Psychological thrillers, dark noir novels, outrageous investigations, pulse-pounding plots, red herrings and jaw-dropping twists… We curl up under a blanket and dive into the latest crime fiction releases. Peter Swanson loves to toy with our certainties, Jordan Harper explores the inner workings of power, Daniel Kraus pushes the limits of life itself… A closer look at 3 truly gripping investigations that will leave your head spinning in no time.
A Dark Crime Novel Worthy of the Greatest Masters
The book. Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper
The pitch. If Los Angeles attracts with its spotlights and glitter, it also hides a dark heart, a shadowy beast lurking just beneath the surface. That “beast” is none other than the vast network of lawyers and PR fixers who rule the City of Angels, protecting the powerful and the corrupt by any means necessary. Mae Pruett is a crisis management specialist. Her job? Saving the reputations of wealthy clients when a scandal threatens to ruin them.
When her boss is murdered outside the Beverly Hills Hotel after entrusting her with a mysterious case, Mae decides to launch her own investigation. Along the way, she crosses paths with Chris, a disgraced former cop known for his brutality. Now working as a fixer for a powerful attorney, he too is trying to uncover the truth behind the murder. A highly effective duo of anti-heroes in a city on the brink of explosion.
Why you’ll love it ? Love and Other Wounds, The Last King of California, Everybody Knows… The West Coast of the United States is Jordan Harper’s favorite playground, and his latest novel is no exception. Set against a contemporary Los Angeles – beloved by Michael Connelly and James Ellroy – the author crafts a tightly woven plot. With remarkable skill, he plunges readers into this labyrinthine city of many faces, turning the City of Angels into a character in its own right. A fascinating crime novel that exposes the dark underbelly of power. Brilliant.
A Claustrophobic, Heart-Stopping Thriller
The book. Whalefall by Daniel Kraus
The pitch. Mitt Gardiner was a renowned diver, a local legend, who took his own life after being ravaged by cancer. His son Jay Gardiner embarks on a desperate mission: to recover his father’s remains from the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. He knows the task is futile—but he can’t help trying. Ever since his father’s suicide, guilt has been eating away at him.
His dive turns into a nightmare when a giant squid approaches, quickly chased away by an eighty-foot, sixty-ton sperm whale in search of food. Jay is caught in the whale’s jaws, dragged inside its mouth and trapped in the first of its four stomachs. A race against time begins: one hour before his oxygen tanks run dry, one hour to confront his demons and escape the belly of the whale. As Jay fights for his life, he is forced to face his past and dive deep into the twists of his own memories.
Why you’ll love it ? Daniel Kraus is one of the standout names in contemporary science fiction. He is the author behind Trollhunters and The Shape of Water, both adapted for the screen by Guillermo del Toro. With Whalefall, he delivers an intense, scientifically precise and deeply emotional thriller that flirts dangerously with the fantastical. Thanks to short chapters and masterful prose that brings the unthinkable to life, Kraus offers a truly unique crime novel—one that you’ll read in a single breathless sitting.
A Taut Crime Novel That Plays With Your Nerves
The book. Those Who Deserve to Die by Peter Swanson
The pitch. Martha Ratliff had resigned herself to living alone. Content with her solitary life, she devotes herself entirely to her work as an archival librarian. That is, until she meets Alan. A sales representative who sells slogan-covered promotional items at academic conferences, Alan quickly sweeps her off her feet. Their relationship moves fast: they get married and move in together. Martha is often alone; Alan is often on the road. Then one day, she wakes up with the unsettling feeling that she has married a stranger. A feeling that intensifies when she discovers a bloodstain on one of his shirts after he returns from a conference in Denver.
Naturally suspicious, Martha retraces Alan’s travels and uncovers five unsolved murders of women. Disturbed, she reaches out to Lily Kintner, an old friend who once helped her out of serious trouble during their university days. What Lily discovers quickly pulls her into a spiral of violence and manipulation. How far are they willing to go to uncover the truth?
Why you’ll love it ? Peter Swanson is no stranger to success. Author of The Girl with a Clock for a Heart, Eight Perfect Murders, and more recently The Kind Worth Killing and The Kind Worth Saving, he closes his trilogy with Those Who Deserve to Die. Readers are delighted to reunite with the fearless Lily Kintner, who plays with our nerves and keeps us hooked until the very last page. Having nothing left to prove when it comes to razor-sharp thrillers, Swanson delivers a brilliant, clever, twist-filled novel. A surprising final installment, a breathtaking grand finale that already makes us miss its unforgettable main character.
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The Return of the Queen of Cold Cases
The Book: Dernière soirée by Lisa Gardner
The Pitch: Timothy O'Day was a hiking pro. Yet that didn't stop him from vanishing without a trace during his bachelor party weekend, leaving behind two inconsolable parents, a desperate fiancée, and four bewildered groomsmen. Every year, his father combs the mountains in hopes of finding his son's remains. Five years have passed, the searches have yielded nothing, and guilt eats away at those left behind.
Frankie Elkin has made it her mission to find missing persons whom the police and loved ones have given up on. She joins the search team as they prepare for one final sweep. Tim’s four friends, his grief-stricken father, and the investigator set out across the harsh Wyoming mountains. The dangers of the climb, grizzlies, and other seasoned predators pale in comparison to the unexplained incidents that arise each time a clue is found… and the investigation starts to progress.
Why You’ll Love It: Lisa Gardner has long been a master of tightly woven crime fiction. The author of Sauver sa peau and La Maison d'à côté knows how to craft ultra-badass female protagonists. Following Commandant D.D. Warren and private detective Tessa Leoni, Frankie Elkin makes a comeback as an amateur sleuth specializing in cold cases. The oppressive atmosphere of the mountains, the intensifying suspense, false leads, and twists all make for a perfectly orchestrated plot. One thing's certain: Lisa Gardner masters the art of manipulation!
A Gothic Novel in the Heart of the Scottish Moorlands
The Book: Fayne by Ann-Marie MacDonald
The Pitch: We are in Fayne, a vast estate surrounded by marshes, on the border between Scotland and England at the end of the 19th century. Charlotte leads an isolated life due to a mysterious illness but enjoys intellectual stimulation alongside her beloved father, Lord Henry Bell. With a sharp mind and insatiable curiosity, she delights in the mysteries of the surrounding moorland, shares knowledge with an old handyman, develops a passion for ornithology, and explores the world through the many encyclopedias in the family library.
The only shadow on the horizon is the sudden disappearance of her mother, who died in childbirth, and her brother Charles, the long-awaited heir who died at two years old. Her world is upended the day after her twelfth birthday. She is declared cured and urged to become a proper lady, complete with corset, girdle, and skirts, as she prepares to move to Edinburgh. Her dreams of the future fade as her past becomes increasingly muddled. Her thirst for knowledge and adventure will lead her to uncover the secrets of the Bell family and her own identity mysteries.
Why You’ll Love It: Nearly two decades after Un parfum de cèdre, winner of prestigious awards, and Le Vol du corbeau, Ann-Marie MacDonald makes a grand comeback on the literary scene. The Canadian author delivers an extraordinary historical novel set in the Victorian era. This wonderfully crafted gothic novel, ambitious in its narrative scope and modernity, oscillates between Brontë sisters and Jane Austen, blending identity quests with crime fiction. It tackles timeless themes such as gender equality, female emancipation, and identity. A rare and epic literary masterpiece!
In the Heart of a Christian Cult
The Book: Mourir en juin by Alan Parks
The Pitch: Glasgow, in the heart of the 70s. It all begins with the discovery of the body of a homeless man, "Govan Jamie." Shortly after, a distressed woman reports her 9-year-old son missing. The problem? Her story is riddled with inconsistencies, and upon investigation, no trace of the boy's existence can be found. Fortunately, Inspector Harry McCoy is no rookie. He soon discovers that the family belongs to a Christian cult that equates suffering with piety, with the father as pastor claiming that he and his wife have no child.
In a city governed by violence, misery, and disillusionment, the inspector faces troubling disappearances and suspicious deaths. Among them is the poisoning of a group of lonely, marginalized elderly people, possibly including Harry’s own father, a long-time alcoholic who lived on the streets. Between false leads, buried secrets, and a tense social backdrop, the author weaves a gripping plot that keeps readers on edge until the final page.
Why You’ll Love It: Evocative descriptions, direct writing, incisive dialogues… Alan Parks' pen, known for Janvier noir, the first in a series of 12 thrillers set in Glasgow, is unmistakable. Inspector Harry McCoy is a pleasure to follow—he perfectly embodies the anti-hero of the "Tartan Noir," a typically Scottish crime genre, rough yet profoundly human, wrestling with his own demons. The city itself becomes a character, both oppressive and fascinating, described with striking precision.
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