The Trinity Six
by Charles Cumming
Harper Collins, $38
Spies tend to be a sneaky lot, so how is an academic researcher supposed to tell what's true and what's not when researching a book about the alleged sixth member of the infamous Cambridge spy ring?
Dr Sam Gaddis takes the challenge to pull himself out of financial difficulties, not realising the subject matter has already caused the assassination of a good friend. The bodies continue to pile up as Sam tries to work out who to trust and whether it's Britain's MI6, the Russians or both who are trying to quite literally kill the story.
Cumming keeps the plotline moving at a steady pace, neither overdoing the adventure and danger elements, nor slipping into unnecessarily complicated politics.
- Julie Taylor
Traces of Red
by Paddy Richardson,
Penguin, $30
Television journalist Rebecca Thorne is a bit discontented with life in general and her job in particular. It's a glamorous, high-profile job but she's worried she's losing her edge and her hunger. Her ratings are slipping and she needs both a new challenge and a sensational story to revitalise her career and her motivation.
She finds it - the case of eccentric, near-genius loner Connor Bligh, in prison for the murder of his sister, her husband and his niece. The killings were brutal and apparently without motive, although the evidence was largely circumstantial. An appeal has failed, but another is in the pipeline.
A photograph of Bligh, in which he appears fearful and vulnerable, persuades Rebecca that he is innocent and she takes up his case.
Imperfections in the criminal justice system and doubts about media ethics are hinted at as she pursues her campaign. The story's cleverly plotted, and the ending is surprising, although some of the dialogue lacks conviction.
- Graeme Barrow
The Shattering
by Karen Healey
Allen & Unwin, $34.99
This is a very quick yet enjoyable read for teens by a New Zealand author. Set in a picturesque West Coast town, the characters and plot are easy to relate to - up to a point, for unlike other beauty spots, Summerton holds some very dark secrets.
It never rains there over the New Year period, making it the perfect holiday spot, and the locals seem reluctant to move away. Grief-stricken Keri and her extrovert childhood friend, Janna, however, are immune to its charms.
Searching for reasons for the unexpected suicides of their elder brothers, the girls team up with the wealthy Sione who shares their loss of a sibling. In their investigation a pattern of similar suicides emerges, all young men who where in Summerton one New Year's Eve.
When it appears that their brothers have been murdered, several suspects immediately draw the teens' attention. Does the strange artwork, the "crown of Summerton", play a part in these suspicious events?
Together the trio fights magical forces to save the next intended victim.
Along the way there are many hurtful truths to uncover. Relationships between the teens are strained as they put their personal dreams aside to overcome the power that controls the town.
- Dianne Kerr