“She knew with chilling and absolute certainty she was next.”
Crime is a genre that grips readers like no other. Stories about killers and kidnappers come with a realism that often makes them scarier than tales of ghosts and ghouls. The crime thriller encompasses stories inspired by real-life events of criminals and the justice system, with all the suspense and revelations that readers expect from the wider genre. Check out What We Reading as we run you through the latest batch of crime thriller books from 2022!
The 6:20 Man – David Baldacci
New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci presents one of the best crime thriller books from 2022, The 6:20 Man.
Every morning, Travis Devine takes the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan. Working in the cut-throat world of finance as an analyst, an ominous email suddenly throws his world upside down. One of his colleagues and ex-girlfriend has been found hanging in one of his firm’s storage rooms. Forced into an intense investigation into the shady secrets of his own company, Travis is thrown onto a trail in the darkest corners of the country’s economic sectors, unearthing a potentially deadly conspiracy along the way.
The Murders At Fleat House – Lucinda Riley
A gripping and suspenseful crime thriller from the bestselling author Lucinda Riley, The Murders at Fleat House follows Detective Jazmine ‘Jazz’ Hunter inspecting a case of foul play at a small boarding school in Norfolk.
The headmaster is keen to rule out the incident as a tragic accident, however, it doesn’t take long for more sinister motives and opportunities to showcase themselves from across the school. As the weather begins to worsen, secrets hidden underneath the building are spilt and more bodies begin to mount up, Jazz is forced to deal with her own personal demons as she attempts to solve the darkest case of her career.
Notes On An Execution – Danya Kukafka
Nominated for Best Fiction in the 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards, Notes on an Execution is a 2022 crime book from Danya Kukafka.
The book follows Ansel Packer, a man scheduled to be executed in twelve hours. Told through multiple female perspectives, Notes on an Execution details his life, crimes and motivations. It is a suspenseful masterpiece that paints a powerful picture of womanhood and our criminal justice system.
Exiles (Aaron Falk #3) – Jane Harper
The third and final entry in Jane Harper’s Aaron Falk trilogy whisks readers to springtime in Australia and a bustling festival taking place one warm evening. There, a woman leaves her baby alone and vanishes into the bustling crowd.
A year on, and the disappearance of Kim Gillespie continues to cast a long shadow. Nevertheless, her friends and family prepare to gather in South Australia’s wine country to celebrate the arrival of new blood in the group. Aaron Falk arrives as one of the guests but soon begins to question whether this tight-knit group is as close as it appears. Between his closest friend, an alluring woman and this missing mother, dark questions are soon brought to light.
Check Out The Best Jane Harper Books
The Woman In The Library – Sulari Gentill
Award-winning author Sulari Gentill presents a twisty literary tale in The Woman in the Library. A sharp thriller analysing the dynamics, and potential pitfalls, of friendships, it is set in the eerie setting of the Boston Library.
The silence of the library is broken one evening when a woman’s scream triggers a building-wide lockdown. Bunkered down, four strangers start conversing about their lives and motivations, with all of them having different reasons for being in the library that morning. It just so happens one of them is a murderer.
Love Thriller books? Check out more of the best 2022 Thriller books here!
Vanished – Lynda La Plante
Killers don’t just disappear…
Vanished is the 2022 crime thriller from Lynda La Plante. The third entry in the DC Jack Warr series, and follows the detective as he investigates wild claims from an elderly woman that she is being stalked.
Constantly finding himself on the back foot, Jack’s investigation sees him tackling everything from art theft, to international drug rings and even accusations of assault against him. Author La Plante presents a hugely gripping multi-faceted case that will only end with the unmasking of this mysterious stalker.
The Interview – C.M. Ewan
Bestselling author of A Window Breaks and Safe House C.M. Ewan gives readers one of the most enthralling crime thriller books from 2022 in The Interview.
Kate Harding is invited for an interview for her dream job at The Mirror, an office block in London. But, scheduled for 5pm on a Friday, and with no one else in the building, it doesn’t take long for this encounter to take a turn towards the nerve-shredding. Kate is forced to relive her past traumas in this fast-paced psychological thriller. Filled to the brim with so many twists, turns red herrings, it will have readers constantly on the edge of their seats guessing everything.
Check out our interview with Trey Stone
Devil House – John Darnielle
American musician John Darnielle whisks readers off on a sublime crime thriller that blends fact with fiction in Devil House.
Gage Chandler is a struggling true crime writer who stumbles across his big break when he is offered the opportunity to move into an old estate known as ‘The Devil’s House’ by the surrounding community. At the sight of two grizzly murders, Gage throws himself into his new environment but soon becomes embroiled in the dark past of the building that will reverberate back to who he is, and what has led him to do what he does.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
