Top new crime books in May 2025
Last updated:
May 31, 2025
May 2025 featuring new releases by Michael Connelly, Alex North, Sarah Pinborough, Bob Mortimer, Hannah Beckerman, Kristin Atherton, Lucinda Berry, Robert Dugoni, Cara Hunter, Lisa Gray, Freida McFadden and many more.
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Nightshade by Michael Connelly
#1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly introduces a new cop relentlessly following his mission in the seemingly idyllic setting of Catalina island. #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly introduces a new cop relentlessly following his mission in the seemingly idyllic setting of Catalina island...mystery · fiction · law-enforcement · suspense · crime · male-author · police-procedural · literary-fiction · murder · thriller -
The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North
The latest gripping serial killer thriller from the New York Times bestselling author Alex North.Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child—narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for innocent victims...mystery · horror · fiction · suspense · crime · psychological · murder · thriller · ghosts · serial-killers -
We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough
After an accident that nearly kills her, Emily and her husband, Freddie, move from London to a beautiful Dartmoor country house called Larkin Lodge. The house is gorgeous, striking—and to Emily, something about it feels deeply wrong. Old boards creak at night; fires extinguish; and books fall from the shelves—all of it stemming from the terrible presence she feels in the third-floor room...horror · mystery · gothic · audiobook · fiction · paranormal · suspense · thriller · haunted-places · psychological -
The Hotel Avocado by Bob Mortimer
Gary Thorn is struggling with a big decision. Should he stay in London, wallowing in the safety of his legal job in Peckham and eating pies with his next door neighbour, Grace and her dog Lassoo, or should he move to Brighton, where his girlfriend Emily is about to open The Hotel Avocado? Either way, he’d be letting someone down...europe · british-isles · united-kingdom · england · fiction · audiobook · mystery · crime · humor · comedy -
Three Mothers by Hannah Beckerman, Kristin Atherton
From the bestselling author of The Forgetting : a tense, character-driven suspense with a final twist that will make you gaspA heartbroken motherWhen seventeen-year-old Isla Richardson is killed in a hit-and-run incident, a community’s lives are thrown into disarray. For Isla’s mum, Abby, it is her second devastating bereavement, having lost her husband five years ago...fiction · mystery · suspense · audiobook · contemporary · psychological · crime · thriller · family · womens-fiction -
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One in Four by Lucinda Berry
When a reality show about former child stars overcoming addiction culminates in murder, their therapist must take a closer look into their lives—and her own, from USA Today bestselling author Lucinda Berry.Dr. Laurel Harlow can’t believe she’s agreed to do a reality TV show. But her years as a chemical dependency counselor and personal history with the show’s director make her the obvious choice... -
A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni
An Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling series.A killer fueled by revenge. A detective haunted by the past. They are headed for a high-stakes showdown in this bone-chilling new Tracy Crosswhite novel by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.Detective Tracy Crosswhite isn’t one to lose her cool...mystery · fiction · crime · audiobook · suspense · contemporary · law-enforcement · police-procedural · killer · drama -
Making a Killing by Cara Hunter
From the New York Times bestselling author of the TikTok sensation Murder in the Family and the popular DI Adam Fawley series comes a brand-new gripping thriller in which a true-crime TV show turns up the heat on a controversial case from Fawley’s past…When Nick Vincent, producer of true-crime show Infamous, hears about an explosive new angle on a high-profile case—the 2016 murder of an...mystery · crime · audiobook · fiction · suspense · law-enforcement · police-procedural · thriller · female-author · family -
Dead of Night by Lisa Gray
A crime writer. A cold case. Will she survive to tell the story?Since the sudden and tragic death of her partner, bestselling crime author Serena Winters hasn’t written a word. With deadlines looming, she packs up her grief and escapes from New York City to a secluded clifftop house in small-town California, hoping the change of scenery will cure her writer’s block...north-america · usa · oregon · urban · new-york-state · audiobook · mystery · fiction · crime · suspense -
The Tenant by Freida McFadden
There’s no place like home…Blake Porter is riding high, until he's not. Fired abruptly from his job as a VP of marketing and unable to make the mortgage payments on the new brownstone that he shares with his fiancee, he's desperate to make ends meet.Enter Whitney. Beautiful, charming, down-to-earth, and looking for a room to rent. She's exactly what Blake's looking for...suspense · fiction · audiobook · murder · thriller · season-spring · crime · psychological · book · adult -
The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz
On a trip to the tropical paradise where her fiancée died, a young woman begins to suspect the death was no accident—and the killer’s still on the island—in this twisty thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Reese's Book Club pick We Were Never Here.When Abby decided to come to Isla Colel, she wasn't sure what—if anything—she'd find...fiction · audiobook · suspense · season-summer · lgbtq · thriller · crime · psychological · wlw · female-mc -
A Hired Kill by Steven Konkoly
A serial killer draws an FBI agent into an explosive government conspiracy in a white-knuckle thriller by Steven Konkoly, the USA Today bestselling author of A Clean Kill.After FBI special agent Garrett Mann executes a deadly raid on an underground facility in New Mexico, the sole survivor’s testimony reveals a greater threat to come...mystery · suspense · fiction · crime · psychological · audiobook · spooky · espionage · thriller · action-adventure -
Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Murder links past and present once again in this mind-boggling metafictional mystery from Anthony Horowitz—another tribute to the golden age of Agatha Christie featuring detective Atticus Pund and editor Susan Ryland, stars of the New York Times bestsellers Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders...mystery · fiction · audiobook · crime · law-enforcement · contemporary · cozy · murder · killer · historical-fiction -
Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts
The #1 New York Times-bestselling author presents a new novel about an injured cop who must fight to bring down a pair of twisted killers…Natural Resources police officer, Sloan Cooper, and her partner had just taken down three men preying on hikers in the Western Maryland mountains. Driving back, she pulled in at a convenience store—and walked right into a robbery in progress... -
Thunder Game by Christine Feehan
Diego Campos has come home to die. The GhostWalker is tired of walking a dark path shaped by countless losses. There has never been a moment of good in his life that wasn’t followed by something bad. But as he makes his way to his family’s homestead in the Appalachian Mountains, his plans are interrupted by a violent ambush that sets his life on a new course...romance · paranormal · military · fiction · audiobook · fantasy · family · contemporary · supernatural · psychics -
Fever Beach by Carl Hiaasen
Another instant classic from Carl Hiaasen—laugh-out-loud funny, tackling the current chaotic and polarized American culture (following in the path of Squeeze Me), with two wonderful new Hiaasen heroes“The afternoon of September first, dishwater-gray and rainy, a man named Dale Figgo picked up a hitchhiker on Gus Grissom Boulevard in Tangelo Falls, Florida...north-america · usa · florida · fiction · mystery · humor · audiobook · contemporary · crime · comedy -
The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey
In an alternate world where nobody won WWII, three brothers are the only boys left in an orphanage whose dark secret is the reason for their existence—and the key to their survival—from the acclaimed author of Pet.After a very different outcome to WWII than the one history recorded, 1979 England is a country ruled by a government whose aims have sinister underpinnings and alliances...europe · british-isles · united-kingdom · england · fiction · historical-fiction · dystopia · mystery · sci-fi · literary-fiction -
The Birthday Party by Shalini Boland
A party. A nightmare. A child gone without a trace.It started out as a six little girls gliding and giggling at the ice rink to celebrate Natalie’s daughter’s eighth birthday.But by Natalie’s next head count, it’s turned into a crime scene. Six children went onto the ice—and now there are just five. Nobody saw her niece, Elle, being taken... -
Rytual by Chloe Elisabeth Wilson
Marnie Sellick is adrift when she lands a job at the coveted, mysterious beauty brand rytuał cosmetica.The enigmatic founder and CEO, Luna Peters, takes a liking to Marnie, and as the two grow closer Marnie becomes intoxicated by the life that Luna, and rytuał, can offer her.But all is not what it seems at rytuał...fiction · contemporary · audiobook · literary-fiction · lgbtq · crime · cults · fundamentalism · wlw · workplace -
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Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan
For a limited time only. From mega-bestseller and TikTok sensation Mia Sheridan comes an all-new epic second-chance romance with an unexpected and gritty speculative twist, in deluxe paperback with beautiful sprayed edges and foil detail...romance · contemporary · friends-to-lovers · fiction · dystopia · enemies-to-lovers · survival · slow-burn · apocalyptic · bodyguard -
horror · fiction · fantasy · psychological · killer · outlaws · crime · historical · audiobook · dark
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Never Flinch by Stephen King
From master storyteller Stephen King comes an extraordinary new novel with intertwining storylines—one about a killer on a diabolical revenge mission, and another about a vigilante targeting a feminist celebrity speaker—featuring the beloved Holly Gibney and a dynamic new cast of characters...horror · fiction · mystery · crime · suspense · spooky · thriller · psychological · supernatural · vigilante -
Strawberry Spring by Stephen King, Milo Ventimiglia, Garrett Hedlund,, Sydney Sweeney
Based on the short story by Stephen King, Strawberry Spring is a scripted podcast set against the backdrop of the sixties revolution on the campus of New Sharon College. We follow a generation of students who don't trust authority, the futile efforts of the local police, and a young, determined reporter as he chases the bloody trail of Springheel Jack, an unrelenting, modern-day Jack the Ripper... -
The Man Who Loved Flowers by Stephen King
Published in 'Night... -
Homewrecker by J.M. Dalgliesh
‘Sophie Beckett?’ I smile sweetly. ‘I’m your daughter’s new tutor. May I come in?’ My heart thunders in my chest. Sophie has no idea who I really am, and I need it to stay that way. Otherwise, I might not leave this house alive…When I first meet Sophie, she seems like any normal loving mother, trying desperately to help her teenage daughter. That’s where I come in... -
By the Time You Read This by Brianna Labuskes
The sinister puzzle of an FBI linguist’s past is far from finished in a gripping novel of twisted family ties, from USA Today bestselling author Brianna Labuskes.FBI forensic linguist Raisa Susanto thinks she’s through with the past now that her psychopathic serial killer sister, Isabel, is locked away forever. Then Raisa receives a letter from Isabel...mystery · fiction · audiobook · suspense · crime · law-enforcement · serial-killers · female-mc · alpha-mc · thriller -
The Best of Us by Brittney Sahin
A man driven by duty and a woman who never gave up hope are thrust together by fate and a secret he never saw coming in a captivating novel of love, danger, and sacrifice by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brittney Sahin.Constantine Costa has spent his life shielding others from harm... -
The Casual Date by Alan Petersen
He only wanted something casual. What he got was a living nightmare.Freshly divorced, Ethan Hall relocates to a quiet mountain town in Northern California to be near his eleven-year-old son. It’s a far cry from the chaos of Los Angeles—and a lonely place for an outsider.Looking to ease the isolation, Ethan tries online dating for the first time... -
The Tradwife’s Secret by Liane Child
A marriage is between two people. And their millions of followers. Madison March is the perfect wife, with the perfect family and the perfect life.She spends her days baking sourdough and picking vegetables from the garden while watching her children play in the fields surrounding her Montana homestead...north-america · usa · montana · fiction · suspense · audiobook · psychological · thriller · female-mc · action-adventure -
The Doorman by Chris Pavone
In the new novel from the bestselling author of Two Nights in Lisbon, on the worst night in the greatest city on Earth, a doorman at the toniest address in town is drawn into a web of intrigue, robbery, and murder.Chicky Diaz stands on his little patch of the earth, the clean quiet sidewalk in front of the Bohemia Apartments, there sure are a lot of great places to kill someone in this city... -
Mafia And Gold Digger by Isa Oliver
RANKED #47 IN THE WHOLE AMAZON STORE A girl in a stolen gold dress…But is she really a gold digger? SaintThe first time I meet her, she’s stunningly beautiful in a stolen dress.The second time I meet her, she slips my wallet right out from under me.And the third time I meet her…I think she might just steal the smallest sliver of my ice-cold heart... -
Dying to Meet You by Sarina Bowen
The acclaimed USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author returns with a twisty thriller that probes how well we actually know the men in our lives.Rowan Gallagher is a devoted single mother and a talented architect with a high-profile commission restoring an historic mansion for the most powerful family in Maine. But inside, she’s a mess... -
Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin
When her grown daughter is suspected of murder, a charming and tenacious widow digs into the case to unmask the real killer in this twisty, page-turning whodunnit—the first book in a cozy new detective series from the acclaimed author of Ayesha at Last...north-america · canada · urban · mystery · cozy · fiction · contemporary · audiobook · crime · family -
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Whistle by Linwood Barclay
New York Times bestselling author Linwood Barclay enters new territory with a supernatural chiller in which a woman and her young son move to a small town looking for a fresh start, only to be haunted by disturbing events and strange visions when they find a mysterious train set in a storage shed.Evil has a one track mind...Annie Blunt has had an unimaginably terrible year...horror · mystery · fiction · paranormal · supernatural · audiobook · suspense · thriller · spooky · ghosts -
Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay
From the bestselling author of If Something Happens to Me, comes one of the year’s most anticipated thrillers.In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families plan on a night of dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend...north-america · usa · california · suspense · fiction · contemporary · audiobook · thriller · crime · psychological -
The Children of Eve by John Connolly
The “consistently high-quality” (Booklist) Charlie Parker series continues with a white-knuckled new thriller from New York Times bestselling author John Connolly.Wyatt Riggins, the boyfriend of rising Maine artist Zetta Nadeau, has gone missing, leaving behind a cell phone containing a single-word RUN. Private investigator Charlie Parker is hired to find out why Riggins has fled, and from whom...north-america · usa · maine · crime · horror · mystery · fiction · supernatural · audiobook · paranormal -
Skin and Bones: And Other Mike Bowditch Short Stories by Paul Doiron
For the first time in print, Skin and Bones features a collection of eight gripping original short stories in the bestselling Mike Bowditch series―including one brand new, never-before-published story―from Edgar-award nominated author Paul Doiron.In THE BEAR TRAP, legendary Maine woodsman and bush pilot Charley Stevens tries to convince young Mike of the dangers awaiting rookie game wardens...mystery · fiction · audiobook · crime · thriller · action-adventure · law-enforcement · dogs · animals · anthologies -
They Had It Coming by Nikki Smith
Escape to Bali in this gripping new sunlounger thriller, for fans of Lucy Clarke and Ruth Ware.'THE NEW QUEEN OF THE GLAMOROUS DESTINATION THRILLER' ELLERY LLOYDKeep your friends close and your enemies closer . . .Nate and Layla, Jude and Sophie. They've been a four for as long as they can fancy dinners, dancing 'til dawn . . . Even living and working together...mystery · psychological · season-summer · audiobook · suspense · fiction · crime · contemporary · revenge · thriller -
Stinkbug by Sinéad Stubbins
In this wildly original and deeply unhinged story, Sinéad Stubbins turns her keen but empathetic eye on the lies we tell about ourselves in order to belong. Part anxious millennial fever dream, part searing workplace satire, this corporate gothic novel is perfect for fans of Yellowface, Nightbitch and Such a Fun Age...fiction · audiobook · contemporary · gothic · literary-fiction · female-author · workplace · crime · 21st-century · psychological -
Forged by Danielle Teller
A thrilling and immersive tale of an impoverished woman turned con-artist by the critically acclaimed author of All the Ever AftersIn the Gilded Age, a time of abject poverty and obscene wealth, a desperate and ambitious young woman strikes out for a new life in the rising industrial cities of America...historical-fiction · fiction · audiobook · historical · literary-fiction · female-author · outlaws · crime · feminism · female-mc