, as well as some interesting side angles on the main storyline.

While the first half of the novel sets everything up perfectly, it is in its second half where Men at Arms truly shines.  Pratchett keeps raising the stakes of the story, with more victims, run-ins with the shadowy antagonist, and the Watch characters attempting to understand the nature of the weapon that has been turned against the city.  The author throws in some interesting wrinkles to the case, which shadow who the true villain is, while other events throw emotional shade across several of the characters.  The various connected character arcs start to come together perfectly as the book continues, and you go into the final stretch with a range of emotions around you.  While ostensibly a comedy, Pratchett chooses to hit the tragedy element of the plot really hard in the lead up to the finale, with some big moments that will leave you speechless.  The big end reveal and confrontation is exceptional, and I loved how well all the storylines and cleverly setup plot points came together.  Everything leads up to a very desperate struggle that helps to define some of the main characters in some very powerful ways.  Pratchett chooses to leave the book on a hopeful note that sets the expanded course for the future City Watch books, while also providing some interesting insights into one of the main characters and his role in the city.  An overall epic narrative that twists, turns and keeps you guessing, while constantly entertaining and emotionally charged.

As with his other books, Pratchett perfectly sets out Men at Arms with impeccable writing, and I loved how this complex novel came about.  Featuring his usual impressive blend of fantasy and humour elements at its base, Men at Arms is both intriguing and quite funny in equal measures, and I love the subtle comedy that runs through it.  Many of these scenarios involve classic fantasy scenarios being seen through the eyes of self-aware characters, allowing the situation to be taken up to an 11, with sarcastic commentary from the witnesses.  This humour is well enhanced by several of its best characters, including a fantastic new buddy cop routine, with members of two separate and historically antagonistic species forced to work together and eventually becoming friends.  Some of the other hilarious moments in the book include unlikely members of the city’s population being conscripted into the Watch, unfunny clowns, unconventional investigation methods, and other subtle humour.  You also have to love the brilliant footnotes that seek to enhance the story and showcase just how ridiculous the Discworld is by providing additional details about the universe and the people within it.  All this results in a brilliant and highly entertaining fantasy read, and that’s before you even get to the great crime fiction elements of the story.

As with Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms stands out from the rest of the Discworld series due to the way that Pratchett provides a complex and compelling crime fiction narrative.  Focused on an explosive heist that eventually results in a series of brutal murders, Men at Arms tries to envision how firearms would disrupt the Discworld.  This allows for quite a captivating crime fiction narrative, which I feel was a much better mystery than Guards! Guards!.  Advancing more into police procedural territory than its predecessor, the mystery of Men at Arms proves to be top rate, with the protagonists going after an already known villain for much of the book.  Much of the early story involves the protagonists trying to unfurl the antagonist’s plan and discover how he committed the crime, which allows for some great scenes as the Watch inexpertly investigate.  Pratchett cleverly twists the fact that think you know who the antagonist is towards the end of the book, and I love how well he switched this key story element, especially as the implied true villain of the story is far more sinister than just evil humans.  I really enjoyed how well Pratchett sets up this mystery in Men at Arms, and even after so many re-reads there are still additional subtle clues and foreshadowing that I’m only just picking up on.  The police procedural elements of the story are also extremely well handled, with a lot of humour focused around three very unlikely recruits joining the already scruffy outsiders who make up the Watch.  All these elements come together extremely perfectly and allow for readers of various genres to come into Men at Arms and have an incredible time.

Due to Pratchett’s excellent writing style, Men at Arms does work quite well as a standalone novel, and new readers can generally enjoy this book without any prior knowledge of the Discworld series, especially once they get caught up in the cool story and amazing humour.  However, I do feel that to get the best experience with Men at Arms, readers really do need to have checked out Guards! Guards! first.  The continuing storylines, history of the city and character arcs all come into play extremely well in Men at Arms, and you get a much more complete experience viewing all City Watch novels in order.  There is also a continuation of some character arcs from the standalone novel, Moving Pictures, especially as a few major characters from there get a recurring role in this new sub-series.  As such, I would say that Men at Arms is a novel more aimed towards Pratchett’s established fans, with those who loved Guards! Guards! guaranteed to enjoy its impressive sequel and the compelling direction Pratchett starts to take the City Watch books in.  It helps that the author continued to explore the crumbling and crime-ridden city that is Ankh-Morpork in this Men at Arms, providing even more details about its governance, mindset and people.  This includes really expanding on the species tension between the dwarfs and trolls and showcasing it as a major plot point while also paralleling real-life racial tensions.  This focus on dwarf and troll conflict becomes a major plot point of the Discworld going forward (especially in the later City Watch books), and its setup here was spectacular.  Combine that with the changes that happen to the Watch at the end of the book, and Men at Arms is an important entry in the wider Discworld context, especially as so many key City Watch storylines start here.

While there are so many amazing writing elements to Men at Arms, few things top the exceptional character work that ensured that this novel was far more than just a funny fantasy novel with crime fiction elements.  Instead, the complex and heartfelt dives into its extensive main cast ensured that Men at Arms was one of the more powerful and emotionally charged entries in the Discworld (a very impressive feat).  The combination of returning protagonists from previous books, as well as a few outstanding new characters, allows for a range of different plot perspectives and personal storylines, and Pratchett effortlessly works to make you invested in all these character arcs before hitting you with intense tragedy and powerful moments.

At the centre of the plot lies main character Captain Samuel Vimes, the cynical veteran leader of the Night Watch, who has finally found happiness and romance in his life.  Now on course to retire and become a man of leisure, Vimes must deal with the horror of becoming the thing he hates most: a rich civilian.  Dealing with it by diving into one last investigation, Vimes finds himself facing everything he hates about his job, including bureaucracy and the whims of powerful people, resulting in some brilliantly chaotic scenes.  While it does seem that Vimes’s role in this story is slightly diminished compared to in other City Watch books, especially in the centre, he is still a major part of the book, and Pratchett writes some excellent storylines around him being the dogged and worn-down investigator pushing against authority and trying to solve one more crime.  The focus on his identity as a copper, the sacrifices he makes for his fellow officers, as well as the horror at having to give up the job are major parts of his character arc, and there are some truly heartbreaking moments when he realises he must give it all up.  This is well balanced with his heartwarming romance with his unlikely partner, Lady Sybil Ramkin, whose well-meaning support and determination help to make Vimes a better person.  However, it is the major sequence when Vimes finally encounters the antagonist which really provides the best look at the character.  Forced to decide between being a good cop or a figure of vengeance (a battle that rears its ugly head for Vimes many times during the series), Vimes truly hits his mental and moral limit as he faces down his adversary, and it is one of the most powerful scenes in the entire Discworld series.

While Vimes is the main character of the City Watch series, the focus of Men at Arms is a little more skewed more towards Corporal Carrot Ironfoundersson, as Pratchett expands on his excellent introduction in Guards! Guards!.  Now firmly a part of Ankh-Morpork society, Carrot has evolved from naïve newcomer to a seasoned police officer who knows literally everyone in the city.  Fully utilising his natural charisma, Carrot proves to be a major force for law and order in the city.  I loved how much Pratchett enhanced Carrot in this sequel, as his personality evolves due to his role and responsibility, and despite still appearing quite naïve and obedient, Carrot showcases some impressive intelligence driving much of the investigation.  I especially appreciated the various scenes where Carrot managed to outfox many of the city’s more dangerous figures who fall for the dumb copper routine.  Despite his new confidence and ability to bring out loyalty in others, Pratchett makes sure to show that Carrot isn’t infallible, and you see some vulnerability at times. Carrot also serves as the moral centre of the book, bringing out the best in the other members of the Watch.  His interactions with Vimes in the final confrontation were very heartfelt, especially as he keeps the man he admires most from doing the wrong thing, while the way he handles the antagonists goes to show that he is truly a good man, who you better pray you never face.  I also think that his talk with Vetinari at the end of the book was one of the best scenes in Men at Arms, especially as he truly surprises the Patrician, while also dancing around the tricky subject of Carrot’s potential position as heir to the throne.  His decision to refuse power and ensure that Vimes will be there instead really helps you keep faith in the good of people, and this was frankly Carrot’s best book.

I also have to highlight the fantastic and fun duo that was the newly instated watchmen, Cuddy and Detritus, the later of whom previously appeared in Moving Pictures.  An unusual dwarf and the thickest of trolls, the two make for a particularly unlikely and chaotic duo, which Pratchett uses to full effect as the book continues.  Thanks to the enmity that exists between their respective species, Cuddy and Detritus spend much of the early part of Men at Arms bickering with each other, including in one scene in the middle of a riot.  However, after being forced to work together, the two form a grudging bond, especially when Cuddy stops seeing Detritus as a dumb troll.  I loved how well Pratchett took the classic odd-couple police partner trope and twisted it around the compelling species-rivalry theme of the book, and the fun dynamic that forms between the new friends is a major highlight of the book.  The various sequences that follow the big scene that defines these two partners are some of the most powerful in the entire Discworld.

Following on the heels of Cuddy and Detritus is Angua, the other new recruit to the Night Watch.  Angua is an interesting figure in the story, mainly because she’s one of the few people able to see how ridiculous the entire Night Watch is.  The subsequent storylines surrounding her potentially doomed romance with Carrot and her desire to keep her status as a werewolf secret from everyone, add some excellent alternate perspectives to the plot, and Pratchett did an outstanding job setting her up as a compelling figure for the rest of the series.  It helped that for this first book she worked as a bit of a double act with the small talking street dog, Gaspode, who also previously appeared in Moving Pictures.  Gaspode proves to be a fantastic wise-cracking counterpoint to Angua, and it was hilarious to watch him mess with the various human characters who refuse to believe he can talk.  Their resulting storylines about investigating the crime as canines, as well as the unlikely dog rebellion brewing within the city, works well with the other character focused arcs, and it was fun to get a little more closure on Gaspode’s story after his previous appearance.

Other great supporting characters in Men at Arms includes the returning members of the City Watch, Sergeant Colon and Corporal Nobbs.  While not as well utilised in this book as the rest of the City Watch series, they still prove to be a fantastic addition to the supporting cast.  Entertaining backers to the various other character-driven storylines, both show interesting depths in this book, whether it’s Colon acting as a put-upon drill sergeant, or Nobby’s use of his quartermaster past to obtain a collection of weapons.  Other members of the city also prove to extremely entertaining, with the tyrannical Lord Vetinari being the highlight.  The way in which Vetinari manipulates Vimes throughout the entire novel, while also understanding the true nature of most of the city’s residents is highly impressive, and I love that he stayed on as a major character after Guards! Guards!.  Throw in a complex arrangement of well-hidden antagonists, including an idea of violence that takes on a familiar form, and the cast of Men at Arms proves quite exceptional.  I really cannot emphasise just how much these carefully written character arcs and complex personal storylines increased the impact and emotional power of this novel, and you will come away loving everything about them.

I doubt anyone will be too surprised that I am about to write several paragraphs about Men at Arms’s epic audiobook formats, which I have long described as the very best way to enjoy Pratchett’s stories.  I honestly love all the Discworld audiobooks and luckily for connoisseurs, there are two outstanding versions of the Men at Arms audiobook that you can check out.

The first of these is the classic edition that was released back in 1996 and which is read by Nigel Planer.  Planer, who is one of my favourite audiobook narrators, lent his voice to most of the early Discworld novels, and is a key reason why I love Discworld books in this audio format.  Planer unsurprisingly does an amazing job with Men at Arms, especially as he perfectly captures Pratchett’s complex humour and intense story arcs with his brilliant narration, with every element of the book coming across in an exceptional and addictive manner.  This includes the brilliant characters, many of whom Planer previously voiced in other Discworld books.  Planner does an amazing job once again diving into these unique characters throughout Men at Arms, and the way he effortlessly portrays each character and shows their full personality and emotional range is just amazing.  He frankly provides the definitive portrayal for all the City Watch characters, and I honestly love the passion he brings to the Men at Arms audiobook. 

While the Nigel Planer audiobook version is always going to be a favourite of mine, I also have come to deeply appreciate the latest Men at Arms audiobook.  Part of a newly released collection of Disworld audiobooks that feature an interesting array of British talents bringing their vocal skills to Pratchett’s classic tales, this new Men at Arms audiobook is very impressive and is just as easy to get lost in at the classic Planer version.  Featuring the amazing cast of Jon Culshaw, Peter Serafinowicz and Bill Nighy, this Men at Arms audiobooks has a runtime just short of 13 hours, which is a few hours longer than Planer version.  However, the excellent array of narrators really makes it worth a listen.

The heart of this new Men at Arms’ audiobook is British radio and television personality Jon Culshaw, who dove into this role in a very impressive manner.  Culshaw really makes the story his own with his take on the novel and the characters, resulting in a very different feel that fans of the original Planer version will really appreciate.  Part of the reason why it was so good was that Culshaw brought back the excellent character voices and tones he previously used in Guards! Guards!, many of which provide great and often gritty new takes on some classic characters.  This includes a much rougher and despair filled Vimes, which fits the darker places Pratchett took the character in Men at Arms, especially when he goes up against the system.  His voice for Carrot captures the same keenness and naiveté that we saw in the previous book, however Culshaw’s vocal work also backed up Carrot’s excellent character development as the protagonist came into his own.  His voices for Lord Vetinari and Nobby Nobbs were also a ton of fun, with the dark and insister tones of Vetinari stealing every scene he is in, while Culshaw’s Nobby voices sounded appropriately similar to David Bradley or Jon Pertwee, which is just hilarious.  Culshaw also did an excellent job with several newly introduced City Watch characters, and I felt he got ever new additional cast members’ voice down perfectly.  My favourite was probably the troll Detritus, as Culshaw worked hard to showcase his massive and rocky troll nature, as well as his serious and slow personality.  This excellent vocal work from Culshaw ensured that the core of this Men at Arms audiobook was extremely impressive, and I really could listen to Culshaw’s take on these epic characters all day long.

As with all books in this new collection of Discworld audiobook’s, Culshaw’s main narration was perfectly backed up by recuring voices of Bill Nighy and Peter Serafinowicz. Both play key parts in this audiobook, with Nighy providing the narration for the footnotes, while Serafinowicz was the voice of Death whenever he appeared. These performances were once again perfect, and I especially loved Nighy’s excellent work with the vital, comedic footnotes.  Nighy really enhances the impact and value of these footnotes with his calm and impressive voices, and I especially loved his take on some of the more entertaining footnotes, including one where he partially sings a bad folk song.  Serafinowicz’s role in Men at Arms is also very fun, as he brings the fan-favourite character of Death to life.  Death has several great appearances in Men at Arms, and hearing Serafinowicz’s excellent voice suddenly appear amongst the general narration really increases the impact of the character.  Both Bill Nighy and Peter Serafinowicz’s inclusions were extremely fun, and I felt that they were combined with Culshaw’s main narration in a very impressive way.  These three brilliant British talents ensured that the new version of Men at Arms was particularly impressive, and while the original audiobook will always remain one of my favourite ways to enjoy Men at Arms, this new version is very much worth a listen and will likely inspire a new generation of Discworld fans.

Well, I think that my above excessive ramblings have probably made the point by now that I deeply enjoyed Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett.  One of the best Discworld and City Watch novels, Men at Arms was a glorious, captivating and moving read that perfectly blended crime fiction, fantasy and satire into one truly addictive and impactful book.  Clever, sharp and loaded with truly exceptional characters, Men at Arms was Pratchett at his very best, and I cannot recommend this book enough, especially on audiobook.  I can think of no higher praise for Men at Arms than to once again state that I will never get bored with this exceptional book, and it inspired me to continue the series and re-listen the next City Watch book, Feet of Clay.

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Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Murder Mystery2 Comments

Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio (6 February 2025)

Series: Alex Delaware – Book 40

Length: 9 hours and 10 minutes

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Still going strong after 40 Alex Delaware crime fiction novels, the always dependable Jonathan Kellerman presents another clever and captivating read with Open Season, an intense novel that proves very hard to put down.

Jonathan Kellerman is an excellent veteran author, whose massive body of work has been impressing crime fiction readers for decades.  While he has a couple of big series, Kellerman is best known for his long-running Alex Delaware series, which follows titular protagonist Alex Delaware, a child psychologist, and his best friend, LAPD Lieutenant Milo Sturgis as they investigate unusual or deranged murders around Los Angeles.  This is a really great series, and ever since I came across it, I’ve made a major effort to read each new entry, especially as they also provide some great mysteries and complex police investigation narratives.  Books like (The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine, City of the Dead, Unnatural History and The Ghost Orchid), have all been extremely amazing, and I eagerly await my new Alex Delaware hit at the start of each year.  The latest entry in the series, Open Season, is the 40th Alex Delaware novel, with Kellerman still going strong this far into the series.

Los Angeles is filled with all manner of dreamers and aspiring stars, but when one of them meets a tragic end, it falls to psychologist Alex Delaware and veteran homicide detective Milo Sturgis to find them justice.  Called in to investigate the dumping of an aspiring actress’s drugged body near a hospital emergency room, Alex and Milo soon set their sights on a known abuser as a likely culprit.  However, their hunt is prematurely ended when their suspect is found murdered, shot by a sniper.

Forced to switch to a new investigation, the two friends and their team are surprised to discover that the execution of the sexual predator is connected to two other unsolved homicides, with both additional victims shot from a distance using the same rifle.  Determined to figure out how the cases are linked, the team uncover a web of seemingly unconnected innocent victims, each of whom appeared to have been killed for very different reasons.

With additional bodies starting to pile up around the city, Alex and Milo find themselves in a race to solve the case before more victims can be cut down.  But are they facing a dangerous spree killer with no rhyme or reason to their actions, or a darker figure with their own complex rationales for murder?  To solve the case and stop the shooter, these two friends will need to use all their combined skills to decipher their strange motivation before even more people wind up dead.

Jonathan Kellerman continues to deeply impress with this new addictive and captivating crime fiction novel that I couldn’t get another off.  Featuring another brilliant and unique case, Open Season was an exceptional 40th entry in the Alex Delaware series that takes the reader down some dark and twisty paths.  This was a truly excellent read that I powered through in a very short amount of time.

Open Season was a particularly strong murder mystery from Kellerman, and I loved the compelling, multi-layered narrative that emerged.  Once again bringing together his two loveable main characters, Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis, the two initially begin the book by investigating the murder of a young aspiring actress, drugged and dumped near a hospital.  Starting off with the typical look at the victim and anyone who knew her, the detectives are quick to narrow in on a suspect, only for the story to take an interesting turn when their potential killer ends up dead.  From there the story becomes a lot more complex, as the protagonists and a larger team begin to investigate the shooting of the first suspect, as well as several connected crimes.  This allows for a larger story with a ton of distinctive potential witnesses and suspects, and the protagonists investigate in several different directions, adding a lot of different pieces to the puzzle. 

Thanks to a series of varied clues, compelling research and additional discovered killings, the protagonists eventual narrow down on a potential suspect with interesting connections to each of the victims.  Without giving too much away, I felt that the overall solution for Open Season’s investigation was very clever, and it nicely tied into each of the victims/cases that make up the larger mystery.  The motivations for the killer were very unique and memorable, so it proved quite fascinating to see how the protagonists identified the antagonist and led to a great conclusion to the overall story.  I particularly enjoyed the final confrontation that the protagonists had with the killer towards the end of the book, and it wrapped the story up perfectly.  An overall excellent murder mystery narrative that will have you hooked all the way to the end.

I deeply enjoy Kellerman’s style for the Alex Delaware books and he really knows how to pull together a fascinating and intense police investigation narrative.  The author prefers a slow and methodical style of investigation as the protagonists pull together various clues and connections and work them into their various theories, which always adds a great touch of realism to proceedings.  There is a particular reliance on diving into the personal histories of the victims and suspects that Kellerman enjoys, which works to drag the reader further into the plot as they become even more invested in the investigations.  I felt that Kellerman’s typical style worked particularly well in Open Season, and I loved the complex investigation that emerged.  The multiple separate murders and the large array of connected people associated with each case allowed for a particularly elaborate story, and Kellerman carefully allowed his protagonists to explore these different elements allowing for compelling drive to the big conclusion around who was responsible.  I felt that Kellerman did an excellent job layering the more important clues around the case throughout the entire story, and it was very interesting to see what discussions or personal details came into play later.  I really got invested in Open Season’s complex case as a result, and this proved to be a particularly clever and well written mystery that deeply enhanced Kellerman’s already excellent story.

In addition to the very well-written story, Kellerman features some interesting characters and interactions in Open Season that help to create a unique feel that fans of the Alex Delaware series will be very familiar with.  Much of this lies with the two main characters, Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis, who have an established and comfortable way of speaking with each other.  These two characters, both of whom are quirky in their own ways, are an excellent centre for the story, and I love how well the play off each other.  While their dialogue can be a little unique and occasionally flippant, Kellerman has spent a lot of time developing their patter, and you grow to appreciate the way these two characters work together.  In addition to their usual discussions, Open Season also had some more personal interactions between the two, especially when Alex is forced to keep some information from the team to protect the confidence of a medical professional.  I also liked how this was one of the Alex Delaware novels where the protagonist got to use his expertise as a psychologist to try to get to the root of the various suspects potential motivations.  This psychological work comes into play nicely, especially once they identify who the killer is, and it helped to give Open Season more of a distinctive edge away from other crime fiction reads.

While most of Open Season’s focus is on Alex and Milo, Kellerman also introduces an array of interesting supporting characters, each of whom are connected to the case in some specific way.  I really enjoyed the unique collection of characters that emerged, and there are some interesting storylines and connections that emerge thanks to the protagonists constant digging into the past.  The characters that get the most attention are some of the victims of the case, whose lives are explored in detail by the detectives.  Despite not interacting with the protagonists or readers while alive, you get to know all the victims thanks to interviews with their friends and families.  These many detailed interviews not only provide key information about who the victims are and potential motivations for their murders, but they also provide compelling and emotional testimony from those that loved them, which ensures that the reader becomes very invested in finding out who killed them.  You also meet a compelling group of people connected to the victims, who serve as witnesses, sources of information or suspects (sometimes all at once) in the case.  Due to the nature of Open Season’s story, you meet quite a few supporting characters, often for only a scene or two.  Kellerman makes these appearances count, though, and I liked some of the unique interactions that occurred, even if some of these characters were a little weird or had an unrealistic way of communicating.  The eventually revealed killer was particularly outrageous when eventually revealed, which I personally thought was very entertaining, although I could see some readers finding him to be too over-the-top.  Still, all these characters added something to the plot, and I enjoyed the effective way in which Kellerman introduced and utilised them throughout the book.

While I usually try to get physical copies of the Alex Delaware novels, for Open Season I ended up listening to the audiobook version, which I felt was an excellent way to enjoy this amazing book.  I personally find that the audiobook format does wonders for helping readers appreciate detailed and multilayered crime fiction narratives and Open Season was a great example of this, as I soon got drawn into every level of the author’s compelling mystery.  Part of the reason this worked so well was narrator John Rubinstein, who has lent his voice to a large chunk of the Alex Delaware series.  Rubinstein has a fun voice that lends itself to the occasionally zanier style of the Alex Delaware books and really brings the author’s complex narratives to life.  I especially enjoy how Rubinstein perfectly captures the characters featured in Open Season, including the main protagonists, Alex and Milo.  A great example of this is the very distinctive voice that Rubinstein utilises for Milo, which really captures the man’s complex and entertaining nature, and frankly I don’t know any other way how this character could be voiced.  The narrator also successfully captures the distinctive patter that the two main protagonists have between each other, and the way conversation flows between them in the audiobook is a ton of fun.  The various other characters featured with Open Season are also well represented, and I loved the colourful array of voices and accents that Rubinstein utilises for the supporting cast and various witnesses that protagonists encounter.  While a few of these voices are a little over-the-top, I personally liked them, and I felt it fit the long-running and distinctive series tone extremely well.  This exceptional narration allowed me to absolutely power through Open Season’s roughly nine-hour long run time, and I had such a blast picking up every single clue or compelling character interaction in this format.  As such, I would strongly recommend the audiobook version of Open Season to anyone interested in checking this mystery out, and I can personally guarantee it makes for great entertainment on a long trip.

Even after all these years, Jonathan Kellerman still shines as one of the masters of the crime fiction genre.  The 40th Alex Delaware novel, Open Season, was an outstanding addition to the series, and I love the compelling and awesome narrative that emerged.  Slick, addictive and featuring some interesting twists, Open Season was a truly impressive read, and I am still having so much fun with Jonathan Kellerman’s incredible books.

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A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Five-Star Books, Murder Mystery8 Comments

Publisher: Hodderscape (ebook – 8 April 2025)

Series: Shadow of the Leviathan – Book Two

Length: 432 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Robert Jackson Bennett continues to shine brightly with the epic second novel in his Shadow of the Leviathan series, A Drop of Corruption, an exceptional and incredible fantasy murder mystery that I could not get enough of.

Robert Jackson Bennett is an awesome author who has produced some impressive fantasy series over the last few years.  Best known for his Divine Cities and Founders trilogies, Bennett has consistently wowed audiences with his elaborate settings, great characters and intricate narratives.  However, even though I knew how good an author Bennett was, I honestly was not prepared for how much I would enjoy his 2024 novel, The Tainted Cup.

The Tainted Cup was a truly outstanding novel that saw Bennett bring together the fantasy and murder mystery genres into an exceptional and highly addictive fusion.  The first book in the author’s Shadow of the Leviathan series, The Tainted Cup followed the young assistant to an unnaturally gifted investigator as they attempted to solve several murders brought about by magical grass.  Set in a powerful Empire constantly under attack from giant leviathans, The Tainted Cup was a truly epic read, and I loved the elaborate narrative that emerged, as Bennett perfectly set a highly clever mystery amongst the chaotic and highly detailed fantasy setting.  The result was a five-star novel that ended up being one of my favourite books of 2024.  I really cannot emphasise enough just how good The Tainted Cup was, and I think it goes without saying that I was very keen to continue the series after that outstanding first entry.  As such, the second Shadow of the Leviathan novel, A Drop of Corruption, was one of my most anticipated books of this year, and it really did not disappoint.

On the borders of the Empire of Khanum lies the small canton of Yarrowdale, part of an independent kingdom that is reluctantly set to join the Empire.  A dank and impoverished land filled with swamps and waterways, the only thing of importance for the Empire in Yarrowdale is the high-security compound known as the Shroud.  A top-secret lab where the best scientists from the Empire dissect fallen leviathans to harvest the transformative magic found in their blood, the Shroud keeps Yarrowdale on the map and its inclusion in the Empire an inevitability.  However, when an impossible crime takes place within its borders, all eyes within the Empire will be looking towards it.

An important Imperial Treasury officer on assignment to Yarrowdale has gone missing, seemingly disappearing into thin air inside his locked and guarded quarters.  Needing answers, the Empire calls upon its most unlikely hero, the brilliant, and possibly insane, special investigator Ana Dolabra.  Accompanied by her loyal and often exasperated assistant, Dinios Kol, Ana soon invokes her uncanny talent for observations and ability to make unlikely connections to find answers.  But despite quickly working out how the victim disappeared, Ana discerns that the crime was only the first move in a diabolical master plan.

A dangerous and clever killer is stalking Yarrowdale, one with the ability to think ten steps ahead and effortlessly cover their tracks.  Worse, the killer has devious designs on the Shroud and is willing to use the facilities own dark science against it, crippling the Empire’s ability to defend itself.  To save the Empire, Ana and Din will need to discern the killer’s schemes and stop them before it is too late.  But have the pair finally met an opponent even more brilliant that Ana?

Wow, wow, wow, now that was an outstanding book!  Robert Jackson Bennett once again impresses to the extreme as A Drop of Corruption was an incredible read that I honestly could not put down.  Another excellent blend of brilliant mystery and inventive fantasy fiction, A Drop of Corruption was so damn good, and I loved every single second I spent absorbed in its captivating pages.  A very easy five-star read and one of the very best fantasy novels of 2025.

I just loved the story Bennett cooked up for A Drop of Corruption, and frankly I am still thinking about its many elaborate twists, turns and revelations.  Starting off with a good introduction to Yarrowdale, a setting starkly different to the locations from the previous book, the reader is soon brought up to speed about the unusual case within the isolated canton.  Told exclusively from the perspective of assistant investigator Dinios Kol, you soon become emmeshed in finding out how the treasury official disappeared from his guarded room, with his body soon discovered in the nearby waterways.  Thanks to the combination of Kol’s enhanced memory and the unique mind of lead investigator Ana Dolabra, the manner of the victim’s disappearance becomes apparent; however, this only raises more questions and reveals a dangerous killer stalking the canton.

Now I guarantee that at this point of the story you will be extremely hooked, thanks to the compelling mystery that is developing, as well as the intriguing characters, cool new setting and the hints of a very clever killer capable of outthinking the protagonists.  Following some cool moments that indicate just how far the killer is willing to go to achieve their goals, Bennett cleverly ties his mystery into some of the fantastic elements of the setting, including Yarrowdale politics, and the hidden science of the Apothetikal, the branch of the Empire dedicated to the biological alchemy that enhances people.  The author really raises the stakes as the book continues, especially with dangerous bioweapons, essential scientific advances, and ancient political turmoil all impacting the plot.  Bennett keeps the shocks going with several impressive scenes, especially the killer works to alter the destiny of both Yarrowdale and the Empire.

This leads up to the very exciting and fast-paced final third of the book, where all the pieces of the mystery come together.  Despite knowing the identity of their opponent, the protagonists are forced to work overtime to try and catch them as they constantly stay multiple steps ahead of them.  The protagonists are soon forced to take drastic action to get answers, and there are some great scenes as some interesting revelations come to light and various characters are forced to face the consequences of their actions.  After a particularly powerful scene that hints at dark secrets that will likely become a bigger problem later in the series, Bennett masterfully builds up to the final confrontation, where Ana provides her final deductions, and chaos reigns as a result.  This entire conclusion was so damn clever, and it was very satisfying to see Ana bring all the story threads and hidden elements of the mystery together in the climatic revelation scene.   This all results in a thoughtful, moving but overall satisfying end to the book that perfectly wraps everything up, and allows the series to continue.  Readers are guaranteed to come away from A Drop of Corruption very happy, and I know that I am even more eager to continue this series after this exceptional second outing.

As with the first Shadow of the Leviathan novel, A Drop of Corruption was an outstanding and captivating blend of fantasy and murder mystery storytelling elements, as Bennett wraps a particularly impressive investigation narrative around a distinctive fantasy setting.  In many ways an over-the-top fantasy Sherlock Holmes novel, A Drop of Corruption was so damn addictive, with no slow moments as the protagonists follow a deadly trail of a dangerous and unnatural killer.  The mystery itself is just perfect, and I loved how well the author enhanced the elaborate investigation with his own unique fantasy elements, carefully blending them together to create and even more elaborate tale.  Thanks to the constant revelations, carefully hidden clues, sudden outrageous twists and some very entertaining characters, I honestly found myself unable to put this book down, as I couldn’t wait to see what amazing reveal was coming next.  Bennett also successfully balanced the darker tone of the narrative with his own excellent character-driven humour, which ensured some lighter moments amongst the serious investigation and dangerous results.  This humour, which mostly lay around the author’s outrageous detective protagonist, often had me chuckling out loud, while never overpowering the murder mystery or fantasy elements.  Working well as either a standalone novel or a sequel to The Tainted Cup, there is something very fun for everyone in this book, and all fans of either fantasy or crime fiction can have a brilliant time here.

In addition to featuring a cool story with some wonderful blended elements, A Drop of Corruption also served as a great expansion of the outstanding fantasy realm introduced in The Tainted Cup.  I personally loved the overarching setting of the Empire of Khanum, which not only features gigantic, mutated monsters constantly attacking its walls from the sea, but also features a unique magical system of biological grafts originating from leviathan blood that alters people, animals and plants to benefit the Empire.  Many of these unique elements are on full display in A Drop of Corruption, with the focus on new grafts, research into the leviathans, and the existing enhancements of the protagonists all serving as key plot points in the main mystery.  Highlights include dangerous bio-weapons, grafts that turn the antagonist into a particularly dangerous opponent, and an elaborate look inside the research station known as the Shroud.  These unique fantasy elements are well re-introduced and expanded on as the novel continues and allowed for quite a unique crime fiction read as they are cleverly inserted into the plot.

Bennett also uses this book to explore new areas of his fantasy setting, particularly by introducing Yarrowdale, a semi-autonomous nation under the Empire’s influence that has yet to officially join it.  Filled with its own people, politics and history, as well as the influence of the Apothetikal, who have one of their most important bases there, Yarrowdale is a very different place to the previous settings featured in The Tainted Cup, and Bennett paints an elaborate picture of swamps, waterways and disgruntled locals who have their own opinions about joining the Empire.  As with the existing fantasy and setting elements of the book, Bennett expertly introduces and utilises this new setting into his narrative, and it serves as an effective and compelling background to the plot, especially when the case gets even more complicated, and the protagonists are forced to become involved in Yarrowdale politics and its royal family.  These scenes also allow Bennett to engage in a bit of social commentary, especially when it comes to the overall wickedness of kings (or other autocratic rulers), and it was fascinating to read his notes at the end where he expands on some of these points.  I really enjoyed this complex additional world building from Bennett, especially with how well it was utilised in the main story, and every new glimpse of the Empire of Khanum makes me an even bigger fan of this series.

I must also highlight the two awesome main protagonists that helped to make A Drop of Corruption so impressive, as Dinios Kol and Ana Dolabra were a highly entertaining duo.  Featuring an often exasperated but loyal subordinate working for a brilliant and eccentric detective, Bennett once again achieves the iconic detective/sidekick dynamic that fans of Sherlock Holmes will be familiar with.  In this case, Dinios serves the Watson role as the book’s only point of view, which allows him to be the sounding board for the mad detective, in this case Ana, while also being present for all of her deductions.  As such the reader, through Dinios’ eyes and ears, get the full explanation for how Ana reached her conclusion as she brings her assistant up to date.

This method of splitting the load between the detective and the sidekick is a classic for a reason, and I loved seeing the compelling story emerge from Dinios’s perspective, as he was front and centre for all the case’s twists and turns.  He was also a witness to all the crazy behaviour of his boss, and Ana did not disappoint, being her usual disrespectful and slightly unhinged self.  Most of the book’s humour came from Ana’s insane behaviour and the reactions of the other characters seeing it, which, alongside her incredible detective skills, is quickly making her one of my favourite fictional detectives.  I really enjoyed the dynamic that continued in this sequel novel between Dinios and Ana, and you get a great balance of eccentric genius and troubled young apprentice throughout the story.  While this partnership hits some snags in this book, especially as Dinios dreams of a more heroic career while Ana proves to be her usual impossible self, it proves to be a strong centre to the book, especially as certain revelations bring them even closer together.  A truly incredible central pair of protagonists whose entertaining antics I could not get enough of.  Throw in a great selection of supporting characters, including an intelligent and enhanced local assistant who manages to out-sass the protagonist, a multitude of suspicious individuals who have their own secrets around Yarrowdale, and an antagonist who is built up to be an insanely intelligent opponent for the protagonists, and this really ends up being an exceptional, character focused novel with some real emotional heart to it.

Overall, A Drop of Corruption was another exceptional novel from Robert Jackson Bennett, who did a truly outstanding job continuing his Shadow of the Leviathan series.  A Drop of Corruption was so damn good, and I loved every single part of this epic fantasy and crime fiction hybrid.  I honestly cannot recommend this book enough, and it easily one of the top fantasy reads of the year.

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Pacific Heights by S. R. White

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery5 Comments

Publisher: Headline (Trade Paperback – 25 March 2025)

Series: Standalone

Length: 279 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Over the last couple of years one of the more compelling authors of Australian crime fiction has been S. R. White.  A former member of the UK police, White has been writing intriguing crime fiction novels since his move to Australia.  His main body of work has so far included excellent reads like Prisoner, Red Dirt Road and White Ash Ridge (part of the Detective Dana Russo series), which featured complex mysteries centred around layered suspects.  I really enjoyed the compelling way in which White’s investigators break down the motivations and personalities of the suspects and the victim to get to the truth, and the author has a unique and striking writing style.  As such, I was eager to read his 2025 novel, Pacific Heights, which is a standalone spin-off of White Ash Ridge, featuring one of the supporting characters from the previous book in a more substantial role.

Plot Synopsis:

FIVE WITNESSES. FIVE DIFFERENT STORIES. WHO IS THE KILLER?

In the courtyard of the Pacific Heights building, a local waitress is found dead.
Five apartments overlook the murder scene. Five people witnessed a crime take place.
Finding the killer should be simple.

Except none of the witnesses’ stories match.
They all saw something – from a different angle, at a different time.
None of them saw everything. Anyone could be the killer.

Detectives Carl “Bluey” Blueson and Lachlan Dyson, each with their own careers in peril, must solve what others assume is a straightforward case. But to unmask a killer they must unpick a complex puzzle – where the motivations of the witnesses are as mystifying as the crime itself.

How can you solve a crime if anyone could be lying?

This was a very clever and addictive Australian crime fiction read that I had such a blast getting through.  White wove together a very compelling mystery narrative for Pacific Heights that cleverly explored a range of great characters and examined how people view events differently.

White starts Pacific Heights off well by introducing the detective protagonists and swiftly bringing them to the scene of the crime, where they attempt to ascertain the events leading up to the victim’s death by interviewing several people who either witnessed part of the murder or knew the victim.  The author takes his time with these initial interviews, ensuring that readers get a complete picture of what the witness’s account of events, as well as how they knew the victim.  It doesn’t take long for the reader and the protagonists to realise that the witnesses’ stories don’t match and none of them can definitively say who the murderer was.

By this point in the book, you’re strongly hooked, especially as the author has raised some interesting question about the victim and you are very intrigued by the main five witnesses and their potential secrets.  White rewards your interest with a series of insightful re-interviews, as well as bringing in new suspects and additional investigation methods to paint a larger picture of events, none of which quite fits together.  There is a great methodical style to the investigation, as the police chip away at all the inconsistencies and questions, although they are never quite as close to an answer due to the conflicting testimonies.

Everything leads up to the final third of Pacific Heights, which I honestly thought was a tad rushed, but which presented a solid and very clever ending.  Thanks to a brilliantly laid-out series of clues throughout in the plot, the protagonists are eventually able to solve the case, and I felt that the solution was extremely smart.  While I did predict who the killer would be, getting to their motivations behind the murder, as well as finding out how events unfolded, ensured that this was a powerful conclusion that fit the rest of the story really well.  I especially loved the twist around which of the witnesses were lying, and it tied in nicely to the complex character profiles White provided for the supporting cast, as well as utilising the protagonist’s own prejudices.  The result was an extremely impactful and captivating crime fiction story that I couldn’t stop reading and managed to power through in a couple of short days.

Pacific Heights proved to be an excellent read, and I really appreciated the intricate, character-focused mystery that White came up with.  Featuring a similar style to his Detective Dana Russo novels, the investigation is primarily based around understanding the people associated with the case, including the victim, witnesses, and other potential suspects.  This ensures that the author spends a lot of time carefully constructing and utilising his cast of supporting characters, and the array of motivations, personal issues and hidden histories, results in a particularly complex and emotionally charged read.  The focus on the various witnesses blends well with the character arcs surrounding the detective protagonists, and there is also a complex dive into the life of the victim, Tahlia Moore, even though she never actually appears alive in the plot.  Thanks to the protagonists diving into every aspect of her life, Tahlia comes to life through the descriptions of the other characters, and you soon begin to realise that she wasn’t as innocent or perfect as you are initially led to believe.  While I did feel that the author could have revealed some key history around certain witnesses earlier, for the most part I really appreciated how well White set up these compelling characters, and it helped to create a very powerful novel with some heavy emotional edges to it.

I also must commend how White worked this character-focused plot into Pacific Height’s police investigation narrative, as the protagonists are forced to wade through the conflicting testimonies to get the truth.  There is a certain amount of gritty realism to how White examines witness testimony and people’s motivations that really enhances the impact of Pacific Height’s plot, and I liked the underlying theme about how the way we see the world is flawed.  This focus on witness testimony blended well with the additional investigative tools featured in the plot, and this entire story came together extremely well. These combine nicely with the series of subtle clues that White lays down throughout the course of the book, and I loved how effectively this mystery came about.  While I did once again have minor issues with the author’s vagueness around where in Australia this book was set, this was honestly a very impressive crime fiction read that works well as both a standalone novel and a continuation of White’s existing series. 

Loaded with great characters, a deeply addictive mystery, and an excellent story hook, Pacific Heights was a very impressive read, and I had such an amazing time with this new novel from S. R. White.  Pacific Heights is White at his very best, and I really cannot recommend this book enough.

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