2016 Top Reads - U.K. Crime Thriller Novels

Although I only was able to review two books in 2016, I did read quite a few. This post is the first of two, and is devoted to U.K. Crime Fiction|Thriller Novels of 2016. While I have chosen to compile a "2016 Top Reads" list, in order to encourage other fans of the genre to purchase and read these marvelous books, I have not, and I could not, arrange them in order of "the best books of 2016."  It would appear obvious that since I've gone to the trouble of doing this post that I love them ALL!


I've listed them in groups, alphabetically by author,  and grouped by publisher when possible. If you click on a title, that will take you to its Amazon.com listing. When you click on the author and/or the publisher, that will take you to their Twitter account.

There are two titles, HIS BLOODY PROJECT by Graeme Macrae Burnet (Skyhorse Publishing) and THE LIE by C.L. Taylor (Sourcebooks) which technically were published in the U.K. in 2015...BUT I did not read them until they were published here in the U.S.. The links here are for the UK versions, but all of the titles have U.S. publishers/editions. There is only one title which was published solely in a digital edition when I read it, SAVING SOPHIE by Sam Carrington (Maze, HarperCollins UK).

DRUMROLL......

THE WIDOW by Fiona Barton (Penguin Books UK, 16 January 2016)
U.S.: THE WIDOW (Berkley Publishing Group, February 16, 2016) 

TASTES LIKE FEAR by Sarah Hilary (Headline Books, 7 April 2016)

THE WOLF ROAD by Beth Lewis (The Borough Press, 30 June 2016)
U.S.: THE WOLF ROAD (Crown Publishing, July 5, 2016)

THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 by Ruth Ware (Harvill Secker, 30 June 2016)
U.S.: THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 (Scout Press Books/Gallery Books, July 19, 2016)

THE WOMAN IN BLUE by Elly Griffiths (Quercus Books, 4 February 2016)
U.S.: THE WOMAN IN BLUE (Houghton Mifflin, May 3, 2016)

A SONG FOR THE BROKENHEARTED by William Shaw (Hodder & Stoughton, 19 January 2016)
U.S.: A SONG FOR THE BROKENHEARTED (Mulholland Books, January 19, 2016)

THE MOUNTAIN IN MY SHOE by Louise Beech (Orenda Books, 30 September 2016)
U.S.: THE MOUNTAIN IN MY SHOE (Orenda Books, December 1, 2016)

IN HER WAKE by Amanda Jennings (Orenda Books, 22 March 2016)
U.S.: IN HER WAKE (Orenda Books, July 1, 2016)

A Suitable Lie by Michael J. Malone (Orenda Books, 15 September 2016)
U.S.: PreOrder => A SUITABLE LIE (Orenda Books, January 1, 2016)

JONATHAN DARK OR THE EVIDENCE OF GHOSTS by A.K. Benedict (Orion Books, 25 February 2016)

THE DEFENCE by Steve Cavanagh (Orion Books, 11 February 2016)

U.S.: THE DEFENSE (Flatiron Books, May 3, 2016)

THE SISTER by Louise Jensen (bookouture, 5 July 2016)
U.S.: THE SISTER (bookouture, July 5, 2016)

LOVE YOU TO DEATH by Caroline Mitchell (bookouture, 13 November 2016)
U.S.: LOVE YOU TO DEATH (bookouture, November 13, 2016)

THE STEPMOTHER by Claire Seeber (bookouture, 19 July 2016)
U.S.: THE STEPMOTHER (bookouture, July 19, 2016)

WILLOW WALK by S.J.I. Holliday (Black and White Publishing, 10 June 2016)
U.S.: WILLOW WALK (Black and White Publishing, May 5, 2016)

THE LONDON CAGE by Mark Leggatt (Fledgling Press, 29 June 2016)
U.S. ebook edition: THE LONDON CAGE (Fledgling Press, June 22, 2016)

THE PERFECT GIRL by Gilly Macmillan (Piatkus Books, 22 September 2016)
U.S.: THE PERFECT GIRL (William Morrow Paperbacks, September 6, 2016)

HIS BLOODY PROJECT by Graeme Macrae Burnet (Skyhorse Publishing, October 18, 2016)
U.K.: HIS BLOODY PROJECT (Contraband/Saraband Books, 5 November 2015)

THE DARKEST SECRET  by Alex Marwood (Sphere Books, 30 June 2016)
U.S.: THE DARKEST SECRET (Penguin Books, August 30, 2016)

BLACK NIGHT FALLING by Rod Reynolds (Faber & Faber, 4 August 2016)

THE LIE by C.L. Taylor (AvonBooksUK, 23 April 2015)
U.S.: THE LIE (Sourcebooks, June 7, 2016)

A DEADLY THAW by Sarah Ward (Faber & Faber, 1 September 2016)
U.S.: A DEADLY THAW (Minotaur Books, September 27, 2016)