A distant memory of murder

AMNESIA

by Michael Ridpath

(Corvus £12.99) A FORMER bond trader in the City, Ridpath made his name with novels about the world of finance.

Over the years, he has become one of our finest thriller writers, capable of telling captivating stories in any location, as this expertly woven standalone set in the Scottish Highlands proves.

Alastair Cunningham wakes up in hospital with almost complete amnesia. He does not know how he got there, nor who he is, although he senses that something dreadful has happened to him earlier in his life.

Clemence, a young student friend of the family, is sent to his remote cottage beside Loch Glass to help him recover. There, she finds an old manuscript, which he may have written, about events in the past — including the murder of her grandmother.

Hypnotised and horrified, Clemence reads the book aloud to Cunningham. As she does, a tapestry of deception is delicately exposed.

Atmospheric, sinuous and elegant, this demonstrates Ridpath’s special talent.

NO MIDDLE NAME

by Lee Child

(Bantam £20) JACK REACHER needs no introduction. Lee Child’s novels featuring this enigmatic hero have sold in excess of 100 million copies worldwide.

The last, Night School, was the biggest-selling hardback novel in this country last year.

But this is a little different — it’s a collection of short stories featuring the eponymous Robin Hood of this age, many of which have never appeared in book form before and it includes a brand new novella, Too Much Time.

They give a string of insights into Reacher’s past, especially his younger years. It is fascinating to see the youth develop into the final article, the man who famously has no middle name, who does not live anywhere and who is never afraid to fight injustice.

Like a box of luxurious chocolates, you don’t need to try them all at once, which only increases their pleasure.

THE IRREGULAR

by H.B. Lyle

(Hodder £17.99) THIS engaging debut introduces a character we may well come to hear more of.

As a boy, Wiggins led Sherlock Holmes’s Baker Street Irregulars, urchins that the great detective used for finding people across the metropolis without being noticed.

But that was 20 years ago: it is now 1909, and he is earning his living as a bailiff on the edge of the law, when he is asked to join a fledgling Secret Service, recommended by Holmes.

Secrets stolen from the Woolwich Arsenal munitions factory are finding their way into German hands.

Initially Wiggins turns down the offer, but when his best friend is killed by Russian anarchists, he accepts in order to take revenge.

Impressive period detail and sharp dialogue add charm to the strong plot.