August turned out to be a prolific reading month with 18 reads. Generally, I would say the books I read at the start of the month were stronger than those at the end. Surprisingly, for me, it was a good month for modern crime fiction reading. So much so that for Book of the Month I have chosen two modern crime novels to be joint first place winners, and a further modern mystery to be a worthy runner up.
The first winner is The Last Murder at the End of the World (2024) by Stuart Turton. This is an author I had never tried before, but I was impressed with this book and its approach to developing a high stakes premise. Turton is good at building up the island setting of his story and the way the island operates. Furthermore, this world-building is used to propel the mystery plot along, ensuring that the high stakes are resolved satisfactorily for the reader, who is invested in the outcome.
The second winner is Smoke and Murders (2024) by J. L. Blackhurst, which is coming out next week, I think. If you love getting hooked on a series (and fancy the odd reading binge) then Blackhurst’s books could be right for you. Blackhurst’s Impossible Crime series is committed to developing the backstories of her sister protagonists, in a way which makes the reader invest in the characters and importantly these developments are also intrinsically bound with the central plots of the books. You want to see what happens next and there is plenty for the little grey cells to ponder.
The same could be said for the worthy runner up from my August reading, which gained a 4.5/5 rating. Everyone this Christmas Has a Secret (2024) by Benjamin Stevenson is coming out in October, and I think it will be a fun read for those who love a puzzle centred mystery. It has plenty of clues, some rather sneaky, yet this is a narrative which also has a heart, showing that people and their experiences matter.
My September reads so far have been okay, but not amazing. However, I am looking forward to the release of June Wright’s Make-Up for Murder (1966). In terms of what I expect to read this month, I have managed to secure a reasonably priced copy of The Man in the Moonlight (1945) by Helen McCloy, so I am very tempted to read that. I am not sure what other books I will get round to reading.
Next week I will be posting my review of Mark Aldridge’s Agatha Christie’s Marple: Expert in Wickedness (2024) and I will also be sharing an interview with Mark, which has some more “imaginative” questions. So do keep your eyes peeled for that.
I am also finishing my preparations for the Coffee & Crime Advent Calendar, but there will be a separate post on that in the future.
What books are you hoping to read this month? What was your favourite read from August?