Can quirky duo solve a murder most foul? The Fabulous Clipjoint by Fredric Brown, Death
The Fabulous Clipjoint by Fredric Brown (Penguin £10.99, 240pp)
One of the oddest couples imaginable, Ed, a teenager from a deprived background, and his uncle Ambrose, a fairground showman, join forces to solve a murder.
The victim is Ed’s father, bludgeoned to death in a dark alley after a late-night bender. This being Chicago in the 1940s when corruption and violence were endemic, the police are quick to bring down the shutters on a random killing.
But the intrepid duo soon find that the truth is more complex and dangerous.
An intricate plot established Brown as a mystery writer in the same league as Raymond Chandler. Yet, until now, he has been little known outside the US. With six more novels in the Ed and Am series, this first-rate writer will get the recognition he deserves.
Death in High Heels by Christianna Brand (British Library £10.99, 256pp)
For the models at an exclusive West End boutique, a free lunch is one of the perks. But it becomes less enticing when one of their number dies from food laced with industrial cleaner.
What is undoubtedly a murder case has the young Inspector Charlesworth delving into the hothouse world of high fashion where bitchy rivalry and malicious gossip are a way of life.
First published in 1941, Death In High Heels established Brand as an inventive mystery writer.
The social prejudices of the time stand out with a flamboyant dress designer the butt of sexist jokes and a central casting cleaning lady who drops her aspirates.
But the story hangs together convincingly.
Though I Know She Lies is available now
Though I Know She Lies by Sara Woods (Dean Street Press £10.99, 209pp)
In the dock at the Old Bailey stands a young woman accused of poisoning her sister. The case against her is overwhelming. She had the motive of financial gain and the opportunity of administering the fatal dose. Moreover, she was the last person to see the victim alive.
Leading the defence, the irascible Sir Nicholas Harding, is convinced she is holding back on evidence that would clear her name. It falls to his nephew, Antony Maitland, a noted criminal lawyer, to disrupt the complacency of the prosecution.
But the real drama centres on a vulnerable child, whose evidence could blow the case wide open. Woods excels with her courtroom dramas. This is one of her best.