BEST OF CRIME with James Buckler

Welcome to my latest BEST OF CRIME feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. 

Today I'm delighted to welcome 

JAMES BUCKLER

to share his BEST OF CRIME ...

... AUTHORS

I am currently obsessed by Martin Cruz Smith, and his series of novels featuring the Russian detective Arkady Renko. I had never come across the author until it turned out he had already used a title that I wanted for an early version of my novel. I was intrigued and began to read Gorky Park and was blown away by the quality of the perfectly pitched writing and the supremely intelligent story telling. I would thoroughly recommend him to anyone. 

... FILMS/MOVIES

There are so many great crime films I could list, but as my current book is set in Tokyo, I will suggest Stray Dog by Akira Kurosawa. It is in black and white, shot soon after the Second World War and features Kurosawa’s first collaboration with the great actor Toshiro Mifune. It is a cold blooded, anxiety inducing depiction of crime in a pitiless city on the verge of collapse. 

... TV DRAMAS

Prime Suspect is hard to beat as a benchmark for all that is great about British crime drama, especially the first series. The camera doesn’t ever stop moving as it follows DCI Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) as she outwits both the killer and the old-school, misogynists on her own team. 

... FICTIONAL KILLERS

After Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, can any fictional killer ever escape his shadow? He is the embodiment of sadistic terror and unintentional hilarity in one perfectly groomed, narcissistic package. With terrible taste in music. 

... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES 

I’m sure everyone gives the same answer – Philip Marlowe. I love the way he’s so jaded he is barely motivated to solve the crime at hand, whilst also having all the best lines. I always remember, “I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, …. What I had was a coat, a hat and a gun. I put them on and went out of the room.” 

... MURDER WEAPONS

This instantly made me think of Alabama Worley (Patricia Arquette) using a cork screw as a weapon in True Romance. Of course, she goes on to use a toilet lid bowl, a flaming aerosol can and a shot gun - all in the same scene. Typical Tarantino-esque restraint. 

    

... DEATH SCENES

How about Jean-Paul Belmondo’s “dégueulasse” speech as he breathes his last in A Bout De Souffle? Or the nihilist gang finally doing for Donny outside the bowling alley in The Big Lebowski? The scene that always gives me nightmares is the death of Julian Wells in Imperial Bedrooms. Another cold, amoral murder from Brett Easton Ellis. 

  

... BLOGS/WEBSITES

Am I allowed to say YouTube? My novel is set in Tokyo, a city I last lived in about eight years ago, so when I needed to be reminded of the look and feel of the place I used the infinite amount of video on YouTube to help me. Of course, I also watched clips of cats making funny faces. 

... WRITING TIPS

Never get disheartened. Keep going despite all practical evidence telling you to stop. And always keep reading. Every technical problem a new writer encounters has been tackled before by an expert. Follow their lead. 

... WRITING SNACKS

A cup of hot sake, mixed into a bowl of chicken broth. Try it and it might just change your life. 

About JAMES BUCKLER

James Buckler grew up in the South West of England and currently lives in London. In the past he lived in America and Japan, where he worked as an English teacher, providing inspiration for Last Stop Tokyo. He studied Film at the University of Westminster and worked in lm & TV for many years, most notably as a post-production specialist for MTV and BBC Films. Last Stop Tokyo is his debut novel. 

About LAST STOP TOKYO

Publisher's description

The funny thing with suffering is just when you think you’ve suffered enough, you realize it’s only the beginning.

Alex thought running away would make everything better. Six thousand miles from the mistakes he’s made and the people he’s hurt, Tokyo seems like the perfect escape. A new life, a new Alex.

The bright lights and dark corners of this alien and fascinating city intoxicate him, and he finds himself transfixed by this country, which feels like a puzzle that no one can quite explain. And when Alex meets the enigmatic and alluring Naoko, the peace he sought slips ever further from his grasp.

After all, trust is just betrayal waiting to happen and Alex is about to find out that there’s no such thing as rock bottom. There’s always the chance it’ll get worse . . . 

Last Stop Tokyo was published by Doubleday on 24 August 2017.

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Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys

Dangerous Crossing
By Rachel Rhys
Published by Doubleday (Hardback and Ebook now; Paperback - 10 August 2017)

Check out the fabulous new paperback cover:

Publisher's description

Sparkling cocktails, poisonous secrets ...

1939, Europe on the brink of war. Lily Shepherd leaves England on an ocean liner for Australia, escaping her life of drudgery for new horizons. She is instantly seduced by the world onboard: cocktails, black-tie balls and beautiful sunsets. Suddenly, Lily finds herself mingling with people who would otherwise never give her the time of day.

But soon she realizes her glamorous new friends are not what they seem. The rich and hedonistic Max and Eliza Campbell, mysterious and flirtatious Edward, and fascist George are all running away from tragedy and scandal even greater than her own.

By the time the ship docks, two passengers are dead, war has been declared, and life will never be the same again.

My verdict
Dangerous Crossing is a captivating journey back through time with a highly authentic feel. It's set in pre-war 1930s, an era filled with uncertainty and people hoping for a better life, bravely sailing off into the vast unknown. This is Lily's story, as she boards an ocean liner for Australia, leaving her family and loved ones behind.

The book is a slow burning murder mystery amid political and social unrest, as a young girl is thrown into a world of glamour, cocktails, romance, deception, lies and scandal. It's definitely a book to be savoured, with compelling writing and rich descriptions. Every detail is so clearly described that I couldn't fail to picture the setting in my mind - each of my senses stimulated on every page. The characters are diverse, not only in terms of social class but also their mannerisms and quirks, as if they were truly alive. I could definitely see this on the big (or little) screen - it's crying out for adaptation.

The murder mystery itself is only one thread within the multi-layered plot. This is a book about life, change and social etiquette. It's gripping, mesmerising and intriguing from beginning to end. I look forward to more books from Rachel Rhys.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher.

Sirens by Joseph Knox

Sirens
By Joseph Knox
Published by Doubleday (12 January 2017)
ISBN: 978-0857524331

Publisher's description

It starts with the girl. How it ends is up to DC Aidan Waits.

Isabelle Rossiter has run away again.

When Aidan Waits, a troubled junior detective, is summoned to her father’s penthouse home – he finds a manipulative man, with powerful friends.

But retracing Isabelle’s steps through a dark, nocturnal world, Waits finds something else. An intelligent seventeen-year-old girl who’s scared to death of something. As he investigates her story, and the unsolved disappearance of a young woman just like her, he realizes Isabelle was right to run away.

Soon Waits is cut loose by his superiors, stalked by an unseen killer and dangerously attracted to the wrong woman. He’s out of his depth and out of time.

How can he save the girl, when he can't even save himself?

My verdict

Sirens is a powerful crime novel filled with emotion and darkness.

Although set in Manchester, Sirens has a classic US feel to it (echoes of Raymond Chandler), with taut rhythmic narrative, powerful dialogue, realistic characters and a multi-layered plot. It's intense, violent, tragic and stunningly written, pulling the punches with every sentence and tricking the reader right until the shocking end.

Detective Aiden Waits is far more than your usual disgraced detective, haunted by his past and unsure of his future. While keeping an eye on an MP's wayward daughter, he gets caught up with Manchester's drug lords and ends up out of his depth as the body count rises. He's as damaged as you can get, addicted to drink and drugs while he works undercover. Yet he's still extremely likeable and I couldn't help but feel for him, willing for him to climb out of his pit of despair.

Joseph Knox has a distinctive voice, and Sirens certainly doesn't read like a debut. Like the Sirens of the Greek mythology, this book lured me in straight away and refused to let go long after I finished reading.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher.

The Finding of Martha Lost by Caroline Wallace

The Finding of Martha Lost
By Caroline Wallace
Published by Doubleday (10 March 2016)
ISBN: 978-0857523341

Publisher's description

Martha is lost.

She’s been lost since she was a baby, abandoned in a suitcase on the train from Paris. Ever since, she’s waited in station lost property for someone to claim her. It’s been sixteen years, but she’s still hopeful.

In the meantime, there are mysteries to solve: secret tunnels under the station, a suitcase that may have belonged to the Beatles, the roman soldier who appears at the same time every day with his packed lunch. Not to mention the stuffed monkey that someone keeps misplacing.

But there is one mystery Martha cannot solve. And now the authorities have found out about the girl in lost property. Time is running out - if Martha can’t discover who she really is, she will lose everything…

My verdict

The Finding of Martha Lost is sweet, quirky and charming, with magic and wonder flowing through every page, as 16-year-old Martha embarks on a search for her birth mother and her true identity.

Martha is a delightful character, naive in some ways and worldly beyond her years in others. I loved the way her story is weaved together with the underlying Beatles theme. The other colourful characters' personalities also shine out of the page and really bring the book to life.

The Finding of Martha Lost is a very easy, enjoyable read. It's a journey of self-discovery, with gentle humour and a few darker moments thrown into the mix. I've never been to Liverpool myself, and the book makes me want to visit Lime Street Station, spin around for a while and then watch people go by and wonder about their individual stories. The descriptions were so vivid and beautifully written that I could picture the station and its occupants as I read.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train
By Paula Hawkins
Published by Doubleday (15 January 2015)
ISBN: 978-0857522313

Publisher's description
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cosy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She's even started to feel like she knows them. "Jess and Jason," she called them. Their life - as she sees it - is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It's only a minute until the train moves in, but it's enough. Now everything's changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

My verdict
Not many readers of popular fiction won't have heard of The Girl on the Train over the last few months. Following all of the media attention the book has received, I felt that I needed to read it for myself to see what all the fuss is about.

Rachel - the girl on the train - takes the same two journeys every day. To pass the time, she makes up stories about the people she sees on her route, developing an obsession with a particular couple, whom she calls Jess and Jason. The couples' real names are Megan and Scott. They live in the same road as Rachel's ex-husband (Tom), his wife Anna and their baby. When Megan goes missing, Rachel believes that she saw something important on her train journey, but she isn't the most reliable witness.

The Girl on the Train starts off fairly slowly before picking up speed. There are three narrators - Rachel, Megan and Anna. The narrative switches from their different viewpoints and from past to present, and this is clearly marked at the beginning of each chapter/section.

While I enjoyed the book overall, I still couldn't see what all of the hype is about. Yes it's well-written, compulsive reading, but no more than some other psychological thrillers I have read recently (many of which I preferred). The writing really draws you in, and the author has captured Rachel's battle with addiction particularly well.

The Girl on the Train has been compared to Gone Girl and I can see why. The characters are largely unpleasant and/or damaged, which is the draw of both books. In both cases, the story builds up gradually as you read, and there are several twists and turns along the way.

Gone Girl fans will probably love The Girl on the Train - unfortunately I'm not one of them. Yet I would still recommend this book to anyone who also wants to see what the hype is about - they may love The Girl on the Train far more than me. It's a really 'Marmite' book.

Disclaimer by Renee Knight

Disclaimer
By Renee Knight
Published by Doubleday (9 April 2015)
ISBN: 978-0857522818

Publisher's description
What if you realised the book you were reading was all about you?

When an intriguing novel appears on Catherine's bedside table, she curls up in bed and begins to read.

But as she turns the pages, she is sickened to realise the story will reveal her darkest secret.

A secret she thought no one else knew...

My verdict
Disclaimer reminded me of the game 'Pass the Parcel'. There's a secret in the middle, but you have to carefully peel back all of the layers one by one before you can discover it. And even when you reach the prize, there's more to come.

Catherine and her husband Robert have just moved house. Then a book appears on her bedside table - she doesn't recognise it and her husband and son deny leaving it there. When Catherine starts reading, she realises that the book is about her - and a secret from 20 years ago that only she should know.

Disclaimer is well written and filled with suspense. The characters are, on the whole, believable (yet I found them also very unlikeable). The plot keeps flowing, as the past comes back to haunt Catherine and her family. I wanted to keep reading to discover the secret.

This is a book about secrets, obsession and revenge, and how sometimes everything is not all that it seems. There are some brilliant twists and turns, each one more surprising than the next.

Disclaimer is a brilliant well-conceived and well-executed thriller.

The A - Z of You and Me by James Hannah

The A - Z of You and Me

By James Hannah

Published by Doubleday/Transworld (12 March 2015)

IBSN: 978-0857522641

Publisher's description
I'm lying here in a bed, my head full of regret, with only a little bird flitting through a tree to comfort me.

Friends want to visit, but I refuse them. So my carer Sheila has given me a task to keep me occupied.

An A-Z list. Think of a part of my body for each letter. Tell a little tale about it.

When I reach H for Heart, what will I say?

How we loved to string crocheted hearts in trees? How our hearts steadily unravelled?

So I begin with A. Adam's apple.

Will you be there to catch me when I fall?

My verdict

Books about terminal illness are a current trend. But unlike most of these, The A - Z of You and Me isn't overly sentimental. There are no sob stories and no final messages to loved ones. It's not bogged down with details of death and illness, but is an uplifting yet sad story of misspent youth, bad life choices and the repercussions of self-destruction.

James Hannah has produced an original honest look at a life with plenty of regrets. This emotional journey made me laugh and cry, with wry humour on one page and sad revelations on the next.

To begin with, all you know is that Ivo is dying in a hospice, refusing any visitors. His nurse Sheila suggests a game to pass the time - go through the alphabet from A to Z, find a part of your body for each letter and think of a story or memory relating to it.

The A - Z of You and Me carries a whole host of emotions - love, guilt, blame, hopelessness, loneliness, shame and grief. I expected the book to be disjointed - literally just an A to Z list  - but it is so creative and well written that it flows seamlessly from beginning to end, each entry linking to the next. As the story unravels, Ivo's journey to the hospice is revealed, alongside snapshots from his past.

The A - Z of You and Me covers a difficult topic, but I found it to be an easy read with a perfect pace throughout. The ending, in particular, is beautifully written and well-deserved.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and Doubleday in exchange for an honest review.