Rob Rinder: The Defence, Cornerstone, pub date: June 2026, hardback, 9781529934779, ebook available,

I love this new series around young barrister Adam Greene with his battles in and outside of court, mostly with his colleagues in chambers. Always look forward to the next installment. The Defence was brilliantly entertaining. 

Adrian  Wells is an oily wellness-guru whose charisma provides the sales success for  herbal products all invented by his assistant Julie who remains in the background. During the very public launch of miracle bath salts,  Adrian dies an agonizing death as he lowers himself into the bathtube. The bath salts were poisoned.   His assistant Julie is immediately charged with murder as she was sueing her boss for co-ownership of their products.  I absolutely  loved  the plot and the backstabbing outside of court, great read.

 Viola Davis/ James Patterson: Judge Stone, Century, ebook available 

I am usually sceptical when co-authorships occur but "Judge Stone" clearly has Viola Davis voice and input. Reaĺly dug into this fine legal thriller, set in the black belt of the US south, Union Springs, Alabama . Here Judge Stone, a charismatic black woman and owner of a small farm, tries to deal out justice in her court without politics in mind. White racism is still in full bloom. 

When the local family doctor Bria Gaines  performs an abortion on pregnant Nova, a 13 year old girl brought in by the school nurse, she knows she is risking her career as abortions are illegal in Alabama. Dr. Gaines case is the setting for this explosive novel, I could not put it down and luckily read it in one go on a long flight home from the US literally feeling the steaming and dangerous atmosphere  Judge Stone faced daily.  An outstanding legal thriller that gripped me from start to finish. 

 Abir Mukherjee: The Pinnacle, Vintage, pub date: June 2026, ebook available

I am a big fan of Mukherjee's historical Wyndham & Banerjee mysteries but his upcoming stand alone mystery " The Pinnacle" won me over quickly with his tongue in cheek humour, excellent characters and tight plot. I read the proof, if you are in the mood for an action packed mystery set in current India, I can highly recommend The Pinnacle: 

Set in Mumbai, the secure luxury high rise The Pinnacle is home to a famous and rich clientel who want their peace and secrets hidden. George Abercombie, aging famous actor who has seen more successful days, and his Bollywood star wife Sweety Salota, with their assistants, maids and chauffeur also call The Pinnacle their home. When George wakes up on the couch after a drunken night to find his wife murdered in their bedroom, all hell breaks loose and this very entertaining mystery is set in motion. 

 Philippe Colin: The Barman of the Ritz, Doubleday, pub date: August 2026, 

9781529956399, available in German (Insel Verlag) already

" The Barman of the Ritz" by Philippe Colin drew me in from page one and held that fascination until the last page. The novel is based on real life characters taking fictional liberties, the author adds the biographies at the end.  Set at the famous bar at the Ritz in Paris with Franz Meier holding court as the legendary barman, the novel is set during the  years of Paris's Nazi occupation from 1940-1945. Its a chilling account, Fritz Meier was partially Jewish as was his son like assistant Luciano and Blanche, the general manager's wife and Meier's secret love. Meier managed to keep this hidden with the help of excellent fake papers throughout the occupation, with Nazi top brass holding court in his bar. With the help of the Swedish consulate he organized escapes for many Jews. The novel is a harrowing count of that part of Parisian history, human endurance and bravery till the bitter end. Excellent atmospheric historical read, highly recommend. Publishing August, I read the proof.

 Anne Hillerman: The way of the bear, Harper Collins, ebook available

I have been a lifelong fan of Tony Hillerman's thrillers set in New Mexico featuring Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn.

 His daughter Anne has continued the series after her father's passing, concentrating on detectives Chee and Manuelito who used to work with now retired Joe Leaphorn. In comparison to Tony Hillerman's work, I find her novels okay but lightweight. They make for easy reading, an armchair trip to New Mexico and never have my nerves on edge. Same goes for The way of the Bear. 

 However, the Netflix series Dark Winds is ace and really well done, all based on Tony's original writing but continued with a twist. 

 

Laurie Dove: Mask of the Deer Woman, Berkley/ Penguin Usa, read the ebook

Carrie Starr is an ex Chicago detective with an alcohol problem, a Native American heritage, and recently appointed as the new tribal marshall on the reservation where her father was raised.

 I immediately felt a connection with the narration and a protagonist who has a tragedy to overcome constantly ruffling feather with just about everyone.  Picking up on the real life facts of a rising number of native American women disappearing with very little resolve by the police to investigate the cases, the author created in Starr a complex character who makes it her mission to find a newly missing woman, Chenoa Cloud.

Dove does a fine job of weaving Native American mythology and current issues in tribal communities into an intriguing, unique thriller. I learned a sequel " Cry of the Rain crow" is scheduled for publication  later in the year, reaĺly looking forward to read more of what Carrie Starr is up to next. 

 Victor Ladato: Honey, Harper Perennial,  9780063309630, paperback

With Honey Fasinga, Victor Ladato has created one of the best octogenerian female characters I can think off, absoltuely fell in love with glamorous, inspiring, gutsy  Honey.  A literary novel with a rebellious heroine, the daughter of  a New Jersey mobster, she did the unthinkable in her Twenties and ran off to California to work as an art auctioneer in LA. Now in her eighties, she has returned home, confronted with the loss of her closest friends, her lover, her family's nephews and increasing signals of being in your eighties. Hilarious and sad at times,  I admired Honey' s guts particularly when she remembers the men in her life but also her adventurous spirit, allowing new people to join her world Female rage at it's best, loved this wonderful novel!