BEST DEBUT CRIME NOVELS OF 2024

Debuts are the lifeblood of crime fiction.

Without new authors and new ideas, the genre would become stale and boring. Every year we see an influx of new authors, including an increasing number of self-published and small press books. While many debut authors pursue familiar paths and storylines, there are always those who bring new ideas and approaches to the genre. This is certainly the case this year.

There has been some very good debuts in recent years by authors, such as Michael Bennett, Jo Callaghan and I. S. Berry, with many going on to produce strong second and third novels. In Australia we have been particularly blessed over the past three years, or so, with a string of impressive debuts by a range of very different authors including Dinuka McKenzie, Matthew Spencer, Shelley Burr, Michelle Prak and Matt Francis, who won the 2024 Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Novel.

I try to keep across the breadth of debut crime writing from around the world, but unfortunately it is not possible to keep up with all of it, and there were a number of debut authors whose books I did not catch up with. From what I have seen, however, I do not think that there the same volume of spectacular debuts in 2024 that we had seen in recent years, especially in 2022. Nevertheless, those that have caught my eye in 2024 are very good, and in some cases are just impressive as those that have come before them. I have identified six debuts that really stood out for me and another two that are also worthwhile considering for a read. Pleasingly, three of the six top books below are from Australian and New Zealand, both of which continue to impress with their ability to produce outstanding new authors each year.

The following six novels cover the vast expanse of the genre from cosy crime to spy fiction to contemporary New Zealand noir, with a strong social focus, to two fresh quirky stories to a tense adventure thriller set in the Antarctic.

They are set out in a rough order of preference below. I found it very hard to separate the first three or four books, all of which were very well written and interesting in their approach. In the end I thought that Gavin Strawhan’s The Call was marginally ahead of David Goodman’s A Reluctant Spy, mainly due to the immediacy of its themes and the poignancy of its ending. David’s book, however, was very good and I think that he is going to have a long career in the genre, and the same can also be said of the other authors on the list.

The Call, (Allen & Unwin, March 2024), by New Zealander Gavin Strawhan is a very impressive novel.

Set primarily in a remote coastal area of New Zealand, it is a gripping tale about a damaged police detective and her battle with old and new enemies. The characters are well developed and interesting, and the location of Waitutū is vividly described and credible. There is plenty of tension throughout, and the book builds to an exciting and bloody climax that will have you tearing through the final fifty pages or so. There is also a good, tough, cynical coda.

The plotting is well handled, with Strawhan ably moving between two timelines, and the book is enhanced by his sharp eyed observations on New Zealand society, the damaging rise of motorcycle gangs, mental health issues and ageing. A very accomplished debut!

Here is the link to my original review: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/march-mayhem-new-crime-from-zoe-sharp-kristen-perrin-and-gavin-strawhan/

David Goodman’s A Reluctant Spy, (Headline, September 2024), is a compelling espionage novel that reminded me of recent novels by leading British spy writer Charles Cumming in its ability to mix on-the-ground action with intricate bureaucratic maneuvering.

The story revolves around the central conceit of the Legends Program, a secret British intelligence effort to prepare impenetrable backstories for undercover agents. It uses real people, living low-key real lives, who are willing to hand over their identities, so that an agent can become them for a few weeks in order to go undercover. In return, the real ‘legends’ are given a helping hand with plum jobs, influence and access, and a stress free holiday while someone else is using their identity. It is a good idea until one of the ‘legends’ becomes caught up in the actual spying.

Goodman’s twin storyline works really well, with the political and inter-service positioning of the Intelligence mandarins in London, nicely contrasted with the on-the-ground action of the scenes in Zanzibar. The pace is brisk throughout, with just the occasional pause for descriptive passages of the sights and smells of Zanzibar, and the book builds to an exciting climax. Some suspension of disbelief is required, but overall it is a highly entertaining thriller.

Here is the link to my original review: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/new-spy-fiction-2024-a-reluctant-spy-by-david-goodman/

A more quirkier take on the crime genre, is provided by Amy Tintera’s lively debut, Listen For The Lie, (Bantam, March 2024).

Listen For The Lie is an enthralling crime novel, which features an interesting mixture of an unreliable narrator, old crimes, small town gossip and a zippy podcast structure.

Five years ago, Lucy was found wandering the rural back streets of a small Texas town with a head wound and covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood. Everyone was quick to assume that she had murdered Savvy, but the police could not find enough evidence to convict her, and Lucy can’t remember anything about that night. Lucy now lives in LA, but is drawn back to her hometown when an infamous podcaster decides to do a show on Savvy’s murder.

This is an enjoyably edgy crime novel with a modern feel to it, and a good quirky set of characters. The dialogue is sharp and witty and there are some neat references for crime reader insiders, as well as an abundance of twists and turns.

Here is the link to my original review: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/listen-for-the-lie-by-amy-tintera/

The Bookshop Detectives: Dead Girl Gone (Penguin, July 2024) by Gareth Ward and Louise Ward, was a bit of a surprise for me.

I started it expecting some light cosy reading, but instead found it to be a witty, funny and enjoyable novel with just the right amount of bite to it.

The Bookshop Detectives is about two former British police detectives, Garth and Eloise, who now run a bookshop in small town Havelock North in New Zealand. When a mystery parcel arrives at the Sherlock Tomes bookshop, Garth and Eloise, and their petrified pooch Stevie, are drawn into the baffling case of a decades-old missing schoolgirl. Intrigued by the puzzling, bookish clues they are soon tangled in a web of crime, drugs, and floral decapitations, while endeavouring to pull off an international celebrity book launch and avoid the clutches of an old enemy from their past.

The Bookshop Detectives is one of the most enjoyable books I have read this year. The plotting is very assured, the story flows along at a brisk pace, and there is plenty of humour. The alternating viewpoint between Garth and Eloise produces a swathe of witty observations and the constant reflections on books and bookselling are highly entertaining. There are also good twists and turns and some very unexpected revelations. A great read.

Here is the link to my original review: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/the-bookshop-detectives-dead-girl-gone-by-gareth-ward-louise-ward/

Set in Antarctica, The Chilling is a vividly realised thriller that makes very good use of the exoticness and drama of its setting.

Looking for a change, Australian scientist Kit Bitterfeld accepts a coveted winter research position at Macpherson Station in Antarctica. On the way there, Kit and her fellow researchers field a distress call from a nearby ship. When they arrive, the vessel is on fire and the crew has vanished. A lone survivor is found unconscious, nearly frozen, and suffering from amnesia. They take him with them, but when he recovers he seems reluctant to say what happened. As the winter darkness begins to engulf the camp, Kit begins to fear that the camp is under threat. Meanwhile the other survivors of the wrecked ship are wearily making their way to Macpherson Station.

This is a well crafted thriller. The setting is chillingly conveyed, and James is very good at evoking the isolation and hardship of the Antarctic, as well as its beauty. Kit’s mounting desperation is also convincingly portrayed and the secondary storyline about the other survivors of the Snow Petrel adds some extra suspense. Some aspects of the plot did not quite ring true to me, but overall this is a very good debut that marks Riley James as an author to look out for.

Here is the link to my earlier review: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/downunder-crime-round-up-december-2024-iain-ryan-riley-james-natalie-conyer-and-fin-j-ross/

Finally, at the cosy, mystery end of the genre is Kristen Perrin’s How To Solve Your Own Murder (Quercus, March 2024).

In 1965, seventeen-year-old Frances Adams was told by a fortune teller that one day she would be murdered. Frances spent the next sixty years in her small English village trying to prevent the crime that would be her eventual demise. Of course, no one took her seriously – until she was dead. Now her great-niece Annie is thrust into a competition to solve Frances’ murder and inherit her substantial fortune.

How To Solve Your Own Murder is a very likeable murder mystery. There is a nice flow to the story and it is extremely easy to settle back and read large chunks of the book at one time. There are plenty of clues and red herrings, and a good final resolution. In all, it is a well paced and entertaining ‘whodunit’ with a touch of Knives Out about it.

Here is the link to my original review: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/march-mayhem-new-crime-from-zoe-sharp-kristen-perrin-and-gavin-strawhan/

The above books are very different in style and intent, but they are all very impressive in their own way. You should check them all out, as I suspect that their authors are going to be influential figures in the worlds of crime and spy fiction going forward.

I would also like to quickly highlight two other debuts, which were close to making the list. P. A. Thomas’ The Beacon is an engaging crime story set in Australia’s Byron Bay featuring an elaborate murder method, while C. L. Miller’s The Antique Hunter’s Guide To Murder is a pleasant ‘whodunit’ with lots of interesting antique’s lore.

Happy reading. Here is a link to my recent article on the Best Crime and Thriller titles of 2024: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/the-years-best-my-favourite-crime-novels-and-thrillers-of-2024/