Books
The very best crime audiobooks of 2020
Looking to escape with a good story? Catching up on some of the standout crime books of the year? Then why not try listening to the audio version for characters that come to life, tension that doesn’t let up and a truly immersive, atmospheric experience.
Featuring first class narrators, these absorbing mysteries will grip from start to finish.
Here’s our pick of the best crime audiobooks of 2020.
The best crime audiobooks of 2020:
Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
Donna Banya, Rebecca Stanton and Connor Swindells’ multi-voice narration makes this audiobook particularly atmospheric as we get into the heads of three very different characters.
When Saffyre was ten, something terrible happened, and she’s carried the pain of it since. The man she thought would heal her didn’t, and now she hides, invisible in the shadows, learning his secrets. Owen is invisible too. He’s never had friends. Nobody sees him, nobody cares. But when Saffyre goes missing from opposite his house, suddenly the whole world is looking at him.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Lesley Manville, who you may have seen in Save Me, Harlots or Phantom Thread, lends her voice to Richard Osman’s brilliant debut. Listeners have been raving about her ability to bring the colourful characters to life, as well as the bonus interview between Richard and Marian Keyes at the end of the book.
In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved killings. But when a local property developer shows up dead, the ‘Thursday Murder Club’ finds themselves in the middle of their first live case.
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
Featuring an excellent performance by Julian Rhind-Tutt, star of A Touch of Cloth and copious Radio 4 dramas including Rumpole, this book has it all: an impossible murder, a brilliant detective duo and a possible demon, just to add to the sense of impending doom. What’s not to love?
No sooner is their ship out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage of a cast of eccentric characters. A strange symbol on the sail. A dead leper on the decks. Livestock slaughtered in the night. And a voice whispering in the darkness, foretelling three unholy – and deadly – miracles.
The Other People by C J Tudor
The Other People by C J Tudor
Having narrated Annie Thorne in 2019, C J Tudor fan Richard Armitage returned to Caz’s dark, twisted world this year, creating a hugely atmospheric, creepy listening experience.
Driving home one night, Gabe sees a little girl’s face appear in the rear window of the car ahead. When he realises it’s his daughter, it’s already too late – she’s gone. Three years on, he still searches for her. Meanwhile, Fran is on the run from the people who want to hurt her. Because she knows the truth about Gabe’s daughter – and she knows what those chasing her will do if they catch her…
Sherlock Holmes: the Voice of Treason by Cavan Scott and George Mann
Sherlock Holmes: the Voice of Treason by Cavan Scott and George Mann
This new, original Holmes story, written by Cavan Scott and George Mann, is an action-packed audio drama with a full cast, including Nicholas Boulton, Frances Jeater, Don Gilet and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.
When Queen Victoria goes missing, Holmes and Watson must solve the case before it’s too late. At first, Holmes believes Moriarty is responsible for the abduction, but when the Napoleon of Crime is proved innocent, Holmes must work with his arch-nemesis to rescue the Queen.
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
Chilling and uncomfortable, this thought-provoking story is handled delicately by narrator Grace Gummer, making it all the more compelling and absorbing.
Vanessa Wye was 15 years old when she first had sex with her English teacher. Now she’s 32 and in the storm of allegations against powerful men in 2017, the teacher, Jacob Strane, has just been accused of sexual abuse by another former student. Vanessa is horrified by this news, because she is quite certain that the relationship she had with Strane wasn’t abuse. It was love. Wasn’t it?
The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben
The Boy From the Woods by Harlan Coben
If you loved The Stranger or Safe, this binge-worthy thriller from the creator of the hit Netflix shows is for you. It’s hard not to get swept up in the twists, turns and surprises delivered perfectly through Steven Weber’s pacy narration.
Thirty years ago, a child was found living feral in the New Jersey backwoods with no memory of how he got there or even who he is. Now a former soldier and security expert, Wilde lives off the grid, shunned by the community – until they need him. A girl has gone missing, and only Wilde and his unique skills can find her.
The 39 Steps by John Buchan
The 39 Steps and Other Richard Hannay Adventures by John Buchan
This gripping collection of John Buchan’s work encompasses Radio 4 dramatisations of all five adventures of gentleman spy Richard Hannay, adapted for radio with superb casts including Tom Baker, Clive Merrison, Stuart Milligan, Jasmine Hyde and Patrick Malahide.
The forerunner to James Bond, Secret Agent Richard Hannay is a thoroughly British action hero, pursuing ruthless villains, foiling deadly plans and risking life and limb for his country. These stories are as entertaining as they come.
Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton
Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton
There’s no better way to immerse yourself in this story than by listening to the audio edition and Game of Thrones star Gemma Whelan’s note-perfect narration. It’s chilling, tense and is sure to stay with you long after you’ve finished it.
In rural Somerset, the unthinkable happens: a school is under siege. From the wounded headmaster in the library, unable to help his trapped pupils and staff, to the police psychologist who must identify the gunmen, all experience the most intense hours of their lives, where evil and terror are met by courage, love and redemption.
The Same River Twice by Edward Boyd
The Same River Twice by Edward Boyd
Gordon Jackson stars in this classic noir thriller by Z-Cars creator Edward Boyd, with a super cool jazz soundtrack by Miles Davies to accompany the story.
A man named Johnny Maxen reluctantly walks through the Gare du Nord on his way back to a life he thought he’d left behind. Summoned by a letter from his sometime mother-in-law, he returns to Glasgow and the news that his estranged wife has been missing for three months. He agrees to try and find he, but wherever Johnny goes, violence follows – and as the corpses pile up, suspicion swirls around him.
There you have it – our pick of the best crime audiobooks of 2020! What would make your list? Let us know in the comments below…
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