2024 has been a bumper year for crime fiction, with big names and debut novelists alike providing new fiendish plots and shocking twists. From toxic boarding schools to perilous tropical islands, here are five of the year’s best thrilling offerings.
Murder on Lake Garda, Tom Hindle
Remember January? No, me neither. But I do remember this compelling murder mystery, which tackles the surprisingly common set-up of a group of acrimonious wedding guests stranded on a beautiful island with a murderer. We are gathered here to witness the marriage of a glamorous but spiteful Italian influencer and her rich but dim fiancé. All their guests have a reason to wish one or both of the not-so-happy couple ill, so it’s no surprise when someone winds up dead. This is only Hindle’s third novel, but he has already established himself as a master of the cosy crime genre. Like all his books, it is defined by clever plotting and a Golden Age–esque atmosphere rather than gruesome killings, making it the perfect choice for anyone looking for a good old-fashioned (but actually quite modern) whodunnit.
The Four, Ellie Keel
Moving from Hindle’s well-honed cosy crime to Keel’s gritty debut is about as big of a tonal shift as you can get. Forget the idyllic Italian sunshine and rolling landscapes, but keep the unspeakably rich people doing suitably unspeakable things. Our narrator Rose is one of four scholarship pupils attending High Realms boarding school, a land of overprivileged posh boys and nasty queen bees split into exclusionary cliques. Obviously, it’s not long until the simmering class tensions and personal resentments boil over and they start trying to kill each other. With decidedly dark themes including bullying, hazing, self-harm, and sexual abuse, this thriller is definitely not for the faint-hearted. But if you take it in your stride, Keel’s irresistibly readable writing style and unpredictable plot twists are sure to keep you gripped.
Everyone On This Train is a Suspect, Benjamin Stevenson
If you’re searching for something slightly more light-hearted, then look no further than Stevenson’s sequel to his 2022 meta murder mystery Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone. Accidental detective Ernest Cunningham is on a train-based book festival promoting his aforementioned memoir when another body turns up, forcing him to investigate a suspect list of crime writers who already know all the tricks of detection and murder. It might not sound that original, but the appeal rests on Stevenson’s comically self-aware writing style. Ernest promises to follow the “rules” of crime fiction, whilst making constant witty asides about the genre’s predictability and the inevitable poor quality of sequels. This unique approach makes it both an amusing read and a genuinely interesting interrogation into the seemingly endless tropes of murder mysteries, ensuring it will appeal to both crime fiction obsessives and sceptics. And if you enjoy this offering, there is already another—festive—follow-up: Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret.
One Perfect Couple, Ruth Ware
No list of the best crime fiction is ever complete without Ruth Ware, even if it does mean including two “stuck on an island” murder mysteries. There has been a wave of thrillers based around reality shows over the last couple of years—perhaps unsurprisingly, given they provide built-in rivalries, toxicity, and confinement. Ware takes a slightly different approach, focusing not on the messed-up challenges but on the troubling power dynamics lying underneath them. Underconfident scientist Lyla is not your typical contestant, but is persuaded to go on a Love Island–style show by actor boyfriend Nico. Unfortunately, their time on the beautiful but isolated tropical island only lasts one day before a hurricane hits and it all goes a bit Lord of the Flies. The group is left stranded on the wrecked isle, forced to live off limited supplies until they are (hopefully) rescued. As the vain, macho rivals enter a struggle for both power and mere survival, contestants start mysteriously disappearing. Who comes out on top? You’ll have to read it to find out.
Our Holiday, Louise Candlish
It sometimes feels like crime fiction is less about murder and more about critiquing wealth inequality. Here is yet another offering about the resentments bubbling up between the rich who seem to have it all and those lower down the social strata who just want a little piece of what they’ve got. In Candlish’s take, four second-home owners head to their beachside holiday homes for a relaxing break with their families. However, the less well-off locals are increasingly angry at visitors who are only around for a few months buying up property when they can’t even afford one house. Candlish tackles an issue that might hit a bit too close to home for many readers, but keeps it just light enough with the layers of sordid secrets the equally unlikeable villagers and holidaymakers are keeping, and the satisfyingly ridiculous climax of an entire shed falling off a cliff with some unfortunate soul trapped inside. There’s almost no way you will see the ending coming, and it’s sure to get you thinking about the plot and the housing market in equal measure. Now how many books can you really say that about?
Honourable mentions:
- The Examiner, Janice Hallett: Having previously written novels made up of emails and audio transcripts, Hallett’s latest consists of messages exchanged by a group of MA art students. We know one of them has been murdered during the course, but don’t know who, when, or why. It all gets a bit overly convoluted by the end, but is still a compellingly original take on the genre.
- The Midnight Feast, Lucy Foley: This novel is—with absolutely no disrespect intended—undoubtedly the most ridiculous thriller of the year. The main plot of a rich influencer creating outrage by buying up the local land to set up a super-posh wellness retreat (getting déjà vu, anyone?) is accompanied by numerous far-fetched plot twists and rumours of giant birds haunting the forest. None of this means it is not incredibly fun to read—in fact it makes it more so.
- The Burial Plot, Elizabeth Macneal: If you prefer your crime fiction with a historical setting and somewhat otherworldly feel, Macneal’s third novel is made for you. When the con scheme orphan Bonnie runs with emotionally manipulative partner Crawford goes wrong, he persuades her to take a new job as servant to a rich widower whose wife died in mysterious circumstances. In this undeniably strange set-up, Macneal keeps you hooked with the ever-present feeling that something is just about to go very, very wrong.
2024 has, therefore, provided great reads covering every possible facet of crime fiction. Whether you prefer a comedic edge or constant drama, classic crime tributes or experimental twists, one great detective or a cast of flawed anti-heroes… There really has been something for everyone.
Words by Eleanor Harvey