Abir Mukherjee: Hunted, 9781787302723, Harvill Secker, hardback

Abir Mukherjee's  wonderful historical mysteries set in India featuring the Sam Wyndham/ Bannerjee's duo are one of my favorite crime reads. But the man can also write nail biting, fast paced modern thrillers, as documented with  "Hunted".

 Set in London and mostly the US, the novel has multiple story lines  eventually coming together in a fast paced climax. Two parents from very different cultures, Saijd and Carrie, are on a hunt to find their adult children Alijah and Greg before the FBI does, both having fallen under the spell of a charismatic terrorist group who are carrying out suicide bombings. Agent Shreya Mistry is closing in on the group,  trying to avoid a desaster. 

My only negative is that the novel is so fast paced that it left me breathless at times. 

Named thriller of the month by the Sunday Times , I am sure "Hunted" will be up for more prizes.

 Laura Dave: The night we lost him, Century, 27.1.25 pub date, paperback

 

The proof to Laura Dave's " The night we lost him" was a perfect holiday read for me, enjoyed the puzzle of half siblings Sam and Nora trying to uncover, whether their wealthy father's fall from a cliff near his California home was accidental or not. It's a rich family drama filled with secrets, several twists and turns and a love story/ mystery at the same time.

 William Boyd: Gabriel's Moon, Viking, 9780241542057, pub date: September 5, 2024

One of William Boyd's great talents is that he has so many different types of stories to tell. "Gabriel's Moon" falls into the category of a spy novel during the time of the Cold War.  

Reminding me at times of "Waiting for sunrise", travel writer Gabriel Dax does the odd little courier job for his brother who works for the government. When Faith Green, a ruthless M16 handler, asks him for similar well paid favours, he gets slowly sucked into becoming one of her spies without really realizing  what is happening. Boyd is so brilliant in describing these subtle developments with so many odd characters entering Gabriel's life, confirming to me yet again why he is one of my favourite writers, absolutely loved this early proof, 5 stars!