James Patterson’s The 5th Horseman [ISBN  0 7553 2307 6] is a deceptively fast-paced thriller. The plot is pretty straightforward, with two main, and unconnected throughout, story lines. The book is thinly related to others in the “Women’s murder club” series. The narrative chugs along with continued deaths, whilst most of the time the police have no clue what is happening – so although there is continued action, there is frustration wondering if the plot will ever be resolved. (It is by the last page). It is skilled writing for suspense, though characterisations are pretty superficial, so there is little to engage the reader only the problem-solving.
Set in San Francisco, the action begins with an unexpected death in a hospital, and a staged murder of a young woman found in a car, dressed after death in designer clothes. Resolving the first is the job of Lt Lindsay Boxer – and much much later she begins to look into the first. As many series stories of this ilk the private lives o ...

Barrie Roberts’ Crowner and Justice is a fairly pedestrian British crime fiction novel – though to  be truthful I did read it to the end in order to find out how he managed to resolve the improbable plot. The book starts with an introduction to Chris Tyrell’s three new cases. As a litigation lawyer in the West Midlands he has a variety of cases, and in this case it’s an Employment Tribunal, the seizure of ponies grazing in a pasture, and a mother who wants a Coroner’s verdict of suicide overturned. Typically the narrative goes through each thread at a time making this, as usual, choppy reading in split narratives. The characterisations are quite thin – but probably as well drawn as possible given the number involved in the various cases. The ending is particularly improbable, given that the motives for the various mayhem and murder are thinnish.

Quite an old book (1995) by now but a really great read –this is masterclass crime fiction. The plot is just believable and challenging to the reader, the characters are slightly caricatured but memorable, the narrative weaves threads of stories skilfully and without losing the reader or annoying her unduly. But what makes this book so good is the smart, funny dialogue and wonderful descriptions which just delight and surprise and keep you awake and looking for more. What about this for an intro to a meeting

“There were several things Myron enjoyed more than visiting Herman Ache. Having his eyeball removed with a grapefruit spoon, for example”.

The story begins with Myron Bolitar, an Agent in Sports Representation, trying unsuccessfully to negotiate a contract with one of his ball ...

Sinister Heights by Loren D. Estleman deserves an 8 out of 10 if only for the quality of the writing – the dialogue and descriptions are clever and evocative. Reminiscent of the traditional hard-boiled detectives of Chandler and Robert B Parker, Esteman’s detective Amos Walker has the fast talking, ironic quips of the masters, together with the seemingly endless capacity to be beaten up and shot at.

Set in Detroit this novel tells the story of Walker’s search for the illegitimate offspring of the enormously rich Rayellen Sutch’s late husband. Thereafter follows his harassment by the police, and what ends up as a war between those interested in the money, and in between a horrific murder, more attempted murders and a kidnapping keep the action keen.

The Dead by Ingrid Black – A crime fiction novel about a serial murderer. It has a very good plot, though a strung-out narrative with a searchlight turned on a number of possibles leading the reader backwards and forwards among the suspects. It has rather broad-brush characterisations, but effective enough. Set in Dublin the book features Chief Superintendent Grace Fitzgerald who believes a serial murderer of prostitutes has started up again. The murderer uses quotes from the bible at each murder suggesting clues for catching him or her. Using two profilers to try to track down the murderer, Grace has to field scepticism from colleagues about her theories. There are many turns and twists in the story –especially the ending which has twist after twist up to the last page.