The 6th Annual Beltie Mystery Prize is afoot! Pete Mock has eight killer reads for you, curated from the 2022’s best mystery, thriller, procedural, and true crime releases. In alphabetical order by author, the seventh up is:

Natasha Pulley’s The Half Life of Valery K

“Natasha Pulley is one of those rare authors whose ideas are so creative, so original, you have to wonder how she does it. The Half Life is a perfect example. At the start of the story Valery K is imprisoned in a Soviet gulag where he has learned how to survive under brutal conditions. Suddenly he is taken away and he thinks he is about to die but is instead taken to a secret city not located on any map where his skills are needed for a special project that, if successful, could change the trajectory of life everywhere. While he is just one cog in a large machine his cognitive abilities allow him to see the whole picture and what he sees is not pleasant. With the help of an empathetic KGB, an octopus that likes to wonder from its tank, and a village of escapees from the secret city, Valery sets out to thwart the project and show to the world the dangers of Soviet ambitions. This is one of those hybrids that is more than just the sum of its parts but it is a story you can just sink into like sitting on a cloud.” – Pete