Literary thrills to keep the last of the winter chills away

Killer Stories: Conversations with South African Serial Murderers by Brin Hodgskiss & Nicole Engelbrecht (Jonathan Ball Publishers)

This is definitely a must-read for true-crime fiends. We always want to know what makes serial killers tick, and to this end Brin Hodgskiss spoke to some of South Africa’s scariest and most notorious criminals in the bowels of our maximum-security prisons. Hodgskiss got his PhD in psychology for a study based on interviews with 13 serial killers. The recordings of these were left gathering dust when podcaster and writer Nicole Engelbrecht found his research online. The two connected, and this book is the result. In Killer Stories, Hodgskiss uses each of the interviews, in conjunction with the theory of narrative psychology, to take the reader into the minds of the killers. He shows how the stories these men told themselves about their lives contributed to where they ended up — and how their narratives aren’t that different from the ones we all tell ourselves.

Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne (Bluebird)

There is plenty of controversy swirling around the authenticity of this author and her story. The cover of the US edition indicated she had a PhD, which many questioned, because she allegedly attended an unaccredited university, and no-one could find any information about her scholarship. Nonetheless, the author has a fascinating life story, even if there is no real science cred behind it. This is no Jon Ronson’s The Psychopath Test, but it is intriguing reading all the same, especially for those with a taste for Schadenfreude. The first few paragraphs pull you in immediately: “My name is Patric Gagne, and I am a sociopath. I am a passionate mother and wife. I am an engaging therapist. I am extremely charming and well-liked. I have lots of friends. I am a member of the country club. I throw parties for every occasion you can imagine. I live in a nice house. I am a writer. I like to cook. I vote. I make people laugh ...

“Your friends would probably describe me as nice. But guess what?

“I can’t stand your friends.

“I’m a liar. I’m a thief. I’m emotionally shallow. I’m mostly immune to remorse and guilt. I’m highly manipulative. I don’t care what other people think. I’m not interested in morals. I’m not interested, period.”

The Wrong Hands by Mark Billingham (Sphere)

As per usual with a detective series, this is one you can just dive into even if you have not read the first instalment, The Last Dance, which came out last year. However, it would be worth your time and money getting your hands on both novels to delight in quirky DS Miller, his pet rats Fred and Ginger, and his punctilious partner DS Sara Xiu. The detective is still trying to solve the murder of his wife (who was also a police detective), and his main suspect, Wayne Cutler, seems to have ordered another killing. Will Miller be able to catch Cutler this time?

Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone by Suk Pannu (Hemlock Press)

The book is as delightful as its punny title. Mrs Sidhu is tired of spending her days cooking pre-packaged aubergine bhajis for the frozen section of a cash-and-carry owned by the deplorable Mr Varma. So when she gets a phone call asking her to be the chef at a retreat run by Dr Eardley, “the eminent psychologist and self-help guru, the man they called Dr Feelgood”, she heads down to the tiny village of Benham pronto. Here she meets a collection of characters, from a snaky old rock star to Dr Eardley’s studious assistant. Any of them could be suspects in the recent murder of Dr Wendy Calman, a fellow therapist at the centre. Mrs Sidhu is astute and hilarious in her observations, making this a cosy Murder, She Wrote, Midsomer Murders crime thriller.

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley (HarperCollins)

This one’s addictive, and Foley is becoming a thriller writer to watch. The Hunting Party and Guest List were popular, and this offering is of the same ilk.

It’s set in a countryside retreat called The Manor, “the new jewel of the Dorset coastline”, where owner Francesca Meadows’ guests are served the finest food and liquor, along with gorgeous sun and sea. But all is not seven stars at the resort. Murder is afoot because of a secret — one that began 15 years ago.