This year has been... well. Do I even need to say? From discovering Schitt's Creek to signing with David Higham Associates, from doing a reading at Virtual Noir at the Bar to growing vegetables (badly), 2020 was definitely a mixed bag. I'll skip over the heartbreak and focus on the positive. BOOKS.
I read so many amazing books! I'm sure I missed some absolute gems, but these are the 10 that I just can't forget.
The Cutting Place by Jane Casey
When human remains wash up on the shore of the Thames, DS Maeve Kerrigan traces it to a journalist who has been digging around for information on a gentlemen's club that's drenched in dark secrets and cover-ups. Maeve becomes knee-deep in the world of rich, male privilege, and as one crime exposes another, the case builds and builds to its climactic, unpredictable end. This intense thriller has an unbelievably believable plot, splashes of unexpected emotion and characters that'll stay with you long after you begrudgingly turn over that last page.
How to Disappear by Gillian McAllister (audiobook)
This gripping psychological-suspense thriller is told from the viewpoints of four characters, a family torn apart by the ripple effect of an awful crime, separated by the witness protection programme. The plot is unpredictable, twisting and turning all over the place. I found myself listening to this at every opportunity. I was completely and utterly addicted. This is not only the best book Gillian has ever written, but it's one of the best psychological thrillers I've ever read. It's tense, chilling and beautifully-written - all the ingredients required for a compelling, keep-you-up-at-night thriller.
Far from the Tree by Rob Parker (audiobook)
Nine hours of pure edge-of-your-seat, keep-you-up-at-night drama. A pacey, twisty police procedural with an immense hook from the very first chapter: 27 bodies discovered in a mass grave. When the case gets a little to close to home, Brendan Foley throws himself full-pelt at it, doing everything he can to get to the bottom of it at all costs. Full of different threads that are woven together with masterful plotting. Prepare to be taken to some very dark places indeed, and brace yourself for shocking reveals you could never imagine.
Firewatching by Russ Thomas
A dark and twisty police procedural introducing DS Adam Tyler, a cold case reviewer with a troubled past. When the skeleton of a corrupt businessman is discovered bricked-up in the cellar of the Old Vicarage, Adam lands himself this high-profile murder investigation, only to find himself in hot water. As fires spring up all over Castledene, it's clear that a pyromaniac is on the loose, dead set on watching the world burn. Scorches with a tangle of threads that I challenge even the most seasoned of thriller readers to tie together before the incredible, unpredictable ending.
Without a Trace by Mari Hannah
DCI Kate Daniels hurtles towards London after the news that a transatlantic flight has dropped out of the sky... and the love of her life, Jo Soulsby, was on that flight. Kate blags her way onto the investigation and embarks upon a mission to disprove that Jo was on that flight... because she couldn't have been... could she? An unimaginable rollercoaster of twists and turns that I couldn't have predicted transformed me into a page-turning maniac. It's tense. It's dramatic. It's emotional. A perfectly-executed and riveting piece of crime fiction.
Whispers in the Dark by Chris McDonald
Drug dealer, Marcus Stone and DCI Clive Burston had never met until one night in August. By the end of that night, both had been shot dead in a small bedroom in the heart of gang territory. DI Erika Piper is called to the scene but is at a loss to explain what’s happened. How did these two even meet, let alone end up dead in what appears to be a strange murder-suicide? A powerful and thrilling novel that packs a punch from page one, from the sinister prologue to the shocking ending. A tense, twisted and superbly-plotted thriller that is as terrifying as it is heartbreaking.
All That is Buried by Robert Scragg
When 7-year-old Libby Hallforth goes missing at a funfair without even a sniff of evidence or a single witness, DI Jake Porter and DS Nick Styles are left with more questions than they have answers. The case goes cold, and all hope of finding Libby is lost, until human remains are discovered several months later. And like with all good crime novels, it's just the start of a race against time to stop a killer in their tracks. This is a fast-paced, thrilling read that is packed not only with action, but the emotion that is often left out of this kind of book. I absolutely loved it.
The Stolen Sisters by Louise Jensen
A psychological thriller that tells the heartbreaking tale of four sisters who were kidnapped twenty years ago. The mystery is not about how they manage to escape, because what happens after is so much worse. As the twentieth anniversary of the kidnapping looms closer, a catastrophic chain of events sends the reader rocketing towards a series of twists and turns that are as unpredictable as they are clever. Louise is the master of foreshadowing, leaving you hanging on by a fingertip as she ends each chapter. She sends you hurtling down one road, only to whip the carpet from beneath your feet.
Too Close to Breathe by Olivia Kiernan
When Eleanor Costello is found hanging in her Dublin home, all signs point to suicide. Enter DCS Frankie Sheehan, a detective with a sharp eye, a potty mouth and an innate ability to climb inside the heads of the victims. Suffering from PTSD driven by a vicious attack during a previous investigation, Frankie soon learns that the lines between killer and victim are becoming increasingly blurred. An atmospheric, immersive and skillfully-plotted police procedural that will blow you away. So compelling and incredibly absorbing.
The Storm by Amanda Jennings
A twisty psychological thriller set in a Cornish fishing port, following the story of Hannah and Nathan Cardew, and their picture-perfect marriage... or so it seems. As the past threatens to catch up with her, the dark secrets of Hannah's past soon begin to unravel. There's more than one storm brewing in this compelling story... just you wait until the thunder cracks. Amanda's gripping style of writing draws you in like a fishing reel, only to fling you back into the storm with a big reveal that'll leave your mind whirling.
Roxie
@RoxieAdelleKey
