Fear (2026) Twisted Tales from Ireland's Leading Women Crime Writers edited by Sam Blake and CL Murphy
Andrea Mara recommends
The Party in the Woods (2026) Fiona McPhillips "Hypnotic, haunting, pulsing with tension - The Party in the Woods is a sharply observed interrogation of relationships and consequences. Impossible to put down."
The Wicked Girls (2026) Roz Watkins "Relentless pace, twists at every turn - I had to keep reading, desperate to find out what was going on. Atmospheric, creepy, immersive, chilling."
Tell Me Something True (2026) Michael Robotham "A small town setting with an utterly absorbing atmosphere, unforgettable characters, a multi-layered mystery, beautiful prose - a flawless novel and my favourite book this year."
Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel (2026) (New Miss Marple Mysteries, book 1) Lucy Foley "Marple is back, clever as ever - this was a golden age joy from start to finish. So faithful to the originals, Marple fans will adore. Absolute perfection, I loved it."
A House in Winter (2026) Emily Hourican "Beautifully written, wonderfully drawn characters, and a hugely engrossing story from one of our very best writers - stunning."
Please Help Me (2026) Gytha Lodge "Propulsive, pacy, hugely immersive - a brilliantly told story. I didn't want it to end but also couldn't stop turning the pages!"
Never to Be Found (2026) Jo Spain "Non-stop tension, clever twists and turns, and nothing is ever as it seems."
The Last Place You Look (2026) Nikki Smith "What a page-turner, a one-sitting read with incredible pace, a wondrously clever plot and a perfect ending."
Getting Away With Murder (2026) Shari Lapena "I don't know how she does it - every book is her best and here we go again: her best book yet! I devoured it in just a few hours, paging desperately through to see what would happen. Breakneck pace, masterful plotting, brilliantly observed, devilishly smart, and a truly satisfying ending. I adored it."
Everything She Didn't Say (2026) Jane Casey "Clear your calendar, cancel your plans - Everything She Didn't Say is the astonishing new novel from Jane Casey. Beautifully written, instantly gripping, it's a masterpiece."
Buyer Beware (2026) Catherine Ryan Howard "An intricately plotted, intelligent thriller - every page vibrates with emotion. A masterpiece. Catherine Ryan Howard has done it again - her best novel yet."
Caller Unknown (2026) Gillian McAllister "An incredibly page-turning mystery wrapped up in a thoughtful and thought-provoking exploration of a most unusual kind of grief. Absolutely outstanding, one of my books of the year."
Witch Trial (2026) Harriet Tyce "Daring, different, clever and compulsive, a truly original novel. Delicious."
Warning Signs (2026) Tracy Sierra "Wow, Tracy Sierra has done it again -- knife-edge tension and a perfect denouement. Absolutely outstanding."
Troublemaker (2026) Lesley Kara "I adored Storm and Lena, I loved everything about this book - one of my absolute favourite reads of the year."
59 Minutes (2025) Holly Seddon "Fresh, original, powerful and thought-provoking, I raced through this clever novel, desperate to find out what was going on and how it would all come together. Wonderful."
This Stays Between Us (2025) Sara Ochs "Incredible pace, terrifically intriguing plot, wonderfully flawed characters and a searing hot setting to ramp up the tension. A masterclass in crime fiction, I loved it!"
What Happens in the Dark (2025) Kia Abdullah "An impeccable blend of courtroom drama, mystery thriller and social commentary ... a true masterpiece."
It's Always the Husband (2025) C L Taylor "Desperate Housewives meets Big Little Lies - a propulsive page-turner brimming with intrigue, utterly addictive!"
The Compound (2025) Aisling Rawle "A fresh, original debut, searing in its interrogation of modern life - utterly engrossing, everyone should read it."
The Break-in (2025) Katherine Faulkner "With an exquisite, perfectly timed drip-feed of reveals, hiding-in-plain-sight clues, delicious unraveling of secrets, and nail-biting tension, The Break-In is an absolute triumph. One of the best books I've read this year."
You Killed Me First (2025) John Marrs "The most chilling opening I've ever read in any book-a superb start to a stellar thriller. This is trademark John Marrs and then some! Clever, twisty, dark, surprising, propulsive-an elevated thriller that readers will devour. I loved it."
There Came A-Tapping (2025) Andrea Carter "An atmospheric, creepy, tense thriller - intriguing, haunting, and kept me guessing right till the end. I loved it. A sure-fire hit!"
Death at the White Hart (2025) (Nicola Bridge, book 1) Chris Chibnall "A small town, big heart mystery full of deep dark secrets and cleverly breadcrumbed clues - authentic, pacy, rich and extremely satisfying."
The Killing Sense (2025) Sam Blake "A riveting, textured, glamorous crime thriller set in contemporary Paris - magnifique! Sam Blake's best novel yet."
The Inheritance (2025) Trisha Sakhlecha "Original, compelling, truly absorbing and utterly unputdownable. With masterful storytelling, this is crime fiction at its very best."
Bad Tourists (2024) Caro Carver "With a genius premise, Bad Tourists hooks from the first page and doesn't let go until the nail-biting final chapter when the cleverly woven threads pull together for a perfect ending. A sublime thriller, an absolute scorcher. I loved it!"
Redemption (2024) Jack Jordan "Tense, dark, emotional, and beautifully written, this action-packed gut-punch of a novel is flawless, and one of the best books I've read this year."
I Died on a Tuesday (2024) Jane Corry "A clever, twisty story of unravelling secrets, with a huge heart at its core. A joy for crime lovers."
Truth Truth Lie (2024) Claire McGowan "A genius premise and a truly hypnotic story that had me hooked from the very first page. Intricate plotting and breathless pace - a masterpiece."
In Her Place (2024) Edel Coffey "With a brilliant premise and non-stop pace, In Her Place is a stellar example of dilemma-noir. Clever, fresh, dark and thought-provoking - I gulped it down."
The Best Way to Bury Your Husband (2024) Alexia Casale "The Best Way To Bury Your Husband is poignant, funny, and warm, but also dark, searing and downright heart-breaking. Beautifully written with a perfect blend of humour, pathos, and important, hard-hitting messages."
A Guilty Secret (2024) Philippa East "Masterful, clever, surprising at ever turn; a proper page-turner and a one-sitting read. I couldn't stop turning the pages. Sublime."
The Escape (2023) Ruth Kelly "Dark, immersive, and tantalisingly atmospheric, The Escape is wholly absorbing and completely addictive."
The Lodgers (2023) Eithne Shortall "Immersive, captivating, and full of heart, I fell in love with The Lodgers. A story that's deeply moving but also laugh out loud funny, this is Eithne Shortall at the absolute top of her game."
The Last Dance (2023) (Detective Miller, book 1) Mark Billingham "A captivating combination of humour, emotion, mystery and tension, The Last Dance is everything you could wish for in a new detective series. Sharp and funny, with hidden layers, just like Detective Declan Miller himself."
Grave Expectations (2023) (Grave Expectations, book 1) Alice Bell "Funny, fast, sharp, original, and addictive ... a unique breath of fresh air. Brilliant!"
Good Girls Die Last (2023) Natali Simmonds "Searing and unflinching, Good Girls Die Last is rousing, angry and beautiful. Impossible to put down, right to the gut-punch ending. Stunning, I absolutely loved it."
Hazard Night (2023) Laura Vaughan "Beautifully written, Hazard Night is dark and devious, immersive, compelling, and intensely atmospheric. A wonderfully absorbing read."
Dirty Laundry (2023) Disha Bose "Everything I want in a book - Desperate Housewives in a small-town setting, each one up to no good and each turn in the story even better than the last."
After Paris (2022) Nicole Kennedy "Nicole Kennedy writes beautifully about female friendship, family dramas, relationships, parenting, and the city of Paris. Moving, funny, and hugely relatable."
The Perfect Escape (2022) Leah Konen "What a clever book, I inhaled every chapter, desperate to find out what was going on. I absolutely loved it! Those cliffhangers!"
Eleanor Ray "Heart-warming and thought-provoking, a mystery with a difference. It's beautifully constructed around the everyday items its central character hoards, as she slowly uncovers the secrets of her past. I loved it."
The Last to Know (2020) Jo Furniss "A big house, a small town, a dark past, and a whole lot of secrets—all woven seamlessly together with Jo Furniss’s beautiful and evocative writing style. I raced through The Last to Know, from the edge-of-seat opening to the very satisfying ending. Highly recommended!"
