Looking for your perfect summer holiday read? There’s nothing quite like a cracking crime novel to engross you as you swing lazily in your hammock, cocktail in hand. Ultimate Library has you covered as always, with 14 thrilling titles, ranging from classics like Seishi Yokomizo’s legendary locked room mystery ‘The Honjin Murders’ written way back in 1946 but still fresh today, to Oyinkan Braithwaite’s macabre and hilarious ‘My Sister the Serial Killer’ set in Lagos Nigeria. Killer reads for your summer needs.
1. The Honjin Murders (2019)
Originally published in Japan in 1946 as a serial, Yokomizo’s masterful Honkaku (locked-room) mystery, unfolds in the buzzing village of Okamura, as they prepare for a wedding in the prominent Ichiyanagi family. However, a troubling rumour cuts through the excitement—a masked man has been seen questioning villagers about the grand family. On the night of the wedding, a chilling scream pierces the air, and the corpses of the bride and groom are found in the locked house alongside a bloody samurai sword. The police are baffled by a series of puzzling clues and dead ends, leaving the determined amateur detective, Kosuke Kindaichi, as the only one capable of solving the case.
—Seishi Yokomizo
2. Queen K (2023)
On a superyacht moored in the Maldives, an oligarch’s wife hosts a party bursting with beige, the name cards of celebrities, champagne and priceless art. Welcome to Kata’s world of the super rich. But Kata wants more, she longs for the acceptance of English high society, a dream that will be fulfilled through her daughter Alex. Its Melaine’s job as a private tutor to use her insider knowledge of the English boarding school system to navigate Alex through the unspoken rules of privilege. In this compulsive tragedy of capitalist greed, material desire is a tragic flaw and trust a vehicle to be exploited.
— Sarah thomas
3. My Sister, the Serial Killer
The character and culture of Lagos city are lovingly captured in this funny and brutal novel which, at its core, is more than a crime thriller as Braithwaite tests the ties of familial bonds. When Korede’s quiet dinner is disrupted by a frantic call from her sister, Ayoola—it’s the third time she’s been summoned to clean up the bloody aftermath of Ayoola’s lethal love affairs. Korede’s sense of duty to her sister keeps her from informing the police, but this loyalty is tested when the gorgeous Ayoola sets her sights on Dr. Tade, Korede’s long-time crush. In a love triangle so sharp someone must bleed, Korede faces an impossible dilemma: protect her sister or the man she loves.
— Oyinkan Braithwaite
4. Five Nights before the Summit
In 1979, Zambia is abuzz with preparations for hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit. However, just days before the event, the nation is shaken by the brutal murder of a British couple, Henry and Laura Hinckley, at their farm near Lusaka. Detective Maxwell Chanda, head of the Special Crimes Investigative Unit, is tasked with solving the case and averting a potential diplomatic crisis. Chipanta deftly combines the suspense and mystery of a crime thriller with the historical context of Zambia’s emerging independence creating a captivating narrative of courage, corruption and colonial legacy.
— Mukuka Chipanta
5. The Khan
In this bold Asian reinterpretation of The Godfather, London lawyer Jia Khan has left behind the northern streets she once called home. Her father, a prominent figure in the Pakistani community, rules the local organised crime syndicate with a violent and bloody hand, dispensing his own brand of justice. After his murder, Jia is drawn back to her roots, compelled to step into his shoes and restore order, no matter the cost. Mir’s fearless crime thriller delves into a world rarely seen, tackling challenging themes such as addiction, corruption, misogyny, and racism.
— Saima Mir
6. The Department of Sensitive Crimes
Move over Scandi noir—welcome to Scandi blanc, where crimes are curious rather than chilling, and Sweden’s quirkiest detective is on the case. Ulf Varg heads Malmö’s Department of Sensitive Crimes, tackling the unusual with quiet persistence and dry humour. Between managing his complicated feelings for a colleague, tolerating a frustrating coworker, and worrying about his lip-reading dog Martin, Ulf navigates an oddball caseload: a stabbed market trader, a possibly imaginary missing man, and a group of students entangled in more than just academia.
— Alexander MCCALL Smith
The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander MCCALL Smith
7. Elena Knows
When Elena’s daughter Rita is discovered hanging in a church bell tower, she refuses to accept the police’s conclusion of suicide. Despite grappling with symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, Elena must traverse Buenos Aires conducting a solitary investigation into her daughter’s death. Through her compelling protagonist, Claudia Piñeiro examines the relationship between a mother and daughter, carer and patient while courageously addressing the issue of a woman’s right to autonomy over her own body.
— Claudia Piñeiro
8. House of Beauty
Karen is a top beautician at House of Beauty, Bogota’s most upscale salon. Beyond her cosmetic skills, she’s a trusted confidante to her clients, learning their secrets—from surgeries and jet-setting trips to their deepest personal issues. However, Karen’s own life is far from perfect. Plagued by financial woes, she finds herself in desperate need of money. Adding to her troubles is a haunting dilemma: a teenage girl’s tragic death. Karen, one of the last people to see her alive, becomes ensnared in the tragedy. The girl’s heartbroken mother seeks solace and answers from Karen, pulling her deeper into a web of intrigue and sorrow.
— Melba Escobar
9. Passiontide
From the Costa Prize-winning author of The Mermaid of Black Conch comes a bold, incendiary novel of sisterhood, silence, and revolt. When a young steel-pan player is found dead after carnival in the fictional Caribbean island of St Colibri, four very different women are drawn together: Sharleen, a sharp-eyed journalist; Tara, a defiant local activist; Gigi, founder of the island’s sex workers’ collective; and Daisy, the island’s first lady, haunted by secrets of her own.In a society where violence against women is too often ignored, their decision to speak out will ignite a reckoning none of them could have imagined.
— Monique roffey
10. Harlem Shuffle
Colson Whitehead’s homage to Harlem, New York City, centers on Ray, a furniture salesman with a checkered past. As Ray tries to lead a reformed life as a family man, his cousin Freddie ropes him into a scheme to rob the Hotel Theresa, the famed “Waldorf of Harlem.” When the heist goes awry and Ray’s clientele shifts to include Harlem lowlifes, he grapples with internal conflict. Will he succumb to his crooked roots or strive for the American dream? Set against the vibrant backdrop of the 1960s, Whitehead crafts a compelling narrative that blends tropes of thriller and crime with family saga and a morality play.
— Colston Whitehead
11. The Broken Shore
Homicide detective Joe Cashin returns to his coastal hometown of Port Monro, Western Victoria, to escape the haunting memories of his last case. Taking charge of the small, four-officer police station, he longs for a peaceful life, focusing on rebuilding his family home and finding solace in the quiet routine. However, his plans for tranquility are shattered when a local billionaire is savagely attacked and left for dead. Suddenly, Cashin is plunged into a relentless fight against corruption and prejudice, forcing him to confront the very demons he sought to leave behind.
— Peter Temple
12. Scrublands
Set in the fictional town of Riversend, New South Wales, Scrublands introduces the reader to Martin Scarsden, a journalist haunted by the traumas of war. A year after a beloved local priest, Byron Swift, shocked the community by inexplicably gunning down five parishioners and a responding police officer, Scarsden is sent to investigate. As Scarsden interviews the townspeople, he begins to unravel a narrative that contradicts the official reports. Battling the sweltering heat and conflicting stories, he realises there is more to this town than he once believed.
— Chris Hammer
13. Lean Fall Stand
Amidst the brutal Antarctic ice storm, three researchers find themselves stranded, while Dr. Robert Wright, a veteran of three decades, suffers a debilitating stroke. Trapped within his own thoughts, Robert possesses crucial answers to their predicament but is rendered speechless. Now Anna, his wife, must assume the role of caregiver as Robert adapts to his altered existence. In this gripping tale of survival and resilience, McGregor’s narrative of literary puzzles, faltering words, and intricate riddles explores the delicate balance between sacrifice and selfishness, and the courage required to face each new day.
— Jon McGregor
14. The Dark
After a devastating personal loss, A&E doctor Kate North seeks solace by accepting an emergency assignment at a remote UN research station in Antarctica. The vacancy arises tragically when the previous doctor, Jean-Luc, perishes in what appeared to be a fatal accident on the ice. For Kate, this opportunity represents a fresh start away from scrutiny and judgment. However, as the long Antarctic winter plunges everything into darkness, Kate’s initial relief gives way to a chilling suspicion: could Jean-Luc’s death have been deliberate?
— Emma Haughton
