The best modern crime and thriller films – Review Report | books

The Cut Up by Louise Welsh (Canongate, £20)
This welcome third journey for gay auctioneer Rilke begins with the discovery of a dead body. Loathed jeweler Rodney Manderson was murdered outside the Bowery auction rooms, stabbed in the eye with a Victorian hatpin which his boss, Rose Bowery, waved before the nation at the Bargain Hunt. As she discusses the virtues of the pin as a lethal weapon as well as its uses in the new millennium, the fiercely loyal Rilke — while grateful to have skipped lunch and trying not to think about jelly — decides to remove it before calling the police. They quickly decide they’ve got their man, but Rilke isn’t so sure; The roots of crime may lie in the past – especially the notorious reform school. With a central character who feels like an old friend, The Cut Up is as sharply observed, humane and beautifully written as its two brilliant predecessors.

The Persian by David McCloskey (Swift, £20)
Former CIA analyst McCloskey’s fourth novel focuses on Iranian-Jewish dentist Kam Esfahani. Unsatisfied with life in Sweden, where his family moved after his expulsion from Iran, and wanting the money to move to California, he accepts an offer from the head of the Mossad’s Kayseri division. Upon his return to Tehran, he runs a fake dental clinic as a cover to help “sow chaos and anarchy in Iran.” Things go awry when he enlists the help of double agent Roya Shabani, the widow of an Iranian scientist killed by the Israelis. The book takes the form of a series of confessions that Cam, who has been arrested and imprisoned, is forced to write by his executioner, and these documents – which may or may not reveal the whole truth – are interspersed with flashbacks. Camm’s satirical tone and biting sense of humor serve to underscore not only the horror but also the inherent hypocrisy of the endless cycle of violence and revenge: this masterful novel is both tragically topical and utterly poignant.

10:12 By Anna Maloney (Raven, £16.99)
In screenwriter Maloney’s debut novel, arts lecturer Claire Fitzroy is on her way home from Manchester, preoccupied with a marital crisis, when a group of angry debauchees, their anti-social tendencies inflamed by internet fury, hijacks her 10:12 commute to Euston. Claire fights back with the other brave passengers, but some of her actions have dire consequences; When the surviving terrorists are put on trial, Claire finds herself in the court of public opinion, where many view her not as a life-saving heroine but as a deranged, menopausal killer. Now she wants to set the record straight – and unhappy with what she heard at the Old Bailey, she discovers the whole truth. This enlightening and engaging tale about how we stereotype and belittle others is an unflattering read that also gives food for thought.

Very slowly everything At once Written by Lauren Schott (Headquarters, £16.99)
This tense and lively debut novel is a cautionary tale about living beyond one’s means. Trying to maintain their dream home and lifestyle in an exclusive Cleveland suburb has left the Evans family—divorce attorney Hailey Evans, lecturer Mac, and their two young daughters—financially exhausted. To make matters worse, Mac is suspended from work; Haley’s most profitable client backs out of payment; Ominous cracks appear all over their newly built house; They are about to start paying Mac’s mother’s nursing home bill. The checks arriving from the mysterious “Sunshine Enterprises” seem like a godsend, and Mac convinces himself it’s his estranged father’s way of atone for past wrongs, but soon the money is accompanied by demands that involve breaking the law… Schott cleverly keeps things on the right side of plausibility as Evans’ life spirals out of control, paranoia and despair taking hold.

Vivian Dies Again by CE Hulse (Viper, £16.99)
Comedy novelist Caroline Hulse’s first crime is the story of 36-year-old hot mess Vivian Slade, who spends her life trying to “avoid being sober and alone.” She’s a messy nightmare as a roommate, an embarrassment to her relatives and a source of ruined parties and outrageous tales for her acquaintances. When someone pushes her off a balcony at a family gathering, she finds herself trapped in the time loop of her murder, her only ally being an exhausted waiter who, having cradled her broken body during her first “death,” is now stuck with her. There are flashbacks to various important events in Vivian’s life as she and Jimmy try to figure out who wants her dead and why, and Vivian realizes that she needs to start asking awkward questions and facing difficult truths. Hulse performs the necessary tricks with great confidence in this smart and innovative puzzle.