Vaseem Khan first saw an elephant lumbering down the middle of the road in 1997 when he arrived in India to work as a consultant. It was the most unusual thing he'd ever encountered and served as the inspiration...
The Drowning Place (2026) (DS Joseph Ashe, book 1) Sarah Hilary "Works on multiple levels: a compelling murder mystery, an examination of the impact of survivor's guilt, and an empathetic dissection of life in small town Britain. Written with Hilary's trademark flair for prose, this first episode in a new police procedural series sings with originality and authenticity."
A Stranger in Corfu (2026) Alex Preston "Alex Preston's tale of Cold War spies marooned in Corfu presents an achingly poignant portrait of intersecting lives set against a decades-long canvas spanning seminal moments in Britain's spy story. The simmering plot explodes into violence, but Preston never loses sight of the fact that at the heart of his tale are characters whose luminosity lingers long after the final page is turned. A beautifully written examination of what it means to put your life - and soul - on the line for a cause. A spy novel of the highest calibre."
A Killer in Paradise (2026) Tom Hindle "Set against the darkly pulsating backdrop of the rainforest, this excellent closed circle mystery cements Hindle's reputation for delivering gripping modern takes on the Christie formula. Tremendously engaging."
The Killer Question (2025) Janice Hallett "With suspects galore and twists and turns aplenty, this is a head-scratcher to keep readers on their mystery-solving toes. You'll never look at pub quizzes the same away again."
The Wasp Trap (2025) Mark Edwards "A search for the perfect dating site become a search for the DNA of psychopathy, a project that quickly turns towards the dark. Years later, when the experimenters reunite, secrets reaching back into the past ramp up the tension, balancing lives on a knife edge. An ingenious, twisty read from the master of the suspense thriller."
The Red Shore (2025) (DS Eden Driscoll, book 1) William Shaw "William Shaw's The Red Shore takes fish-out-of-water Met Detective DS Eden Driscoll to the windy shores of Devon and a case involving his vanished sister, a dark mystery powered by a wonderfully constructed relationship between Driscoll and the young nephew he never knew he had. Shaw proves, once again, that he is the undisputed king of seaside noir."
The Art of a Lie (2025) Laura Shepherd-Robinson "A fast-paced historical narrative that pits two protagonists against each other in a wily battle of wills. Confident, engrossing, and as taut as any thriller."
A Schooling in Murder (2025) Andrew Taylor "A heady mix of murder, intrigue, and a supernatural interlocutor. Taylor's prose is characteristically fluid, his ability to conjure empathy for his cast - both real and spectral - wonderfully perceptive, and the plot itself gripping in the very best traditions of mystery writing. A thorough delight from start to finish."
The Rush (2025) Beth Lewis "Lewis flawlessly recreates the savage beauty of the wilds - and the lives of those beholden to the exhilarating lawlessness of gold fever. A bold and brilliant novel."
A Novel Murder (2025) (Jane Hepburn, book 1) E C Nevin "With a sympathetic protagonist and a cast of suitably obnoxious suspects, E.C. Nevin's eviscerating portrait of modern publishing is couched within an immensely readable mystery. Rarely will the industry feel so seen. A wicked, wicked book."
This is Not a Game (2025) Kelly Mullen "Mullen's debut introduces us to a sparkling new crime-fighting partnership: acerbic septuagenarian Mimi and her smart-as-a-whip granddaughter, Addie. In This Is Not A Game, the pair find themselves trapped together on an island mansion as murders ensue. Crackles with wit and cosy crime goodness."
The Midnight King (2025) Tariq Ashkanani "Written in darkly electric prose, The Midnight King is a multi-layered serial killer novel that whips the reader back and forth like a bandsaw. A brutal and demanding read."
Dirty Money (2025) (Farrow & Chang, book 1) Charlotte Philby "Dirty Money introduces an edgy new partnership to grace the crime fiction landscape. In Farrow and Chang we find a wildly contrasting duo forced together to navigate a path from London's darkly gleaming towers to the city's seedy underbelly. A stylish start to a compelling new series."
The Bells of Westminster (2024) Leonora Nattrass "The Bells of Westminster delivers everything you would want from a historical crime novel. A wonderfully rendered period setting, a cast of sympathetic characters, and a compelling puzzle, one with great historical resonance. All told using the most delicious prose. A delightfully immersive historical mystery."
Our Holiday (2024) Louise Candlish "Candlish excels in making even unlikeable characters compelling. A thrilling study of toxic one-upmanship amongst the suburban elite."
Dead Mile (2024) Jo Furniss "A new take on the locked-room mystery. The action is brisk, the characters are vividly drawn, and the plot snakes around the throat. A tense and ingenious 'locked-traffic' thriller."
Mrs Sidhu's Dead and Scone (2023) (Mrs Sidhu, book 1) Suk Pannu "Suk Pannu's first foray into the world of crime fiction, by way of Dead and Scone, features irrepressible caterer and purveyor of aubergine bhaji, Mrs Sidhu. When murder rears its head among the celebrity set of rural Berkshire, the formidable Mrs Sidhu decides to set aside her apron and hurl herself into a private investigation. Stuffed with warmth and wicked, cross-cultural observations, Dead and Scone is a dollop of cosy crime goodness."
All Of Us Are Broken (2023) (DS Saul Anguish, book 2) Fiona Cummins "All Of Us Are Broken is Fiona Cummins' modern retelling of the Bonnie and Clyde story, transplanted from the American heartland to the Scottish Highlands. Cummins uses her considerable skills to meditate on the pervasive nature of violence in our contemporary society. A dark and bloody ride."
Fearless (2023) (Ben Koenig, book 1) M W Craven "Adrenaline-fueled plotting, hard-charging characters, and small-town evil...this is a thriller with all the right ingredients. And yeah, Reacher fans, you're gonna love this too."
The Dog Sitter Detective (2023) (Dog Sitter Detective, book 1) Antony Johnston "A country house, a body in the library and a dog-loving sleuth...Simply delightful!."
Death Under a Little Sky (2023) (Jake Jackson, book 1) Stig Abell "Stig Abell's love of the genre shines through in his crime fiction debut, Death Under a Little Sky. The narrative follows a city detective who quits the force and moves to a rural idyll at the termination of a troubled marriage. But fate never leaves a good detective in peace, and he soon finds himself investigating a possible local murder. An atmospheric, often meditative, and beautifully written crime novel."
You Can Run (2023) Trevor Wood "Begins at the speed of a runaway train. A propulsive page-turner."
Needless Alley (2023) (William Garrett, book 1) Natalie Marlow "From its claustrophobic descriptions of Birmingham's darker corners to revelations of the seedier proclivities of the rich and powerful, Needless Alley offers a gripping portrait of 1930s England, a country where Blackshirts and fascism have entered the national psyche. William Garrett - dour, dark, and damaged - is a man of principle in an unprincipled vocation. A meditative and wonderfully written historical crime debut."
The Mystery of Four (2023) Sam Blake "Has all the hallmarks of a 'modern' golden age murder mystery: a fabulous country house setting, an eccentric cast, and a regular drip feed of dead bodies. Add in an old curse, a determined amateur sleuth, and an ill-omened play and you have an offering that will delight fans of the genre."
In the Blink of an Eye (2023) (Kat and Lock, book 1) Jo Callaghan "Jo Callaghan makes her entry into the crowded police procedural genre with a fresh take on the buddy-buddy cop trope. In the Blink of an Eye predicts the near future when police officers and their AI counterparts will work hand-in-holographic-hand. The human-AI interactions between the lead protagonists as they pursue their quarry are illuminating and, at times, hilarious. Provocative and compelling. A TV series seems a certainty."
Better the Blood (2022) (Hana Westerman, book 1) Michael Bennett "Better the Blood touches on themes that have become increasingly urgent in recent years including the far-reaching impacts of colonialism and the often uneasy integration of identity and heritage into modern multicultural society. A tensely plotted, gritty crime novel that has the courage to force us all to rethink our relationship with the past."
Dead Rich (2022) G W Shaw "Set on a luxury yacht, Dead Rich charts a twisty course between murder, lies, and the dark deeds of oligarchs. A fresh, high-octane take on the ever-popular adventure thriller genre."
The Blood Divide (2021) A A Dhand "Opens with a bang and continues with a thrill-a-minute adventure . . . A. A. Dhand knows how to keep me up into the early hours."
The Waiter (2021) (Detective Kamil Rahman, book 1) Ajay Chowdhury "The Waiter is a heady mix of murder, intrigue and all things Indian. Weaving together a dual narrative with aplomb, Ajay Chowdhury's neatly-drawn detective Kamil Rahman relives his failure to solve the murder of a Bollywood A-lister in Kolkata whilst trying to solve the killing of an Indian industrialist in London. Could the two murders be connected? An accomplished crime debut that offers something a little different."
The Khan (2021) (Khan, book 1) Saima Mir "Saima Mir’s debut, The Khan, traces its lineage to such classics as Mario Puzo’s seminal work The Godfather: it is the story of a British Asian woman hailing from an organised crime family, the daughter of a first generation immigrant, who rejects the family business but is ultimately pulled into the vacuum left by her father’s death. Mir’s novel pulls no punches, taking aim at cultural stereotypes, sacred cows, and the attitudes and morality of the community within which the story is based. The book operates on various levels: crime family saga, character study, and an exploration of clan-run organised crime. A sterling debut."
Eleanor Ray "A gently absorbing entry into the mystery-uplit canon."
City of Ghosts (2020) (Revol Rossel, book 1) Ben Creed "Gripping ... with historical heft, plenty of twists along the way, and a uniquely ingenious code left behind by our murderer. An excellent start to a new historical crime series."
End of Summer (2020) (Seasons Quartet , book 1) Anders De La Motte "A Swedish-set crime thriller for fans of the hugely successful CWA Gold Dagger-winning The Dry by Jane Harper . . . A gripping crime novel that moves between two narratives at a terrific clip, populated by vivid characters, with more twists along the way than you can shake a stick at. Crime fiction at its best."
The Family Tree (2020) Sairish Hussain "A multi-generational story crafted with warmth and an insider's understanding of its environment. Hussain evokes the trials and tribulations of life in an Asian family growing up in a changing and sometimes hostile Britain with a surefooted ease and a keen sense of dramatic tension. An engaging debut."
The Death Knock (2018) Elodie Harper "Elodie Harper employs her journalistic background to great effect by breathing life into her gritty news reporter protagonist as she pursues a terrifying serial killer in East Anglia. Frankie's investigations lead her into increasing levels of danger including the menacing attentions of a rabidly misogynistic blogger, a warped advocate of the so-called men's rights movement. A highly-charged and topical thriller."
In Strangers' Houses (2018) (Lena Szarka mystery, book 1) Elizabeth Mundy "A warmly-crafted crime debut, perfect for our multicultural age."
Arrowood (2017) (Arrowood Mystery, book 1) Mick Finlay "A book with enough warmth, charm, humour, and intrigue to signal the start of an excellent new series."
