As all bookworms will know, there is no greater feeling than reading something so good it feels near-impossible to tear yourself away from it. No genre does this better than crime and thrillers, and this month’s releases are some of its finest examples.
From the return of Anatomy of a Scandal‘s Sarah Vaughan and crime titan James Patterson to the clever and wholly original Soviet-set Astronaut! by Oana Aristide, here is our pick of the best…
Whidbey by T Kira Madden
On a ferry to Whidbey Island, Birdie confides in a stranger about the man who abused and stalked her — and he offers to kill him. After the murder, three women who were connected to him grapple with truth, power and consequence.
Tinder Press, £20
A Murder in Eight Cocktails by Kelly Mullen
On California’s glossy coastline, a retiree, her husband and her ex-husband find themselves investigating a suspicious death between perfectly mixed drinks. Stylish and wry, this is a sunlit whodunnit with excellent plotting.
Century, £16.99
It’s Not What You Think by Clare Mackintosh
Convinced her husband is cheating, Nadeeka prepares for confrontation — only to find him dead. As suspicion spirals and secrets surface, Mackintosh dismantles all assumptions with a series of jaw-dropping twists.
HarperCollins, £16.99
Based on a True Story by Sarah Vaughan
From the author of Anatomy of a Scandal — adapted into the hit Netflix series — comes the story of a celebrated children’s writer whose carefully curated life begins to unravel at her 70th birthday.
Simon & Schuster, £16.99
Intelligence by Robert Newman
Oxford, 1938: two dazzling young philosophers debate ethics as Europe edges towards war. When one of them uncovers secret Nazi intelligence, theory turns urgent. Newman blends wit and tension in a brisk, brainy spy novel.
Serptent’s Tail, £16.99
The Family Friend by Claire Douglas
When she inherits a crumbling country house, Imogen hears whispers of a long-buried crime – and as past and present collide, she realises some secrets are better uncovered. Another gripping read from the million-selling author of The Wrong Sister.
Michael Joseph, £20
Dead Heat by Sabine Durrant
An unemployed journalist joins friends in sun-soaked Greece to write — but under the heat, rivalries and resentments simmer. Durrant pairs taut psychological suspense with crisp, beautiful writing.
Century, £16.99
Killing Me Softly by Christie Watson
Set in the high-pressure world of A&E, this medical thriller follows a nurse caught in a spiralling crisis. Drawing on decades of her own NHS experience, Watson layers tension with thoughtful moral complexity.
Phoenix, £20
The Truth About Ruby Cooper by Liz Nugent
When an incident shatters two sisters’ Boston adolescence, the fallout ripples across decades and continents. Nugent – author of the hit Strange Sally Diamond – traces the long shadow of one devastating act.
Sandycove, £16.99
When I Kill You by B A Paris
Nell has reinvented herself, burying a dangerous past. But someone knows — and is closing in. Paris keeps the pressure high in this tightly wound cat-and-mouse thriller.
HQ, £16.99
Going Going Gone by Nasheema Lennon
20 years after her best friend vanished, Imani buys her decaying family home at auction. But renovation uncovers buried secrets, forcing her to confront what really happened and her own guilty conscience.
HarperNorth, £9.99
Judge Stone by James Patterson & Viola Davis
The thriller titan teams up with the award-winning actor-producer (and star of How to Get Away With Murder) to pen a courtroom drama. It follows Judge Mary Stone as she juggles her family farm and presides over the most divisive case in the South’s history.
Century, £20
Astronaut! by Oana Aristide
Set in 1989 Communist Romania, this wholly original novel blends detective story with coming-of-age tale. As a policeman hunts a killer and a defiant schoolgirl is drawn into danger, satire and suspense expose a society cracking under pressure.
Wildfire, £14.99
The Move by J P Delaney
From the author of The Girl Before — adapted by the BBC — comes a claustrophobic thriller about a family who relocate to a new home, only to face a campaign of intimidation from the property’s former owners.
Quercus, £22
