The Best Crime Fiction For July
The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards
Penguin Michael Joseph, £16.99
The Brief: One shared ambition, a deadly secret, and a whole lot of history.
The Suspects: Six graduates looking to change the world; a charismatic but manipulative professor; and some uninvited guests…
The Setup: In 1999, a group of bright graduates were brought together to help build an ambitious app. If they pulled it off, it would have changed the world of dating – and their fortunes – forever, but something happened that derailed everything. Now, over two decades later, they reunite in the glamorous home of two of the old gang. As the reunion unfolds, tensions spiral and long-buried secrets threaten to destroy everything. One of them is hiding the truth and someone else is willing to risk everything to uncover it.
The Judgement: With a brilliantly compelling cast and twists aplenty, Edwards keeps the tension piano wire-tight and the pages furiously turning. The layered backstory adds depth and intrigue, while the suspense ensures you’ll stay utterly hooked until the final reveal. The perfect sunlounger thriller.
If You Liked This, Try:
The Secret History by Donna Tartt. For more claustrophobic group dynamics
The Retreat by Mark Edwards. Another tense, character-driven thriller
Friends Like These by Kimberly McCreight. Dark secrets, fractured friendships, and shocking twists
The Scene Of The Crime by Lynda La Plante
Zaffre, £22
The Brief: The mastermind behind Prime Suspect and Widows is back with another brand-new series.
The Suspects: The Metropolitan Police Serious Crime Analysis Unit, a cutting-edge team made up of experts in DNA, blood spatter, digital forensics, and psychology.
The Setup: When the husband of a ruthless barrister is brutally beaten during a robbery and left in a coma, the unit – led by CSI Jessica Russell – must put every skill and tool at their disposal to work. But the deeper they dig trying to find out the motivation for such a vicious crime, the murkier the case becomes.
The Judgement: La Plante brings all her trademark forensic detail and psychological insight to bear here, crafting another superior procedural that feels both classic and cutting edge.
If You Liked This, Try:
Prime Suspect by Lynda La Plante. The groundbreaking series that started it all
The Burning by Jane Casey. This elevated procedural introduces ambitious detective Maeve Kerrigan
In The Blink Of An Eye by Jo Callaghan. Cutting-edge tech meets very human policing.
Deadline by Steph McGovern
Macmillan, £20
The Brief: A live TV broadcast suddenly becomes a life-or-death assignment.
The Suspects: Rose, a seasoned TV reporter on the brink of the biggest interview of her career; a missing spouse; and a kidnapper with impossible demands.
The Setup: TV reporter Rose is about to do the most important assignment of her career – interviewing a powerful political figure live. To focus, she must push all else from her mind. No wondering why her wife hasn’t been in touch, and no worrying about how her stalker has tracked her down. Then she hears an unfamiliar voice in her earpiece: her family has been taken and she must do everything the kidnapper wants.
The Judgement: Tense, pacy, and brimming with authentic detail, this debut from broadcaster Steph McGovern feels chillingly real. An entertaining, thought‑provoking thriller that plays out like the news bulletin from hell.
If You Liked This, Try:
Hostage by Clare Mackintosh. For the tension of a live crisis unfolding minute by minute
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney. For a missing spouse mystery
Close Call by Elise Hart Kipness. For a reporter thrust into the middle of a high-stakes ordeal
Note from The Crime Shelf
We’re rolling out our July 2025 picks in real time — three gripping titles to start, with seven more arriving over the next few days. Check back soon to see which books make the cut.
The Day I Lost You by Ruth Mancini
Century, £16.99
The Brief: Two mothers. One missing child. A fight for the truth that could destroy them both.
The Suspects: Lauren, raising her toddler son Sam in the quiet Spanish town of Mantilla de Mar, desperate to escape her past. Hope, finally holding the baby she thought she’d never have – until someone takes him away.
The Setup: When police arrive at Lauren’s door claiming Sam isn’t hers, she flees in terror. Back in the UK, Hope will stop at nothing to recover the child she believes is hers. As their stories converge, questions of motherhood, identity, and survival collide in a race against time.
The Judgement: Written with the insight of a criminal lawyer-turned-storyteller, Ruth Mancini crafts a taut, emotionally charged thriller. Themes of loss, love, and moral ambiguity drive a chilling tale that grips to the very last page.
If You Liked This, Try:
Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan. For its emotional depth and questions of motherhood
Found by Erin Kinsley. For a heart‑wrenching story of missing children
The Push by Ashley Audrain. For its dark exploration of maternal identity
The Night Lagoon by Jo Morey
HarperCollins, £16.99
The Brief: A Belizean jungle paradise hides passion, betrayal, and a truth too dangerous to confront.
The Suspects: Laelia, a hearing‑impaired traveller whose dream escape turns into a nightmare; Aid, the partner whose love grows darker with every day; and the secrets of Wittering Lodge, a remote jungle hideaway.
The Setup: In the dead of night at her father’s jungle lodge, Laelia lies awake beside Aid, her mind racing with the past that led her here. The heady romance of their first Caribbean holiday has soured into something sinister and when she uncovers devastating truths hidden in the lodge, Laelia faces an impossible decision: keep silent and protect their fragile paradise or confront lies as deep as the lagoon itself.
The Judgement: Atmospheric and unsettling, Jo Morey’s debut blends raw emotion with lush, dangerous setting. It’s a searing tale of control, love, and survival that will haunt you long after you turn the last page.
If You Liked This, Try:
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller. For its lush setting and buried secrets
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Nature, isolation, and survival
The Beach by Alex Garland. For its intoxicating paradise setting that curdles into danger and betrayal.
The Woman In Suite 11 by Ruth Ware
Simon & Schuster, £16.99
The Brief: A glamorous chateau, a mysterious invitation, and a perilous chase across Europe.
The Suspects: Lo Blacklock, returning to journalism after having a child; elusive billionaire Marcus Leidmann; and the terrified woman in his suite.
The Setup: When Lo is invited to the opening of a luxury hotel on Lake Geneva, it feels like just the chance she needs – if she can score an interview with its reclusive owner Marcus, she will be back in the game. But when she meets a woman claiming to be his mistress – and a captive – events quickly spiral into a deadly cat‑and‑mouse pursuit across Europe. As Lo risks everything to save a stranger, she must decide how far she’s willing to go – and whether she can actually trust the woman she’s racing to protect.
The Judgement: Ruth Ware, queen of modern thrillers, delivers another nail-biting ride. Steeped in atmosphere and laced with high stakes, this follow-up to The Woman In Cabin 10 proves she’s at the top of her game.
If You Liked This, Try:
The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. The breakout thriller soon to be a major Netflix series
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena. For claustrophobic suspense and shocking secrets
The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas. For dark domestic tension with a sinister edge