Recommendations based on "The Insider BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE SCARLET PAPERS: THE TIMES THRILLER OF THE YEAR 2023"

“It’s fascinating to watch this Norwegian author adapt our homegrown monster [the serial killer] to a foreign culture.... When things go wrong, Harry goes on a bender, but when he’s on his game, no one is better than this obsessive detective. He systematically works his way through the intricacies of a plot that speeds along like a bullet train.”—New York Times Book ReviewDetective Harry Hole is on the trail of a diabolical serial killer terrorizing Oslo in another electrifying thriller in the Harry Hole series from the author of The Snowman.In the heat of a sweltering Oslo summer, a young woman is found murdered in her flat—with one of her fingers cut off and a tiny red star-shaped diamond placed under her eyelid. An off-the-rails alcoholic barely holding on to his job, Detective Harry Hole is assigned to the case with Tom Waaler, a hated colleague whom Harry believes is responsible for the murder of his partner. When another woman is reported missing five days later, and her severed finger turns up adorned with a red star-shaped diamond ring, Harry fears a serial killer is at work.But Hole's determination to capture a fiend and to expose Waaler's crimes is leading him into shadowy places where both investigations merge in unexpected ways, forcing him to make difficult decisions about a future he may not live to see.

"Rare and magnificent." — Ken Bruen Five years ago, Jenny Aaron was the star member of an elite team charged with tracking Germany's most dangerous criminals — until a shot to the head left her irreversibly blind. Four weeks ago, Aaron tested the new skills that she's acquired in her world of darkness against Ludger Holm, the psychopath who fired that shot. Now she's learned that her worst enemy has left her a legacy of two billion dollars. Although she knows that it's a trap, Aaron realizes that if she is ever to find peace, she must play Holm's deadly game to the bitter end. "Compassionate moments between characters add poignancy, and a subplot involving Aaron potentially regaining her sight intrigues . . . this is a thriller worth reading." — Publishers Weekly "A first-rate thriller." — The Sunday Times "Author Andreas Pflüger knows the world of crime and the elite units that fight it. And he knows how to make that world — and the world we all live in — vivid." — BookTrib "Jenny Aaron is the blind Sherlock Holmes." — Stefan Ahnhem

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • Brilliant, audaciously rogue police officer Harry Hole is back and in the throes of a new, unanticipated rage in this installment of the New York Times bestselling series—once again hunting the murderer who has haunted his entire career. “I can’t think of anyone who makes my skin crawl like Nesbo.”—The New York Times Book Review Harry Hole is not in a good place. Rakel—the only woman he's ever loved—has ended it with him, permanently. He's been given a chance for a new start with the Oslo Police but it's in the cold case office, when what he really wants is to be investigating cases he suspects have ties to Svein Finne, the serial rapist and murderer who Harry helped put behind bars. And now, Finne is free after a decade-plus in prison—free, and Harry is certain, unreformed and ready to take up where he left off. But things will get worse. When Harry wakes up the morning after a blackout, drunken night with blood that's clearly not his own on his hands, it's only the very beginning of what will be a waking nightmare the likes of which even he could never have imagined.

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.

‘Totally gripping from the first page ... plenty of action and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Loved the finale that gave me a lump in my throat too ... Excellent as usual!’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Loved this book so much I read it over one weekend. The plot was full pace from the very beginning ... I can’t wait for the next instalment!’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Absolutely loved this story. It’s a real page turner from start to finish, that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow, what an absolute belter! Love the Max Craigie series and this latest was gripping and such a fantastic page-turner. Great storyline and the banter is great’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ * * * * A CASE GONE COLD Six years ago, Beata Dabrowski arranged to meet her lover in Glasgow and was never seen again. There were no leads... until now. AN UNRELIABLE WITNESS Imprisoned gang boss Davie Hardie wants to talk in exchange for his freedom. He knows exactly where Beata is buried, and he’s prepared to take the police to her grave. A KILLER DESPERATE TO ESCAPE But when the mission to locate Beata’s body is hijacked, DS Max Craigie is drafted on to the case. Someone is selling secrets. Max will stop at nothing to expose police corruption and uncover Beata’s murderer... but can you ever really trust a killer to catch a killer? Don’t miss the next book in the DS Max Craigie series! Fans of Ian Rankin and Marion Todd will love this utterly gripping Scottish thriller! * * * * Praise for The Devil You Know ‘A tense and twisty thriller that had me gnawing my fingernails one minute and laughing out loud the next.’ Marion Todd ‘Neil Lancaster is one of the most exciting, innovative crime writers in the UK right now... One of the best police procedurals I’ve read in a long time. Consider me a fan’ M. W. Craven ‘This tale is fast and furious with blue lights and screaming sirens all the way’ The Sun ‘Action-packed & lightning-paced with some of the best dialogue I’ve read. I’m a huge fan of Lancaster and he’s a true rising star in crime fiction. Explosive & compelling’ Helen Fields ‘As hard as it is to believe, these books just get better and better’ Tony Kent ‘A wickedly clever and riveting thriller’ Graham Bartlett ‘Neil Lancaster just gets better and better. This is a gripping read that feels entirely authentic, seasoned with lovely flashes of humour' Cass Green

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * First time in print: the bonus story "Busted" Karin Slaughter's novels featuring detective Will Trent are utterly riveting and masterfully drawn. Her latest thriller, Unseen, pits detectives, lovers, and enemies against one another in an unforgettable standoff between righteous courage and deepest evil. Will Trent is a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent whose latest case has him posing as Bill Black, a scary ex-con who rides a motorcycle around Macon, Georgia, and trails an air of violence wherever he goes. The cover has worked and he has caught the eye of a wiry little drug dealer who thinks he might be a useful ally. But undercover and cut off from the support of the woman he loves, Sara Linton, Will finds his demons catching up with him. Although she has no idea where Will has gone, or why, Sara herself has come to Macon because of a cop shooting: Her stepson, Jared, has been gunned down in his own home. Sara holds Lena, Jared's wife, responsible: Lena, a detective, has been a magnet for trouble all her life, and Jared's shooting is not the first time someone Sara loved got caught in the crossfire. Furious, Sara finds herself involved in the same case that Will is working without even knowing it, and soon danger is swirling around both of them. In a novel of fierce intensity, shifting allegiances, and shocking twists, two investigations collide with a conspiracy straddling both sides of the law. Karin Slaughter's latest is both an electrifying thriller and a piercing study of human nature: what happens when good people face the unseen evils in their lives. Praise for Unseen "Slaughter's most powerful book to date . . . No one writes like Slaughter. . . . Her words fairly growl on paper but yet her descriptions of relationships are tear inducing. This may make her an anomaly but she is the best damn anomaly writing books today. Make sure you read Unseen."--The Huffington Post "Compelling . . . [Slaughter] balances a complex plot with believable twists while sensitively exploring her realistic characters' emotions and problems."--South Florida Sun-Sentinel "An emotional roller coaster ride . . . fast-paced and edge-of-your seat . . . Slaughter is brilliant."--Wichita Falls Times Record News "Superb and emotionally wrenching . . . The despicable nature of the crimes being investigated only serves to enhance Will's innate goodness and humanity. Current series fans will be delighted, and newcomers to Slaughter's work will find a new obsession."--Library Journal "Slaughter plunges readers into the action from the get-go with her electrifying ability to write suspenseful, riveting confrontations between cops and criminals, all while deepening the backstories of her longtime series leads. Another intense read, on multiple levels, from the ever-reliable Slaughter."--Booklist "Tense and densely plotted . . . The twisted plot and shocking reveals remind readers why Slaughter remains a dominant voice in crime fiction."--Publishers Weekly

'Mesmerising, macabre and magnificent. The Mercy Chair is truly terrifying, laugh-out-loud funny, and impossibly clever. Poe and Tilly are unstoppable' Chris Whitaker 'Washington Poe is a brilliant creation, from one of the finest and most inventive crime writers of today' Peter James ---- Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin . . . Washington Poe has a story to tell. And he needs you to listen. You'll hear how it started with the robber birds. Crows. Dozens of them. Enough for a murder . . . He'll tell you about a man who was tied to a tree and stoned to death, a man who had tattooed himself with a code so obscure, even the gifted analyst Tilly Bradshaw struggled to break it. He'll tell you how the man's murder was connected to a tragedy that happened fifteen years earlier when a young girl massacred her entire family. And finally, he'll tell you about the mercy chair. And why people would rather kill themselves than talk about it . . . Poe hopes you've been paying attention. Because in this story, nothing is as it seems . . . ---- 'Craven renders the darkness of the human condition with immense skill, ratcheting the tension to a nails-on-chalkboard pitch. Don't turn out the lights.' Vaseem Khan MORE PRAISE FOR MW CRAVEN: 'The kind of novel that inspired me to write fiction in the first place. A guaranteed great time.' Chris Brookmyre 'Darkly entertaining' The Telegraph 'If you haven't read any M.W. Craven yet, fix that immediately' S. A. Cosby 'I've been following M.W. Craven's Poe/Tilly series from the very beginning, and it just gets better and better' Peter Robinson 'Poe and Tilly books are a joy' Steve Cavanagh 'In Tilly and Poe, M.W. Craven has created a stand-out duo who are two of the most compelling characters in crime fiction in recent years' Fiona Cummins 'Darkly comic . . . Thrilling' The Independent 'Clever, sophisticated, utterly gripping thriller from one of the best writers around' Mari Hannah 'Craven has unleashed Ben Koenig into the thriller world. Long may he raise hell in the pages. A superb thriller that will have everyone talking, and gasping.' David Baldacci 'Paging Lee and Andrew Child: you've got company' The Times

In the stunning new thriller from the Edgar Award-nominated author, Inspector Kari Vaara has gained the top position in the Finnish police, and all the power it entails. . . . As the new national police commissioner of Finland, Kari Vaara, along with his team Milo and Sweetness, now has the keys to the kingdom. With his vast collection of dirt, Kari purges the police ranks of the corrupt and undesirable, and he assigns the newly open job of commissioner of SUPO, Finlands secret police, to Milo. Milo goes to work with the SUPO archives, having them scanned and organized for his analysis. As he digs deeper into the immense body of records, the evidence points to alarming conclusions. Its a commonly held belief that there are no serial killers in Finland. Milo is about to prove that theory to be disturbingly wrong. Meanwhile, Kari is called to the scene of a bizarre and gruesome murder. A man is found hanging upside down from his left foot, his right leg bent at the knee and tied to the left. His hands are tied behind his back. There is no forensic evidence in the house. And the only clues at the crime scene include an odd assortment of goods: robes, a wand, a dull dagger, and a deck of tarot cards . . .

The new historical crime thriller from #1 bestseller S. J. Parris, perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and Hilary Mantel Venice, 1576. Giordano Bruno, heretic, philosopher and spy, is on the run from the Inquisition. He flees to Venice, but the beautiful city proves no safe haven. The killing of an aristocrat and the arrest of his wife and secretary for murder are causing unrest. When an anonymous letter, written in code, proclaims the woman’s innocence, the city’s chief of intelligence employs Bruno to find the writer. But the death is mired in a tangle of dangerous secrets, and Bruno soon learns there are some very powerful people who will stop at nothing to suppress the truth... READERS LOVE S. J. PARRIS... ‘Top class historical crime’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘Another fantastic historical thriller from master of the Elizabethan mystery’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘A straight 5* for me! A very compelling novel I highly recommend’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘I loved the characters. The only bad thing I have to say about this book is that it kept me reading way past midnight’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘The richly detailed Elizabethan setting and clever twists kept me hooked from start to finish’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘The murder mystery is layered with political intrigue, keeping you second-guessing every revelation’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘Excellently researched, great plot, beautiful execution. I love the combination of historical menace and a thriller’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘SJ Parris does it again’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘I didn't know who to trust or who to believe the whole way along’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘Another glorious dive into the murky world of Elizabethan spies and lies’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ S. J. Parris's book Alchemy was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 03-07-2023 S. J. Parris's book 'Traitor’s Legacy' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2025-05-12.

From the dark mind behind the DCI Matilda Darke series, comes the new Dr Olivia Winter novel in a twisty and gripping new series. *Available to pre-order now* The Dr Olivia Winter series: The Mind of a Murderer The Devil’s Code Have you dared read a Michael Wood thriller yet? 'It's beautiful, dark but gripping and a real page turner.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Clever, heartbreaking and – in parts – very gruesome!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'The Devil's Code is not for the faint hearted and is devilishly clever.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'The pace is relentless, fuelled by unexpected twists and dark revelations.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'An extremely chilling read with a twist that will blow your socks off!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'As you are reading it, you think you have it solved but you couldn’t be more wrong.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Once again, Michael Wood, the master of horror and suspense, has written a book that put me through the wringer with its taut, horrifying, dark and devious storyline.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I didn’t think he could better the Matilda Darke series which I love but I think Michael Wood might have hit the jackpot again with this one.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐