Home > Chris Whitaker
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765 books added
765 books added
Chris Whitaker
Chris Whitaker was born in London and spent ten years working as a financial trader in the city. When not writing he enjoys football, boxing, and anything else that distracts him from his wife and two young sons.
Awards: Theakston (2021), CWA (2021) see all
Genres: Young Adult Fantasy, Mystery
Novels
Tall Oaks (2016)
All the Wicked Girls (2017)
We Begin at the End (2020)
The Forevers (2021)
All the Colours of the Dark (2024)
aka All the Colors of the Dark
All the Wicked Girls (2017)
We Begin at the End (2020)
The Forevers (2021)
All the Colours of the Dark (2024)
aka All the Colors of the Dark
Awards
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Award nominations
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Chris Whitaker recommends
It's Not Her (2026)
Mary Kubica
"Twisting. Chilling. Heartbreaking. Mary Kubica is the master of misdirection, and It's Not Her is the kind of killer thriller that keeps you guessing until the final page. Cancel your plans, you won't be able to put this one down."
My Husband's Wife (2026)
Alice Feeney
"Clever, twisting, and devilishly dark. I loved My Husband's Wife, the pace is breathless, and the ending is jaw-dropping. I'm a HUGE Feeney fan."
To Love a Liar (2025)
L V Matthews
"A clever, provocative and twisting story of loyalty and lies, marriage and mystery. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough."
A Particularly Nasty Case (2025)
Adam Kay
"A thrilling, twisting mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. Of course it's impossibly funny, but it's also deeply moving and often heartbreaking."
Finding Grace (2025)
Loretta Rothschild
"Shocking, stylish, elegant and twisting. Finding Grace is a truly stunning debut."
Notes on Infinity (2025)
Austin Taylor
"Notes on Infinity is mesmeric, and beautiful, and it stole my breath and my heart. It's a grand story of science and startups, and a simple story of first love and belonging. A cautionary look at our need to push our limitations, and a perfect portrait of friendship, family, and that fine line between exhilaration and agony. I really couldn't have loved it more."
The Listeners (2025)
Maggie Stiefvater
"Mesmeric, original, and stunning. Maggie Stiefvater is an exceptional talent, and The Listeners is by turns a beautiful love story, a fascinating glimpse into the horrors of history, and a haunting tale of loyalty and courage. A marvel of storytelling. I really couldn't have loved it more."
El Dorado Drive (2025)
Megan Abbott
"Sharp, shocking, beautiful and brilliant. El Dorado Drive is a thrilling, clever and powerful story of family, class, money and morality. Megan Abbott is a phenomenal storyteller."
Don't Let Him in (2025)
Lisa Jewell
"A thrilling, chilling, work of genius. Don't Let Him In is Lisa Jewell at her mesmeric best."
Bitter Sweet (2025)
Hattie Williams
"Beautifully written with compassion, hope, and heart . . . Bitter Sweet is a timeless tragedy, a story of the intricacies and illusions of true love, equality, and the heartbreaking disparity between what is shown to us and what we choose to see. It's a very impressive debut."
We Live Here Now (2025)
Sarah Pinborough
"Stunning. Shocking. Terrifying. You know it's coming, but you'll never guess what it is. We Live Here Now is a twisting, funny and frightening journey from calm to storm, from a dream right into a nightmare. I loved every page. No one tells stories like Sarah Pinborough."
Sleep (2025)
Honor Jones
"Beautiful, bruising, incisive and heartfelt. Sleep takes a moving, maddening, funny and searing look at childhood, family and marriage. I adored it."
Shatter Creek (2025)
(Detective Casey Wray, book 2)
Rod Reynolds
"Urgent, thrilling and richly imagined. Without doubt his best yet."
The Names (2025)
Florence Knapp
"Magnificent. A stunning, hopeful, bitterly beautiful novel. The Names is a story of decisions, both grand and miniature, of how each is sewn into the tapestry of what makes us uniquely us. And how a single change can be our making and unraveling. Read it. It's very special."
Our Last Wild Days (2025)
Anna Bailey
"A propulsive, bold and brutal slice of Southern Gothic brilliance. Anna Bailey writes so beautifully about family, friendship, loyalty and betrayal, yet also delivers a tough and truly atmospheric thriller."
One Good Thing (2025)
Georgia Hunter
"Epic, intimate, thrilling and beautiful. One Good Thing is a story of unbreakable friendship, of remarkable resilience, of how love and hope can shine through even the darkest, most unimaginable horrors. Stunning."
Killer Potential (2025)
Hannah Deitch
"Fierce, fun, wild, and enraging. Killer Potential is by turns moving, thrilling, raucous and funny. A deeply accomplished debut."
We All Live Here (2025)
Jojo Moyes
"Warm, witty and wonderful. We All Live Here is a story of family and friendship, of love, compassion and, most importantly, a timely reminder of what truly matters most. The kind of book you smile at while reading."
Hear Him Calling (2024)
Carly Reagon
"Powerful, haunting, and truly terrifying. Rich in character, place and plot, Hear Him Calling is rare, sinister and stunning."
Here One Moment (2024)
Liane Moriarty
"Funny, frightening, heartbreaking, and life-affirming. I adored Here One Moment."
Her Two Lives (2024)
The Revenge of Rita Marsh
Nilesha Chauvet
"A bold, breathless, provocative story of revenge. Smart, incendiary, and deeply, darkly entertaining . . . I devoured it."
The Cracked Mirror (2024)
Chris Brookmyre
"The most original thriller you'll read this year. Hugely ambitious and deeply rewarding, The Cracked Mirror is a mystery like no other. Inventive, emotional and exhilarating."
Things Don't Break on Their Own (2024)
Sarah Easter Collins
"So so so good. A bruising, brilliant and beautiful mystery. An elegant, twisting story of loss and longing, of the ache of the unknown and the drowning weight of past trauma. A very special debut."
Someone in the Attic (2024)
Andrea Mara
"A tense, terrifying, guessing game. Someone in the Attic twists, thrills and chills. I loved it."
Redemption (2024)
Jack Jordan
"A stunning, heartbreaking thrill-ride. Redemption takes a skilful look at love, loss, and the hollow hand of revenge. Powerful and propulsive."
The Midnight Feast (2024)
Lucy Foley
"A sharp, stylish and stunning murder mystery. Darkly funny, with trademark twists and unforgettable characters, The Midnight Feast is Lucy Foley's best yet."
The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby (2024)
Ellery Lloyd
"A clever, richly imagined, first-class mystery. A story both thrilling and deeply layered, touching and fun. I loved it."
Death in the Air (2024)
Ram Murali
"A stunning, sophisticated, scalpel-sharp murder mystery. Powerful, fun and hugely rewarding. Immensely impressive."
The Chamber (2024)
One At A Time
Will Dean
"Breathtaking. Terrifying. Unforgettable. So tense you'll want to put it down, so thrilling you won't be able to. The Chamber is simply brilliant."
The Switch (2024)
Lily Samson
"Shocking, seductive, sexy and scandalous. The Switch is a page-turning thriller, a clever mystery, and a wicked look at love and loyalty."
You Are Here (2024)
David Nicholls
"A stunning, funny, frank and beautiful look at loneliness, friendship, and the risks taken to love and be loved. In a career of standout books, You Are Here takes its place at the top. David Nicholls is my favourite writer."
The Underhistory (2024)
Kaaron Warren
"A heartfelt and chilling gothic tragedy. Unbearably creepy, original and devastating."
A Lesson in Cruelty (2024)
Harriet Tyce
"A shocking, provocative, standout thriller. A Lesson In Cruelty is Harriet Tyce at her twisting, wicked, razor-sharp finest."
The Kellerby Code (2024)
Jonny Sweet
"Fresh, frightening, bittersweet and brutal. The Kellerby Code is wonderfully witty and delightfully dark."
Finding Sophie (2024)
Imran Mahmood
"Finding Sophie is a rare accomplishment, by turns a heart-stopping thriller, a heartfelt mystery, and a powerful study of grief, hope, and the unbreakable bond between parent and child. It's brilliant."
Nightwatching (2024)
Tracy Sierra
"Very few books are as sharp, clever, and utterly terrifying as Nightwatching. Read at your own risk."
Knife Skills For Beginners (2024)
(Paul Delamare, book 1)
Orlando Murrin
"A deliciously dark slice of murder and mystery. Funny and fun, frightening and charming."
The Guest (2024)
B A Paris
"A mesmeric, tense and twisting nightmare. Suffocating, controlled and hugely entertaining."
The Dream Home (2024)
T M Logan
"An irresistible premise, a nerve-shredding nightmare. The Dream Home moves from intriguing mystery to twisting thrill-ride in the turn of a page. T.M. Logan has done it again."
Deadly Animals (2024)
Marie Tierney
"Exceptional in every way, Deadly Animals is a shockingly beautiful, rare and heartbreaking gem. A story both harrowing and exquisitely told. I really can't recommend it highly enough."
Twenty-Seven Minutes (2024)
Ashley Tate
"A twisting, beautiful, deeply affecting mystery from a commanding new talent. Twenty-Seven Minutes is by turns evocative and unpredictable, truly gripping and deeply satisfying. I loved it."
One of the Good Guys (2024)
Araminta Hall
"A dark, dazzling shock to the system. One of the Good Guys is clever, composed, exciting and frightening."
Murder on Lake Garda (2024)
Tom Hindle
"A clever, classy and captivating murder mystery that keeps you guessing through each devilish twist."
The House on Rye Lane (2024)
Susan Allott
"Sublime, elegant and exciting. The House on Rye Lane is beautifully written and entirely gripping. I'm a big fan of Susan Allott."
Holmes, Marple & Poe (2024)
Holmes, Margaret & Poe
(Holmes, Marple & Poe, book 1)
James Patterson and Brian Sitts
"A classic, witty and wonderful mystery from the king of crime. Fast-paced and fun, clever and exciting. I loved it."
The Fury (2024)
Alex Michaelides
"A classic, twisting, brilliant murder mystery. A wonderfully drawn cast of characters with a motive to kill for, in a location to die for, keep you guessing until the shocking finale. Clever, and fiendishly fun."
The Actor (2024)
Chris MacDonald
"A darkly dazzling and glamorously wicked thriller. Take a bow, Chris MacDonald."
The Grief House (2023)
Rebecca Thorne
"A brooding, haunting and deeply heartfelt thriller that kept me turning the pages long into the night."
Five Bad Deeds (2023)
Caz Frear
"A dark, addictive, suburban nightmare. FiveBad Deeds is an edge of your seat, up all night delight."
The Killer's Christmas List (2023)
(DI Tom Stonem, book 1)
Chris Frost
"A truly killer Christmas chiller. You'll need ice in your veins to reach the stunning, twisting finale. This should be on every crime reader's Christmas wish list."
Cover the Bones (2023)
(Detective Nell Buchanan, book 3)
Chris Hammer
"A masterful, stunning thriller."
The Golden Gate (2023)
Amy Chua
"An epic, devastating, majestic mystery. The Golden Gate is clever, richly imagined and outright thrilling."
The Turnglass (2023)
Gareth Rubin
"A stunning, ingenious, truly immersive mystery. The Turnglass is a thrilling delight."
Small Town Sins (2023)
Ken Jaworowski
"Original, bittersweet, twisting, and triumphant. Small Town Sins takes a thrilling and deeply emotive look at cause and effect, at the decisions we make and the lessons we disregard. I adored it."
Prophet (2023)
Sin Blaché and Helen Macdonald
"Bold, brilliant. Prophet is hypnotically enthralling, frightening, fearless, funny and full of heart. I loved it."
The House Hunt (2023)
C M Ewan
"Tense, taut, and terrifying. The House Hunt takes an everyday, knife-edge dilemma and turns it into the stuff of nightmares. Truly impossible to put down."
The Good Daughter (2023)
Laure Van Rensburg
"A stark, stunning and deeply affecting thriller. The Good Daughter takes a tender, chilling look at family and fear, the illusion of safety and the power of inner-resolve. I loved it."
The Confession Room (2023)
Lia Middleton
"A thrilling, chilling, heart-stopping read. With a killer premise and twists that leave you shaken, The Confession Room is impossible to put down."
A Twisted Love Story (2023)
Samantha Downing
"Wicked and wild, seductive and sinister. A Twisted Love Story is beach read fun, up all night gripping, disturbingly dark and satisfyingly clever."
The Resort (2023)
The Dive
Sara Ochs
"A deadly, dangerous, beautiful nightmare. The Dive will leave you breathless yet gasping for more."
The Honeymoon (2023)
Kate Gray
"Dark, devilish and deliciously addictive. The Honeymoon hooked me from page one and delivered twist after twist. The perfect summer thriller."
A Game of Lies (2023)
(DC Morgan, book 2)
Clare Mackintosh
"Dark, devilish, witty and wonderful. A Game of Lies is a frantic, twisting, mystery yet filled with humour and heart."
Eye for an Eye (2023)
M J Arlidge
"Horrifying, heartbreaking, deeply thought-provoking. A big, bold, twisting thriller."
All Of Us Are Broken (2023)
(DS Saul Anguish, book 2)
Fiona Cummins
"Savage, heartbreaking, beautiful and chilling. Fiona Cummins rips up the rule book in this quite brilliant story of love and loss, murder and redemption."
Talking at Night (2023)
Claire Daverley
"Quietly devastating, entirely beautiful, bruising and hopeful. In a world of compromise, Claire Daverley has created a perfect thing. Talking at Night takes its place amongst my all time favourites. I implore you to read it. I'll never forget it."
The Square of Sevens (2023)
Laura Shepherd-Robinson
"A sprawling, exquisite, outright triumph. The Square of Sevens dazzles with heart, mystery and breathtaking detail. I doubt I'll read a better book this year."
The Rule of Three (2023)
Sam Ripley
"The Rule of Three is a completely original, nuanced, one-sitting read that blew me away. Whip-smart dialogue, characters that haunt your dreams and a plot you might just die for. I loved it."
Night Will Find You (2023)
Julia Heaberlin
"Haunting, heartfelt, chilling and beautifully told, Night Will Find You walks that rare line between mystery, thriller and truly original character study. I adored it."
The Good Ones (2023)
Polly Stewart
"Bold, beautiful, savage and stunning. The Good Ones is a taut thriller, an elegant exploration of loss and the haunt of past mistakes, and a true page-turning mystery. I adored it."
Fearless (2023)
(Ben Koenig, book 1)
M W Craven
"Tough, explosive, badass and brilliant, Fearless is everything you could want in a thriller. Blistering pace and all-out action, impossible to put down, impossible to forget. If you like Reacher, you'll LOVE this."
Tell Me What I Am (2023)
Una Mannion
"Sharp, poignant, thrilling and moving. Tell Me What I Am is the kind of richly drawn, achingly atmospheric crime novel you can totally immerse yourself in."
Children of the Sun (2023)
Beth Lewis
"Dazzling, chilling, moving and original. CHILDREN OF THE SUN defies genre in a way that is both fresh, and now to be expected from the brilliant Beth Lewis. I loved it."
The Warlock Effect (2023)
Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman
"A thrilling and ingenious work of wonder. Twisting, evocative and hugely entertaining, The Warlock Effect delivers on every level."
Thirsty Animals (2023)
Rachelle Atalla
"Original, timely, terrifying. Thirsty Animals takes a brutal yet deeply heartfelt look at survival, and kindness, and just how difficult it can be for the two to coexist at the extremes."
Killing Jericho (2023)
(Killing Jericho, book 1)
William Hussey
"Darkly original, suspenseful and haunting. From the gothic undertones, to the fresh protagonist and ratcheting tension, Killing Jericho is a first-class thriller."
End of Story (2023)
Louise Swanson
"An unforgettable tour-de-force. Imaginative, terrifying, beautiful. Do not miss this one."
Other Women (2023)
Emma Flint
"Staggeringly brilliant, harrowing, haunting and entirely beautiful. Other Women takes a thrilling yet compassionate look at the making of a murder, at loneliness and love, at fixation and the sting of shame. A wonderful novel."
The House of Whispers (2023)
Anna Mazzola
"Beautiful, chilling, and darkly enchanting. Anna Mazzola is a truly gifted storyteller, and in The House of Whispers has created a novel so rich in detail, so clever and twisting."
In the Blink of an Eye (2023)
(Kat and Lock, book 1)
Jo Callaghan
"The kind of fresh and fearless debut I just adore. Wildly original, heartfelt, funny, and properly thrilling. Take a bow, Jo Callaghan."
The Drift (2023)
C J Tudor
"A truly terrifying, ice-cold chiller from the master of macabre. C.J. Tudor should be on everyone's must-read list."
All That's Left Unsaid (2022)
Tracey Lien
"A shocking, deeply moving and truly special debut. Savage and heart-breaking, All That's Left Unsaid tackles some hugely important issues, yet is also a richly crafted mystery, a story that is both impossible to put down and impossible to forget."
Double or Nothing (2022)
(Double O, book 1)
Kim Sherwood
"Stylish, explosive, fresh and fun, Kim Sherwood takes one of the world's most beloved series and makes it her own. Faithful, yet entirely original, Double or Nothing is everything you could want in a spy novel."
Bad Fruit (2022)
Ella King
"Beautiful, disturbing, impossible to put down. Bad Fruit heralds a seriously impressive new talent in Ella King."
Truly, Darkly, Deeply (2022)
Victoria Selman
"Gravely compelling, sophisticated, terrifying. Victoria Selman truly excels with this clever, nuanced mystery."
More Than You'll Ever Know (2022)
Katie Gutierrez
"A sprawling, stunning, twisting triumph. By turns heart-pounding and heart-wrenching, this is a story of marriage and murder, of the secrets we endure and the lies we tell ourselves to keep them. So achingly clever and stylish, More Than You'll Ever Know is a special novel from a very special writer."
Complicit (2022)
Winnie M Li
"Bold, brilliant, dazzling and devastating. Winnie M Li writes with pure heart and effortless style, and in COMPLICIT handles the sharpest of stories with such compassion and skill."
After the Lights Go Out (2022)
John Vercher
"John Vercher takes a timely, yet tragically timeless, cautionary tale and turns it into something so heartfelt, so frightening and dazzling that it sits easily alongside the best crime fiction novels I've read this year. Brutal and powerful, I adored it."
Reptile Memoirs (2022)
Silje Ulstein
"Original, sharp, tender and chilling, Reptile Memoirs is hugely ambitious and hypnotically readable."
The Love of My Life (2022)
Rosie Walsh
"A bruising and beautiful mystery that kept me guessing till the very end, The Love of My Life delivers on every level. I'm a huge fan of Rosie Walsh."
The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill (2022)
C S Robertson
"Twisted, twisting, original and sinister. The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill is unforgettable."
Real Easy (2022)
Marie Rutkoski
"Bold, compelling, brutal and brilliant. On the surface Real Easy is the kind of gritty, gripping mystery I just adore, yet it's also full of heart and hope and the most endearing characters."
The Maid (2022)
(Molly the Maid Mystery , book 1)
Nita Prose
"Fresh, fiendish, and darkly beguiling . . . The Maid is so thrillingly original, clever, and joyous. I just adored every page."
Vine Street (2021)
Dominic Nolan
"Savage, beautiful, mesmeric. It's impossible not to marvel at the detail, at the sheer richness of each and every scene. Dominic Nolan is a wonderful writer, Vine Street is a very special book."
Demon (2021)
(Six Stories, book 6)
Matt Wesolowski
"A chilling, eholly original and quite brilliant story, Diety utterly compelling."
The House of Ashes (2021)
Stuart Neville
"Moving, thrilling, tragic. The House of Ashes is a phenomenal achievement from a crime fiction Titan."
A Narrow Door (2021)
(Malbry, book 4)
Joanne Harris
"Engrossing, cunning, sharp, sinister . . . kept me enthralled till the final pages."
1979 (2021)
(Allie Burns, book 1)
Val McDermid
"Unrivalled. Unmissable. Unforgettable. 1979 is Val McDermid at her nail-biting, heart-rending best."
The Long, Long Afternoon (2021)
Inga Vesper
"Breathtakingly stylish, hypnotic and masterfully gripping. Inga paints the most beautiful portrait of 50s suburbia, yet each page scratches away at the sunny gloss to reveal the darkness beneath. Outstanding."
Little Bones (2020)
N V Peacock
"A twisted, chilling journey to the darkest side of human nature. I burned through Little Bones in a day."
The Survivors (2020)
Jane Harper
"Without doubt one of the finest crime writers at work today, a new Jane Harper novel is the highlight of my reading year. She has this knack of painting such beautiful scenes, only to thread them with such menace, such sheer atmospheric terror. Phenomenal."
The Perfect Couple (2020)
Lisa Hall
"Darkly addictive and impossible to predict, this is Lisa Hall at her absolute best."
Found (2019)
Erin Kinsley
"FOUND took me on the kind of twisting journey that kept me turning the pages until the early hours."
The Silver Road (2019)
Stina Jackson
"I lost the whole weekend to Lelle and Meja and couldn't have loved it more. Deeply affecting and full of heart, yet a dark, despairing page-turner. A very impressive debut."
Killing It (2018)
Asia Mackay
"Bold and ballsy with style to burn, Killing It takes a sledgehammer to the spy genre and the result is pure brilliance."
The Tall Man (2018)
Phoebe Locke
"Mesmerizing and terrifying - The Tall Man more than lives up to the hype."
Perfect Match (2018)
D B Thorne
"Crazily gripping, terrifying, and with a supremely well-crafted plot, I couldn't put Perfect Match down for a second."
The Confession (2018)
Jo Spain
"The Confession is jaw-dropping. Clever. Addictive. Beautifully drawn characters. Masterful storytelling."
The Devil's Claw (2017)
Deep Dark Water
(Jennifer Dorey Mystery, book 1)
Lara Dearman
"Dark, haunting and full of twists."
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© 1999 - Fantastic Fiction
