The best in crime fiction out now: How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson, Based on a True Story by Sarah Vaughan, Sacrifice by Lynda La Plante
How to Get Away with Murder is available now from the Mail Bookshop
How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson (Bantam £16.99, 368pp)
Denver Brady is the serial killer no one has ever heard of, because he is so successful at concealing his crimes.
But now he’s decided to show the world how clever he is by writing a book with instructions about everything a serial killer needs to know – how to choose your victim, how to hide in plain sight, how to outwit the detectives trying to catch you.
DI Samantha Hansen, who has been off the job for months after a nasty encounter with a male colleague, drags herself back to see if she can unravel Brady’s identity from the pages of his book.
But there is a strange confluence between them. Could he be stalking her? And if so, why? This is a creepy and accomplished debut from a Durham-based businesswoman who devoted herself to writing after the pandemic. We will hear more from her, she is that good.
Based on a True Story is available now from the Mail Bookshop
Based on a True Story by Sarah Vaughan (Simon & Schuster £16.99, 416pp)
On the surface, the life of Dame Eleanor Kingman, Britain’s best-selling children’s author, is serene.
A millionairess, she is about to celebrate her 70th birthday in her new mansion on the Cornish cliffs, surrounded by her three grown-up daughters. Rachel and Gilly both work for her, while the youngest, Delia, is an influencer who travels the world.
But appearances can be deceptive, and the reality in Eleanor’s life is quite different. The family has endless secrets. She has hidden her past to sustain her golden reputation, while her daughters also have their share of darkness, which surfaces in the days before the celebration.
This is talented Vaughan’s sixth novel and cements her place as one of our finest thriller writers.
Sacrifice is available now
Sacrifice by Lynda La Plante (Zaffre £22, 400pp)
Ambitious DS Jack Warr, former murder squad detective, is now leading a tiny art fraud unit at Scotland Yard comprising just him, a former IT specialist and an ex-con who spent time in jail for forging a Picasso.
Warr wants to make his unit’s reputation by tracking down a ridiculously expensive – and forged – Basquiat.
But the hunt takes an ugly turn when his principal informant is murdered. Warr becomes obsessed with getting justice. But he is also a man treading both sides of the law to ensure his financial future.
This is Line Of Duty territory, but with an exotic backdrop. The ageless and infinitely energetic La Plante drives the story at a phenomenal pace, working her customary magic in the final Warr story in the series.
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