There's nothing quite like a crime drama for keeping you glued to the page. Whether you're a fan of police procedurals or are more of a psychological thriller person, it's been a very good year for crime fans. And this summer is jam-packed with good books, including a new one from Lisa Jewell, as well as lots of brilliant debuts.
The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh
This thriller had me turning the pages as fast as I could. Carrie and Johan marry in Thailand before Johan is arrested for drug smuggling and disappears. Twelve years later, Carrie is remarried when she stumbles across an online post that reveals Johan escaped Thailand years ago and is living in Stockholm…
Dead Heat by Sabine Durrant
This slow-burn thriller gives White Lotus vibes thanks to the luxe setting on Greece’s Mani Peninsula and its obnoxious characters. After losing his job, Matt Grimshaw holes up in his friends’ holiday house, where he becomes tangled up in others’ infidelities, old rivalries and, ultimately, tragedy.
Based On A True Story by Sarah Vaughan
This twisty thriller has so much I like: a grand house on a windswept Cornish cliff, an enigmatic writer celebrating her 70th birthday in style, a secret blackmailer and three daughters duking it out to be the favourite. Superbly plotted and engrossing from start to finish.
Simon & Schuster Based on a True Story by Sarah Vaughan
Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino
This darkly funny thriller will be deeply relatable to anyone who has experienced the frustrations of house-hunting in recent years. Margo and her husband have lost out on 11 properties, so when she finds her dream home, she is prepared to do whatever it takes to get it – and we really mean whatever. It’s been described as Gone Girl meets Selling Sunset and there’s definitely something of Amy Dunne in Margo’s unhinged behaviour, although this is a funnier read.
The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
Fans of Knives Out’s tongue-in-cheek tone will enjoy this twisty thriller. World-famous author Arthur Fletch is dead, his final novel unfinished, so his publisher and agent invite six writers to his private island in Scotland for the opportunity of a lifetime: whoever writes the perfect ending to the book gets a million pounds.
Heartwood by Amity Gaige
A female hiker goes missing on the Appalachian Trail in this gripping novel that uses its isolated setting to great effect. Told from three women’s points of view – the hiker’s journal entries, the warden heading up the search and a seventysomething armchair detective – each strand adds tension and drama.
The Murder At World’s End by Ross Montgomery
The first adult book from the acclaimed children’s author is a fun take on the lockedroom mystery. When the Viscount of Tithe Hall is killed by a crossbow in his study, the unlikely sleuths are under-butler Stephen and his employer, potty-mouthed octogenarian Miss Decima. We can't wait for more books starring these two!
The Book Of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey
This chilling novel’s shocking plot turns will make you gasp. Identical triplets Vincent, William and Lawrence have lived in a Sycamore Scheme home since birth, cared for by their Morning, Afternoon and Night Mothers. When allowed into the world for the first time, they begin to question everything they’ve been told.
It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell
Jewell does it again, with an edgy thriller that grabs from the go. When Jane Trevally returns a lost dog to its owner, she finds he lives in the house where she had a near-death experience 25 years before.
Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
This unusual crime novel follows, Jet, who has seven days to solve her own ‘murder’ before complications from a violent attack kill her. It's fast-paced and funny, with a lovable central character in Jet.
