Creepy complex proves terrifying

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This article was published 03/09/2022 (1417 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jonathan Sims’ Thirteen Storeys (Gollancz, 400 pages, $18) is a genuinely frightening horror story. A reclusive billionaire is holding a dinner party, and he’s invited several of the tenants of an apartment complex to his penthouse suite. But here’s the thing: none of these people know each other. They do, though, have something in common: at one time or another, each of them has had a bizarre experience in this old, odd building.

In Sims’ hands, the apartment complex becomes another character in the story: possibly malevolent, certainly disturbing, always doing something unexpected. The pace, too, is exquisite, as the author steadily ramps up the characters’ fears and our own sense that something awful is going to happen. And the ending: pure, unadulterated terror. A must-read for horror fans.

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Chrissy Handy, a divorced single mother, was captivated by the new man in her life: attractive, wealthy, and devoted to her.

Her book, written with Kathryn Knight, is entitled Seduced by a Sociopath (HarperElement, 272 pages, $24), so we know going in that this is not going to be a feel-good story of love and happiness.

The man who called himself Alexander Marc Alphonsus Nathaniel d’Ariken de Rothschild-Hatton was a con man. Once she realized she was nothing more than another victim, Handy went to the police, and they launched an investigation, but it was ultimately Handy herself who brought the man to justice, tracking him down after he fled, locating his hidden assets and eventually testifying at his trial. If you enjoy crime nonfiction, this one’s for you.

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Alex White’s Alex Kitko and the Mechas from Space (Orbit, 464 pages, $23) is exactly as splashy and fun as its title suggests. In the future, massive killer robots are bearing down on the planet Earth. Their mission: destroy all human life.

But some robots have turned traitor, vowing to protect humanity no matter the cost. But they need help: specifically, they need August Kitko, a jazz pianist and — apparently — saviour of humankind.

Wildly imaginative and hugely entertaining, the book is an absolute joy to read. It’s like a rock opera: colourful and energetic, with larger-than-life characters and elaborate set-pieces that make your jaw drop. Or, to put it in one word: wow.

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John Grisham introduced Lacy Stoltz, who works for the Florida Board on Judicial Misconduct, in 2016’s The Whistler. That was a good novel, but The Judge’s List (Vintage, 480 pages, $13) is better.

Here, a woman comes to Lacy with a baffling accusation: a judge murdered her father. Skeptical at first, Lacy soon comes to understand that this judge is a lot more dangerous than even the dead man’s daughter could have known.

Grisham has a knack for pairing stories and characters: this is the perfect case to spotlight Lacy’s compassion and finely honed investigative skills, with a dark mystery and a deliciously hateable villain. Another winner from a master of the legal thriller.

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Halifax freelancer David Pitt’s column appears the first weekend of every month. You can follow him on Twitter at @bookfella.