A New Year it might be but the situation hasn't changed: Covid is still running riot and restrictions have been ramped up to try and bring it back under control but there is light at the end of the tunnel with not one, but two vaccines being rolled out by the NHS so hopefully by the spring/summer the picture will be looking a little brighter.

And so to books and a few short reviews of some crime novels which took me up to the end of 2020 - a year to remember and to forget!

Chris Whitaker: We Begin at the End

A tragic tale of broken people, broken families and the awful consequences that follow actions. Well written and gripping especially towards the end as Whitaker ups the pace but then leaves the reader with a sense of hope?

Harriet Tyce: Blood Orange

Dark and twisty tale of obsession, manipulation and sex with characters you love to hate as barrister Alison Wood engages in a 'rough' affair with a colleague whilst husband, Carl, a sex therapist, becomes less and less willing to engage with her at home - vicious!

CJ Tudor: The Taking of Annie Thorne

A creepy thriller with a supernatural flavour and a flawed but likeable hero in Joe Thorne who has lived most of his life with guilt about the disappearance of his little sister. A few surprising twists to keep the reader interested right up to the chilling conclusion but some supporting characters are under-developed. Did not really live up to its billing.

Alex Pavesi: Eight Detectives

A clever idea that has editor, Julia going through a series of short murder mysteries with the author ahead of publication. Each one features an anomaly which links back to a real murder but despite some interesting twists and turns along the way, it has a strangely flat denouement which is disappointing.

Claire McGowan: The Fall

A night out in a Jamaican club turns into a night-mare for Dan Stockbridge and his fiancee, Charlotte. Arrested for murder and remanded in custody until his trial, Dan all but gives up hope but Charlotte is determined to clear his name and forges an unlikely alliance with Keisha, whose boyfriend has a history of violence. Investigating the crime is Matt who is initially convinced of Dan's guilt but begins to question the evidence as he begins to fall for Charlotte. Told from their different perspectives, it rattles along at a good pace.