A killer pens his memoirs

THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Neil Broadfoot

(Constable, £8.99) Punctuated by grisly murders and unpredictable twists, Neil Broadfoot’s Stirling-based Connor Fraser books are swiftly elevating him to the top rank of Scottish crime fiction. This third instalment has Fraser, a former police officer now working in security and protection, entangled with Colin Sanderson, imprisoned for murdering two students but now released after his conviction is deemed unsafe. A PR firm wants Sanderson to write his autobiography, offering ambitious Sky reporter Donna Blake, familiar from the previous books, the opportunity to ghost-write it. Having refused a police guard, Sanderson accepts protection from Fraser, though there are reservations on both sides. But then a dead body is found, bearing the hallmarks of Sanderson’s previous kills. While he doesn’t skimp on the action in this lean and compelling thriller, Broadfoot finds time to develop his supporting characters and, as some of O’Connor’s family secrets come to light, further flesh out his irascible hero.

THE F**K-IT LIST John Niven

(Windmill, £8.99)

Terminally ill Frank Brill, 60, has his own version of the bucket list. It’s 2026, and after two full terms of Donald Trump his daughter Ivanka is now President. Trump’s vision of a nasty, repressive police state has become reality, and the flawed but relatable Frank has personal reasons to despise what America has become. He intends to devote his remaining time to revenge, beginning with driving a paedophile sports coach to suicide and working his way up. Frank sets out on a road trip towards his final target, unaware he’s being pursued by a rogue sheriff. Ayrshire-born Niven began his career with the charmingly-titled Kill Your Friends in 2008, and here he gives full vent to his spleen, which a satire as dark as this demands. The premise may be problematic, but he writes with all the savage, righteous energy needed to carry us along with it.

WANDERLAND Jini Reddy

(Bloomsbury, £9.99)

In need of healing, London-based journalist Jini Reddy decided to explore the “wanderlands” of Britain, searching for magic in the landscape. As a woman of colour with Indian, Canadian and South African heritage, Reddy had always felt like an outsider when walking in the countryside. But now she wanted to develop a relationship with the land. Her odyssey took her across pilgrim routes and into a Cornish labyrinth, to a shaman in Herefordshire and a goddess-worshipper in the Welsh borders, from Iona and Lindisfarne to Glastonbury, where she was assured the signs of the zodiac were mapped on to the surrounding countryside. Though she ultimately realises she’s really in search of herself, Wanderland is a worthy addition to the growing body of modern writing concerned with the ancient lands around us.