The Puzzly – The ISOTCMN Book Of The Month – January 2026

January has been and gone along with the second Stockport Noir Book Festival – more on that in my next post – and it’s time for my round-up of the month’s reading.

It’s been a bit of a funny month with my reading choices. I started the month blitzing my way through a bunch of classic crime titles but then the second half of the month really slowed me down – probably because of a combination of being busy at work and also Mrs Puzzle Doctor’s car going kaput and me ending up doing a fair bit more driving. So I’m already behind in my usual target for the year, namely 120 books, as there were only nine reads. Well, technically ten, because while I finished The Hound Of The Baskervilles last night, but I’ve only done the nine reviews.

So, the nine books in question were:

The Case Of The Negligent Nymph by Erle Stanley Gardner – lots of fun with Perry Mason. Expect more from Perry this year. Really enjoyed this.

The Unsuspected by Charlotte Armstrong – I can see why people like this one. Much stronger than the other Armstrong title that I’ve read but best read knowing as little as possible.

Three Green Bottles by Dominic Devine – thanks to Martin Edwards for the recommendation, a really well-constructed classic mystery from the seventies.

The Wooden Overcoat by Pamela Branch – or Carry On Murdering. There’s a really nice idea hidden in here, but I didn’t find in anywhere near as funny as the rest of Book Club.

The Department Of Queer Complaints by Carter Dickson – seven Colonel March stories and four others. A decent collection of tales, but nothing truly outstanding.

Forbidden Waters by Rob Parker – the sequel to The Troubled Deep, neatly avoiding second-book syndrome as diver Cam Killick hunts a serial killer. A really great thriller.

Sky High by Michael Gilbert – this month’s offering from the British Library and a clever village mystery with a very effective post-war setting.

The Dog Sitter Detective Takes The Lead by Anthony Johnston – Gwinny Tuffel’s second outing, this time partnered with Ace the Border Collie, as she tries to convince the police that a rock star was murdered and, failing that, catch the killer herself.

Beattie Cavendish And The Highland Hideaway by Mary-Jane Riley – interesting lead characters, in a spy thriller that does feel a bit like a bridge between the previous and next book. Best read as part of the series.

I was chatting a little to Rob Parker, thanking him for the nice comment that he wrote on my review of Forbidden Waters. Well, if he was pleased with that review, hopefully he’ll be delighted with winning the Puzzly. Maybe it’s not a classical whodunnit, but it’s a gripping thriller with powerful characterisation and a lead that you will really care about. I’d recommend reading The Troubled Deep first, out now in paperback, but they’re both perfect standalones.