For fans of intelligent crime fiction, a trio of exceptional new thrillers has just been released, offering everything from a fresh take on a beloved British icon to a richly detailed historical mystery and a chilling tale of friendship gone wrong.
Quantum of Menace: A New Chapter for James Bond's Q
In Quantum of Menace by Vaseem Khan, a familiar face from the world of espionage is thrust into an unexpected new role. The story finds Major Boothroyd, known to most as Q, fired by M from his vital job of creating gadgets for James Bond at MI6. Forced into retirement, he returns to his sleepy home village of Wickstone-on-Water.
His quiet retirement is shattered when he learns that his childhood friend, Peter Napier, a renowned quantum computer scientist, has drowned in a suspected suicide. Q immediately knows something is amiss. Not only was Napier terrified of swimming, but the dead man also left Q a cryptic note hinting that his life was in danger.
Driven by loyalty and curiosity, the ever-resourceful Q launches his own investigation. His probing uncovers a sinister conspiracy lurking in the picturesque countryside, centred around a super-computer with the terrifying potential to rule the world. Khan masterfully maintains a breakneck pace as he launches Q on a thrilling new career as an amateur crime investigator.
The Burning Grounds: A Calcutta Mystery
Abir Mukherjee transports readers to Calcutta in 1926 in his superb novel, The Burning Grounds. The story follows Detective Sam Wyndham, a reformed opium addict who now prefers alcohol, and who is living in professional disgrace.
His fall from grace stems from helping his former subaltern, Suren Banerjee, flee the country three years earlier when Banerjee was suspected of a crime. Now relegated to a desk job, Wyndham's monotonous existence is interrupted when he stumbles upon the corpse of J. P. Mullick, a wealthy and admired businessman and patron of the arts, in the Hindu burial grounds.
The plot thickens when Banerjee suddenly resurfaces, searching for the daughter of a relative who happens to be a famous photographer. Add a beautiful English actress starring in an Indian film to the mix, and Mukherjee creates a captivating story set against the volatile backdrop of colonial India, brought to life with sharp observation and stylish writing.
The House on Buzzards Bay: An Elegant, Eerie Mystery
Dwyer Murphy's The House on Buzzards Bay offers a more intimate, psychological brand of suspense. The novel centres on six old university friends who gather at a holiday home in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, to collectively celebrate their arrival into middle age.
The reunion takes a strange turn when one of their group, Bruce, now a successful novelist, arrives late and seems deeply out of sorts. Even his oldest friend and host, Jim, cannot lift his spirits. The group begins to wonder if the disquieting atmosphere of the house itself is to blame, as it was once home to Jim's great-grandparents, who were Christian Spiritualists.
Tension escalates when Bruce mysteriously disappears. His absence is soon followed by the unexpected arrival of Camille, a seductive woman from his past. Suspecting foul play, Camille suggests holding a seance to uncover the truth about what happened to Bruce. This elegant mystery is guaranteed to bring a shudder to the spine of any reader.
All three of these compelling novels are available for purchase now from the Mail Bookshop, providing perfect escapism for any crime and thriller enthusiast.
