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Our Best Books of 2013

As the days get shorter and the year draws to a close, it is inevitable that our eyes are cast back to the brilliant books we’ve read and enjoyed in 2013.

It has been a stellar year for fantastic and original crime fiction, we’ve had time travel, embittered spouses, back alley affairs and a fiendish terrorist attack on the western world. The Dead Good team each have their favourites and from this collective we’ve compiled our best books of 2013.

In no particular order:

Best Crime Books of 2013

 

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

Don’t let the size of this thriller put you off, This race against time thriller pits the wills of two dangerously intelligent men against each other and follows their circling dance to its thrilling conclusion. It’s epic!

Trust Your Eyes by Linwood BarclayTrust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay

This book is about kidnapping, psychological manipulation, family drama and revenge; it is a riveting and mesmerising page turner. With superb characterisation, non-stop suspense and edge-of-your-seat action scenes, Trust Your Eyes is a must read!

Until You're Mine by Sam HayesUntil You’re Mine by Sam Hayes

Ratcheting up the tension with this choice – we loved Sam Hayes psychological thriller Until You’re Mine. You’ll gasp, hold your breath and will the oblivious characters to see the danger they’re inviting into their own homes. This book centres around motherhood and the most primal fears.

Ratlines by Stuart NevilleRatlines by Stuart Neville

Set in Ireland in 1963, Ratlines takes a look at what might have happened the Nazis harboured there after the Second World War. Brilliantly plotted, morally complex and incredibly thrilling, this is a piece of crime fiction you won’t be able to put down.

Never Coming Back by Tim WeaverNever Coming Back by Tim Weaver

The fourth book in the David Raker series, Never Coming Back was shortlisted for Best Crime Book at the National Book Awards and was awarded Best British Crime Book of 2013 by the iBookstore. This Richard and Judy Book Club pick features the gripping case of a missing family, a suspicious photograph and host of silenced witnesses.

Gone Girl by Gillian FlynnGone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The book that everyone was talking about as the thriller of the year, and rightly so; with a fiendishly clever plot and one of the most compelling heroines ever written, it packs a serious punch. It divided the team, half loved and half hated, it was nevertheless universally proclaimed as fiendishly clever!

Apple Tree Yard by Louise DoughtyApple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty

At once a beautifully observed story of the death of a marriage, and an intense thriller that will knock your socks off, this book has intelligence and twists in spades. Keep an eye out for the paperback in January.

The Unseen by Karin SlaughterUnseen by Karin Slaughter

Masterfully plotted Unseen is a perfect addition to the Slaughter canon. Flawed and believable characterisation of series favourites holds your attention whilst the depth and grit of two interwoven storylines leads to a compelling denouement.

The Last Winter of Dani Lancing by P.D. VinerThe Last Winter of Dani Lancing by P.D. Viner

P.D. Viner’s debut novel is audacious and clever. The story’s hauntingly suspenseful, the plot beautifully layered and intricate and the ending stays with you for a long time.

 

The Never List by Koethi ZanThe Never List by Koethi Zan

Never trust anyone is the message from Koethi Zan in her debut novel and it quickly becomes clear that’s a good ethos to have! Cleverly plotted with strong but damaged heroines, The Never List will take you to a place of troubled minds and captivity that will make you lose sleep.

The Shining Girls by Lauren BeukesThe Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

The prospects of a time travelling serial killer are just too mind-boggling to fully comprehend but Beukes takes the concept and runs with it, to a very scary place! The characterisation is wonderful, deft and detailed as is the brilliant descriptions of 1930’s Chicago.

Natural Causes by James OswaldNatural Causes by James Oswald

The first book in the Inspector McLean Mysteries, Natural Causes opens with one of the most powerful and terrifying first chapters we’ve read this year. The book continues in a pacey and suspense-filled narrative as you slowly learn more about the series characters.

The Silent Wife by A.S.A. HarrisonThe Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison

A. S. A. Harrison’s novel is deeply disquieting and utterly compelling. Todd and Jodi take dysfunctional relationships to a whole new level but in a reasonable, logical way – as a reader you can see how they’ve reached this point and what propels their actions.

Like This For Ever by Sharon BoltonLike This For Ever by Sharon Bolton

There are so many possibilities for motive and opportunity within a limited cast of characters in this book. All logical, all feasible and all terrifying. Lacey Flint has her work cut out for her to identify the dark forces at work in her corner of the metropolis but she does so with her usual determined and damaged personality.
Did we miss out your favourite? Comment below!

1 Comment

    James carol – Broken dolls…a book not to be missed!

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