Whether you are looking for a holiday read or just need a book that will grip you from its opening and keep you turning the pages right to the very end, then you are in luck. This month’s crop of crime and thrillers does not disappoint. From the return of Terry Deary‘s delightfully fun mystery series, to new crime from the award-winning Abir Mukherjee, and excellent debuts from exciting new voices, here is our pick of the best…
The Pinnacle by Abir Mukherjee; Actually I’m A Corpse by Terry Deary; The Honeymoon Suite by Rebecca Taylor McKay
The Pinnacle by Abir Mukherjee
When a Bollywood star is found dead in Mumbai’s most exclusive skyscraper, her washed-up American husband looks guilty – but everyone in the building has secrets. The latest from this prize-winning author is another slick, satirical thriller with an acute social eye.
Harvill, £16.99
Actually I’m A Corpse by Terry Deary
In 1973, a train pulls into Sunderland station with a strangled body on board and no witnesses. Newly promoted Sergeant Aline James sets out to prove herself, with help from a most unlikely pair: an assassin and an actor.
Constable, £22
The Honeymoon Suite by Rebecca Taylor McKay
Amalfi, 1961: Clara’s honeymoon should be all glittering sea, lemon trees and cocktails. Then a note arrives: “He’s lying to you.” Longlisted for the Women’s Prize Discoveries award, this is a stylish psychological thriller from an exciting new voice.
Renegade Books, £20
Breakout by Chris Ryan; You Know What You Did by Kirsty Lockwood; The Lover by Mary Watson
Breakout by Chris Ryan
Ex-SAS soldier David Hawkins is recruited by MI6 to infiltrate a gang of mercenaries led by a former Regiment officer. But what looks like a spectacular heist soon reveals itself as something far more dangerous, with global consequences.
Zaffre, £20
You Know What You Did by Kirsty Lockwood
Odette, 19, and Amos, 80, have become internet-famous for their unlikely friendship. Then Amos is murdered during a livestream, with Odette filmed covered in blood. This character-driven Glasgow-set debut explores guilt, silence and public judgment.
Orion, £16.99
The Lover by Mary Watson
Imagine you meet the perfect man, go home with him and fall asleep in his arms. Then, when you wake, he is dead beside you. From the prize-winning author of The Cleaner comes another thriller with an irresistible set-up.
Bantam, £16.99
Backstabbers by Eliza Jabore; Some Sort of Justice by Peter Grainger; The Final Six by Akinari Asakura
Backstabbers by Eliza Jabore
Three friends hike Washington’s Bones Hollow Trail, listening to a true-crime podcast about the serial killer who once stalked it. Then one of them is injured and the only sign of life for miles is a remote cabin. What could possibly go wrong?
Sphere, £20
Some Sort of Justice by Peter Grainger
Freddie Thorpe, Earl of Burnham, is dead – and his sister Caroline does not believe the inquest got it right. Her challenge draws in DCI Cara Freeman and the Kings Lake detectives, who find powerful people may have buried a scandal stretching all the way to the government.
Hutchinson Heinemann, £18.99
The Final Six by Akinari Asakura
Six candidates are competing for one job at Japan’s most exclusive tech company, but must decide among themselves who gets it. Then envelopes appear, each containing a devastating secret. This razor-edged thriller became a huge hit when it was first released in Japan.
Sphere, £20
A Murder in Springtime by Martin Walker; Bad Deeds by Andrew Hunter Murray; Red Verdict by James Comey
A Murder in Springtime by Martin Walker
Bruno Courreges, the much-loved chief of police in the Dordogne town of St Denis, is used to keeping order. But when a newly arrived woman is murdered, his personal ties force him off the case – at least officially.
Quercus, £22
Bad Deeds by Andrew Hunter Murray
Alex breaks into houses for a living – legally, testing their security. After losing his job, flat and girlfriend in one night, he secretly takes on one last job; the kind that spirals into stumbling upon a suspicious death in rural Scotland.
Hutchinson Heinemann, £18.99
Red Verdict by James Comey
Deputy US Attorney Nora Carleton investigates after a defence executive is killed with Novichok in a Manhattan restaurant. And, in this latest legal thriller from the former FBI director, the trail points to Russian espionage and a case with national-security stakes.
Head of Zeus, £20
One of the Family by Mark Edwards
Patrick is desperate to impress his girlfriend Holly’s wealthy family when she invites him to their Scottish mansion for New Year. But between the hallway whispers, a rumoured local death and Holly’s father’s unsettling new girlfriend, the welcome starts to feel increasingly uneasy.
Michael Joseph, £16.99
The Secrets We Hide by Karin Slaughter
In North Falls, everyone has theories about the Vickery family. Then Allison Vickery is murdered in her kitchen and her teenage daughter is left for dead. Detective Emmy Clifton must uncover the truth in a town dense with secrets.
HarperCollins, £22
