Debuts to watch out for in 2015

That time of year is upon us again – the time when we look ahead to 2015 at the upcoming new crime books. Discovering a new favourite author is one of the greatest feelings a book lover can experience, and this can sometimes be made even better when it’s a début offering bags of potential and the promise of exciting things to come.

We’ve compiled a list of the debut crime novels we’ll be keeping an eye out for in 2015. From domestic chillers to legal thrillers, haunting psychological tales to good old-fashioned mysteries, there’s something here for every taste. We can’t wait to get stuck into them!

January

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Published on 15th January, this fast-paced, thrilling and wonderfully unpredictable novel is already being dubbed as the book of 2015. When Rachel sees something shocking during her daily train commute to work, she suddenly finds herself embroiled in the lives of the people she observes every day. Completely relatable, Rachel’s story will resonate with anyone who’s ever wondered what goes on behind their neighbours’ closed doors or the windows of the houses they pass everyday.

The Liar’s Chair by Rebecca Whitney

The Liar’s Chair is a heart-in-your-mouth, edge-of-your-seat page turner which peels back the veneer of a seemingly perfect marriage to reveal the cracks beneath. It offers a clever yet horrifying portrait of a woman in a toxic relationship and a perfect next read for fans of the psychological thriller. If you loved Apple Tree Yard this is one to grab when it’s published on 15th January. Whitney joins Peter James in setting her book in Brighton.

The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne

The Ice Twins concerns the death of an identical twin and a potential case of mistaken identity. Mother Sarah Moorcraft finds herself haunted and tortured by the past and finds herself unable to move past that one question – what really happened on that fateful day one of her daughters died? The Ice Twins publishes on 29th January.

The Serpent Papers by Jessica Cornwell

Bought amid a flurry of publicity at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2013 for a six figure deal, Jessica Cornwell’s trilogy has been dubbed a “literary Da Vinci Code”. Anna Verco is an academic and book hunter on a secretive mission for a medieval revelation written in the language of witches. Entangled in a murder investigation in Barcelona, Anna uncovers a centuries-old mystery that seems to relate to her – a mystery she believes can only be unlocked using the very book she’s hunting. Published 29th January.

February

Arab Jazz by Karim Miské

This exploration of modern society and religious fundamentalism sees a ritualistic murder in Paris threaten to destabilise the multicultural neighbourhood. Heading our way on 12th February, this début novel won the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and Miské has been compared to Fred Vargas. One to watch.

The Strings of Murder by Oscar de Muriel

This spellbinding debut is the perfect concoction of crime, history and horror. Centred around an intriguing locked room mystery, fans of Sherlock Holmes and Jonathan Creek will no doubt be flocking to bookshops to get their hands on this début when it’s released on 12th February.

March

The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer

The Girl in the Red Coat follows Beth, the mother of eight-year-old Carmel, when her daughter is abducted by an elderly man at a festival. Unable to accept the possibility that her daughter might be gone for good, Beth embarks on a mission to find her. Hugely moving, this is a story that will keep you guessing until the very last page. Published on 5th March.

The Well by Catherine Chanter

This is a literary thriller is also coming our way on 5th March. When Ruth and her family view The Well they are enchanted by the place – a farm that appears to offer everything the family are searching for. An opportunity for Ruth. An escape for Mark. A home for their grandson Lucien. But soon, the family’s mysterious good fortune leads to suspicion, chaos, and ultimately a shocking act of violence. Ruth’s paradise becomes a prison, Mark’s dream a recurring nightmare, and Lucien’s playground a grave.

The Defence by Steve Cavanagh

A tense debut legal thriller for fans of John Grisham and Michael Connelley, The Defence publishes on 12th March. Olek Volchek, the infamous head of the Russian mafia in New York, has strapped a bomb to Eddie Flynn’s back and kidnapped his ten-year-old daughter. Eddie only has 48 hours to defend Volchek in an impossible murder trial – and win – if he wants to save his daughter’s life.

After The Crash by Michel Bussi

Making its debut in the UK on 12th March, this is a psychological thriller from the author being dubbed ‘the French Linwood Barclay’. Clever and chilling with a strong sense of setting, it’s already sold hundreds of thousands of copies in France. 18 years after an investigation is launched into the identity of a three-month-old baby, the sole survivor of a plane crash, private detective Credule Grand-Duc uncovers a secret that changes everything – then is killed before he can breathe a word of it to anyone.

April

Disclaimer by Renée Knight

When an intriguing novel appears on Catherine’s bedside table, she curls up in bed and begins to read. But as she turns the pages she is sickened to realize the story will reveal her darkest secret – a secret she thought no one else knew. Released on 9th April, this book will grip you from start to finish.

What She Left by TR Richmond

Coming our way on 23rd April, this promises to be an unforgettably haunting debut. When academic Dr Jeremy Cooke becomes fixated on piecing together the life of Alice Salmon who died a year ago, he doesn’t know how deep his search will take him into this shocking story of love, loss and obsession, where everyone – including himself – has something to hide.

How I Lost You by Jenny Blackhurst

Emma Cartwright is told she killed her twelve-week-old son, but she has no memory of it. She serves her time in a psychiatric institute and is released with a new identity. But when she receives a photo of a young boy in the post addressed to her old name she begins to question everything. How does she know her son is dead if she can’t remember killing him? This compulsive psychological tale is available from 23rd April.

May

The Killing Lessons by Saul Black

The Killing Lessons is a dark, powerful serial killer thriller and is published on 7th May. Two haunted and driven men are abducting women, torturing them and leaving them with a seemingly random series of objects inside. However, when one slaughter doesn’t go to plan the victim’s 10-year-old daughter manages to escape. She now holds the key to the killings.

July

In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

In A Dark, Dark Wood is the debut thriller from Ruth Ware. Heading our way on 30th July, this is a psychological tale featuring a hen do that goes horribly wrong. While someone is getting married, someone else is getting murdered – could there be a more chilling premise?

Tenacity by J S Law

Released on 30th July, Tenacity is the first title in a new naval crime series and promises to be tense and claustrophobic. A man commits suicide on a submarine – a man who had just received news of the brutal attack and murder of his wife. Lieutenant Danielle Lew, sent to investigate whether the two deaths are linked, soon becomes increasingly convinced that they are dealing with a murder rather than a suicide.