{"id":40013,"date":"2025-12-19T10:05:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/were-all-bestselling-crime-writers-here-are-our-top-books-of-2025-books-entertainment\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T10:05:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:05:17","slug":"were-all-bestselling-crime-writers-here-are-our-top-books-of-2025-books-entertainment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/were-all-bestselling-crime-writers-here-are-our-top-books-of-2025-books-entertainment\/","title":{"rendered":"We’re all bestselling crime writers \u2013 here are our top books of 2025 | Books | Entertainment"},"content":{"rendered":"


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

Jason Isaacs as Jackson Brodie in BBC adaptation of Kate Atkinson’s novels (Image: BBC\/Ruby Films)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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‘World-class, cerebral entertainment’ … ‘a series that appeals so strongly to generations of readers’<\/h3>\n

Sir Ian Rankin<\/strong>, whose new standalone novel The Heights<\/strong> (Orion) will be published in October 2026, says: \u201cWild Thing by Sue Prideaux<\/strong> (Faber) is a brilliant biography of Paul Gauguin, packed with fascinating information and a helpful restoration of his personal reputation. He fought for the rights of Tahitians (at that time ruled by France) and limped for much of his adult life after taking a kicking by a gang who wore clogs. He once visited Aberdeen (as a seaman) and went on to help build the Panama Canal. Beat that, Cezanne! Kate Atkinson’s Death At The Sign of The Rook<\/strong> (Transworld) is a sly, ingenious, often hilarious and elegantly-written whodunnit that manages to poke fun at the genre while also celebrating it. Readers never know what they’ll get from a new Kate Atkinson, except that it will be world-class, cerebral entertainment. A perfect winter fireside indulgence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Outback noir star Jane Harper<\/strong>, whose forthcoming novel, The Last One Out<\/strong> (Macmillan), is due in April, says: \u201cA new Liane Moriarty<\/strong> book always zooms to the top of my must-buy list and she delivered yet again with Here One Moment<\/strong> (Penguin). Funny, gritty and moving, Moriarty once more tackles big subjects \u2013 this time the fragility and precious value of life \u2013 with her trademark wry humour. I will happily follow Suzanne Collins<\/strong> wherever she leads me through the Hunger Games universe, so I was among the millions of fans delighted to be drawn back in with her latest installment, Sunrise on the Reaping<\/strong> (Scholastic). The prequel had been highly anticipated and did not disappoint. It\u2019s wonderful to see a book series that appeals so strongly to generations of readers, with my mother, myself and my nieces all fans.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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

Jennifer Lawrence in the big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games (Image: Supplied)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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

Death At The Sign Of The Rook by Kate Atkinson is ‘sly, ingenious, often hilarious and elegant’ (Image: Doubleday)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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

The Story of CO2 Is the Story of Everything by Peter Brannen: ‘terrifying, brilliant and exciting’ (Image: Penguin)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Read more:<\/strong> We’re the queens of psychological crime \u2013 these were our fave reads of 2025 <\/a><\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong> ‘Dame Maggie Smith’s son says he’s inherited this 1 passion from her’ <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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‘A busy, rumbunctious, moving tale’ … ‘brilliant and exciting’<\/h3>\n

Kate Atkinson<\/strong>, whose latest Jackson Brodie book, Death At The Sign Of The Rook<\/strong> (Transworld), says: \u201cMy perfect holiday read was Mick Herron<\/strong>‘s latest Slow Horses novel, Clown Town<\/strong> (John Murray). Herron’s writing never lets you down and this is no exception. Drayton and Mackenzie by Alexander Sterritt<\/strong> (Swift Press) is a busy, rumbunctious, moving tale about a relationship between two very different men that takes in ambition and love, success and failure, friendship and rivalry, not to mention the 2008 financial crisis. A deeply satisfying read. The title of Peter Brannen\u2019s The Story Of CO2 Is the Story of Everything<\/strong> (Penguin) says it all. Terrifying in the end it is heading too but brilliant and exciting in describing the many previous evolutions that the Earth has gone through \u2013 scorpions as big as cats! And last but not least the latest Natalie Haynes<\/strong> novel based on classical myth retold from the women’s point of view. No Friend To This House<\/strong> (Mantle) is about the destruction left in the wake of Jason – he of the Argos – on his epic voyage. I love all her books.<\/p>\n

Charlie Parker creator John Connolly<\/strong>, whose latest deliciously creepy thriller is The Children of Eve<\/strong> (Hodder), says: \u201cI once sat beside Geoff Dyer<\/strong> at dinner and didn\u2019t quite know what to make of him. Now, after reading any number of his books, I still don\u2019t quite know what to make of him, but I\u2019m a bit closer following the publication of Homework<\/strong> (Canongate), his account of coming of age in the England of the 1970s. Dyer\u2019s a bit older than I am but many of the references resonated, even for an Irishman, and the memoir made me smile. Meanwhile, the publication of Hotel Ukraine<\/a><\/strong> (Simon & Schuster) was both timely and sad, representing Martin Cruz Smith<\/strong>\u2019s farewell to his Russian investigator Arkady Renko, to writing, and ultimately, to life. Smith was diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s back in the 1990s, but continued to write until shortly before his death earlier this year, with no diminution of the quality of his work. I\u2019m sorry I never got to meet him.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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

Hotel Ukraine by Martin Cruz Smith is both ‘timely and sad’ given its author’s passing (Image: simon & Schuster)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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

Homework: A Memoir Hardcover by Geoff Dyer is an account of coming of age in England of the 1970s (Image: Canongate)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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‘The master has not lost his touch’ … ‘an astonishing end to an astonishing trilogy’<\/h3>\n

Royal favourite Peter James<\/strong>, whose latest Roy Grace novel, The Hawk Is Dead<\/strong> (Macmillan) features guest appearances from both the King and Queen, and a satisfying chase through the halls of Buckingham Palace for the Brighton-based DS, says: \u201cOddly enough my two picks have almost identical titles, but they are very different books! Pascal Engman<\/strong> iEngman is considered the hottest young Swedish writer, and I was hooked and engrossed with The Widows<\/strong> (Legend Press) from the very start to the brilliant end. Terrorist themes generally don\u2019t grab me but Engman has so chillingly entered the minds of his they are utterly compelling. The Widow<\/strong> by John Grisham<\/strong> (Hodder) shows the master has not lost his touch with this brilliantly and refreshingly different story of a lawyer, down on his cups who is approached by an and seemingly very rich elderly widow. She could be the answer to his prayers. But soon the best client of his life turns into his worst nightmare\u2026”<\/p>\n

Cumbria-based bestseller M W Craven<\/strong>, whose new breathtakingly brilliant Washington Poe thriller The Final Vow<\/strong> (Little, Brown) is out now, says: \u201cPagans<\/strong> by James Alistair Henry<\/strong> (Moonflower) \u2013 tagline, \u2018Two cops. One killer. Hundreds of gods\u2019 \u2013 is an alternative history crime novel set in 21st century London in which the Norman conquest never happened. It\u2019s grimly authentic, a great book from start to finish. Empire of the Dawn<\/strong> by Jay Kristoff<\/strong> (HarperCollins) is an astonishing end to an astonishing trilogy. Kristoff paints his vast apocalyptic canvas unflinchingly with the blood of good and evil alike as the Last Silversaint (a man with a human mother and a vampire father) and the Grail race to save their world from everlasting darkness and the depravity of the Forever King. It\u2019s brutal, bloody and jolly good fun.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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

Pagans by James Alistair Henry is ‘grimly authentic, a great book from start to finish’ (Image: Moonflower)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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

The Widow by John Grisham ‘shows the master has not lost his touch’ (Image: Hodder)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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‘Pacey and nerve-shredding, the perfect thriller’ … ‘so timely and relevent’<\/h3>\n

Janice Hallett<\/strong>, whose pub quiz whodunnit The Killer Question<\/strong> (Profile) is out now, says: \u201cBurn After Reading <\/strong>by Catherine Ryan Howard<\/strong> (Transworld) introduces a troubled ghostwriter trapped in the home of a celebrity whose wife\u2019s death is shrouded in mystery. Pacey and nerve-shredding, it\u2019s a perfect thriller! In A Trial in Three Acts <\/strong>by Guy Morpuss<\/strong> (Profile), an actress is beheaded on stage when a prop malfunctions\u2026 is her estranged husband as guilty as he seems? A gripping, twisty mystery that\u2019s funny and ingenious.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former policeman G D Wright,<\/strong> whose new book is Into The Fire<\/strong> (Avon), says: \u201cTo Love a Liar <\/strong>by L V Matthews<\/strong> (Penguin) is so<\/em> timely and relevant. It\u2019s a character-driven thriller that dives deep into the world of undercover policing. It\u2019s not your typical psych thriller \u2013 it\u2019s so much more than that. Drama, the ties that bind us, betrayal and the lengths that those undercover cops went to in the past. Just fantastic. The plot of The Woman In Ward 9<\/strong> (Headline) by Naomi Williams<\/strong> is wonderful \u2013 so well researched and full of suspense as you try to piece together what the truth behind it all is. The pieces of the puzzle are all there, but they’re delivered deftly so that, just when you think you’ve got it worked out, something else comes along and blasts your theory out of the water!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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

Burn After Reading by Catherine Ryan Howard is the ‘perfect thriller’ (Image: Transworld)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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‘A riveting, shocking and enthralling read’ … ‘her characterisation is as awesome as ever’<\/h3>\n

Luca Veste<\/strong>, whose new novel Liar Liar<\/strong> is due out in June via Avon, says: \u201cI’m a huge fan of the Tom Thorne series \u2013 since Sleepyhead influenced me to be a crime writer \u2013 and Mark Billingham<\/strong>\u2019s latest instalment, What The Night Brings<\/strong> (Little, Brown), delivers a riveting, shocking, and enthralling read. The emotional heart that runs through this book is what puts it above the rest. Fantastic. C L Taylor<\/strong> never disappoints and It’s Always the Husband<\/strong> (Avon) is no exception. I love a book in which every character is suspicious and we have to question everything we learn. Her characterisation is as awesome as ever. I couldn’t read this quickly enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"It's<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n

It’s Always The Husband by C L Taylor who ‘never disappoints’ (Image: Avon)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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

What the Night Brings by Mark Billingham is a ‘riveting, shocking, and enthralling read’ (Image: Little, Brown)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n


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Jason Isaacs as Jackson Brodie in BBC adaptation of Kate Atkinson’s novels (Image: BBC\/Ruby Films) ‘World-class, cerebral entertainment’ … ‘a series that appeals so strongly to generations of readers’ Sir… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40015,"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\/40013"}],"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=40013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40013\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}