Recommendations based on "A Traitor's Heart A Times 'Best New Thriller 2022'"

‘A perfect contradiction, existing in the shades of grey that real life is so often painted in . . . A story that’s as furious as it is tender’ Emily Henry ‘A roar of rage, a pacy page-turner, I loved it with all my broken heart. Read it. You’ll love it’ Marian Keyes ‘A propulsive plot and characters that roar off the page, this is a novel that’s unafraid to take on societal misogyny while being satirical and even funny at the same time’ Guardian‘An addictive, fast-paced crime novel like nothing you’ve ever read before’ Red magazine * * * The The The PunisherWith newfound powers the time has come to take matters into their own hands…Widowed Nessa lives alone in her house near the ocean. In the quiet hours, she hears voices belonging to the dead – who will only speak to her.On the cusp of fifty Harriett’s marriage and career imploded, but her life is far from over – in fact, she’s undergone a stunning metamorphosis.Jo spent years at war with her body. The rage that arrived with menopause felt like the last straw – until she discovers she’s able to channel it.Guided by voices only Nessa can hear, the trio discover the abandoned body of a teenage girl. The police have written off the victim. But the women have not. Their own investigations lead to more bodies, and a world of wealth where the rules don’t apply – and the realisation that laws are designed to protect villains, not the vulnerable.Now three women will avenge the innocent and punish the guilty. IT’S TIME.* * *Readers and authors are GRIPPED by The ‘A proper smash-the-patriarchy read with tension and a compelling plot to boot . . . Loved it’ Harriet Tyce‘An exceptionally well-written, vivid, and powerful piece of work’ Reader review, ‘Powerful and original’ Tammy Cohen‘STUNNING! Feminist writing at its absolute best. 10 stars’ Reader review,

'It may take you a while to sleep after you finish it' Daily Express The most chilling and terrifying serial killer thriller of the year, from international bestseller Lars Kepler. Sweden's most notorious serial killer. Jurek Walter was shot and killed years ago. The police moved on and managed to forget the darkness that had tainted their lives. Has come back from the dead. But now someone is leaving a trail of broken bodies across Sweden and the clues all point to Walter. Detective Joona Linna is convinced his worst nightmare is becoming a reality: the man who tore apart his family has returned to finish the job. He doesn't just kill you. He buries your loved ones alive. When Joona's partner is taken - and locked inside an underground coffin - he finds himself with an impossible choice: leave her to die or walk into the trap set by the only man he ever feared. 'Wraps you in a cloak of darkness' Daily Mail 'A thrilling, terrifying, dark and disturbing read. Loved it' Patricia Gibney, no.1 bestselling author of the Lottie Parker series

Part blistering espionage thriller, part riveting police procedural, and part piercing exposé on social injustice, The Girl Who Played with Fire is a masterful, endlessly satisfying novel.Mikael Blomkvist, crusading publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation. On the eve of its publication, the two reporters responsible for the article are murdered, and the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to his friend, the troubled genius hacker Lisbeth Salander. Blomkvist, convinced of Salander’s innocence, plunges into an investigation. Meanwhile, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous game of cat and mouse, which forces her to face her dark past.

'I was hooked from the start and finished this book in 1 day. I couldn't read it fast enough. It was a whirlwind with plenty of suspense, secrets and betrayal.' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐How far would you go to protect your family?Mark Burcham and his wife Amy live the perfect life: they have a happy marriage, a comfortable home in Los Angeles and a beautiful daughter, Tatum. But one night Amy fails to come home from a business trip to Boston, and her office has no record of a client on the east coast.Then Mark gets the worst news of all; Amy has been found dead. But nothing makes sense. Why was Amy still in town, when he’d waved her off at the airport a few days before? Who was the mysterious client she’d been meeting with for months? There’s only one thing Mark knows for certain: his wife was keeping secrets.As he digs deeper into the life Amy tried to keep hidden, Mark realizes that someone is trying to stop him, someone who is watching his every move. And when they threaten Tatum to keep him from discovering the truth, Mark will stop at nothing to keep his family safe…Don't miss this utterly gripping thriller from Steve Frech, perfect for fans of Chad Zunker, Joe Hart and Robert Dugoni.Readers LOVE The Good Husband!'Oh my goodness – what a nail biter! This thriller sucked me in very early on and didn’t let up until the bombshell ending' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'This had me hooked from the start… I absolutely loved every second' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A dizzying whirlwind with layer after layer of secrecy that I just couldn't read quickly enough!' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A gripping thriller. Great characters, a fast-moving plot and superb writing make this a great read' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'The characters were really well-drawn and the story is really captivating so you might read the book in one sitting' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Sunday Times bestseller for the w/c 11th January 2021 A house of secrets... As a massive storm batters the Scottish coast, Gordon Smith's home is falling into the sea. The trouble is: that's where he's been hiding the bodies. A killer on the run... It's too dangerous to go near the place, so there's no way of knowing how many people he's murdered. Or how many more he'll kill before he's caught. An investigator with nothing to lose... As more horrors are discovered, ex-detective Ash Henderson is done playing nice. He's got a killer to catch, and God help anyone who gets in his way. 'Stuart MacBride's deft plotting and whipcrack dialogue, along with a strong sense of place, make The Coffinmaker's Garden a must read. If you like your serial killers with lashings of dark humour, this is for you' Peter Robinson, no. 1 bestselling author of the DCI Banks series 'The Coffinmaker's Garden is brilliantly creepy, with the most cleverly conceived crime scene I've ever read. His legions of fans will love this - it's an unmistakable Stuart MacBride cocktail of dark violence and even darker humour' Jane Casey, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Cutting Place

An incredible new unputdownable thriller which will keep you gripped from the first page to the last! He watches your every move We’ve all experienced it. That creeping sensation of eyes on your back, the faint echo of footsteps following yours. He controls you Across the country, a madman is carefully choosing his victims. Once he has you in his sights, he won’t let go. He will make you pay You think you’re in control of your own life? Think again. Because The Puppet Master is coming for you, and he won’t stop until you’re dead... What readers are saying about The Puppet Master ‘I was gripped from the very beginning until the very last page!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I love a dark and messed up serial killer book and The Puppet Master is exactly that!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The conclusion will have you holding your breath’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A gritty, emotional rollercoaster of a story’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Real on-the-edge-of-your-seat stuff’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Hook you in from the start and keeps you glued to the pages from beginning to end’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘It's dark, it's creepy, just so unsettling and I loved every second’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Cancel all your plans because once you start you won't want to stop’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Without a shadow of a doubt, Sam Holland is a natural born storyteller with a very vivid and disturbing imagination!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'She is the perfect heroine' Elly Griffiths The addictive new crime thriller featuring DCI Matilda Darke. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons. 'DCI Matilda Darke is going places' James Oswald Some cases won't die. A young boy walks into a police station in France. He claims to be Carl Meagan - a missing child from Sheffield whose name is still whispered as a warning to kids who stay out after dark. Some children won't be found. On her way home from the supermarket, nine-year-old Keeley Armitage vanishes without trace. Her family is overcome with shock and DCI Matilda Darke can't help but focus on memories of the Carl Meagan case that almost ruined her career. Some killers won't be stopped. As Matilda investigates, she peels back the layers of grief and sadness that surround Keeley's family. Until she is left with an unimaginable choice: betray those closest to her or let a violent killer walk free...

Two murders. Twenty years. Now the killer is back for more... DCI Matilda Darke has returned to work after a nine month absence. A shadow of her former self, she is tasked with re-opening a cold case: the terrifyingly brutal murders of Miranda and Stefan Harkness. The only witness was their eleven-year-old son, Jonathan, who was too deeply traumatized to speak a word. Then a dead body is discovered, and the investigation leads back to Matilda's case. Suddenly the past and present converge, and it seems a killer may have come back for more... A darkly compelling debut crime novel, this is the start of a brilliant series, perfect for fans of Louise Penny and Val McDermid. Praise for Michael Wood: ‘Crackling dialogue, dark wit and an exciting ending’ Mark Edwards ‘DCI Matilda Darke is going places’ James Oswald ‘I really enjoyed getting to know DCI Matilda Darke’ Robert Bryndza ‘A beautifully written book with a dark heart and a secret that impacts on generations’ Sarah Ward ‘A skilfully crafted and compelling debut that hooks from the off and will keep you guessing until the final page’ M.R. Hall ‘Gripping, sad and unexpected’ Alex Marwood

The longest day. The deadliest sins. *From the bestselling author of Dark Island* All of Daniel Aubrey's books can be read as standalones. The residents of Orkney can't sleep. Through 18-hour summer days, the islands are drenched in unrelenting sunshine. But a killer with a shadowy past is living undetected on the archipelago. As the heat rises, reporter Freya will not rest until she's brought the truth to light. Can she stop the murderer before they strike again? The highly anticipated second instalment of the celebrated Orkney Mysteries series, The Dying Light is perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Elly Griffiths and Val McDermid - PRAISE FOR THE DYING LIGHT (ORKNEY MYSTERIES #2) *Longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year* *Selected for the Critics' New Blood panel at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival* PRAISE FOR DARK ISLAND (ORKNEY MYSTERIES #1) *Shortlisted for the McDermid Debut Award 2024* *Shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize 2024* *Longlisted for Scotland's National Book Award - First Book of the Year 2024* 'Daniel Aubrey can do for Orkney what Ann Cleeves has done for Shetland' MARION TODD 'Twists and secrets galore ... A nail-biting thriller you'll never forget' CAROLINE MITCHELL 'A tense read with emotional honesty ... Freya is a triumph' CALLUM McSORLEY 'My debut novel of the year' CHRIS LLOYD 'I couldn't turn the pages fast enough' NASHEEMA LENNON

The bestselling book that inspired the Bafta-winning BBC dramaCorruption. Blackmail. Conspiracy to murder. A Very English Scandal has all the hallmarks of a classic thriller with one difference. It's all true.In the late 1960s Jeremy Thorp, the charismatic leader of the Liberal Party, was at the height of his political career. But homosexuality had only just been legalized, and a former relationship with a younger man named Norman Scott threatened to destroy Thorp's carefully curated facade. Helped by fellow politicians, Thorpe schemed, deceived and embezzled until he saw only one way to silence his ex-lover for good.Meticulously researched and endlessly extraordinary, Thorp's trial captured the moment that British society discovered the truth about its political class - and learned just how far the Establishment will go to protect its own.'Gripping. A story of cack-handed assassins, buffoonish policemen, dodgy Home Secretaries' Daily Telegraph'I loved it; eccentric, dark, humane and English in the very best sense' Alain de Botton'Retold with masterful skill . . . It grips like a detective story' Daily Mail, Book of the WeekJOHN PRESTON'S NEXT BOOK, FALL: THE MYSTERY OF ROBERT MAXWELL, IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW