This week, Jeff Popple reviews three books of mystery and suspense. More of Jeff’s reviews can be found on his blog, murdermayhemandlongdogs.com

Past Lying by Val McDermid

Sphere, $32.99

Set in Edinburgh during the peak of the Covid lockdowns, Past Lying marks the welcomed return of Val McDermid’s popular detective, Karen Pire, in a new enthralling mystery. Featuring an interesting ‘story within a story’ plot, it finds Karen trying to untangle fact from fiction as she investigates an unpublished manuscript, which appears to hold the answer to a recent case. Karen is sceptical, but she cannot ignore the plot’s chilling similarities to the unsolved mystery of an Edinburgh University student who vanished. The only problem is that the author died before he finished the story. A fascinating, atmospheric crime story. Recommended.

Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

Penguin, $32.99

Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone was the wittiest and most original crime novel of 2022. Now Stevenson has brought back the book’s central character, Ernest Cunningham, in a new novel featuring a locked room murder mystery on a train.  In Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect, Cunningham finds himself investigating a new murder, when a crime writing festival on board the Ghan turns deadly. Featuring Stevenson’s trademark wit and humour, Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect rockets along at a good pace with plenty of twists and turns and some terrific surprises. A great read.

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman

Raven, $32.99

Much in the mould of the Stevenson book is Dann McDorman’s West Heart Kill. The basic story centres on the classic detective fiction trope of a group of wealthy people trapped in a secluded location. They share a sordid history of grievances and secrets, and eventually the mounting tension results in murder. In many ways, West Heart Kill is a love letter to the classic mystery, with an abundance of clues, and several ruminations on the history of the genre. The author frequently breaks down the fourth wall to directly address and involve the reader, and the ending defies convention in an interesting way.