Last week I listed my top 5 non-crime reads of the year, today I’m listing my top 5 crime reads.
Competition was stiff due to the sheer quality of the books I read, though this process was made slightly easier by the fact that I didn’t read as many books as I’d hoped to get through this year. Partly due, I imagine, to the fact that I went through the whole medical retirement process this year. One of those large life-altering events that affects the things you do.
Anyway, here are my top crime reads of this year. They’re not necessarily released this year, but read this year.
5. Eye Contact by Fergus McNeill
If you look him in the eye, you’re dead.
From the outside, Robert Naysmith is a successful businessman, handsome and charming. But for years he’s been playing a deadly game.
He doesn’t choose his victims. Each is selected at random – the first person to make eye contact after he begins ‘the game’ will not have long to live. Their fate is sealed.
When the body of a young woman is found on Severn Beach, Detective Inspector Harland is assigned the case. It’s only when he links it to an unsolved murder in Oxford that the police begin to guess at the awful scale of the crimes.
But how do you find a killer who strikes without motive?
Review Here.
4. Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent
Oliver Ryan is a handsome and charismatic success story. He lives in the suburbs with his wife, Alice, who illustrates his award-winning children’s books and gives him her unstinting devotion. Their life together is one of enviable privilege and ease – enviable until, one evening after supper, Oliver attacks Alice and beats her into a coma.
In the aftermath, as everyone tries to make sense of his astonishing act of savagery, Oliver tells his story. So do those whose paths he has crossed over five decades. What unfolds is a story of shame, envy, breath-taking deception and masterful manipulation.
Only Oliver knows the lengths to which he has had to go to get the life to which he felt entitled. But even he is in for a shock when the past catches up with him.
Review Here.
3. Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton
What’s the worst thing your best friend could do to you?
Admittedly, it wasn’t murder. A moment’s carelessness, a tragic accident – and two children are dead. Yours.
Living in a small island community, you can’t escape the woman who destroyed your life. Each chance encounter is an agonizing reminder of what you’ve lost—your family, your future, your sanity.
How long before revenge becomes irresistible?
With no reason to go on living, why shouldn’t you turn your darkest thoughts into deeds?
So now, what’s the worst thing you can do to your best friend?
Review Here.
2. Tenacity by J.S. Law
Lieutenant Danielle (“Dan”) Lewis, the only female investigator in the Royal Navy’s Special Investigation Branch, is called upon to investigate the apparent suicide of a Chief Petty Officer on HMS Tenacity, a nuclear submarine. As the submariners embark on a naval exercise, Dan is forced to share their claustrophobic, closed environment. The ultimate outsider in this hyper-masculine world, she needs to find a way to navigate the code of this tight-knit group of men whilst unmasking a killer.
Review Here.
- Normal by Graeme Cameron
“The truth is I hurt people. It’s what I do. It’s all I do. It’s all I’ve ever done.”
He lives in your community, in a nice house with a well-tended garden. He shops in your grocery store, bumping shoulders with you and apologizing with a smile. He drives beside you on the highway, politely waving you into the lane ahead of him.
What you don’t know is that he has an elaborate cage built into a secret basement under his garage. And the food that he’s carefully shopping for is to feed a young woman he’s holding there against her will—one in a string of many, unaware of the fate that awaits her.
This is how it’s been for a long time. It’s normal… and it works. Perfectly.
Then he meets the checkout girl from the 24-hour grocery. And now the plan, the hunts, the room… the others. He doesn’t need any of them anymore. He needs only her. But just as he decides to go straight, the police start to close in. He might be able to cover his tracks, except for one small problem—he still has someone trapped in his garage.
Discovering his humanity couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Review Here.
There are two special mentions because I couldn’t fit them in… I know, It’s cheating a bit, but bear with me, they’re great books and worth it.
First One Missing by Tammy Cohen
There are three things no-one can prepare you for when your daughter is murdered:
– You are haunted by her memory day and night
– Your friends and family fear you are going mad
– Only in a group with mothers of other victims can you find real comfort.
Welcome to the club no one wants to join.
Review Here.
and
Follow Me by Angela Clarke
The ‘Hashtag Murderer’ posts chilling cryptic clues online, pointing to their next target. Taunting the police. Enthralling the press. Capturing the public’s imagination.
But this is no virtual threat.
As the number of his followers rises, so does the body count.
Eight years ago two young girls did something unforgivable. Now ambitious police officer Nasreen and investigative journalist Freddie are thrown together again in a desperate struggle to catch this cunning, fame-crazed killer. But can they stay one step ahead of him? And can they escape their own past?
Time’s running out. Everyone is following the #Murderer. But what if he is following you?
ONLINE, NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM …
Review Here.
Are any of your favourites in this list?
Each one of these sounds good enough to spend the time on. I might jump at one of them, or two. I limit how much I spend on books and they have to be available on Kindle. So, I’ll take a look and see if I can grab one or two! Thanks for the heads up
I’m with you on Unraveling Oliver which was one of my favourite reads of last year – I’m still contemplating my list – so hard!
I love how you sneaked in a few extra ones – so did I and I still didn’t quite get to mention everything. I haven’t read any of those you mention above, although quite a few of them are languishing on my e-reader. I don’t know how I manage to get so sidetracked…
I don´t know with which one to start, all of them sound very good!
I’m sure it was tough for you to narrow it down to just those seven.
I have several of these on my shelf right now. Can’t wait to read them. I’m planning on trying to get through some of the books I actually already own for 2016. We’ll see how successful I am. All those new shiny books are always so tempting – plus lovely reviews make my ‘clicking’ hand twitch. I’ve enjoyed your blog this last year, Rebecca!
Thanks for sharing your top reads, Rebecca. I’m very glad you found so many good crime novels to love. I’m not surprised to see the Bolton and the Cohen on your list; I remember how much you enjoyed them. And I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Nugent, too. I think you had a good year of reading!
I feel so bad I haven’t read any of those! Ironically, I was offered a review copy of Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent and I thought it was not the kind of book that I’d enjoy… I should have Tweeted about it before saying no!
I finished my Goodreads goal this year–160 books! I need lots more for next year and this will be a good starter list. Thanks, Rebecca.
Sadly I have only heard/read a couple of these Rebecca- is it a “regional” thing? Maybe some of the books haven’t been released here yet. I will keep a look out for them though.
Made some notes and it’s like Christmas. Speaking of the holidays, “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” I hope this year bring you joy and success. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
So far I’ve only read Unravelling Oliver, which my daughter read too, and First One Missing. Both very good, especially First One Missing – great twist. I DO intend reading the rest – Eye Contact is a new one to me, but as it has your stamp of approval I might have to seek it out…There are so many great books out there, and not enough time! I’ve noticed nearly everyone’s “Best Of” lists have a couple of extras they couldn’t leave out! Mine should be ready for New Year (she said, hopefully…)
I’ve only read Sharon Bolton but I want to read all the other! Some great choices.