Murder in the family

Written as a collection of media clippings and television scripts, Hunter's latest immerses readers in an investigative reality TV show that draws out a killer, along with titillating scandal and collateral damage. British filmmaker Guy Howard was 10 when his stepfather, Luke Ryder, was murdered and now he's determined to solve the decades-old crime with the help of a team of hired forensics experts, investigators, and other specialists. The first episode reveals the case's many intrigues, including the fact that Ryder was living under a stolen identity, and that the show's merry band of sleuths wasn't selected for their expertise alone. Most were already intimately tied to the case: the two cops were trailing Ryder for other crimes before he died, the journalist was involved with Howard's sister, and the team's prosecutor was having an affair with Howard's socialite mother. Each episode delivers a Poirot-esque reveal and the real-time investigation format creates a sense of interactivity. A must-read for fans of the growing body of thrillers targeting true crime media, such as Stacy Willingham's All the Dangerous Things (2023).

This cleverly constructed mystery from Hunter (Hope to Die) offers a full complement of surprises and loads of fun for clue-seeking readers. Twenty years ago, Luke Ryder, the young second husband of widowed mother Caroline Howard, was found beaten to death at the bottom of a stone staircase leading to the couple's garden in London's exclusive Campden Hill neighborhood. The murder, still unsolved, has become fodder for true crime aficionados. Now, the successful television series Infamous has taken up the challenge of solving the case, utilizing a panel of experts including a retired Metropolitan Police officer, a journalist, a barrister, and a forensic clinical psychologist. The director of the season is Guy Howard, Caroline's son, who was 10 years old at the time of his stepfather's death and wants to shut the case once and for all so his family is no longer gossip fodder. The novel is presented in the form of Infamous episode transcripts, plus newspaper articles, emails, text messages, and voicemails between the panel of investigators. It's an effective gimmick, with newspaper clippings often throwing doubt on in-episode conclusions (and vice versa), and Hunter keeps the pacing lively and the cliffhangers plentiful. Armchair sleuths will savor this brisk and immersive puzzle. (Aug.)