Adrian McKinty was born and grew up in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. After studying philosophy at Oxford University he emigrated to New York City where he lived in Harlem for six years working in bars, bookstores, building sites and finally the basement stacks of the Columbia University Medical School Library in Washington Heights. In 2000 he moved to Denver, Colorado where he taught high school English and started writing fiction in earnest. His first full length novel Dead I Well May Be was shortlisted for the 2004 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award and was picked by Booklist as one of the 10 best crime novels of the year. The sequel to that book The Dead Yard was selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the 12 best novels of 2006 and won the Audie Award for best mystery or thriller. In April 2008 he moved to St. Kilda, Melbourne, Australia with his wife and kids.
Will Dean "I really enjoyed this high concept mystery from Will Dean. No spoilers from me, suffice to say - a contemporary twist on the case of the Mary Celeste."
Strange Sally Diamond (2023) Liz Nugent "Another bloody scorcher from Liz Nugent that kept me up to the wee hours to finish. Liz is one of the most intelligent, original, twisty crime writers working in the genre today."
Shadow State (2023) Frank Sennett "An exciting contemporary thriller that is both psychologically astute and action packed. I liked this one from the great Frank Sennett."
Bombay Monsoon (2022) James W Ziskin "[Bombay Monsoon is] a terrific, dense, exciting thriller from James W. Ziskin, with a vibe pitched somewhere between Graham Greene's The Quiet American and Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance. I loved it."
We Lie Here (2022) Rachel Howzell Hall "We Lie Here is another fast and surprisingly funny thriller from Rachel Howzell Hall. I was on the edge of my seat through all the revelations, twists, and turns in a fast-paced third act. Get this book and relax with the knowledge that you are in the hands of a fantastic crime novelist."
An Honest Living (2022) Dwyer Murphy "Dwyer Murphy's An Honest Living is a deliciously smart PI novel set in New York's antiquarian book world that channels Chandler and Chinatown to take us into a recent past that already feels like a bygone era. A brisk, funny, and fabulous debut."
The Murder Rule (2022) Dervla McTiernan "Extraordinary. Haunting. An incredible thriller. I could not put this book down. Dervla McTiernan is a gifted writer with a very special way of telling a story. This is a heart-stopping roller coaster of a tale."
The Ravaged (2022) Frank Bill and Norman Reedus "A wild, gritty, propulsive work of fiction... You'll take the ride of your life with Reedus's fierce and unforgettable characters."
The Bloodless Boy (2021) (Hunt and Hooke, book 1) Robert J Lloyd "A fantastic historical mystery set in an utterly fascinating milieu. I really enjoyed this one."
The Boy from County Hell (2021) (Jay Desmarteaux, book 2) Thomas Pluck "My first Thomas Pluck novel won't be my last...a superb, taut, little thriller that hints all the right notes and sustains its central conceits to the very last page."
The House of Ashes (2021) Stuart Neville "A brilliant, atmospheric novel from Stuart Neville that plays with chronology and the idea that evil can linger in the dark places...Neville writes with care and empathy and his characters will stay with you for a long time. In a storied career this may well be Stuart Neville's best book ."
Her Last Breath (2021) Hilary Davidson "A black sheep family drama becomes a deliciously paranoid psychological thriller from the always-thrilling Hilary Davidson. Brilliant!"
Falling (2021) T J Newman "The best thriller I’ve read in years. Buckle up."
Every City Is Every Other City (2021) (Gordon Stewart Mystery, book 1) John McFetridge "Every City Is Every Other City is a terrific P.I. novel in a completely original milieu that Elmore Leonard would have been proud to have written. Witty and clever, this is another great book from one of Canada’s most underrated mystery novelists."
Dust Off the Bones (2021) (Only Killers and Thieves, book 2) Paul Howarth "Dust Off the Bones is a terrific sequel to one of my favorite novels of the last few years and takes us in a new and wholly unexpected direction with many of our favorite characters from Only Killers and Thieves. Highly recommended."
The Perfect Lie (2021) Jo Spain "Another twisty and intense thriller from the great Jo Spain that will keep you guessing until the final pages."
Edge of the Grave (2021) (Jimmy Dreghorn, book 1) Robbie Morrison "Robbie Morrison serves up a delicious slice of 30s gangster noir set in the grim and greasy, sodden and savage streets of Glasgow when it was the Empire's Second City. Peaky Blinders meets William McIlvanney in this rollocking riveting read."
Persephone Station (2021) Stina Leicht "This is a military sci-fi up there with Joe Haldeman or Iain M Banks with excellent world building and a Le Guin/Anne Leckie scalpel for interrogating old tropes. The vibe is Casablanca meets The Magnificent Seven meets The Mandalorian and if that doesn’t intrigue you you may want to check your pulse."
Don't Look For Me (2020) Wendy Walker "Don't Look For Me is a gripping psychological thriller from Wendy Walker with unexpected twists and an enjoyable momentum. Throw in the fact that it's set in that strange country around Route 7 in far western Massachusetts and you've got a cracking mystery on your hands."
I Shot the Devil (2020) Ruth McIver "An incredible thriller that kept me up reading. This is the book people will be talking about in 2021. Intense. Wickedly smart. A stunning debut from a gifted author."
The Quaker (2018) (Duncan McCormack, book 1) Liam McIlvanney "Another atmospheric, scary and utterly brilliant book from Liam McIlvanney. Superb."
Crook's Hollow (2018) Robert Parker (Rob Parker) "A visceral, taut, country noir set in the badlands west of Manchester, Crook’s Hollow is a great new novel from Robert Parker. If you liked Catch Me Daddy or the Red Riding Quartet check this out."
Under Water (2017) (Duck Darley, book 1) Casey Barrett "I loved it. Duck Darley is an original, smart, and sympathetic protagonist, the central mystery was really well thought through, the story gripping and the ending terrific. A great debut novel!"
IQ (2016) (IQ, book 1) Joe Ide "Isaiah Quintabe--known as I.Q.--is an unconventional unlicensed, underground detective solving problems for the disenfranchised people of Los Angeles, and Joe Ide's superb novel--IQ--is the one of the freshest and liveliest crime novels I have read in years. His debut heralds an exciting new voice in American crime fiction."
(Eddie Flynn, book 1) Steve Cavanagh "Imagine THE VERDICT's Frank Galvin crossed with THE FIRM's Mitch McDeere and you'd get something like Eddie Flynn, the quick thinking, troubled, kinetic lead of Steve Cavanagh's debut thriller . . . A deliriously fast and enjoyable ride from the next big Irish crime fiction star. Highly recommended."
Medea's Curse (2015) (Natalie King, Forensic Psychiatrist, book 1) Anne Buist "An intelligent, well-paced thriller."
Absolute Zero Cool (2011) Declan Burke "Burke has written a deep, lyrical and moving crime novel; an intoxicating and exciting novel of which the master himself, Flann O Brien, would be proud..."
(b.1968)
