The Last Death of the Year
By Sophie Hannah (HarperCollins, $36.99)
More than 30 years ago, I read Agatha Christie’s final Hercule Poirot novel, Curtain, the official last case for the eccentric and iconic Belgian detective. The last until a few years ago, when British crime writer and poet Sophie Hannah, invited by Christie’s estate, took up the reins, resurrecting Poirot’s “little grey cells”. Continuation novels can be hit and miss, but in Hannah’s hands, the new Poirots have not only been bestsellers but very good reads. In the sixth, The Last Death of the Year, Poirot and his friend Edward Catchpool – our narrator – travel to an isolated Greek island for a post-Christmas holiday. But when a New Year’s Eve game turns sinister and a body is discovered, the pair must untangle the secrets of a very unusual group of “friends”. Hannah does an excellent job transporting readers to early 1930s Europe, and there’s plenty for Poirot fans old and new to enjoy. It’s a mystery that honours Christie and her sleuth without trying to mimic her style.
Black as Death
By Lilja Sigurdardottir, translated by Lorenza Garcia (Orenda Books, $39.99)
Icelandic novelist Lilja Sigurdardottir brings the curtain down on her award-winning Áróra Investigates series with this gripping fifth instalment. A few years after returning to Iceland to search for her estranged sister, financial investigator Áróra is forced to confront some hard truths after Bjorn, the abusive boyfriend and chief suspect in her sister’s disappearance, is found dead, folded into a suitcase in a volcanic fissure. What now? When Áróra’s investigation into a strangely profitable coffee chain leads to the very street where her sister Ísafold was last seen, her search for answers see her tumbling into a dangerous Europol case. As Áróra and her police detective boyfriend probe the darker sides of the Icelandic community, readers also experience Ísafold’s life leading up to her disappearance. Sigurdardottir doesn’t shy away from the trauma and complexities of domestic violence, as Ísafold struggles with her love for, and fear of, Bjorn. While the climax seems inevitable, Sigurdardottir masterfully keeps the tension high.
Fright on Stage Right
By GB Ralph (GB Ralph, $30)
Far lighter in tone than Sigurdardottir’s latest, but equally page-turning, is Palmerston North author GB Ralph’s fourth in his charming cosy series set in fictional Milverton, Manawatū. Popular in the US, Ralph’s tales star Wellington city slicker and marketing man Addison Harper, who finds himself in Milverton dealing with a creaking house inherited from a relative, as well as an anxiety-inducing romantic entanglement with police Sergeant Jake Murphy. In this, Addison has made the move to Milverton more permanent, as he’s about to begin a new job promoting the town to tourists. Just before he starts, there’s a date night with Jake, front row at a local Halloween variety show packed with spooky fun, ghoulish drag queens and audience participation. Addison is dragged on stage with the mayor to judge the contestants, only to witness a very sudden, very unscripted death. À la The Brokenwood Mysteries, Ralph creates an intriguing Kiwi mystery laced with plenty of grin-inducing elements among the dark deeds; there’s a lovely tone and a fun group of characters to keep readers engaged. Looking forward to more in the series.
