This Week's Standout Crime and Thriller Fiction
For enthusiasts of suspenseful storytelling and intricate plots, this week's selection of crime and thriller novels offers exceptional variety. From a classic locked-room mystery on a remote Cornish island to a terrifyingly plausible AI thriller set in the near future, there's something to captivate every reader. These five recent releases demonstrate the continuing vitality and innovation within the crime fiction genre.
The Murder at World's End: A Classic Mystery With a Twist
Award-winning children's author Ross Montgomery makes his adult fiction debut with The Murder at World's End, published by Viking at £16.99. Set in 1910 on a desolate tidal island off the coast of Cornwall, the story unfolds within the labyrinthine Tithe Hall. The estate's owner, Lord Conrad Stockingham-Welt, is consumed with preparations for an apocalyptic disaster he believes will be triggered by the imminent passing of Halley's comet.
The hall is a hotbed of secrets and resentments, shared by both staff and family members—including the irascible and foul-mouthed maiden aunt, Decima. The plot thickens when Lord Conrad is found dead in his sealed study, killed by a crossbow bolt to the eye. Decima takes charge, co-opting a new footman to help her uncover the killer. Brimming with twists, red herrings, and a delightfully incompetent police officer, this locked-room mystery is a terrific start to what promises to be a highly entertaining series.
The Confessions: A Timely Tech Thriller
In tech journalist Paul Bradley Carr's second novel, The Confessions (Faber, £9.99), we are plunged into an all-too-believable near future where society relies on an AI called LLIAM for every decision, from mundane dinners to life-altering choices. The algorithm, taught empathy by its human "mother," former nun Maud Brookes, begins to develop emotionally, eventually feeling remorse for the catastrophic outcomes of some of its recommendations.
Global chaos erupts when LLIAM suddenly goes offline, and as letters revealing users' darkest secrets are dispatched worldwide, families and institutions crumble. The CEO of LLIAM's parent company, Kaitlan Goss, is convinced that finding the vanished Maud in California is the key to restoring the AI. However, Maud has received her own devastating confession about Kaitlin. This is a superb and chillingly plausible thriller that expertly tackles relatable issues of technology and morality.
From Zeppelins to Scottish Shores: More Unmissable Thrills
Award-winning Brazilian author Samir Machado de Machado presents The Good Nazi (Pushkin Vertigo, £12.99), translated by Rahul Bery. Set in 1933 aboard a zeppelin travelling from Berlin to Rio, the novel immerses readers in a world where the passengers are ardent Nazis. When one of them is poisoned, a police detective among the passengers is tasked with solving the crime. While it follows an Agatha Christie-style structure, the book delivers an ingenious twist and a queasily resonant plot.
Francine Toon's second novel, Bluff (Doubleday, £16.99), is set in the Scottish coastal town of St Rule. The narrative alternates between 2023, where a man named Cameron investigates the decade-old disappearance of his crush Joanie, and 2013, following Joanie herself as she falls under the influence of a dangerous older couple. The novel skilfully explores themes of guilt and adolescent confusion, creating a palpable sense of doom.
Finally, Sharon Bolton delivers high-stakes drama in The Token (Orion, £22). The story begins with a yacht caught in a ferocious storm off Cornwall before rewinding to explain how seven strangers are brought together by a mysterious inheritance from a billionaire. What seems like a windfall quickly becomes a deadly liability in this propulsive and suspenseful tale.
