Awards
| Dagger Awards Best Book winner (2013) : Dead Lions | | Barry Awards Best Thriller nominee (2014) : Dead Lions | | Dagger Awards Best Book nominee (2016) : Real Tigers | | Dagger Awards Best Book nominee (2017) : Spook Street | | Macavity Awards Best Book nominee (2017) : Real Tigers | | Barry Awards Best Thriller nominee (2018) : Spook Street | | Dagger Awards Best Book nominee (2018) : London Rules | | Barry Awards Best Thriller nominee (2019) : London Rules | | Dagger Awards Best Book nominee (2020) : Joe Country |
| |
Mick Herron recommends
Cahokia Jazz (2023)Francis Spufford"Francis Spufford has discovered a new riff on a favourite tune, and in exploring it has created something wholly unique. Cahokia Jazz is extraordinary."
The New Wife (2023)J P Delaney"I loved it. JP Delaney has a gift for the unputdownable story ... One twist in particular left me open-mouthed. Brilliant stuff. This'll be in a lot of holiday luggage come the summer."
Black Thorn (2023)Sarah Hilary"Brilliant. Taking a really deep dive into some dark spaces that Sarah brings vividly to life, it's wonderful and unlike anything else I've read lately."
To Battersea Park (2023)Philip Hensher"To Battersea Park is an imaginative tour de force. The first great lockdown novel, and perhaps the only one we'll need."
Queen & Country (2022)(Charles Thoroughgood, book 7)Alan Judd"A masterful storyteller with an intricate knowledge of his subject."
The Plant Hunter (2022)T L Mogford"An old-fashioned adventure yarn with all the virtues of the genre, The Plant Hunter engages, informs and entertains, while taking the reader to distant, unexpected places. Highly recommended."
A Killing in November (2022)(DI Wilkins Mysteries, book 1)Simon Mason"This is a terrific crime novel, with a startlingly original protagonist we're going to see a lot more of. Oxford's mean streets just got meaner."
1979 (2021)(Allie Burns, book 1)Val McDermid"A new series from Val McDermid promises to be an event - and 1979 delivers. Full of wit, thrills and incisive social observation and features a marvellous new character to follow through the years to come."
The Cover Wife (2021)Dan Fesperman"The narrative choreography demanded by Fesperman's split timelines is expertly handled, and the dilemma faced by Helen, in particular whether to be a good employee or a good citizen illustrates the kind of weight that the spy novel, in the right hands, is capable of bearing."
Box 88 (2020)(Box 88, book 1)Charles Cumming"BOX 88 is a wonderful spy novel; Charles Cumming’s most ambitious and his best yet."
Pine (2020)Francine Toon"If there's any doubt that the Gothic thriller is enjoying a boom, Francine Toon's debut should settle the matter. PINE, a moving study of memory and loss, is both spooky and tender; drenched in a sense of place and yet eerily timeless."
The Whisper Man (2019)Alex North"A novel about the dark places that are recognisably our own, The Whisper Man plays on our emotions as much as on our fears. A tremendous calling card for the brilliant Alex North."
On My Life (2019)Angela Clarke"An angry, powerful read - one of those rare crime novels with more to deliver than routine thrills."
A House of Ghosts (2018)W C Ryan"A splendid tale of wartime skullduggery, featuring both kinds of spooks - perfect fireside reading."
The Puppet Show (2018)(Washington Poe, book 1)M W Craven"A thrilling curtain raiser for what looks set to be a great new series."
Firefly (2018)(Paul Samson, book 1)Henry Porter"A welcome return ... Firefly is both timely and terrific."
The Craftsman (2018)(Craftsman Trilogy, book 1)Sharon Bolton"Sharon Bolton raises the bar with each new book. The Craftsman goes to some very dark places, and will have readers looking nervously over their shoulders with every page they turn."
My Little Eye (2017)(Starke & Bell, book 1)Stephanie Marland"The first novel in what promises to be a riveting new series, My Little Eye is a one-sitting read: gripping, clever and worringly plausible."
The Night Visitor (2017)Lucy Atkins"The tension is immediate and unrelenting; the sense of unease palpable . . . a gripping, Rendellesque read."
The Irregular (2017)(Irregular Spy, book 1)H B Lyle"A fine first entry in what promises to be a great new series. Wiggins is a captivating hero, and Lyle draws his Edwardian backstreets in convincing color. The game is most definitely afoot."
Brothers in Blood (2017)(Zaq & Jags, book 1)Amer Anwar"An engaging hero, a cunning plot, and a fascinating journey into Southall's underworld. We'll be hearing a lot more from Amer Anwar."
Before It's Too Late (2015)(DI Will Jackman, book 1)Jane Isaac"An involving and clever plot; a sympathetic protagonist. In a crowded field, Jane Isaac writes like a seasoned professional." More recommendations Visitors also looked at these authors
About Fantastic Fiction Information for Authors