{"id":39982,"date":"2025-12-12T13:24:40","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T13:24:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/queens-of-psychological-crime-thrillers-share-their-fave-reads-of-2025-books-entertainment\/"},"modified":"2025-12-12T13:24:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T13:24:40","slug":"queens-of-psychological-crime-thrillers-share-their-fave-reads-of-2025-books-entertainment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/queens-of-psychological-crime-thrillers-share-their-fave-reads-of-2025-books-entertainment\/","title":{"rendered":"Queens of psychological crime thrillers share their fave reads of 2025 | Books | Entertainment"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\"Steph<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n

Steph McGovern whose debut psychological thriller, Deadline, was published earlier this year (Image: Carolyn Mendelsohn)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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‘Truly disturbing, utterly gripping and brilliant’ … ‘brilliant premise, expert execution’<\/h3>\n

Bestseller Lisa Jewell<\/strong>, whose new book, Don\u2019t Let Him In<\/strong> (Cornerstone) is out now, says: \u201cThe Death of Us by Abigail Dean<\/strong> (HarperCollins) is a chilling and unforgettable psychodrama told through the voices of a long-divorced, middle-aged couple forced to come together to navigate the trial of the man who invaded their home decades earlier and committed unthinkable atrocities. There is a surprising amount of dry humour in both characters\u2019 voices, which offsets the horrific nature of the crimes. I also adored Helena Echlin\u2019s Clever Little Thing<\/strong> (Headline). I\u2019m a big fan of creepy kids in thrillers and Charlotte\u2019s young daughter Stella is a brilliantly unsettling literary creation. Truly disturbing, utterly gripping and brilliant throughout on the challenges of motherhood.<\/p>\n

Anna Mazzola<\/strong>, whose Notes on a Drowning<\/strong> (Orion) under the pen name Anna Sharpe, is out in paperback in January, says: \u201cIt\u2019s so tough to choose just two, but here are my twinkling Christmas highlights. Firstly, A Story is a Deal by Will Storr<\/strong> (Piatkus) which investigates how we can harness the power of our storytelling brains. Like everything Storr writes, this is fascinating and insightful. Secondly, 59 Seconds by Holly Seddon<\/strong> (Orion). If you knew you had fifty-nine minutes until everything and everyone you love would be lost forever, what would you do with that time? Brilliant premise, expert execution.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Anna<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n

Author Anna Mazzola whose latest book, Notes On A Drowning, under pen name Anna Sharpe, is out now (Image: Shannon Jensen Wedgwood)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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\"59<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n

59 Minutes by Holly Seddon is ‘an emotional thriller with a twist that knocked me sideways’.\u201d (Image: Orion)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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‘An emotional thriller with a twist that knocked me sideways’ … ‘Bridgerton with a dodgy side’<\/h3>\n

Claire Mackintosh<\/strong>, whose new book,\u00a0It\u2019s Not What You Think<\/strong>\u00a0(HarperFiction), is published in March, says: \u201cThe Last Weekend by Hannah Begbie<\/strong>\u00a0(HarperCollins) follows three best friends and their families on a weekend break that quickly turns sour. Keenly observed and heartbreakingly relatable, this is a perfect novel for book club discussions.\u00a0Holly Seddon\u2019s 59 Minutes<\/strong>\u00a0(Orion) is my book of the year, with another thought-provoking question at its heart: if a nuclear missile was due to hit the UK in under an hour, what would you do? An emotional thriller with a twist that knocked me sideways.\u201d<\/p>\n

Broadcaster Steph McGovern,<\/strong> whose debut thriller Deadline<\/strong> (Macmillan), was published earlier this year, says: \u201cA Neighbour’s Guide to Murder<\/strong> (HQ) by Louise Candlish<\/strong> is a cracker. I\u2019d describe it as Only Murders In The Building meets Miss Marple in the most juicy and twisty way. Darkly funny, this thriller takes you into the heart of a residential setup with a sinister side. Oooh you\u2019re in for a treat if you haven\u2019t read it. The Art of a Lie<\/strong> by Laura Shepherd Robinson<\/strong> (Mantle) is a book I could not put down. It follows the life of a Georgian confectioner whose world is thrown into chaos by deadly deception. With a fabulous businesswoman at the helm, I loved being taken into an era so deliciously described that at times I wanted to lick the pages. Like Bridgerton with a dodgy side.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"The<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n

The Death of Us by Abigail Dean is ‘a chilling and unforgettable psychodrama’ (Image: HarperCollins)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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\"Caledonian<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n

Andrew O’Hagan’s Caledonian Road ‘explores privilege, poverty, hubris and a fall from grace’ (Image: Faber)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Read more:<\/strong> These 4 edge-of-your-seat thrillers will keep you entertained this autumn <\/a><\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong> Call off the hunt, I’ve found the autumn\u2019s best thriller <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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‘Privilege, poverty, hubris and a spectacular fall from grace’ … ‘taut, elegant prose’<\/h3>\n


Emma Curtis<\/strong>, whose latest book is\u00a0The Psychiatrist<\/strong>\u00a0(Atlantic), says: \u201cThe colossal frustrations of Campbell Flynn are so acutely observed by Andrew O\u2019Hagan it\u2019s painful.\u00a0Caledonian Road<\/strong>\u00a0(Faber) explores privilege, poverty, hubris and a spectacular fall from grace. Astonishing!\u00a0Prima Facie by Suzie Miller<\/strong> (Cornerstone) is the story of a young barrister who defends victims of sexual assault and becomes one herself. Intense and emotionally intelligent, this gripped me from page one.<\/p>\n

Lilja Sigur\u00f0ard\u00f3ttir,<\/strong> whose final mystery in the An Arora Investigation series, Black as Death<\/strong> (Orenda), is out now, says: \u201cThe Shadow of the Northern Lights<\/strong> by Satu R\u00e4m\u00f6<\/strong> (Zaffre) delivers a perfect Christmas read \u2013 an isolated Westfjords community, a body discovered in a fish-farming pond, and a fresh, cross-cultural perspective from a Finnish-Icelandic writer. Scars of Silence<\/strong> by Johana Gustawsson<\/strong> (Orenda) brings us back to Liding\u00f6 in a powerful tale of vengeance. Gustawsson\u2019s French-Swedish background enriches her taut, elegant prose as she peels back the community’s secrets with surgical precision. Dark, gripping, and beautifully written.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"The<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n

The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd Robinson is ‘like Bridgerton with a dodgy side’ (Image: Mantle)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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‘A devastating portrayal of love destroyed and enduring’ … ‘gripping you by the throat’<\/h3>\n

C<\/strong>laire McGowan,<\/strong> whose new book, The Other Couple<\/strong> (Thomas & Mercer) is due in February, says: \u201cLike many crime writers I was deeply moved and unsettled by Abigail Dean\u2019s<\/strong> third novel, The Death of Us<\/strong> (HarperCollins), a devastating portrayal of love destroyed and enduring through the brutal actions of a killer. I also read a lot of non-fiction and was riveted by Elizabeth Gilbert\u2019s<\/strong> unflinching memoir, All the Way To The River<\/strong> (Bloomsbury). This account of the death of her best friend and partner, and her own battle with love addiction, hit hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Property porn thriller queen Louise Candlish<\/strong>, whose latest book is A Neighbours Guide To Murder<\/strong> (HQ), says: Jennifer Weiner\u2019s<\/strong> music family mystery The Griffin Sisters\u2019 Greatest Hits<\/strong> (HarperCollins) had me enthralled from the first page. It’s written with such verve and command and more than fills that Daisy Jones and the Six hole we’ve been staring into. I also loved Our Beautiful Mess<\/strong> by Adele Parks<\/strong> (HarperCollins), which lulls you into a false sense of security with its festive domestic detail before gripping you by the throat with a seriously menacing thriller plot.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Our<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n

Our Beautiful Mess by Adele Parks ‘lulls you into a false sense of security’ then grips you (Image: HarperCollins)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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‘Rich with emotion \u2013 longing, love, grief, regret and confusion’ … ‘a harrowing tale of endurance’<\/h3>\n

C L Taylor<\/strong>, whose latest thriller is\u00a0It\u2019s Always The Husband<\/strong>\u00a0(Avon), says: \u201cDeadly secrets, 90s nostalgia, dating sites and psychopath tests,\u00a0The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards<\/strong>\u00a0(Penguin) lured me in, kept me hostage, and delivered a real stinger of a twist. Clever, thrilling and page-turning, my favourite crime novel of the year.\u00a0Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall<\/strong>\u00a0(John Murray) was my book of the year. I was captivated all the way through. It’s so rich with emotion \u2013 longing, love, grief, regret and confusion. There\u2019s a mystery at the heart of the story and growing tension as it unfolds. Superb.<\/p>\n

Eve Smith,<\/strong> whose speculative thriller, The Cure<\/strong> (Orenda) is out now, says: \u201cThe dysfunctional DI Ryan Wilkins in Simon Mason\u2019s A Voice in the Night<\/strong> (Riverrun) is both comic and tragic, set off brilliantly by posh partner-in-crimes, Ray. However, it\u2019s the keenly observed human frailties and poignant descriptions that stay with you. White Road by Harry Whitehead<\/strong> (Claret Press) is a harrowing tale of endurance about an ex-navy rescue swimmer who is stranded in the Arctic. A compelling eco-thriller with big themes and an unforgiving icescape that\u2019s a character in itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"The<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n

The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards delivers ‘a real stinger of a twist’ (Image: Penguin)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n


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Steph McGovern whose debut psychological thriller, Deadline, was published earlier this year (Image: Carolyn Mendelsohn) ‘Truly disturbing, utterly gripping and brilliant’ … ‘brilliant premise, expert execution’ Bestseller Lisa Jewell, whose… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1023],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39982"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39982"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39982\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}