I read a lot of crime fiction – usually about half of what I read in the year can be described in that way. I use the description to cover a variety of different types of books – suspense, cosy crime, police procedurals, spy thrillers, adventure stories, psychological thrillers, classic crime, historical crime and others.
2025 was no different from any other year and I have enjoyed a good many interesting and often challenging books. I have picked out five great books (listed here in no particular order) which I read for the first time in the year and which are not part of a series that I had previously read, although I may have have read other books by the same author.
These five books are set in Iceland, Australia, Wales and England with two of them being written before WW2. Only one is part of a series but the writers of the other four have written many other books including series. None is very gritty and all of them concentrate on character rather than fast moving plots. In a market full of good books all of these stand out from the crowd in some way and I highly recommend them.
Click on the title to be transported to my review.
Before the Poison by Peter Robinson. This is a stand-alone novel from this author who writes the DCI Banks series. It’s about someone in the present trying to solve a crime which happened in the past in the house where he now lives. I thought it was really captivating and excused a small amount of the supernatural in the storytelling.
The Lost Man by Jane Harper. This is set in Australia where one brother in a family is found dead of exposure but within easy walking distance of a car containing supplies that would save his life. It’s a story about family and secrets and easily one of the best books of any sort that I read this year.
The Murder of My Aunt by Richard Hull. This is one of many books from the 1930s being reprinted for a new readership. It’s set in Wales where a young man who enjoys spending money and wants to live the high life is forced by his lack of means to live with his aunt. He hates the place, his situation and eventually his aunt and so decides to murder her. Despite the macabre theme it’s gloriously funny.
Requiem for Robert by Mary Fitt. This is about the suspected suicide of a man and is another classic reprint. The dead man’s daughter is not convinced that his death is suicide and an unofficial investigation takes place. The book concentrates on the dead man and those around him and looks at what might have happened. It’s as much a character study as a mystery and I found it captivating.
The Clues in the Fjord by Satu Ramo . This is the first in a series set in Iceland – I have since gone on to read two more. It’s about an outlying police department who is presented with crimes particular to the country. There are also ongoing stories involving the main detective character and her family as well as a new member of the team from Finland. I found it fascinating and thought that the author really helped the reader understand the country and its people.
Anne Is Reading 