June’s crime and thriller releases bring plenty to keep pages turning. From whip-smart debuts to returning sleuths, this month’s releases cover everything from poison pens to village murders – with a few surprises along the way.
Cosy crime fans can reunite with familiar faces thanks to new instalments from Rob Rinder and Rev Richard Coles, each adding wit and warmth to their well-loved series. There’s also A Murder for Miss Hortense, a standout debut with a compelling mystery at its heart. And making an unexpected pivot, Horrible Histories author Terry Deary delivers his first crime novel for adult.
Whether you’re in the mood for a gentle mystery or something with teeth, June’s releases offer a killer lineup…
Actually, I’m a Murderer by Terry Deary; The Bodies by Sam Lloyd; What the Night Brings by Mark Billingham
Actually, I’m a Murderer by Terry Deary
This extraordinarily fun and oh-so-gripping mystery from the author of the Horrible Histories series transports its readers back to 1970s England, where four strangers meet on a train to Newcastle – and one of whom is a rather unassuming killer for hire.
Constable, £18.99
The Bodies by Sam Lloyd
What would you do if you woke up to find your teenage child scrubbing someone else’s blood from the kitchen floor, swearing it was an accident? After helping his son bury the body, Joseph hopes to put it behind them – but the drama is far from over.
Bantam, £16.99
What the Night Brings by Mark Billingham
Billingham has earned himself legions of devoted fans for his police thrillers centred on detective inspector Tom Thorne. The new instalment in the series – though it can be read as a standalone – follows Thorne as he attempts to unpick the targeted murder of four fellow officers.
Sphere, £22
What Happens in the Dark by Kia Abdullah; A Box Full of Murders by Janice Hallett; The Break-In by Katherine Faulkner
What Happens in the Dark by Kia Abdullah
This author of several acclaimed courtroom dramas continues to go from strength to strength. The latest is a timely look at victim blaming, in which Safa’s old friend Lily is first seen with bruises over arms, and then a body at her feet. Suspenseful and unpredictable.
HQ, £16.99
A Box Full of Murders by Janice Hallett
Following her bestselling and utterly original mysteries for adults, Hallett has penned an equally engaging children’s novel. The book follows Ava and Luke as they discover a pile of letters, cuttings and recordings in the attic which point to an unsolved murder – and decide to crack the case themselves.
Puffin, £7.99
The Break-In by Katherine Faulkner
When a stranger appears inside the house during a children’s playdate, one of the mothers ends up killing him. It’s ruled self-defence, but she’s racked with guilt – until she starts to uncover the clearer picture of who he was and what exactly he was doing there.
Raven Books, £16.99
The Protest by Rob Rinder; A Death on Location by Rev Richard Coles; A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant
The Protest by Rob Rinder
The TV judge’s foray into crime writing has gone down a storm, with past books The Trial and The Suspect being number one bestsellers. His new mystery follows barrister Adam Green as he defends a protester who threw paint at an artist, which turned out to be laced with cyanide.
Century, £20
A Death on Location by Rev Richard Coles
It’s spring 1990 and a movie set has arrived in Canon Clement’s parish, bringing glamour and excitement to the village. But it is all brought to a halt by a murder which appears unsolvable, making this another clever, twisty read in the Reverend’s bestselling series.
W&N, £22
A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant
Miss Hortense is enjoying a quiet retirement in the Birmingham suburb where she has lived since she emigrated from Jamaica in the 60s when the murder of an unidentified man allows her to fulfill her full sleuthing potential. This debut novel hails the arrival of a new star mystery author.
Baskerville, £16.99
No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done by Sophie Hannah; Some of Us Are Liars by Fiona Cummins; A Darker Side of Paradise by RJ Ellory
No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done by Sophie Hannah
When the police turn up at Sophie Lambert’s door with the kind of terrible news you would never expect to actually happen to you, the horror pushes her into doing something unthinkable about it. Hannah has written countless thrillers, but this ending might be her most jaw-dropping.
Bedford Square, £18.99
Some of Us Are Liars by Fiona Cummins
The bond of two sisters is tested when a lavish wedding off the coast of England ends in a heartbreaking tragedy. Here is a story of family secrets, deception and betrayal, all wound into a tautly-plotted thriller.
Macmillan, £18.99
A Darker Side of Paradise by RJ Ellory
In small-town America, Rachel, a newly qualified yet determined police officer, sees her first dead body: a young woman left with a mysterious note. Soon, it turns into a serial killer case which goes on to haunt her for four decades.
Orion, £25
Beach Bodies by Sienna Sharpe
Sitting firmly in the increasingly popular genre of thriller-romance, known as ‘thromance’, Beach Bodies is set in the Caribbean where our anti-heroine Lily is a little too adept at murder. Will please fans of Bella Mackie and Emily Henry in equal measure.
Penguin, £8.99
We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter
The start of a new series from the multi-million selling author is an atmospheric read in which two girls disappear on a summer fireworks night. Emily Clifton is the officer on the case, but the more she digs into it, the more enigmatic the girls themselves appear.
HarperCollins, £22