Hello bookish friends and welcome to Thursday on damppebbles. It’s day 10 of #R3COMM3ND3D2022 and today I am joined by one of my favourite bookish people. If you visit the blog often then you will know that crime fiction is very much ‘my thing’. Which is why it’s such an honour to have to the brilliant Ayo Onatade of Shotsmag Confidential join me today. Ayo is an expert in the crime fiction genre and her opinion is one I will always trust. If you’re a crime fiction fan and you’re not following Ayo and Shotsmag Confidential, then you really are doing it all wrong!

A quick reminder to those thinking about taking part in #R3COMM3ND3D2022 – the form will close at midday today (that’s Thursday 10th November) so time to submit your three #R3C22 picks is rapidly running out ⏳ Don’t delay, if you would like to feature on damppebbles and shout about three books published in 2022 then you know what to do!

So, what is #R3COMM3ND3D2022? It’s about sharing the book love. It’s a chance for authors, book bloggers, reviewers and bookstagrammers to shout about three (yes, *only* three) books they love. They can be written by any author, in any genre and published in any way (traditionally, indie press or self-published). But there is a catch. All three books must have been published in 2022. To make things interesting there are a couple of teeny, tiny rules; 1) the book must have FIRST been published in 2022 and 2) special editions and reissues do not count. I like to keep you lovely people on your toes 😉

This is the sixth year of #R3C so things are going to be a smidge different this year. Like last year, there’s a scary deadline involved *shudder*. Unlike last year’s form which closed in December, this year’s form will close A LOT EARLIER. The #R3COMM3ND3D application form will only be open until midday (GMT) on Thursday 10th November. If you would like to take part in #R3C this year (and I would LOVE you to!) then please get your three choices in sooner rather than later. Any posts scheduled for later in November will be brought forward and I will close the series early if I’m not able to fill all of the available dates. The form is at the bottom of this post if you fancy taking part.

Here are the three books Ayo recommends…

City on Fire by Don Winslow
This is the first book in a new trilogy by Don Winslow who is known for writing about current issues alongside thrilling stories. City on Fire explores classic themes of loyalty, betrayal, honour, and corruption on both sides of the law, It is a book that is gritty, moody and fully of richly layered characters. Grips from the first page to the end.

The Life of Crime by Martin Edwards
The Life of Crime fully indulges my love of history about crime fiction and crime fiction literary criticism. This is a book that can’t be read in one sitting but you need to dip in and out of it on a regular basis. A good book to read about the history of crime fiction even if this is your first foray into the genre. The Life of Crime should be on everyone’s bookshelf. It is pure delight.

Confidence (Anna and Fin #2) by Denise Mina
This is the second book to feature Anna and Fin and is a welcome return to the duo along with their podcast. This time it involves, deception, murder & theft where confidence is all you need. Denise Mina is a fantastic writer and her writing is not only full of suspense but also humour, menace and humanity. Confidence is not only dark but a page turner that leaves you wanting more. Denise Mina and her books are amongst the best in the business. Confidence is another great and powerful read.

Thank you so much, Ayo. It goes without saying that all three books are going straight on the TBR!

About Ayo Onatade:
Ayo Onatade is a freelance crime fiction critic, blogger, moderator and commentator on Crime Fiction. She has written a number of articles on different aspects of crime fiction and has also given papers on the subject as well. She has an eclectic taste in crime fiction, which runs the gamut from historical crime fiction to hardboiled and short stories. Her research interests include historical fiction especially crime fiction and crime fiction literary criticism. She currently chairs the HWA (Historical Writers Association) Debut Crown, is a CWA Steel Dagger Judge, and is the 2022 Chair for the Mcllvanney Prize (Bloody Scotland). She is also a member of the Advisory Board for Capital Crime.

Ayo’s Blog and Social Media Links:
| Shotsmag Confidential | Twitter @Shotsblog | Facebook Group |

Sign-up for #R3COMM3ND3D2022 closes at midday (GMT) today!
If you’re a book blogger, bookstagrammer, reviewer or an author and you have three books published this year which you want to shout about then please complete the following form (or click this link: https://forms.gle/CNhNp5GRcr4XVedh8)