The most recommended crime books

From behind-the-scenes decision making of the Allies to the secret meeting of Saddam Hussein's war cabinet, from the brave American fliers running dangerous missions over Iraq to a heroic young spy planted deep in the heart of Baghdad, Forsyths incomparable storytelling keeps the suspense at a breakneck pace.

Peopled with vivid characters, brilliantly displaying the intricacies of intelligence operations moving back and forth between Washington and London, Baghdad and Kuwait, and revealing espionage tradecraft as only Frederick Forsyth can, The Fist of God tells the utterly convincing story of what may actually have happened behind the headlines.

Blood Brothers is the only known novel by German social worker and journalist Ernst Haffner, of whom nearly all traces were lost during the course of the Second World War. Told in stark, unsparing detail, Haffner's story delves into the illicit underworld of Berlin on the eve of Hitler's rise to power, describing how these blood brothers move from one petty crime to the next, spending their nights in underground bars and makeshift hostels, struggling together to survive the harsh realities of gang life, and finding in one another the legitimacy denied them by society.

'Nobody has ever quite pulled it off the way Cain does, not Hemingway, and not even Raymond Chandler' Tom Wolfe

'It is no accident that movies based on three [of Cain's novels] helped to define the genre known as film noir' NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS

'The most starkly elemental thing that has been written for years' EVENING STANDARD

The torrid story of Frank Chambers, the amoral drifter, Cora, the sullen and brooding wife, and Nick Papadakis, the amiable but inconvenient husband, has become a classic of its kind, and established Cain as a major novelist with a spare and… show more.

'Think Patrick Hamilton meets Peaky Blinders with a feminist twist' Metro

'Utterly transporting, read and lose yourself completely' Stylist

'A cinematic, rogueish, and utterly entertaining page-turner by the queen of feisty historical women. Goes down in one jewel-fisted slug' Abigail Tarttelin, author of DEAD GIRLS

'My mum always said, a fistful of rings is as good as a knuckleduster'

The Great Smog descends on London overnight; a leadership feud breaks out amongst a gang of female thieves who have terrorized the city for years; and Florrie, the girl who is set to inherit the bloody crown, falls in love with… show more.

Dorothy L Sayers' amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey returns in this collection of mysteries, introduced by crime writer Elizabeth George. A must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries.

All that was left of the garage was a heap of charred and smouldering beams. In the driving seat of the burnt-out car were the remains of a body . . .

An accident, said the police.

An accident, said the widow. She had been warning her husband about the danger of the car for months.

Murder, said the famous detective Lord Peter Wimsey - and proceeded… show more.

In 1982, two teenagers-serial killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell-are recruited by the FBI to interview convicted juvenile killers and provide insight and advice on cold cases. From the start, Emma and Travis develop a quick friendship, gaining information from juvenile murderers that even the FBI can't crack. But when the team is called in to give advice on an active case-a serial killer who exclusively hunts teenagers-things begin to unravel. Working against the clock, they must turn to one of the country's most notorious incarcerated murderers for help: teenage sociopath Simon Gutmunsson.

Despite Travis's objections,… show more.

MEET THE CATERER WHO WHIPPED UP THE
MULTIMILLION-COPY MYSTERY SERIES–
AS GOLDY SOLVES HER FIRST MURDER!

Diane Mott Davidson’s winning recipe of first-class suspense and five-star fare has won her and caterer Goldy critical raves and a regular place on major bestseller lists across the country. In Goldy’s tantalizing debut, she serves up a savory dish of secrets, suspicions, and murder....

Catering a wake is not Goldy’s idea of fun. Yet the Colorado caterer throws herself into preparing a savory feast including Poached Salmon and Strawberry Shortcake Buffet designed to soothe forty mourners. And her culinary efforts seem to be… show more.

An accidental death, and the cover-up that follows, sparks a dark series of events that reverberates through the lives of four people who will never be the same again.

When Darl Moody went hunting after a monster buck, a kill that could make the difference between meat for the winter and an empty freezer, he never expected he'd accidentally shoot a man digging ginseng. Worse yet, he's killed a Brewer, a family notorious for vengeance and violence. 

With nowhere to turn, Darl calls on the help of the only man he knows will answer, his best friend, Calvin Hooper. But… show more.

'Tear-jerking and spine-tingling' New York Times

* THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER *
* THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTLLER *
* A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME PICK *
* WINNER OF THE RICHARD AND JUDY DEBUT NOVEL AWARD *

You're missing. I'm coming to find you . . .

When Beatrice gets a frantic call in the middle of Sunday lunch to say that her younger sister, Tess, is missing, she boards the first flight home to London. But as she learns about the circumstances surrounding Tess's disappearance, she is stunned to discover how little she actually knows of… show more.

Always trust your very basic instincts or prepare for the consequences...

It was surreal returning to work after a sabbatical following the suspicious death of my best friend Livvy.

On my return to the company apartment, I was surprised to find Livvy's replacement, Amanda Dowd firmly entrenched as my new flatmate.

She'd seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

But something didn't feel right. I felt on edge.

Everyone seemed to love Amanda, even my ex-Jayden was blinded by her outgoing personality and model-like looks.Yet her desperation to become friends felt unnatural.

When I began to receive calls, photos and presents from… show more.