FORECAST FRIDAY: THE BEST NEW RELEASES OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2026
2026 has already seen some terrific crime and thriller releases, including top notch books from William Boyd, Tim Ayliffe and Jordan Harper to name a few (see below). However, there are still plenty more on the way!
With only three months to Christmas, the annual end-of-year flood of new thriller and crime books is picking up momentum, with some great titles scheduled for release in the next few weeks. I have looked over the forthcoming releases, and picked out twelve of the most promising ones from across the spectrum of crime fiction, including an early 2027 release that will appeal to fans of British detective fiction.
Note: the release dates quoted are for Australia, this may vary for the United Kingdom and the United States.
Leading the pack of the early releases, is Michael Robotham’s first Australian based novel, Tell Me Something True (Hachette, 29 September 2026).
Based in a small rural town on the road between Sydney and Melbourne, it is a powerful story about relationships and small town life, and it also has an underlying mystery that needs to be solved.
The publisher has provided the following description:
“Small towns are quick to anger and slow to forgive, but Arlo Hackett doesn’t expect mercy when he emerges from a twelve-year prison sentence and makes his way back to Yulara, a waypoint on Australia’s Great Southern Road. The last time Arlo was home, his brother Luke was charged with a terrible crime and Arlo was found guilty by association. His return to the former goldrush town is like cracking open a time capsule full of hatred and violence, along with memories of the people he loved – the ones he couldn’t save.
Yulara wants Arlo gone, or worse, but every insult and humiliation pushes him to confront what really happened all those years ago.”
I have started reading Tell Me Something True and it certainly matches Michael’s earlier books in terms of the richness of the writing and the vividness of the descriptions.
Tell Me Something True is released in Australia and the United Kingdom, albeit with a different cover, on 29 September 2026 and in the United States on 5 January 2027.
There has been some very strong spy novels already released this year, including Charles Cumming’s Icarcus 17 and Simon Conway’s recent The British Agent, but probably the year’s most eagerly awaited release is London Station, (Swift Press, 13 October 2027), by the highly regarded former CIA analyst David McCloskey.
London Station is McCloskey’s fifth novel and returns us to the gritty world of CIA agent Artemis Proctor, who must now deal with turbulent times in her own country and overseas.
The publisher has provided the following description:
“What if the CIA and British intelligence began spying on each other? This is the question at the heart of David McCloskey’s thrilling fifth novel. A new US Administration has taken office, installing a brash and unconventional CIA Director determined to disrupt the Agency and sceptical of its close relationship with their cousins across the Atlantic. Case officers, including newly installed London Chief of Station, Artemis Procter, must now navigate a tense environment as old friends become adversaries and no one knows who to trust. When agents run by both services begin dying, Procter and her team at London Station must decide whether loyalty to the Mission and their friends means disobeying the Agency they serve.
Immersing readers in the technological revolution upending intelligence tradecraft, David McCloskey’s brilliant new thriller depicts the nuts-and-bolts mechanics of how CIA and MI6 collaborate and explores what happens when politics threaten to destroy the ‘Special Relationship’ between America and Britain.”
London Station is probably the book I am most keen to read and I am eagerly awaiting my copy. It is released in Australia on 13 October 2026, the United Kingdom on 6 October 2026, and the United States on 29 September 2026.
We have already had one very good novel from Michael Connelly this year, Ironwood, and now we have a new chapter in his genre leading series about former police detective Harry Bosch coming before the end of the year: The Hollow (Allen & Unwin, 27 October 2026).
The publisher has provided the following description:
“When Harry Bosch was eleven years old, his mother was murdered and he became a ward of the state, housed in MacLaren Children’s Center, a notorious facility where abuse was rampant. Decades after its closure, a massive class action lawsuit has resulted in a multibillion-dollar settlement for former residents. But when Bosch’s half-brother, defense attorney Mickey Haller, brings him word that Harry is entitled to $400,000, Bosch says he doesn’t want the money. He wants justice.
News of the settlement awakens his memories of a place he had hoped never to revisit, and a boy named Chops, a fellow inmate who wound up dead. Chops’s body was found in a hidden space under a staircase that the staff used to discipline their charges. The kids knew it only as “the hollow.” But Chops’s death was covered up and never solved. Now Bosch knows he must reopen the investigation and learn the truth, even if the killer is long dead.
As Bosch digs into the files, he picks up the trail of a predator who not only survived, but went on to a life of vicious crime. Forced to face a history that both scarred him and launched him on his mission as a cop, Bosch must bring down a sadistic criminal and finally put to rest the demons of his past.”
Connelly, along with Val McDermid, is one of the leading practitioners of the cold case crime story, and The Hollow sounds like it is going to be an emotionally charged story as we move towards the pending conclusion to the Harry Bosch series.
The Hollow is released in Australia and the United States on 27 October 2026, and in the United Kingdom on 5 November 2026, all with different covers!
Rounding out the big four releases is Ian Rankin’s The Heights, (Orion, 6 October 2026).
Expanded from an earlier short story, The Rise, The Heights is Rankin’s first standalone crime novel in two decades. Set in London, instead of his usual Scotland, it promises to be another intriguing mystery from arguably one of the best crime writers in the world today.
The publishers have provided the following description:
“The Heights: a gleaming, high-end high-rise looming over Hyde Park. Newly built from steel and smoked glass, a billionaire’s playground offering sumptuous suites for the global elite.
But when a night concierge is found murdered in the lobby, the building’s rarefied atmosphere is shattered, and the gilded lives within come under intense police scrutiny.
In a world designed to keep prying eyes out, where the residents are not used to being held to account, born-and-bred Londoner Detective Gillian Gish must find a way past their power, wealth and unimaginable influence.
The rules may be different at the top – but is anyone truly above the law? Or could it be that the higher you rise, the further you fall…?”
I really enjoyed The Rise, particularly the leading detective Gillian Gish, and I am keen to see how Rankin expands her character in The Heights.
The Heights is released in Australia on 6 October 2026, the United Kingdom on 8 October 2026 and the United States on 5 November 2026.
Here is a link to my review of The Rise from 2023: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/new-british-2023-crime-past-lying-by-val-mcdermid-and-the-rise-by-ian-rankin/
Fans of Christmas themed mysteries will enjoy Do You See What I See?, (Faber, 10 November 2026), by Peter Swanson.
As with last year’s The Christmas Guest, Do You See What I See? is another well-crafted novella length story by Swanson that will make for ideal post-Christmas lunch reading.
The publisher has provided the following description:
“Welcome to Christmas at Grey Gables, where everyone’s a suspect.
Struggling mystery writer Nicholas Child is commissioned to help another writer finish the overdue follow up to his breakout bestseller.Travelling to Grey Gables, the writer’s Cape Cod home, in the week before Christmas, he discovers a house full of secrets, and a cast of very suspicious guests.
When two shocking deaths occur, Nicholas tries to write his account of what happened, and a perfectly fiendish puzzle starts to emerge.”
I read Do You See What I See? while travelling and loved it. It features Swanson’s usual gift for tight plotting and the story moves quickly over its 150 odd pages, before arriving at a typically surprising ending and a slight sting in the tail.
Do You See What I See? is released in Australia on 10 November 2026. It is already available in the United Kingdom and will be released in the United States on 6 October 2026.
Also with a Christmas setting, albeit much darker in tone, is When They Find Me, (Poison Pen Press, 10 November 2026), by Carter Wilson.
I am about halfway through and this is certainly a gripping read. Set in a lonely, snowed in location, Wilson certainly makes feel you the cold as he turns up the temperature on the tension. It also features two memorable female characters. I will be doing a full review shortly.
The publisher provides the following description:
“Expanse, Colorado. Population 313. A town so remote it barely exists on a map―the perfect hiding place for Annie Wolfe and her daughter, Coral. Their cabin is nearly off the grid, and Annie has done everything to keep them safe. Everything. But she knows the people hunting her don’t forget. And they don’t forgive.
Riven knows about survival. She and her family have lived off the land for years, moving like shadows through the wilderness. Now her father has led them to this forgotten town, tracking the man he swears destroyed their lives. The plan is simple: strike fast, take revenge, and disappear.
But when Riven knocks on Annie’s door, their worlds collide. What follows is darker, stranger, and more dangerous than either woman ever imagined―because the hunt isn’t just for vengeance. It’s for the truth. And in Expanse, Colorado, the truth can kill.”
When They Find Me is not released in Australia until February 2027, but it is available in the United States from 10 November 2026.
In addition to Michael Robotham, several other Australian authors also have promising books coming out in the next few months. Leading them off is Last Bastion, (Fremantle Press, 3 November 2026), by one of my favourite authors, Alan Carter.
Last Bastion is the follow up to Carter’s 2024 novel Prize Catch, and once more features disgraced solider Sam Willard and Tasmanian police detective Jill WIlkie.
The publisher has provided the following description:
“While his co-conspirators enjoy a government amnesty, Sam Willard is in prison, paying the price for exposing war crimes. Surrounded by enemies eager for revenge, his greatest challenge is survival.
But then a mysterious federal agent offers him a dangerous proposition: his freedom in exchange for infiltrating an extremist group to rescue the son of a radical politician. With an old adversary lurking in the shadows, Sam must navigate a web of deception and danger.
Meanwhile, Detective Sergeant Jill Wilkie is on the case of a series of racially motivated attacks and as tensions escalate, so does the danger. As Hobart becomes a battleground for competing ideologies, one slip will expose Sam - and ignite the very attack Jill Wilkie must stop.
Will Tasmania become the last bastion for far-right extremists?”
Carter is very good at linking contemporary international concerns with small town local crimes, and Last Bastion seems to fit well into that mould. It is high on my to read list!
Last Bastion will be released in Australia on 3 November 2026. Release dates for overseas are not clear.
Canberra author Shelley Burr has quickly established herself as a leading figure on the Australian crime writing scene. Her first three Lane Holland novels were very good and were just a little different from most other Australian crime novels.
Her forthcoming novel, Shot (Hachette 27 October 2026), is apparently a standalone novel, although it seems to have a similar cold case/true crime podcast feel to it as her first three books.
The publisher has provided the following description:
“Dahlia and Duncan Crews are rich, famous, glamorous – they share their lifestyle and picture-perfect family with hundreds of thousands of online subscribers. The Crews have it all – until they don’t. Shot dead in the middle of a livestream, the couple’s teenage daughter, Karma, is the sole survivor. And the prime suspect.
Years later, disgraced true-crime vlogger Jennifer Benedetta is hired to film a cold-case documentary on the unsolved Crews family murders. It’s the chance she needs to salvage her reputation, but there’s a catch: prove Karma Crews innocent. But something – or someone – is lurking just off camera, and the closer Jennifer gets to the truth, the further she is from safety. Who is watching? And how far will they go to remain unseen?”
Shot sounds very promising and I am looking forward to reading it.
Shot will be released in Australia on 27 October 2026.
If you are after frenetic action and plenty of twists, then Choppy Water, (Allen & Unwin, 3 November 2026), by Jack Heath is certainly the book for you.
I have already had the pleasure of reading Choppy Water and thought that it was a great holiday read. I will be reviewing it shortly, but it is certainly one to put on your reading radar.
The publisher has provided the following description:
“A woman’s body is found in a laundry cart aboard the Silver Lady cruise ship. Management says it was a freak accident and her death is quickly covered up, so as not to spoil the voyage for the passengers.
Cesar Cain doesn’t want to get involved. He boarded the Silver Lady to disappear. If the cops find him, he’s in a cell. If the Hell’s Hounds catch him, he’s in a grave.
But it’s March 2020, and the borders are slamming shut. Cesar soon discovers that the woman wasn’t the first victim – and with the ship suddenly quarantined and unable to dock anywhere, she won’t be the last.”
Jack keeps the excitement at a high level from the opening pages and the book races to a blood soaked conclusion and a good epilogue.
Choppy Water is released in Australia on 3 November 2026.
I also recently read William Cook’s The Fifteenth Man, (Viper, 1 October 2026), and thought that it was a very atmospheric thriller that skirted the edges of the spy novel. Set in Berlin in 1990 it is a dark tale that vividly brings to life the city and the surrounding areas in the aftermath of the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
The publisher has provided the following information:
“Wannsee, 1942
Fifteen of the most powerful men in the Third Reich meet in secret. Their goal: the implementation of the Final Solution.West Berlin, 1990
Anglo-German journalist Michael Braun makes a living tracking down old Nazis. But since the fall of the Berlin Wall, Fleet Street’s interest has waned, and he needs more than another concentration camp guard or petty bureaucrat to sell a story. Then Braun is offered an improbable assignment: during the storming of the East German Stasi headquarters, files were found that show a Nazi may have been hiding in Berlin for decades. And not just another low-ranking soldier but Heinrich Müller, head of the Gestapo. The only Nazi at the Wannsee Conference whose fate is unknown since he disappeared from Hitler’s bunker in 1945.Desperate for money, Braun takes the job. But the man he’s hunting – Müller or not – knows how to stay hidden. And how to protect his secrets. Meanwhile there other forces, including intelligence services, watching from the sidelines.”
The Fifteenth Man is released in the United Kingdom on 1 October 2026. Other release dates are not clear.
Simon Kernick is always an end-of-year favourite, with his books making for good Christmas presents or as enjoyable personal festive holiday reading. His latest, No One Is Safe (Headline, 3 November 2026), is another fun read that will keep you well entertained from beginning to end.
The publisher has provided the following description:
“Luke Jones, his wife Sofia and beloved son Max are hiking in a remote Scottish forest when they stumble across the body of a murdered woman. They’re even more terrified when the killers reappear, guns in hand.
Managing to flee, they each get separated in the dense woods – with Luke stumbling and knocking himself unconscious. When he wakes, there’s no sign of Sofia and Max. But when his phone starts ringing, the nightmare really begins…
Luke will do anything to save his wife and son. But, as a pawn in a deadly game which drags up his buried past, can he even save himself?”
Strap yourself in, No One Is Safe is another wild, twisty ride by a master of the game.
No One Is Safe is released in Australia on 3 November 2026 and in the United Kingdom on 5 November 2026.
No One Left Alive, (Penguin, 11 March 2027), by Helen Fields is not due out until next year, but I thought I would include it here, as it is sure to be keenly awaited by Helen’s legion of fans.
The publisher has provided the following description:
“Fourteen empty houses. No suspects. No clues…
When a snowstorm cuts off the remote Scottish village of Cape Wrath, Sammy arrives home at New Year to find her mother dead and every other house eerily silent. There are no signs of forced entry, no surviving witnesses, and no clear murder weapon. Everyone in the village is gone.
As Luc Callanach and Ava Turner race to piece together the final moments of the dead, they uncover a chilling truth: the killer knew the village, knew the storm was coming, and planned every step. With the snow swallowing evidence and fear spreading far beyond the Highlands, one question remains―if no one was left alive… who walked away? And what will they do next?”
I have already read No One Left Alive and found it to be one of those books that was hard to put down. The dual storyline, with Callanach and Ava pursuing a possible suspect in Europe while the rest of the team uncover more surprises and shocks at the site of the crime, works really well and keeps the plot ticking over at a brisk pace. The forensic and police detail is convincing, and regular readers of the series will be keen to find out what is happening to the detectives following the violent conclusion of the last book. A must read for the many fans of the series. I will be doing a review before it is released.
So in all, plenty of good releases to keep you reading all the way to Christmas and beyond.
And for those still trying to catch up on the books from earlier in the year, here is my list of the best crime and thrillers titles so far this year: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/spring-cleaning-the-best-crime-novels-and-thrillers-of-2026-so-far/