CRAIG ROBERTSON

Violet – SJI Holliday This book gets under your skin, a creepy little number that makes you keep reading, page after page, surprise after surprise. When Violet meets Carrie and they agree to travel on the Trans-Siberian Express together, you just know it’s not going to end well. These strangers on a train have secrets and one of them is not who she claims to be. From Beijing to Moscow via Mongolia, this is a deliciously dark and disturbing journey. I loved every minute of it.

A Dark Matter – Doug Johnstone When a book starts with a vivid description of a homemade cremation in the back garden, I’m in. This a darkly comic tale of three generations of women who suddenly find themselves in charge of the family funeral business with a sideline in private investigations thrown in. It’s funny and touching, rich in characterisation, and with a nuanced portrayal of grief that goes six feet deep and beyond. This is the first in a trilogy about the Skelfs and I can’t wait for the other two.

Fifty-Fifty – Steve Cavanagh

This one is a bit of a cheat as it isn’t published till later in the year, but I got a sneak peek. It has one of those typical Cavanagh hooks that dare you to resist reading it. Two sisters on trial for murder. They accuse each other. Who do you believe? It’s pacy and smart, annoyingly addictive and has set-piece scenes you can’t tear your eyes away from. If you haven’t read an Eddie Flynn book yet, do yourself a favour and read this one.

Craig Robertson’s Watch Him Die was published by Simon & Schuster on 11 June.