Award-winning and heart stopping crime novels

Jun 13 2023

Book covers of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, The Devil and the Dark Water, My Sister, the Serial Killer, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
June is National Crime Reading Month. Developed by the Crime Writers’ Association, National Crime Reading Month is an opportunity to sink your teeth into your favourite thrillers, mysteries, and crime novels. To celebrate, we’ve selected a list of great titles that will set your mind and your heart racing, from the cosiest of mysteries to psychological suspense thrillers.
The Maid by Nita Prose

The Maid – Nita Prose

Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Mystery & Thriller (2022)

Twenty-five-year-old Molly loves her work as a hotel maid. But her life is overthrown when she discovers the wealthy Charles Black dead in his bed and becomes the lead suspect in his murder case.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

The Thursday Murder Club – Richard Osman

British Book Award’s Author of the Year (2021)

In an idyllic retirement community village, four friends meet up on Thursdays to examine cold cases. But when a murder takes place on their doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves investigating their first live case.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd – Agatha Christie

Voted the Best Ever Crime Novel by the Crime Writers’ Association

The peaceful village of King’s Abbot is stunned when a widow dies from an overdose. Less than twenty-four hours later, Roger Ackroyd, the man she had planned to marry, is murdered. Luckily Hercule Poirot is on the case. This extraordinary tale is one of Agatha Christie’s greatest and most controversial mysteries that’s sure to leave you reeling long after you’ve turned the final page.

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida - Shehan Karunatilaka

Winner of The Booker Prize (2022)

Set in 1990 during the Sri Lankan Civil War, Maali Almeida wakes up dead with his dismembered body sinking in the serene Beira lake and he has no idea who killed him. Maali is unfortunately still on a deadline. He has just seven moons to lead the man and woman he loves most to a hidden collection of photos whose discovery will stun Sri Lanka.

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

The It Girl – Ruth Ware

Longlisted for Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2023)

Hannah found her roommate and best friend April’s body when they were at university. A decade later, Hannah’s world is upturned when a journalist presents her with new evidence that the man she helped to convict of killing April might have been innocent. As she investigates April’s death, she realises that the friends she’s known and trusted for 10 years might have something to hide.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

My Sister, the Serial Killer - Oyinkan Braithwaite

Winner of British Book Award for Crime & Thriller Book of the Year (2020)

When Korede gets a call from her sister, Ayoola, she knows what must be done. This will be the third boyfriend Ayoola’s killed in self-defence and the third that Korede has had to clean up. As unhappy as this makes Korede, family always comes first. That is, until Ayoola starts dating a doctor who Korede’s been in love with for years. But can she save one without sacrificing the other?

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

Wrong Place Wrong Time – Gillian McAllister

Reese's Book Club Pick (August 2022)

Jen witnesses her 18-year-old son murder a stranger outside their house. She goes to bed that night full of despair but wakes up to find it’s the previous morning. Every morning Jen wakes up a day earlier, another day before murder, giving her another chance to stop it. Can she stop a murder after it's already happened?

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

The Devil and the Dark Water – Stuart Turton

Winner of the Books Are My Bag Fiction Award (2020)

It's 1634 and the world’s greatest detective, Samuel Pipps, has been imprisoned and is being transported to Amsterdam. Treachery besets the voyage, culminating in three passengers being marked for death. With Pipps detained for a crime he may or may not have committed, only his loyal bodyguard Arent can solve the mystery that threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.

Do No Harm by Jack Jordan

Do No Harm – Jack Jordan

Shortlisted for The Dead Good Recommends Awards for Most Recommended Book (2022)

Anna is a talented heart surgeon who has to decide if she’s willing to break her Hippocratic Oath and murder a patient in order to save her son from a ruthless kidnapper. The novel was inspired by an operation Jack Jordan had under general anaesthetic which, fortunately, didn’t have the same high stakes as the surgery in the book.

All of the books mentioned here are available from Hampshire’s libraries. Let us know on Facebook or Instagram if you’ve read any of our suggestions and sign up to our newsletter so you can stay in touch with all the latest library news.