The Best Crime Fiction For October
Silent Bones by Val McDermid
Sphere, £22
The Brief: A motorway landslide uncovers a long-buried body, drawing DCI Karen Pirie and her team into a web of secrets, power, and betrayal.
The Suspects: Karen Pirie, relentless head of the Historic Cases Unit, navigating personal and professional stakes; Sam Nimmo, journalist and vanished prime suspect in his fiancée’s murder; Tom Jamieson, the hotel manager whose suspicious death hides darker truths; and Edinburgh’s elite, whose clubs and boardrooms conceal dangerous connections.
The Setup: Torrential rain exposes a body hidden in tarmac more than a decade earlier. The victim is Sam Nimmo, once accused of killing his fiancée. Pirie must unpick a case where memory, lies, and influence run deep. Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, Jamieson’s so-called accident starts to look like murder — and his book club may know more than they claim. As Pirie follows the threads, both cases begin to knot together, pointing toward Scotland’s rich and powerful, and a conspiracy that refuses to stay buried.
The Judgement: With wit, warmth, and razor-sharp plotting, McDermid proves again why she is the queen of Scottish crime. Silent Bones is powerful, layered, and fiercely human, a Pirie novel that balances humour with heartbreak, and justice with devastating cost.
If You Liked This, Try:
The Distant Echo by Val McDermid. The first Karen Pirie novel is a haunting cold-case mystery.
The Dark Remains by William McIlvanney & Ian Rankin. A gritty, evocative prequel to the Laidlaw series from two giants of Scottish noir.
May God Forgive by Alan Parks. A tense, darkly atmospheric Glasgow-set thriller steeped in corruption and violence.
Sharp Force by Patricia Cornwell
Little, Brown, £22
The Brief: Kay Scarpetta returns in her 29th case, facing a serial killer who turns cutting-edge surveillance into a weapon of terror.
The Suspects: Dr Kay Scarpetta, chief medical examiner, caught between duty and personal danger; the Phantom Slasher, a predator who can infiltrate homes; Marino, Benton and Lucy, allies who may not be beyond the killer’s reach; and Mercy Island, the infamous psychiatric hospital where past shadows refuse to stay buried.
The Setup: It begins on Christmas morning, when Scarpetta is called to yet another victim – the Phantom Slasher has struck again. His victims wake to spectral apparitions, ghost-like holograms, before being murdered in their beds. The trail leads her to Mercy Island, a place soaked in history and violence, and when someone from her past is found among the dead, Scarpetta realises the killer is closing in.
The Judgement: Cornwell proves once more why she remains the queen of forensic thrillers. With a chilling blend of modern technology and old-school menace, Sharp Force is relentless, atmospheric, and scalpel-sharp. This Scarpetta novel cuts deep and lingers long after the final page.
If You Liked This, Try:
Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell. The ground-breaking first Scarpetta thriller that redefined forensic crime.
We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough. A haunting, gothic thriller where secrets fester behind closed doors
The Last Murder At The End Of The World by Stuart Turton. A dazzling, high-concept mystery where nothing is as it seems.
The Killing Stones by Ann Cleeves
Pan Macmillan, £22
The Brief: Detective Jimmy Perez returns to Orkney, where an ancient stone, a violent storm, and a brutal murder entwine past and present.
The Suspects: Jimmy Perez, weathered by experience but tethered to his island roots; Archie Stout, the larger-than-life victim whose popularity hid deeper tensions; Willow and their young son, Perez’s anchor in the storm; and the islanders themselves, bound by history, secrets, and grudges as old as the stones.
The Setup: After a storm lashes Orkney, Archie Stout’s body is discovered beside a discarded Neolithic stone carved with ancient inscriptions. Perez knew him as a childhood friend, making this case painfully personal. As he digs into Archie’s final days, Perez uncovers a community rife with resentments, rivalries, and half-buried truths. To solve the murder, he must navigate a landscape where legend bleeds into reality, and where the killer may not be finished.
The Judgement: Ann Cleeves weaves elemental weather, ancient history, and human frailty into another masterful mystery. The Killing Stones is atmospheric, moving, and deeply rooted in place. It’s also a reminder of why Perez remains one of crime fiction’s most compelling detectives.
If You Liked This, Try:
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves. The first Matthew Venn mystery, rich in atmosphere and character.
The Blackhouse by Peter May. A brooding Hebridean thriller where landscape and secrets shape every page.
Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths. A darkly layered police procedural steeped in history and hidden connections.
The Widow by John Grisham
Hodder & Stoughton, £22
The Brief: A desperate lawyer, a wealthy widow, and a fortune no one was meant to know about — until the story unravels into murder.
The Suspects: Simon Latch, small-town lawyer drowning in debt and temptation; Eleanor Barnett, the elderly widow who claims to be worth $20 million; rival lawyers circling like vultures; and a justice system all too ready to put Simon on trial.
The Setup: When Eleanor Barnett walks into Simon’s office with a fortune to her name and no heirs in sight, Simon sees salvation from his crumbling life. But as he manoeuvres to keep her wealth secret, the story begins to fracture. After a car accident lands Eleanor in hospital, questions multiply — and before long, Simon finds himself accused of a crime he swears he didn’t commit: murder.
The Judgement: With The Widow, Grisham delivers a taut, classic courtroom drama that doubles as a twist-laden murder mystery. It’s sharp, compulsive, and irresistible — proof that no one blends legal intrigue with page-turning suspense quite like him.
If You Liked This, Try:
The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly. A legal thriller icon at his best, mixing courtroom tension with moral ambiguity.
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane. A dark, propulsive thriller where morality, justice, and survival collide.
The Appeal by Janice Hallett. An inventive, razor-sharp mystery told through the voices of a community hiding secrets.
Lucky Thing by Tom Baragwanath
Baskerville, £22
The Brief: A brilliant young student is left for dead in the New Zealand bush and it’s up to a police records clerk, underestimated by everyone, to find out who did it.
The Suspects: Jessica Mowbrie, bright and ambitious, now lying in a coma; the detectives of Masterton, under-resourced and overwhelmed; the small-town factions with grudges as deep as their roots; and Lorraine Henry, the dogged records clerk who refuses to let the case be forgotten.
The Setup: When Jessica is abandoned in the bush and left fighting for her life, local police quickly hit dead ends. But Lorraine Henry isn’t prepared to accept the official story. With every file, feud, and fragment of gossip at her fingertips, she begins piecing together the truth herself. Middle-aged, underestimated, and unafraid, Lorraine hunts for answers in a town where old loyalties, buried racism, and family feuds still dictate who survives and who doesn’t.
The Judgement: Tom Baragwanath follows his award-winning debut with a taut, compassionate crime novel that’s as much about community fracture as it is about mystery. Lucky Thing is gritty, humane, and haunting — proof that Lorraine Henry is one of crime fiction’s most compelling new sleuths.
If You Liked This, Try:
Paper Cage by Tom Baragwanath. The award-winning debut introducing Lorraine Henry.
Better The Blood by Michael Bennett. A powerful New Zealand thriller with a Māori detective hunting a serial killer.
The Vanishing Place by Zoë Rankin. A haunting New Zealand noir where trauma, wilderness, and buried family secrets collide.
Watch Your Back by Emma Christie
Mountain Leopard Press, £10.99
The Brief: Fifteen years after her mother’s murder, Jo receives a box of unopened prison letters only for them to vanish before she can read them. Someone knows a truth she isn’t meant to uncover.
The Suspects: Jo, living under the weight of a past she never speaks of; the unknown sender of the prison letters, desperate to be heard; the thief who steals them away, determined to keep secrets buried; and the shadow of her mother’s killer, reaching into Jo’s carefully rebuilt life.
The Setup: Jo has always kept her head down, hiding the trauma of her mother’s death. But when letters arrive from the prison, addressed to her and tied to that long-ago crime, her fragile new life is thrown into chaos. Stolen before she can open them, the letters become a dangerous breadcrumb trail. It’s one that could lead Jo to the truth, or straight into the path of someone who wants her silenced.
The Judgement: Emma Christie weaves a gripping tale of buried secrets and creeping paranoia. Taut, emotional, and twist-packed, Watch Your Back asks how far we can ever outrun the past and whether the truth is worth the cost of uncovering it.
If You Liked This, Try:
The Silent Daughter by Emma Christie. A sharp, emotionally charged novel about family secrets and lies.
Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena. A suburban thriller where hidden truths explode into violence.
None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell. A dark, addictive tale of friendship, obsession, and dangerous revelations.
Quantum Of Menace by Vaseem Khan
Zaffre, £20
The Brief: Q, aka Major Boothroyd, steps out from behind the gadgets to become the detective, investigating the mysterious death of a quantum computing genius in his sleepy hometown.
The Suspects: Q, newly ousted from MI6 and restless for purpose; Peter Napier, the brilliant scientist whose apparent suicide hides a web of secrets; the seemingly harmless locals of Wickstone-on-Water; and the powerful corporate forces closing in on the truth.
The Setup: Forced into early retirement, Q returns to the quiet village of his childhood, only to discover that his oldest friend has died under suspicious circumstances. The police shrug it off, but a cryptic note and whispers of stolen research pull Q back into a world of espionage, betrayal, and deadly innovation. When shadowy figures begin to circle, Q must use every ounce of his ingenuity to stay one step ahead.
The Judgement: Vaseem Khan reinvents the Bond universe with charm, intelligence, and dry wit. Quantum Of Menace is an effortlessly clever thriller, equal parts espionage puzzle and cosy crime caper, which gives the legendary Q his own moment in the spotlight. Stylish, funny, and endlessly inventive.
If You Liked This, Try:
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. A cosy-crime gem full of heart, humour, and ingenious plotting.
Clown Town by Mick Herron. The latest Slough House outing, which is darkly funny, razor-smart, and brilliantly cynical.
The Twist Of A Knife by Anthony Horowitz. A sharp, self-aware mystery blending wit, danger, and showmanship.
The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly
Orion, £22
The Brief: Mickey Haller returns in a courtroom showdown that pits the Lincoln Lawyer against the power and peril of artificial intelligence.
The Suspects: Mickey Haller, searching for a new purpose after his resurrection walk; an AI company whose chatbot may have pushed a teen toward murder; the grieving family determined to hold someone accountable; Jack McEvoy, the journalist who becomes more than just an observer; a whistleblower with the key to toppling billions in corporate interest.
The Setup: When a chatbot advises a boy to kill his ex-girlfriend, Haller takes on the family’s case, dragging the unregulated world of AI into the courtroom spotlight. Billions are at stake, the tech industry is circling its wagons, and Haller knows the opposition will stop at nothing. But with McEvoy’s dogged digging and a whistleblower ready to step forward, Haller prepares a bold gambit that could finally deliver justice.
The Judgement: Connelly proves once again why he’s the master of the modern legal thriller. The Proving Ground is razor-sharp, timely, and utterly compelling – a courtroom drama that grapples with technology, accountability, and the human cost of progress.
If You Liked This, Try:
Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly. Haller’s previous outing, balancing grit, conscience, and courtroom bravado.
The Rule Of Law by John Lescroart. A gripping legal thriller with moral complexity and high stakes.
The Accomplice by Steve Cavanagh. A high-octane, twisty courtroom drama from another master of the genre.
The Black Wolf by Louise Penny
Hodder & Stoughton, £20
The Brief: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache faces his darkest adversary yet – a shadowy figure feeding on fear, division, and conspiracy, hiding in plain sight.
The Suspects: Gamache, confined to Three Pines yet leading a covert investigation; Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Isabelle Lacoste, his trusted allies; the Black Wolf, an enemy as much an idea as a person; a network of power stretching from organised crime to the halls of government.
The Setup: Weeks after thwarting a domestic terror attack in Montréal, Gamache realises the man he arrested, the so-called Black Wolf, may have been nothing more than a decoy. From his small village, he pieces together fragments from two notebooks, a map marked with cryptic numbers, and a single chilling phrase. The deeper he digs, the clearer it becomes that a far-reaching conspiracy is gathering strength – and that the true Black Wolf has only begun to strike.
The Judgement: Louise Penny’s blend of moral weight, suspense, and humanity is at its height here. The Black Wolf is both intimate and epic, a story of loyalty, resilience, and the corrosive power of lies.
If You Liked This, Try:
All The Devils Are Here by Louise Penny. Gamache abroad in Paris, confronting family secrets and old enemies.
Blue Lightning by Ann Cleeves. A brooding Shetland mystery where isolation and betrayal lead to murder.
The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty. A gripping Belfast-set thriller that fuses politics, history, and human frailty.
The Hawk Is Dead by Peter James
Pan Macmillan, £22
The Brief: Detective Superintendent Roy Grace takes on his most high-profile case yet when a suspected royal assassination attempt drags him into the hidden heart of Buckingham Palace.
The Suspects: Roy Grace, the steady hand called to untangle a case unlike any he has faced; Queen Camilla, stepping into the fray with her love of crime fiction and sharp eye; the royal household, full of secrets, rivalries and hidden loyalties; and a would-be assassin determined to strike at the crown.
The Setup: When the royal train is spectacularly derailed, Grace is summoned to investigate. What looks like a tragic accident soon reveals itself to be a targeted attempt on the monarchy itself. Drawn into Buckingham Palace, Grace must navigate a labyrinth of power, privilege and danger. As the investigation deepens, he realises the threat is far closer to the throne than anyone dares imagine.
The Judgement: Peter James blends his trademark pace and precision with irresistible insider detail. The Hawk Is Dead is bold, cinematic, and thrillingly inventive – a landmark Roy Grace novel that takes the series somewhere entirely new while retaining all the hallmarks that made it beloved.
If You Liked This, Try:
Picture You Dead by Peter James. A razor-sharp Roy Grace mystery that mixes art, greed, and murder.
The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith. A complex, atmospheric thriller with secrets hidden in plain sight.
The House Of Ashes by Stuart Neville. A dark, layered thriller where history, violence, and haunting secrets collide.