New Thrillers Deliver Murder, Espionage, and a Deadly Hatpin

A roundup of new crime and thriller novels offers everything from a Glasgow auctioneer's investigation to a high-stakes spy mission in Tehran. In Louise Welsh's "The Cut Up," gay Glaswegian auctioneer Rilke returns for a third case. He discovers the body of a jewelry dealer, stabbed through the eye with a Victorian hatpin. The weapon was recently featured on the TV show "Bargain Hunt." Rilke's loyalty to his boss leads him to interfere before calling the police. Unsatisfied with their quick conclusion, he digs into a dark past linked to a notorious reform school. The novel is praised as sharply observed and humane. David McCloskey's "The Persian" follows Kam Esfahani, a Jewish Iranian dentist. Living in Sweden, he is recruited by Israeli intelligence. He returns to Tehran to run a fake dental practice and create chaos. His mission complicates when he involves a double agent. The story is told through confessions Kam writes in prison under torture. His dark humor highlights the horror and hypocrisy of endless conflict. The result is a masterly and gripping novel. Other titles reviewed include "The 10:12" by Anna Maloney, "Very Slowly All at Once" by Lauren Schott, and "Vivian Dies Again" by CE Hulse.