Hamilton's Past Crimes is an early contender for the best debut crime novel of the year. This tough, assured story grabs the reader's attention from the opening pages and keeps a firm grip on it all the way to the exciting finale.  Hamilton has crafted a memorable character in the form of Van Shaw, a soldier and former thief, who returns to Seattle after a 10-year self-imposed exile.  His grandfather is a leading figure in Seattle's criminal underworld and when he requests Shaw's help he reluctantly heads back to his former home town. Bloodshed and betrayal greet Shaw and soon he is caught up in turf wars and old rivalries.  Excellent, intelligent urban noir.

A LINE OF BLOOD
By Ben McPherson.  Harper Collins.  $27.99.

Another strong debut is provided by Ben McPherson.  Set in a less salubrious part of London, this domestic suspense thriller opens with Alex Mercer and his son finding the man next door dead in his bath. Eleven-year-old Max seems unaffected by the sight of the apparent suicide, but more concerning Alex discovers that his wife, Millicent, knew the neighbour quite a lot better than he had originally thought.  Under the pressure of the investigation, the fault lines in their marriage begin to open. McPherson's ability to create realistically flawed and credible, if unreliable, characters lifts this above most marriage thrillers.  The story contains the requisite shifts and surprises and the ending jolts.

THE STRANGER
By Harlan Coben.  Orion.  $32.99.

Coben is the master of the intricate, tricky thriller that twists and turns its way to an unexpected conclusion and The Stranger is one of the best books he has done in several years. Local suburban lawyer Adam Price is living the American dream with a beautiful wife and two sons, until a stranger disrupts his comfortable world by confronting Price with a devastating secret about his wife.  Soon Price's mirage of perfection dissolves and he finds himself tangled in a scary conspiracy. Coben's smoothly written narrative quickly engages and sweeps the reader up in an intriguing plot that delivers a stunning final surprise.  The characters are convincing and the suburban milieu is effectively evoked. Recommended.