The best crime fiction of 2025 so far — our critics’ top books

https://www.thetimes.com/article/a6c1b701-c3bb-4754-89bb-8853ceec05e5?shareToken=f44f42913ee90aaff614aa5c67bb792b

Come to Mure; It is worth the trip: Jenny Colgan

The Endless Beach is one of three novels set on Mure, a fictional town in northern Scotland.  The first in the series was The Cafe by the Sea and the newest entry is Christmas on the Island.

Here are my earlier thoughts on The Cafe by the Sea:

Jenny Colgan is a talented writer of light, humorous women’s fiction. I find that her novels are good reads for when I want to escape. In this book, The Cafe by the Sea, the escape is to the fictional island of Mure in very northern Scotland. The scenery is beautiful, the family life complicated and the romance eventually works out as it tends to in this kind of fiction. Recommended for a relaxing, stressfree read.

My thoughts on The Endless Beach:

This novel picks up where the earlier one left off.  It can be read as a standalone or as part of the series.

In The Endless Beach, old characters are back and the town is as idyllic as ever, although the characters’ lives are not.  Story lines felt deeper and more complex than in some of the other books that I have read by this author.  The story of Saif was especially moving.  A refugee and physician, Saif’s wife and sons were left behind in Syria when he was given asylum in Scotland.  In this novel, his sons are located and the trauma that they experience is explored.  The reader watches as Saif tries to help the boys to adjust.  For a writer of light fiction, this is a story of some depth.

Then there are Fintan and Colton, two gay characters whose relationship forms a key part of the novel.  The author presents their deep love for one another while also making the reader well aware of a major obstacle that they face.  No spoiler so I will not say more.

Flora and Joel are also working on their relationship.  For reasons that the reader comes to understand more fully, commitment is frightening to Joel.  What will happen to them?  Will there be a good next step for them?

I found this to be the best book that i have read by this author.  I was sorry to leave Mure but glad to know that I still have one more book in the series to read. If you have read/plan to read these novels, let me know your thoughts.  Thanks.

Jenny Colgan’s many fans will be delighted by her newest, standalone book. They will literally be in the skies as they spend time with pilot Morag. The descriptions of flights and landscape are a lovely part of the novel.

When the book opens, Morag has had a crisis. There was a most unfortunate incident while she was flying. Although Morag puts up a brave front, she is reeling and a bit frightened of returning to her job. One upside though was the potential for romance with Hayden, a man from HR whom she met in her follow up to the incident noted above. Is he the one or will someone else be?

As Morag is struggling so is her grandfather. He is one of a line of pilots in Morag’s family and he needs Morag’s help. As a result, Morag returns to northern Scotland where he has offered a wonderful flying service to the folks of the islands. The story picks up from there with a big event being an unexpected landing and time spent with a scientist on a very small island. Here is the potential someone else as noted above.

Ms. Colgan offers her readers a lovely story as is her habit. Recommended for summer reading lists and those who enjoy romance/women’s fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for this title. All opinions are my own.

FOUR STARS ****

A Year in the Company of Trees

by Nalini Nadkarni

#TreeNotes #NetGalley

The publisher notes that this book is from an esteemed National Geographic explorer and forest ecologist making her the perfect companion for these pages. Nadkarni has loved trees since childhood and, by now, has climbed trees on four continents.

Readers will enjoy dipping into this author’s essays which she says are about “celebrating everyday trees and their relationships with everyday people who encounter them.” These encounters can include even simple things like using chopsticks.

The book is organized by seasons. Entries are short, engaging and easy to read. By the end, readers will walk away with a deep appreciation for nature’s gifts and will know that it is important to preserve our natural resources.

Many thanks to NetGalley and National Geographic for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 18 February 2025

#HereOneMoment #NetGalley

What a concept! Imagine you are on a plane. You have your reasons for being there, things that you are thinking about and have settled in. Imagine that in the midst of whatever you are doing, a woman stands in front of you and tells you when you will die and of what. How would you react? How intense would that be? This is the monumental basis for Moriarty’s latest novel. No spoiler-she spectacularly pulls it off.

Get to know many characters. They are of different ages, sexes, experiences. How will they move forward when they have this information? Will it be true? Who is the woman making the predictions? Read this long (500 plus pages) novel that is divided into many short sections to find out. See if it will change you.

Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 10 September 2024

From the Publisher

Her Majesty The Queen Investigates

by SJ Bennett

#ADeathinDiamonds #NetGalley

A Death in Diamonds is the fourth entry in this most enjoyable series that offers readers Queen Elizabeth the sleuth, and what a talented detective she is. This title can be read on its own but readers will, I think, enjoy every one of the earlier books as well.

This time, a Bishop’s bolthole is the site of the murders of a couple seemingly having an assignation. The woman is wearing a valuable tiara that, it turns out, Princess Margaret had wanted to possess.

Who are these two? Why were they killed? Are their murders related to a series of subtle threats and annoyances that Queen Elizabeth has been facing? Is someone in the Queen’s most inner circle, in fact, unworthy of her trust?

As the Queen cannot do everything (after all, she has many other duties), she looks to help from her newest employee, the formidable Joan, to assist. The two communicate in varied ways, including by sending messages through what others will see as the frivolity of the Queen’s fashion.

What I most enjoy in this series is the reasonably plausible way in which the Queen’s life is portrayed. There are interactions between her and Philip and with Charles and Anne, the two children who are alive at the time that the story is set. The mysteries themselves also offer a fun read.

It is easy to recommend this title to Anglophiles and lovers of traditional mysteries. I look forward to the next in this series.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 21 January 2025

The audio book:

How fortunate listeners are to have actress Samantha Bond read this story. She carries the story along and is a delightful companion throughout the audio. I feel that her British intonation adds a sense of verisimilitude to the novel.

Many thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this excellent audio title.

All opinions are my own.

Look for reviews of these others in the series on my blog:

Sophie Hannah has been writing novels about Hercule Poirot for several years.  She has had the blessing of the Agatha Christie estate in doing this.  The Monogram Murders was first, followed by Closed Casket.  The third in the series, The Mystery of Three Quarters will be published at the end of August.  Personally, I prefer the original novels but these have gotten good press so I draw your attention to this, in case you would like to get started.

From the Back Cover

 #TheSummerSwap #NetGalley

When I think about what makes me engage with a book, the answer is generally the characters. Setting, plot and other elements of novels are also important but what I most seek is to spend time with the people and to care about them. Sarah Morgan gave me exactly what i wanted in The Summer Swap, a book that I recommend for an engaging spring/summer read.

Who is in the novel? Here are some of the people.

Cameron is an artist who is no longer alive but whose reputation and reach continue following his death.

Cecilia generally became known as Cameron’s wife but she was/is her own person. It was not always easy to be subsumed by her husband and their marriage was complicated. She is now trying to figure out what she wants (as are all the characters).

Kristen and Winston are Cameron and Cecilia’s middle aged children. Kristen is rather controlling, married to a surgeon and flirting with a possible dalliance as the book opens. Winston has a more laidback personality than the tense Kristen. Both Winston and Kristen have young adult children who also feature in the story.

Lily has had the hopes of her family placed on her shoulders. It is difficult when she realizes that she needs to find her own path in life, not do only what is expected. She has connections with Kristen’s daughter and has been in love with Winston’s son.

Watch out too for the journalist who flirts with Kristen. He may have ulterion motives.

As the story opens, readers learn that Lily is finding her way on the Cape. The Cape is also a place to which Cecilia travels when she escapes from the family party she did not want to attend. It is a place with some painful memories. Readers can expect that Lily and Cecilia will meet.

What happens to each of these characters makes up the essence of this very readable story. I enjoyed it so much and now will keep an eye out for a new book by this author. (I also liked her last novel The Book Club a great deal.)

Those who enjoy women’s fiction will, I am certain want to read The Summer Swap. Mark the calendar for its release date.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 07 May 2024

An e book bargain today

#HowtoSolveYourOwnMurder #NetGalley

It is hard to believe that this is Kristen Perrin’s first novel. She writes with an assured hand and keeps readers turning the pages in her take on a traditional mystery.

The story-Frances Adams was a teen growing up in the sixties when she went to see a fortune teller. She was given a very detailed and particular warning of things to watch out for. Much of her subsequent life was spent trying to evade her own death by nefarious means. On this night, Frances was with her friends Emily and Rose. They have roles to play in the story.

Frances had a niece and grandniece who are living an eccentric London life as the story opens. When Annie is summoned to meet with Frances’s lawyer in the small town where Frances has an estate, off she goes. There she meets Walt, the attorney and his relative, Oliver. She also encounters the annoying Elva and her family.

Not a spoiler because this happens early in the story, Frances is found dead. Who will inherit her money? Who killed her? Find out in this very enjoyable novel.

It is easy to recommend this title. Hopefully, Ms. Perrin will keep writing twisty, fun mysteries.

Many thanks to Penguin Group-Dutton for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 26 March 2024

From the Publisher

“The pace is quick, the red herrings are plentiful, and Annie’s growth from timid wannabe writer to confident sleuth is beautifully rendered. Combining elements of Agatha Christie, Anthony Horowitz, and Midsomer Murders, this is a richly entertaining whodunit from a promising new talent.”—Publishers Weekly

“Perrin juggles characters and clues with aplomb, sketching in the past via teen Frances’ journals and immersing readers in the present through Annie’s determined, good-hearted point of view. Readers will root for her as she gains hard-won confidence in this entertaining exploration of family secrets.”—BookPage

When We’re Too Old to Get the Chairs Reupholstered

by Judith Viorst

#MakingTheBestOfWhatsLeft #NetGalley

I suspect that Judith Viorst has been writing for longer than some of the readers of this post has been alive. Now in her nineties, she is as insightful and incisive as ever.

As many who are in their last fifth (the years between 80 and 100, and some of my friends who are older than I by a decade or more) know, aging is filled with indignities and wisdom. Viorst so manifestly shares both with her audience.

For the less than ideal, she notes the number of “ologists” (various medical specialists) who take up her time. Viorst writes about the big things that were taken from her (her husband) or that she had to let go of (her beautiful DC home), with poignancy. But there is also humor in these pages which readers should know.

This book has made me think deeply. I highly recommend it. I also recommend a piece of her advice though readers may already know it; don’t wait too long to say the things that you need to and to show how you feel about the people in your life.

Pick this one up for yourself or someone you know. You will be the better for it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 01 April 2025