The explosive finale to Frederick Forsyth and Tony Kent's Odessa trilogy, The Odessa Assassin, is a must-read action-packed thriller, alongside new releases from Felix Francis, Louise Candlish, and Michael Connelly.
The Odessa Assassin: A Fitting Finale
Following last year's Revenge of Odessa – a sequel to Forsyth's acclaimed 1972 political thriller The Odessa File, published after the author's death at the age of 86 – Tony Kent returns with the explosive finale to their planned trilogy. Set in the immediate aftermath of the first sequel, The Odessa Assassin channels another of Forsyth's iconic novels, The Day of the Jackal.
This time, the US president is in the cross-hairs of an assassin's rifle scope, with a group of Nazis waiting in the wings to take control of the White House. Kent, bestselling creator of the Dempsey and Devlin novels, channels Forsyth while bringing his own blend of action-packed drama to create an old-school thriller with 21st century sensibilities. It is rated 8/10 and described as a must read.
The Chase: Art World Intrigue
Felix Francis's The Chase (hardback, £20) follows art gallery owner Fabian Tulley, who fears someone is trying to ruin his business when he's accused of selling a fake Sir Alfred Munnings painting. His other artworks are vandalised at his stand at Cheltenham racecourse, and two men try to run him down in its car park.
His regular clients are threatened and told to stay away from his gallery in London's Mayfair, and his landlords try to terminate his lease. Despite everything, Fabian is determined to save his life's work by proving he is innocent of art fraud and unmasking those targeting him. The engaging and tense thriller provides intriguing insights into the art world, with plenty of twists and turns. It is rated 7/10 and will delight the author's loyal fans.
A Knock at the Door: Suburban Suspense
Louise Candlish's A Knock at the Door (hardback, £16.99) sees the undisputed queen of suburban suspense return with another page turner. Eighteen years after three-year-old Tippi Macklin went missing on a weekend break with her parents, they receive a knock at their south London door. She's back. Or is she?
The woman claiming to be their lost daughter says a DNA test will support her claim, and Jed and Gabby desperately want it to be her. But what follows will upend everyone's expectations. With pacy plotting, a highly believable narrative and a series of twists, it is rated 8/10.
The Hollow: Harry Bosch's Latest Case
Michael Connelly's The Hollow (hardback, £22) sees LA detective turned private investigator Harry Bosch confront the neglect, loneliness and violence he suffered after being orphaned aged 11 by his mother's murder and placed in the grim MacLaren Children's Hall. Now in his seventies, the financial settlement following a class-action lawsuit against the county forces him to confront memories of 'the hollow' – the cramped, airless space where difficult children were punished.
Harry is more interested in justice than money, specifically the death of his friend and fellow inmate 'Chops' Lamb, which was covered up at the time. Connelly draws on a real-life $4 billion settlement for victims of LA children's home abuse last year to propel the plot of his 26th Bosch novel. It is rated 9/10, with Connelly taking crime writing to another level.
