Susie Dent makes a return to the crime fiction scene with her latest novel, "Death Writ Large," appearing on the list of best crime novels for August.
"Death Writ Large"
Dent, known for her work as an Oxford lexicographer, offers a second outing for her character Martha Thornhill in "Death Writ Large." The novel follows Thornhill as she investigates a suspicious set of runes found on a church wall where an academic has died. Assisted by her dictionary-editing colleagues, Thornhill delves into the meaning of the cryptic message, which is connected to an Oxford author obsessed with puzzles and a group of undergraduate disciples. Geoffrey Wansell, reviewing for the Daily Mail, described the book as a "delightfully old-fashioned murder mystery" packed with intriguing details.
"The Burning Fears"
Katy Massey's "The Burning Fears" is also featured, marking a return for the protagonists introduced in her debut novel, "All the Sinners." Set in Leeds in February 1982, five years after the capture of the Yorkshire Ripper, the novel explores the lingering shadow of Peter Sutcliffe and corruption in the city. The story follows the apparent hit-and-run death of a former sex worker named Lynda and the investigation by DS Mick Hunniford into the blackmail of a wealthy local MP, questioning if the two events are connected. Wansell praised Massey's vivid atmosphere, great dialogue, and tightly wound plot, calling her a "star of the future."
"The Butcher Legacy"
Alaina Urquhart's "The Butcher Legacy" rounds out the notable crime novels. The book continues the story of New Orleans serial killer Jeremy Rose, also known as the Bayou Butcher, who is incarcerated thanks to pathologist Dr. Wren Muller. However, the killings do not stop. As Halloween approaches, young girls go missing with mutilations characteristic of the Butcher's work, leading Muller and Detective John Leroux to suspect an accomplice has taken over. Their investigation leads them to pastor Philip Trudeau. Wansell described the novel as "utterly compelling" and "crime at its most hypnotic."
