The Conservatory: Some secrets are best left buried; others are better never planted!

In a restored Victorian conservatory, four grieving women from the local wellness centre discover that their friend's mysterious death, amongst her toxic plants, was not an accident.

When eccentric homoeopath Aunt Lily arrives on her tricycle, she seems just the person to help uncover answers. But who is she really, and why is she there?

A sixteenth-century journal hidden in the conservatory holds dark secrets that could change everything. And an enigmatic stranger will stop at nothing to find it - making false promises and real threats.

Can the friends resist his temptations and unlock the book's hidden secrets in time? Do they have the strength to make an impossible choice before it is too late?

Anthony Aberford, is a businessman and writer with a strong bond to Yorkshire and Malta. His Detective Zammit series set on the island of Malta was published under the name AJ Aberford (also published by Hobeck Books). The Conservatory is set in Yorkshire and is a cross genre cosy/supernatural/murder mystery. The opener for a new series. 

Paul Burke is the editor of Aspects of Crime, a CWA Dagger judge and his first book is Spies on Screen: From Silent to Streaming will be published in September. 

   
Paul Burke is the editor of Aspects of Crime.
Spies on Screen: From Silent to Streaming - Sept '26
   

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FESTIVAL DAYS: May 1951. Celebration is in the air with the Festival of Britain and for the first time in years the mood is one of hope rather than hurt.

For Detective Constable Faye Smith, London is not as safe as it seems. The criminal underworld is gaining strength, enjoying a lively existence below the surface. Then two bodies are found in the war-time shelters, a man and a woman. Who are they? What's their story? Why were they murdered and how did they end up in the shelters?

Meanwhile, Ellie Peveril is busy with a celebration of a different kind. Ellie does all she can to support her friend but has her own worries, with ex-fiancé Patrick Havistock looming in the shadows. Faye, keen to unravel the mystery of the double murder, finds herself tangled up in crimes that stretch far beyond a simple killing.

Faye and Ellie must face their toughest case yet as their lives change, irrevocably, for the future.

Julie Anderson: Julie Anderson writes historical crime fiction, although she has also written a series of Whitehall thrillers, the third of which, Opera, was listed for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2023. She lives in south London where her latest crime fiction series is set. The Clapham Trilogy comprises 'The Midnight Man' (2024), 'A Death in the Afternoon' (2025) and 'Festival Days' (coming 2026) all published by Hobeck Books. Before becoming a crime fiction writer she was a senior civil servant, working across a variety of departments and agencies, including the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Unlike her protagonists, however, she doesn't know where all the bodies are buried. She began writing with a short series of historical adventure tales for young people of all ages, the first of which, 'Reconquista', was listed for the Children's Book Award 2016. Julie also writes crime fiction reviews (and the occasional arts column) for Time and Leisure Magazine and is a co-founder and Chair of Trustees of the Clapham Book Festival, south London's annual celebration of books and writing. She has been working recently with St Pauls Opera Company as an historical advisor on their production of 'L'Elisir d'Amore'.

Recommended: Elizabeth Buchan Woodspring Heidi Amsinck The Woman in the Wall, Andrew Miller The Land in Winter.

Paul Burke is the editor of Aspects of Crime

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The Murder Pool : Sometimes murder runs in the family. Or does it?

When a well-known artist is found in Snorri's Pool with an axe buried deep in his chest, Stella Blómkvist is immediately thrown in at the deep end, brought in to defend the apparently harmless young man the police have in their sights as the killer.

The man's mother had spent time prison, convicted of the killing of a personal trainer, despite her protestations of innocence. Stella can't help being drawn into both the cold case and this fresh murder, with a trail of guilt that stretches half-way around the world.

As if she doesn't have enough to keep her busy, Stella's pursuing a political high-flyer suspected of being a serial rapist, and defending a senior police officer on corruption charges that have all the hallmarks of a vendetta. But the toughest challenges Stella faces are among her own loved ones…

With a razor-sharp tongue and a moral compass all of her own, Stella Blómkvist has a talent for attracting trouble. Her trademark explosive mix of murder, intrigue and surprise has made this of Iceland's best-loved crime series.

Mentions:

Little Rebel - Jerome LeRoy, Arnaldur Indridason, Solveig Palsdottir - Icebears, Elsa Drucoff Rodolfo Walsh's Last Case, Jon Atli Jonasson - Broken, Toxic, Teresa Solano

Corylus Books

Stella Blómkvist Reviews

Paul Burke is editor of Aspects of Crime. His first book Spies on Screen: From Silent to Streaming will be published on September 24th.

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Matthew Parkhill, showrunner, is the creator and writer of Young Sherlock, directed by Guy Ritchie. His other work includes Deep State, Rogue and The Caller. (photo credit social media imbd.com)

Guy Hale is the author of the Comeback Trail and the Shakespeare Mysteries. His latest novel is Sleep No More

Young Sherlock is available now on Amazon Prime Video.

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Spies and Other Gods: The Head of British Intelligence is having a bad day. Only six months off retirement and Sir William Rentoul is wondering if he'll make it that far, what with the sudden descent of a brain fog dense enough to turn every day into a series of small humiliations.
To make matters worse, Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee - the body that oversees Sir William - has received an anonymous complaint from one of his officers. Sir William dimly recalls accepting that there should be a channel for whistleblowers, but he never expected that they would pick his most sensitive case, one involving an Iranian assassin and a trail of dead bodies, or that the person who turned up to poke their nose into his files should be a lowly parliamentary researcher named Aphra McQueen, who displays smarts, tenacity and rebelliousness in unsettling measures.
Aphra seems to know more about the operation than she is letting on. What will she uncover? What is she really up to? And can she survive the unexpected events that will bounce her from London to Birmingham to Paris to Lausanne?
James Wolff grew up in Beirut and has lived in Damascus, Cairo and Istanbul. He worked as a British intelligence officer for over ten years. He lives in England.

Recommended: The Untouchable John Banville

Paul Burke is the editor of Aspects of Crime

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Cover Story: Things aren’t going well for writer Col Newton. It’s ten years since he published his only novel, a critically acclaimed commercial flop.
Then out of the blue, he hears from his old university friend, Chris Lazenby. There had always been rumours Lazenby was a spy. Turns out the rumours were true.
Lazenby has a tempting proposal for Col. He’ll pay him fifty grand to write a novel. There’s just one catch. The book will never be published and Col can’t tell anyone he’s written it.
It’s all part of a cover story Lazenby is constructing for an agent in the field posing as a novelist.
With his literary career in the doldrums, Col agrees. But things quickly spiral out of control when Col witnesses Lazenby use his unarmed combat skills in a shockingly violent outburst.
But when the money starts to flow into his bank account, Col puts his qualms behind him.
He soon finds that without the prospect of publication to distract him he is producing the best thing he has ever written.
He now wants the book for himself, but will Lazenby agree? And when Col finds out what happened to the last writer who helped Lazenby, he realises that, like Scheherazade in A Thousand and One Nights, his life depends on the tale he tells.

R.N. Morris is the author of the Porfiry Petrovich series of historical crime novels, featuring the investigating magistrate from Dostoevsky’s masterpiece Crime and Punishment. He has also written six novels set in London in 1914: Summon Up The Blood, The Mannequin House, A Dark Palace, The White Feather Killer, The Music Box Enigma and Fortune’s Hand.

Tim Stretton is the author of the Barcelona Trilogy. Diamond Boulevard.

Produced by Junkyarddog

Recommended: Graham Greene - Our Man in Havana, Alan Furst, Stella Rimington, Charles Cumming, Julian Fisher - How to Think Like a Spy

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Troublemaker : Storm used to be just like her name. Wild and strong. A force to be reckoned with.
But ever since her younger brother was killed in a violent mugging, she has led a very different life: quiet and cautious, seeing danger everywhere. Storm’s tendency to panic has resulted in several false alarms, so when she witnesses a murder with uncanny similarities to the way her brother was killed, and yet no body is found and no one is reported missing, the police don’t take her seriously.
But Storm knows what she saw. And the murder is only the start – the killer will stop at nothing to keep Storm quiet. But how can she solve the murder and stay out of danger when no one believes her?

Lesley Kara: is a Sunday Times bestselling author of psychological thrillers known for twisty stories about secrets, jealousy and betrayal. Her debut novel, The Rumour, became a global bestseller and has been adapted for television by Channel 5.

She writes compelling crime fiction and domestic suspense set in seemingly safe communities — coastal towns, commuter suburbs and tight-knit neighbourhoods where danger hides in plain sight. Readers describe her books as “addictive”, “unputdownable” and “full of jaw-dropping twists”.

Lesley’s thrillers are perfect for fans of Gillian McAllister, Lisa Jewell, C.L. Taylor and Louise Candlish. Her novels explore obsession, grief, revenge and the lies we tell to survive.

She lives in the UK and writes full-time.

Recommendations: Trevor Wood The Silent Killer, Emma Curtis The Psychiatrist, The Ice Angels Caroline Mitchell, Stuart Neville The House of Ashes, Clare Mackintosh It's Not What You Think.

Paul Burke is editor of Aspects of Crime

produced by Junkyarddog

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BOOKS:

Chris Lloyd Banquet of Beggars

Mark Ellis Death of an Officer

Jim Kelly The Cambridge Siren

Scott Turow Presumed Guilty

Mark Billingham What the Night Brings

Liam McIlvanney The Good Father

Simon Mason The Woman Who Laughed

SA Cosby King of Ashes

Roger Morris Cover Story

honourable mention for (a slightly older book) Martin Edwards The Life of Crime.

Paul Burke is the editor of Aspects of Crime.

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Featuring books by Mick Herron. Jason Burke, Jane Thynne + nine others.

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Justice Served Detective Superintendent Christian Dane is a veteran Senior Investigating Officer who specialises in solving murders.
He is approached by Sue Wright, an archaeologist, to re-investigate the case of her cousin.
Ned Harrison was locked up for the horrific killings of two young girls thirty years ago and remains in prison. Sue is convinced that Ned is the victim of a dreadful miscarriage of justice.
Dane agrees to help but powerful forces quickly move to obstruct him and threaten his career and family. Undeterred, he exposes the police corruption and lies that convicted Ned and secures his release.
With a hand-picked team including his best officer Hayley Cross working with him Dane must now find the real murderer.
As the investigation unfolds more victims are identified revealing the terrifying work of a prolific serial killer.
With little physical evidence and no suspect Dane is under pressure to bring them to justice before they can strike again.
Simon Dinsdale served in the British Army in the 1970s. He joined the police in 1980 and spent twenty seven years as a detective. He now writes, travels and speaks about his experiences. He lives in Essex.

Recommends Martin Edwards, Michael Connelly, Roger A Price and Agatha Christie

Paul Burke is editor of Aspects of Crime.

Produced by Junkyarddog

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SHADOW OF A QUEEN: Saint Bartholomew's Day. Sunday, August 24 1572. Paris.
Robert Poley, fresh from graduating from Cambridge, rescues Sir Francis Walsingham and his household from the Catholic mobs led by the Duke of Guise who are slaughtering every Protestant they can find.
Poley becomes one of Walsingham's most trusted intelligencers. Despite his Catholic upbringing, he infiltrates one Catholic plot after another, all designed to overthrow Queen Elizabeth.
The agent soon realises that the most dangerous conspiracies centre around the Duke of Guise's Catholic cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots.
The plots to install Mary on the English throne become more ambitious and substantive. Walsingham decides on a pre-emptive strike.
The spymaster tasks Poley with infiltrating the enemy's inner circle and compromising Mary, so she becomes the author of her own demise.
A kingdom - and the life of a queen - hang in the balance.

PETER TONKIN: was born in 1950 in Ulster, Northern Ireland and was raised in the UK, Holland, Germany, and the Persian Gulf. The son of an RAF officer, Tonkin spent much of his youth travelling the world from one posting to another. He is also the author of the Richard Mariner thriller series.

Mentions: Garet Rogers - Brother Surgeons, Garrett Mattingly - The Defeat of the Spanish Armada, Park Honan - Christopher Marlowe, Charles Nichols - The Reckoning.

Recommended: Slow Horses Mick Herron, Roman series Richard Foreman, and CJ Sansom.

Paul Burke is the editor of Aspects of Crime.

Produced both Junkyarddog

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BEHIND HER SMILE Laurie Dunn has returned to her childhood attic bedroom and her old nightmares have come rushing back. Terrorised by a client-related mugging, her job as a criminal solicitor causes more problems than solutions.

Finn Ballentine yearns for a fresh start, but even the glossy façade of his new law firm can't protect him from the past he's running from.

After a disturbing remark by her confused father, Laurie joins forces with Finn to uncover dark truths. But the long-buried secrets they unearth are laced with danger for them both.

Caroline is the CWA Short Story Dagger shortlisted author of psychological suspense thrillers BENEATH THE SKIN, the best selling MY HUSBAND'S LIES, BETRAY HER, TRUTH GAMES, THE SINNER, THE STRANGER BESIDE ME, THE RETURN OF FRANKIE WHITTLE and her new novel BEHIND HER SMILE. She also writes gothic-tinged psychological thrillers as CE Rose - THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN SECRETS, THE HOUSE ON THE WATER'S EDGE, THE SHADOWS OF RUTHERFORD HOUSE, THE ATTIC AT WILTON PLACE.

Mentions: Vaseem Khan, Lisa Jewell, Abir Mukherjee, Mari Hannah, Howard Linskey, Ian Rankin, Elly Griffiths, Mark Billingham and Warwick Books.

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THE DEATH OF SHAME 1854, Edinburgh.Respectable faces hide private sins.
Apprentice Sarah Fisher is helping fund Dr Will Raven's emerging medical practice in exchange for being secretly trained as a doctor. Sarah needs no instruction in the inequalities that beset her gender, but even she has her eyes opened when her help is sought in the search for a missing woman. Annabel Banks was promised a job in a prestigious household, but she never appeared at her employer's house, and there has been no word from her since.
Sarah's inquiries lead her to discover the plight of hundreds of girls ensnared in Edinburgh's many brothels: lured, abused and left ruined in the eyes of a society obsessed with moral purity. Meanwhile, when a prominent society figure throws himself from the Scott Monument, Raven is asked to establish whether the death was indeed suicide and, if so, what might have driven this highly successful man to take his own life.
Drawing upon real historical events, The Death of Shame takes Raven and Sarah into a treacherous labyrinth of exploitation, corruption and high-level complicity. In a world where people are the prisoners of their secrets, the death of shame is the only path to liberty.

Ambrose Parry is a pseudonym for a collaboration between Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman. The couple are married and live in Scotland. Chris Brookmyre is the international bestselling and multi-award-winning author of over twenty novels. Dr Marisa Haetzman is a consultant anaesthetist of twenty years' experience, whose research for her Master's degree in the History of Medicine uncovered the material upon which this series, which begun with The Way of All Flesh, is based. The Way of all Flesh was longlisted for both the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award and the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year.

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Quantum of Menace: Q is out of MI6 . . . and in over his head

After Major Boothroyd (aka Q) is unexpectedly ousted from his role with British Intelligence developing technologies for MI6's 00 agents, he finds himself back in his sleepy hometown of Wickstone-on-Water. His childhood friend, renowned quantum computer scientist Peter Napier, has died in mysterious circumstances, leaving behind a cryptic note. The police seem uninterested, but Q feels compelled to investigate and soon discovers that Napier's ground-breaking work may have attracted sinister forces . . . Can Q decode the truth behind Napier's death, even as danger closes in?

Vaseem Khan is the author of two award-winning crime series set in India, the Baby Ganesh Agency series set in modern Mumbai, and the Malabar House historical crime novels set in 1950s Bombay. His first book, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, was selected by the Sunday Times as one of the 40 best crime novels published 2015-2020, and is translated into 17 languages. In 2021, Midnight at Malabar House won the Crime Writers Association Historical Dagger. Vaseem was born in England, but spent a decade working in India. In 2006, he returned to the UK and joined University College London's Department of Security and Crime Science, where he has helped manage the Dawes Centre for Future Crime. In 2023, Vaseem was elected Chair of the UK Crime Writers' Association.

Recommends The Ministry of Time Kaliane Bradley

Paul Burke is editor of Aspects of Crime, a CWA Gold Dagger judge and a contributor to crime magazines. His first book The Encyclopedia of Spy Fiction will be released in September, 2026.

Produced by Junkyarddog

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THE BLACK WOLF Several weeks ago, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team uncovered and stopped a domestic terrorist attack in Montréal, arresting the person behind it. A man they called the Black Wolf.
But their relief is short-lived. In a sickening turn of events, Gamache has realized that plot, as horrific as it was, was just the beginning. Perhaps even a deliberate misdirection. One he fell into. Something deeper and darker, more damaging, is planned. Did he in fact arrest the Black Wolf, or are they still out there? Armand is appalled to think his mistake has allowed their conspiracy to grow, to gather supporters. To spread lies, manufacture enemies, and feed hatred and division.
Still recovering from wounds received in stopping the first attack, Armand is confined to the village of Three Pines, leading a covert investigation from there. He must be careful not to let the Black Wolf know he has recognized his mistake. In a quiet church basement, he and his senior agents Beauvoir and Lacoste, pore over what little evidence they have. Two notebooks. A few mysterious numbers on a tattered map of Québec. And a phrase repeated by the person they had called the Grey Wolf. A warning...
In a dry and parched land where there is no water.
Gamache and his small team of supporters realize that for the Black Wolf to have gotten this far, they must have powerful allies, in law enforcement, in industry, in organized crime, in the halls of government.
From the apparent peace of his little village, Gamache finds himself playing a lethal game of cat and mouse with an invisible foe who is gathering forces and preparing to strike.

Louise Penny is the #1 New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. She has won numerous awards, including a CWA Dagger and the Agatha Award (five times) and was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. She lives in a small village south of Montréal.

RECOMMENDS: Simon Winchester The Map That Changed the World, Lyse Doucet The Finest Hotel in Kabul, Maigret, WH Auden.

Paul Burke is the editor of Aspects of Crime and is a regular contributor to online crime magazines, he is a CWA Gold Dagger judge and his first book An Encyclopedia of Spy Fiction wil be published in 2026.

Produced by Junkyarddog

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THE KILLING STONES When a ferocious storm rages across the islands, it leaves behind more than just damage: it uncovers the body of Archie Stout, a popular, larger-than-life member of the community.
The murder weapon? A Neolithic stone, bearing cryptic, ancient inscriptions.
Now living in Orkney with his partner, Willow, and their young son, Perez is drawn into a case that is chillingly personal – Archie was a friend from his own childhood. And the island is full of familiar faces, all of whom are potential suspects in the killing.
Perez must immerse himself in the lives of the islanders, separating truth from local legend before a desperate killer can strike again . . . and threaten the new life he's desperately trying to build. ANN CLEEVES is the bestselling author of 37 novels, she is a Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger winner, and the creator of Jimmy Perez and Vera, both seen on TV.

recommended: Mick Herron Clown Town, Hayley Scrivenor, Chris Hammer, Jane Harper, Garry Disher, Careless People Sarah Wynn-Williams.

produced by Junkyarddog

Paul burke is the editor of Aspects of Crime, a regular contributor to crime fiction magazines and websites. He is a CWA Gold Dagger judge and his first book An Encyclopedia of Spy Fiction will be out next year.

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MURDER TAKES A VACATION Meet Mrs Blossom. . .
A widow who has never left the US.
A grandmother with a knack for blending in.
A lottery winner with an unexpected fortune.
Determined to finally see the world, she's starting with a cruise along the Seine.
Just twenty-four hours into Mrs Blossom's trip, however, a man is dead, a precious artefact is missing, and a mysterious stranger is claiming her life is in danger. Surrounded by luxury food, quaint towns and people with staggeringly high net worth, she has no idea who she can trust.
But maybe blending into the background has its perks - whoever is responsible will never see this most unlikely of detectives coming.
Laura Lippman: Since her debut in 1997, New York Times bestseller Laura Lippman has been recognized as one of the most gifted and versatile crime novelists working today. Her series novels, stand-alones and short stories have all won major awards, including the Edgar and the Anthony, and her work is published in more than 20 countries. A former Baltimore Sun journalist, she has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, O, The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Glamour and Longreads. "Simply one of our best novelists, period," the Washington Post said upon the publication of the ground-breaking What the Dead Know. She lives in Baltimore and New Orleans with her family.

Recommends: Mark Billingham What the Night Brings, Peacemaker (TV) Produced by Junkyarddog

Paul Burke is editor of Aspects of Crime, a regular contributor to crime fiction magazines and websites and is a CWA Gold Dagger judge. his first book The Encyclopia of Spy Fiction will be published in 2026.

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