The Corpse Bridge by Stephen Booth (Sphere, £18.99, ebook £9.49) 3/5 stars
THE Corpse Bridge is part of an ancient route that used to be taken by mourners from outlying villages in the Peak District to a burial ground on the other side of the River Dove.
The cemetery forms part of Earl Manby’s estate and when rumours emerge of his plans to turn it into a car park, a body appears by the bridge. This is the 14th outing for detective duo Ben Cooper and Diane Fry, but it is the evocative and haunting landscape that takes centre stage.
Catherine Small
Ways Of The Dead by Neely Tucker (Century, £14.99, ebook £8.49) 4/5 stars
THE tragic murder of a teenage girl whose father is a powerful judge in Washington, DC is investigated by newspaper reporter Sully Carter, but the deeper he digs, the more complicated things become.
The Ways Of The Dead is a gripping debut novel from Washington Post writer Neely Tucker.
The narrative never feels formulaic or tedious due to Tucker’s sharply observed story, well-drawn characters and pitch-perfect writing.
Alison Potter
The Bourne Academy by Robert Ludlum and Eric van Lustbader (Orion, 18.99) 3/5 stars
I HAVE never been either a Ludlum or Lustbader fan but this “L” of a thriller might just have changed my mind. Jeff Bourne is targeted and kidnapped by the infamous terrorist El Ghadan (“Tomorrow”) and warned that if he does not carry out a world-shattering mission, there will be no tomorrow for him.
After a slow start the story turns into a runaway train of action and adventure and you have to hang on until the very end.
Steve Craggs
The Visitors by Simon Sylvester (Quercus £16.99) 3/5 stars
THE remote Scottish island of Bancree has been far too quiet for 17-year-old Flora, but the arrival of a mysterious couple at isolated Dog Cottage stirs her curiosity. They emanate danger and a dark charm, and they become natural suspects when an islander is killed.
Doubt breeds suspicion and a lurking fear of the intentions of these visitors, who seem to have cast a deadly shadow on the island.
A flesh-creeping novel to put all your senses on high alert.
Steve Craggs
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