Crimes of passion may not typically feature in crime novels, but when preventative measures are disregarded by a British premier in favour of a love affair with a significantly younger woman, as well as sharing confidential information, the boundaries separating impropriety, illegality, and treachery swiftly become indistinct.
Robert Harris’s novel Precipice (released by Hutchinson Heinemann, priced £16.99), set in June 1914, centres on Britain’s then Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith, and his romantic relationship with Venetia Stanley, an aristocrat. DS Paul Deemer, promoted from Special Branch to the covert War Office department MO5(g), is tasked with investigating whether a German operative is accountable for the classified diplomatic messages found scattered across the countryside near London, leading to a potential national security threat.
Aside from Deemer, the novel primarily uses historical figures and real events. Harris uses abundant letters from Asquith to Stanley, some astounding in their cavalier and simplistic nature, to weave a fascinating tale of political intrigue and imminent war. Asquith’s personal and professional judgement is scrutinised by an intelligence department he is unaware of.
The narrative paints Asquith and Stanley as likeable, complex characters, while Winston Churchill is depicted as brutal and opportunistic, pushing his ‘ill-conceived plan’ to attack Dardanelles. London’s rigid class system subtly comes under scrutiny as a facilitator of the ensuing carnage. Equal to Harris’s finest historical fiction output, Precipice offers a bleak view of mundane human weaknesses and their catastrophic global implication.
Certain readers are partial to gritty, true-to-life crime novels, while others are drawn to a comforting, harmless read. Chris Brookmyre, known for his continual creativity, successfully merges the two in his latest novel, The Cracked Mirror (Abacus, £22). This gripping novel features two intertwined mysteries: one revolving around a bride’s suspicious suicide on her wedding day, pursued by the unfailingly perceptive elderly Scottish spinster and pseudo-detective Penny Coyne, and the other concerning the puzzling apparent suicide of an accomplished scriptwriter, leaving hardened LAPD detective Johnny Hawke perplexed in the heart of Hollywood.
When their respective inquiries converge unexpectedly, the unlikely duo realise some complex and perplexing intrigue is afoot. Although the story teems with nods to renown mystery writers such as Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, the most relevant reference is to Dirk Gently, the intellectually provocative investigator crafted by Douglas Adams. The narrative takes a deep dive into a shrouded world spun by the ominously named firm Diegesis, as Brookmyre flits between novels, cinema, and video games, vivaciously taking control of diverse narrative elements. With The Cracked Mirror, Brookmyre delivers his most adventurous endeavour yet, masterfully juggling numerous narrative threads.
A narrative of a different kind unfolds in The Perfect Place (Canelo, £14.99) by Amanda Cassidy. Here, social media guru and interiors designer Elle Littlewood embarks on a project to renovate the dilapidated Château Mirabelle. Despite its disrepair, the château is sought-after real estate. Elle, a self-made influencer escaping a troubled past, finds herself tested: will she resort to sinister means to maintain the mirage of her transformation story?
Set against a charmingly rustic French backdrop, Cassidy penetrates Elle’s facade, compellingly portraying the relentless anxiety and self-doubt accompanying Elle’s impostor syndrome. Elle may come across as vain, superficial, and overly dependent on social media validation, but there’s a certain pathos in her unending quest for approval and her desperation to maintain her meticulously crafted persona.
Elle is confronted with various complications; dealing with her scheming producer, Sue Anderson, her unreliable betrothed, Will Buchanan, and Leonard, the pig-headed, elderly owner of the chateau who refuses to drop dead allowing for her dream wedding to proceed. Her story unfolds in somewhat disjointed episodes with her motivations for her increasingly dire actions appearing progressively implausible.
Thanks to Andy Bell’s “Sovereign Territory” (published by Biteback Publishing, priced at £9.85), the long awaited Brexit thriller emerges. The story begins in 2016, with the unexpected announcement of the UK’s Brexit referendum whose outcome wasn’t desired by the political socialites. At the center of the narrative is Alan Jarvis, who serves as a special adviser in the hastily formed Department for Exiting the European Union, Mitra Vakil the Labour MP, and Davey Martin, a disgruntled Ukip administrator who is disheartened with the sluggish progression of post-Brexit separation from Europe.
The narrative evolves from the initially “impossible dream” of Brexit degenerating into a “festering, toxic onion”. This scenario incurs a tense environment that elevates the usual hate mail targeted at MPs to racially charged threats of violence and assassinations, contributing to the thriller elements of the novel. Sovereign Territory truly blossoms in its depiction of Westminster’s political manoeuvring, petty disputes, and retribution. Brief mentions are made of prominent Brexit figures such as Truss, Corbyn, Johnson among others. However, the novel is deeply embedded in the hidden corridors and grassroots of British politics, with Bell, an esteemed UK political correspondent, indulging in the particulars of savage political warfare.
In William Boyd’s gripping novel ‘Gabriel’s Moon’ (Viking, priced at £20), travel author Gabriel Dax embarks on an investigative journey to Congo in the year 1960. The historic expedition is spurred on by an old academic mate who propels him into the midst of the newly formed Republic of Congo, introducing him to Patrice Lumumba, the recent prime minister. Lumumba is adamant about documenting his concerns over a looming assassination threat. Upon Lumumba’s sudden disappearance and feared homicide, Gabriel finds himself being solicited by Faith Brown, an agent representing a covert MI6 operation. The question is, would Gabriel accommodate a simple request for his nation?
Drawing heavily from the classic narratives of John Buchan, and incorporating aspects of the cold-war themed spy thriller, Gabriel’s Moon weaves a tale of a regular individual caught in a perplexing plotline. The novel takes the reader through a riveting journey with Gabriel, from London to Southern Spain, Rome to Warsaw, all while brilliantly capturing elaborate scene-settings. The narrative intricately adapts the conventional themes of the genre into a beguiling plot, including elements like uranium, H-bombs, double agents and defections. As the reader dives into the story, they are drawn into Gabriel’s bewildering world of espionage where he is tasked to outwit professional spies and violent assassins, despite being a “reluctant spy” caught up in the web of international intrigue.
The book narration is executed by Declan Burke, who is an established author and journalist. His latest work include ‘The Lammisters’ (No Alibis Press).