Anna Kowal (): I’ll start with a new novel by one of my favorite “criminals” Michał Śmielak. “Soil” (Initium) is the second volume of the series with Deputy Commissioner Iga Ziemna in the lead role (the first is “Terror”). A policeman is “sent” to Stalowa Wola, where she cannot find herself. You have to cajole politicians, go on routine patrols, remember that the local parish priest has the final say in many matters, and the most serious crime committed in this city is pouring red paint on the pope’s monument… Suddenly, however, there is a case that has been waiting for a long time Iga – brutal murder of a homeless man. And here begins the well-known Śmilak. There’s an urban legend, a homeless man turns out not to be a homeless man, one of the suspects is the curate, and a young policeman wants this murder to be the work of a serial killer. The whole thing, of course, is embellished with a specific sense of humor and a very accurate description of our society. We get here everything to which the author has already accustomed usSo if you’ve read the previous books and enjoyed them, you won’t be disappointed this time either. I hope that we will meet Iga Ziemna again, because it’s hard not to like her, especially in her new pink police jacket.
AND “Wives of Wrath” by Joanna Jodelka is the third volume of the crime series with the Raj sisters. Our heroes once again become entangled in a criminal intrigue. This time they appear in Gniew and find themselves in the middle of the set. The film, which was supposed to be about fairy-tale love, became the background of a sophisticated crime. Everyone is suspect – the conflicted actresses, the director, the producer, the historical consultant and even the dresser. The Raj sisters must act quickly because the criminal may strike again at any moment.
Martha (): Since we start with the series, I recommend it “Wild Dogs” by Julia Łapińska (Agora). Her first novel, Red Lake, was 2022’s Crime Debut of the Year, and now the cop and photographer we met there (as well as several supporting characters) are back. This is a much more classic detective story than the author’s previous book, but I read it with no less commitment. There were post-Soviet secrets, here we have contemporary politics encroaching on the life of a small town, as well as the ongoing crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border. A very engaging read.
Anna: Revenge by Maciej Kazmierczak (Muza) is the first volume of a new crime series, the main character of which is Robert Foks. One of Warsaw’s best investigators will have to catch a killer of teenagers from wealthy homes roaming the city. The case will not be easy, especially since by chance (or maybe not) a policeman is drawn into the middle of the murderer’s game. To solve this case, you will have to bend the law a bit. There’s a lot going on here and fast. It’s dark, mysterious, disturbing. There’s an underworld that only a select few have access to, but honestly you wouldn’t want to meet them, there’s drugs of all kinds, human trafficking… There’s no shortage of brutal descriptions either. The characters are not obvious – halfway through the book I didn’t even try to guess who was “good” and who was “bad”. From the last pages of “Avengeance” we already know what we can expect in the second volume of Fox’s adventures, and after this mini announcement I am impatiently waiting for the premiere of “Howl”.
Richard Kozik (): “Moth” by Piotr Górski (HarperCollins Polska) is the sixth volume of the series starring Sławomir Kruk, who this time tries to solve the case of a missing teenager. At first it seems that the boy ran away from home, but the police do not rule out other leads. The father is convinced that the boy was beaten and imprisoned. He also gives disturbing details of the incident that he should not know, indicates potential perpetrators, but cannot explain how he knows all this. The case is dark and mysterious and even the commissioner himself is not sure what really happened and what is only a figment of his imagination.
Anna: “Samotnia” by Anna Kańtoch (Marginesy) is the story of Leon Cichy, the author of widely read detective novels, who was lucky all his life and everything was going his way. However, in his thirties something changed – his wife demands a divorce, he is hit by a car, and in the hospital it turned out that he had lost his sight. And this is just the beginning of strange events … What happened that Leon’s life suddenly turned 180 degrees? Be sure to read and find out for yourself.
Marta: We also have a professional writer in the foreground in “Writers” by Magda Stachula (Glow). The main character is Laura Ruta, who leads a practically perfect life of a popular thriller author. Of course, these are only appearances. “The Writer” is not a crime story, but a thriller. Stachula reaches for the patterns she has tested before (e.g. the narration of several characters), but in such a way as to surprise the reader once again.
Richard: I like movies Juliusz MachulskiSo I couldn’t help but pick him up “The Hanging Monkey” (Sonia Draga). I was not disappointed. PRL, thaw after Stalin’s death. On August 13, 1961, Jeremi Felicki, who has just started working as a driver in the 2nd Department of the Ministry of the Interior, takes a ministerial delegation to the Gadastrug’s habitat in Kashubia. Colonel Henke and Major Poletyło are to present the Order of the Builders of the Polish People’s Republic to the apparatchik comrade Karol Podkalicki, who is just turning 50. When they reach the place, Prime Minister Cyrankiewicz changes the order by phone: Podkalicki is to be arrested. It just disappeared somewhere. He is eventually found in a shelter, dead. The monkey he received as a gift is also dead. An investigation begins, and the suspects are the guests of the birthday party held the day before. Most of them are also important party tops. Henke conducts further interrogations, and the list of suspects is shrinking, because he either crosses them off the list himself, or… they die. An interesting and funny novel full of unexpected twists and turnsshowing in a distorting mirror the backstage of the functioning of the security service and intelligence of the People’s Republic of Poland.
Ryszard: Maybe now, for a change, a portion of men’s crime stories from Skarpa Warszawska. The Last Visit by Jacek Ostrowski is based on true events from the 1970s. The Soviet agent Zygmunt Bielaj (aka Iwan Ślezko) kidnapped Stefania Kamińska, a doctor from Płock, a former Home Army soldier, participant in the Warsaw Uprising. Her body has not been found to this day. Jacek Ostrowski tries to answer many questions about this case, he also presents his own version of events. Preparing to write the book, he not only scoured the case files, but also had long conversations with the prosecutor in charge of the investigation. “Who Killed Cinderella?” Alek Rogoziński is another novel with the author of crime novels Róża Krull in the lead role. Rose is invited to a charity ball where she meets several celebrities. When a murder occurs during a party, it turns out that the guests are hiding their secrets, and each of them had a reason to commit the crime. Also a well-known blogger Mario, a friend of Róża, who starts her own investigation …
Marta: At the end, this is yet another proposal for fans of thrillers, especially those that break the rules. I have just finished “Station” by Jakub Szamałek (WAB). For the most part, the action takes place on the International Space Station, where astronauts sent by the Americans and those who came there from Russia meet. This alone causes conflicts, because this is the end of this cooperation and the Russians don’t like it, there are also natural tensions in such extreme conditions and an unexpected – potentially life-threatening – ammonia leak. It’s like sci-fi, but human emotions play the main role here. A great return of the winner of the Wielki Klibr Readers’ Award and the Grand Caliber Award, who knows how to juggle threads – he is not only a widely read writer, but also one of the screenwriters of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
