The best crime fiction books of all time (that you may not be clued up on yet)

Why read this: In the village of Twytching, the opportunity to take part in a radio documentary for broadcast in America sparks a fierce rivalry that quickly turns fatal. Inspector George Parrish is keen to stay out of the fuss, but a wave of poison pen letters uncovering the secrets of the village’s leading citizens forces him to intervene. Barnard’s incisive character portrayals and his ability to prepare the reader for the unexpected make this a classic small-town murder mystery. 

If you're looking for: Poison pen letters, village rivalries, classic whodunnit, 1970s setting.

Great for fans of: Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple.

Why read this: Before there was The Thursday Murder Club, there was The Lavender Ladies Detective Agency. Siiri and Irma may have a combined age of nearly 180, but they remain as sharp and inquisitive as they were when they first met decades ago. At the Sunset Grove retirement home, their comfortable world is upturned by a suspicious death. Refusing to let the mystery go unsolved, they form a detective agency in order to conduct their own investigations. Beneath the home’s calm facade, they soon discover that retirement is anything but quiet . . .. This is a witty, life-affirming mystery.

If you're looking for: Retirement home setting, amateur sleuths, female friendship.

Great for fans of: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, M. C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series and Alexander McCall Smith.

Why read this: Matthew Venn's first big case after returning to the area of North Devon where he grew up features a man with an albatross tattoo on his neck who has been stabbed to death on a beach near Matthew's home. The Two Rivers region isn’t as idyllic as tourists might think, and Venn's investigations will lead him back into the strict evangelical community he left behind. You may well be familiar with Ann Cleeves' detectives Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez, of the Shetland series; Detective Matthew Venn is the most recent addition to Ann Cleeves' brilliant body of crime fiction writing.

If you're looking for: Detective fiction, rural mystery, atmospheric crime novel, small-town secrets, detective series, LGBTQI+ detective, police procedural.

Great for fans of: Vera Stanhope and the Shetland series by Ann Cleeves, Elly Griffiths.

What the experts think: 'I had high expectations for Cleeves’ latest. She easily exceeded those expectations with The Long Call. Matthew Venn is a keeper.' – David Baldacci, author of The 6:20 Man. 

Why read this: When two employees of the Splendour Refuse Collection Company discover the body of engineer Silvio Luparello, one of the local movers and shakers, apparently deceased in flagrante at the Pasture, the coroner's verdict is death from natural causes. But Inspector Salvo Montalbano is not ready to close the case – even though he's being pressured by Vigàta's police chief, judge, and bishop. This is the first novel in the long-running Inspector Salvo Montalbano series, translated from the original Italian, and there are plenty more to keep you going once you fall for his Sicilian charms. 

If you're looking for: Translated detective fiction, Italian setting, TV adaptations

What the experts think: 'Montalbano’s colleagues, chance encounters, Sicilian mores, even the contents of his fridge are described with the wit and gusto that make this narrator the best company in crime fiction today.’ The Guardian

Why read this: Shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2023, Into the Dark is a dark, intricately plotted crime thriller built around a brilliantly unsettling disappearance. The wealthy Holden family have vanished from their art deco home, leaving behind their cars, phones and an ominous message written in blood. DS Saul Anguish, a gifted detective with shadows of his own, is tasked with uncovering what happened. Fiona Cummins layers revenge, greed, ambition and fractured friendship into a mystery packed with misdirection and shifting suspicions.

If you're looking for: Missing-person mystery, family secrets, psychological suspense, revenge, dark secrets, twisty plotting, an atmospheric coastal setting.

Great for fans of: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, Lisa Jewell, Lucy Foley, Louise Candlish,  Broadchurch.

What the experts think: ‘Breathless plotting and twist after twist’ – Ian Rankin. ‘An absolute masterclass in misdirection. Trust NO ONE. I loved it’ – Sarah Hilary.

Why read this: The novel that introduces Inspector Banks, Gallows View is an ideal starting point for one of British crime fiction’s most enduring police procedural series. Newly arrived in the Yorkshire Dales, Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks expects a quieter life than the one he left behind in London. Instead, he is confronted by a voyeur targeting local women, a string of burglaries, and the suspicious death of an elderly woman. As seemingly separate investigations begin to overlap, Peter Robinson combines methodical detective work with an atmospheric small-town setting and a detective whose personal life is anything but straightforward.

If you're looking for: Police procedural, British detective fiction, Yorkshire setting, small-town secrets, recurring detective series, character-driven crime.

Great for fans of: Ann Cleeves, Ian Rankin, Elizabeth George.

What the experts think: ‘The Alan Banks mystery-suspense novels are the best series on the market. Try one and tell me I’m wrong’ – Stephen King.

Why read this: The Last Trial is a richly detailed courtroom drama from the bestselling author of Presumed Innocent, centred on the final case for veteran defence lawyer Sandy Stern. On the brink of retirement, Stern agrees to represent his old friend Dr Kiril Pafko, a celebrated cancer researcher facing charges of fraud, insider trading and murder. But as the evidence unfolds, Stern is forced to question both the man he thought he knew and his own faith in the justice system. Scott Turow combines legal intricacy with moral ambiguity and a deeply personal reckoning for one of his most enduring characters.

If you're looking for: Courtroom drama, legal thriller, moral dilemmas, friendship under pressure, complex evidence, murder trial, character-driven crime.

Great for fans of: John Grisham, Presumed Innocent, Line of Duty

What the experts think: ‘The master is back and in The Last Trial Scott Turow takes it to another level’ – David Baldacci.

Why read this: Chosen by Bernardine Evaristo as one of her Top 20 Books by Black British Womxn Writers, The Mother is a tense, deeply humane crime novel about grief, justice and the devastating uncertainties left behind by violence. Marcia Williams is attending the Old Bailey trial of the boy accused of murdering her son, Ryan. Convinced she knew the kind of person her son was, she is forced to confront uncomfortable questions as the case unfolds. Her search for answers draws her towards Sweetie, the accused boy’s frightened girlfriend, in a story that combines courtroom tension with an intimate portrait of a mother trying to make sense of an unimaginable loss.

If you're looking for: Courtroom drama, psychological crime fiction, grief and loss, family relationships, moral complexity, character-driven suspense, questions of justice.

Why read this: The first novel in C. J. Sansom’s bestselling Shardlake series, Dissolution is a richly atmospheric murder mystery set amid the upheaval of Henry VIII’s Reformation. In 1537, lawyer Matthew Shardlake is sent by Thomas Cromwell to a Sussex monastery after one of Cromwell’s commissioners is found brutally murdered. What begins as an investigation into a killing soon draws Shardlake into a world of fear, secrecy and competing loyalties, forcing him to question beliefs he has long taken for granted. With its ingenious mystery, vivid Tudor setting and unconventional detective, it is an ideal entry point to one of historical crime’s defining series.

If you're looking for: Tudor England, monastery mystery, political intrigue, religious conflict, locked-community atmosphere, unconventional detective, richly detailed setting.

Great for fans of: Hilary Mantel, Philippa Gregory.

What the experts think: ‘Extraordinarily impressive. The best crime novel I have read this year’ – Colin Dexter. ‘Remarkable . . . The sights, the voices, the very smell of this turbulent age seem to rise from the page’ – P. D. James.

Why read this: Lady Audley’s Secret isn't technically historical crime, as it is set around the same time it was written, but as this was the mid-1800s, we're including it here. First published in 1862, it's a Victorian sensation novel built around deception, disappearance and the danger of appearances. When beautiful governess Lucy Graham marries wealthy widower Sir Michael Audley, she seems to have secured an enviable new life. But Sir Michael’s nephew Robert is less easily convinced. His suspicions deepen when his close friend George Talboys vanishes, drawing him towards questions about Lucy’s mysterious past. Combining domestic intrigue with murderous possibility, Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s bestseller turns Victorian expectations of class, marriage and femininity into the foundations of a dark and compulsive mystery.

If you're looking for: Victorian crime fiction, classic mystery, family secrets, disappearance, hidden pasts, social ambition, gender and class, gothic atmosphere.

Great for fans of: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Why read this: Winner of both the HWA Debut Crown and the Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award, Blood & Sugar is a powerful historical thriller that combines a murder investigation with an unflinching examination of Britain’s involvement in the Transatlantic slave trade. In 1781, war hero Harry Corsham travels to Deptford after an abolitionist friend disappears while investigating a dangerous secret. A tortured body, powerful vested interests and Harry’s own buried past soon draw him deeper into a conspiracy with consequences for his career, family and survival. Laura Shepherd-Robinson balances propulsive mystery with vivid historical detail and serious moral weight.

If you're looking for: Historical crime fiction, eighteenth-century London, political conspiracy, murder investigation, corruption, moral complexity, dark historical atmosphere.

Great for fans of: C. J. Sansom, Andrew Taylor.

What the experts think:  ‘A page-turner of a thriller . . . This is a world conveyed with convincing, terrible clarity’ – C. J. Sansom. ‘Few first novels are as accomplished as this’ – Andrew Taylor.

Why read this: The first novel in D. V. Bishop’s acclaimed historical crime series, City of Vengeance combines a murder investigation with the political danger of Renaissance Florence. In the winter of 1536, court officer Cesare Aldo has just four days to discover who killed a prominent moneylender. His search soon leads towards a conspiracy threatening Alessandro de’ Medici, while a rival investigator probes secrets that could destroy Aldo himself. Rich in period detail and driven by a distinctive, conflicted detective, it is an immersive choice for readers who like their mysteries tangled up with power, prejudice and political intrigue.

If you're looking for: Renaissance Florence, murder mystery, political conspiracy, atmospheric setting, secret identities, race-against-time suspense.

Great for fans of: C. J. Sansom, S. J. Parris.

What the experts think: ‘A first-class historical thriller’ – David Baldacci. ‘An impressive and immersive debut set in a beautifully realized sixteenth-century Florence’ – Antonia Hodgson.

Why read this: Winner of the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year, The Maiden is a gripping historical murder mystery that re-examines a real seventeenth-century case through the women caught at its centre. Edinburgh, 1679: Lady Christian is accused of murdering her lover, James Forrester, and the public has already decided she is guilty. But Forrester had other women in his life, and other enemies. Moving beyond the scandalous headlines, Kate Foster explores who gets believed, who gets judged and whose stories survive, while keeping the question of what really happened tantalizingly open.

If you're looking for: True-crime inspiration, seventeenth-century Scotland, feminist historical fiction, murder trial, women’s voices, a twisty mystery.

Great for fans of: Stacey Halls, Sara Collins.

What the experts think: ‘The Maiden is a masterpiece. A thrilling historical murder tale but so much more’ – Janice Hallett. ‘Historical fiction at its finest’ – D. V. Bishop.

Why read this: Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, Burial Rites is a haunting, beautifully written historical novel based on the true story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, a woman condemned to death for murder in nineteenth-century Iceland. Sent to live out her final months with a reluctant farming family, Agnes gradually reveals her story to the priest charged with preparing her for execution. Hannah Kent turns a notorious crime into an intimate exploration of truth, judgement and the precarious lives of women, all set against the stark isolation of the Icelandic landscape.

If you're looking for: Historical crime, true-crime inspiration, nineteenth-century Iceland, literary fiction, murder and justice, morally complex characters, bleak landscapes, atmospheric slow burn.

Great for fans of: Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood, The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan,The Mercies by Kiran Milwood Hargrave.

What the experts think: ‘So gripping I wanted to rush through the pages, but so beautifully written I wanted to linger over every sentence. Outstanding’ – Madeline Miller. ‘One of the most gripping, intriguing and unique books I’ve read this year’ – Kate Mosse.

Why read this: In rural South Australia, a woman disappears during a community festival, leaving her baby alone in a pram. One year on, investigator Aaron Falk discovers that sometimes it takes an outsider to get to the truth. Devastating and unforgettable, Exiles is a New York Times and Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller and the final book in the Aaron Falk mystery series.

If you're looking for: Outback noir, missing person mystery, cold case investigation, small-town secrets.

Great for fans of: Tana French, Chris Whitaker.

What the experts think: ‘A stunningly atmospheric read’ - Val McDermid. ‘Spellbinding’ - Ian Rankin. 'An avalanche of suspense' - David Baldacci.

Why read this: Sixteen Horses is a disturbing, atmospheric literary thriller with one of the most arresting openings in crime fiction. Near a fading English seaside town, detective Alec Nichols discovers sixteen severed horses’ heads buried on a farm, each positioned with one eye facing the winter sun. When forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen joins the investigation, the pair uncover disappearances, arson and mutilations that send the isolated community spiralling into fear and suspicion.

If you're looking for: Literary crime fiction, forensic investigation, rural noir, unsettling mysteries, small-town paranoia, psychological suspense, dark atmosphere.

Great for fans of: Jane Harper’s The Dry.

What the experts think: ‘Unlike anything else you’ll read this year, Sixteen Horses is a deeply disconcerting ride. Irresistible’ – Val McDermid. ‘Dark, visceral and disturbing . . . totally gripping from start to finish’ – Alex Michaelides.

Why read this: Winner of the Crime Writers’ Association New Blood Dagger Award, Dirt Town is an atmospheric Australian crime novel about a missing girl and the secrets that surface in the search for her. When twelve-year-old Esther Bianchi disappears on her way home from school, Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels begins questioning the people of Durton, a small rural town where grief quickly gives way to suspicion. Told through the perspectives of the detective, Esther’s mother and her young friends, Hayley Scrivenor builds a layered portrait of a close-knit community under pressure.

If you're looking for: Rural Australian setting, small-town secrets, multiple perspectives, atmospheric crime fiction, community suspicion, emotional suspense, character-driven mystery.

Great for fans of: Jane Harper's The Dry and Chris Whitaker's We Begin at the End.

Why read this: Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, The Trees is a fiercely original crime novel that uses satire, horror and detective fiction to confront America’s history of racist violence. In Money, Mississippi, a series of brutal murders draws two state detectives into a hostile town. At each crime scene there is second body: a man resembling Emmett Till, the Black teenager lynched there in 1955. As the killings spread, Percival Everett turns a murder investigation into something stranger, darker and more expansive, combining sharp comedy with a devastating reckoning with the past.

If you're looking for: Satirical crime fiction, dark humour, detective investigation, horror elements.

Why read this: The Kills is an audacious, globe-spanning crime epic. Told across four interconnected volumes, it begins with an explosion, a fugitive and the theft of more than fifty million dollars, before moving through the Middle East, Europe, Naples and America towards a final locked-room mystery. Richard House combines conspiracy, espionage, violence and shifting narratives on an unusually ambitious scale, creating a novel for readers who like their crime fiction intricate, immersive and structurally adventurous.

If you're looking for: Literary crime fiction, conspiracy thriller, espionage, international settings, corporate intrigue, interconnected narratives, ambitious structure, locked-room mystery.

Great for fans of: John le Carré, Roberto Bolaño.

What the experts think: ‘One of the most epic novels I’ve read in a long time, and also the most original’ – Jeff VanderMeer. ‘A gigantic experiment, bracing, thrilling and worthy of a medal for narrative heroism’ – Boyd Tonkin.