SOCIOPATHS, SERIAL KILLERS AND DEADLY REUNIONS: NEW 2026 BRITISH CRIME by NICCI FRENCH, M. K. OLIVER and PAUL FINCH
British crime fiction gets off to a strong start in 2026 with three very different, but engaging, crime novels by Nicci French, M. K. Oliver and Paul Finch.
I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised and highly entertained by M. K. Oliver’s A Sociopath’s Guide To A Successful Marriage, (Hemlock Press, 30 December 2025).
At first glance it appears to be yet another light weight addition to the steady stream of criminal ‘Guide’ books: A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder (Holly Jackson), A Neighbour’s Guide To Murder (Louise Candlish), A Serial Killer’s Guide To Marriage (Asa Mackay), etc. However, it is in fact a very good and enjoyable crime read that holds up a fractured mirror to certain parts of modern society.
The story is told through the eyes of Lalla Rook, who has a lot on her plate. She needs to ensure that her unambitious and distracted husband makes partner at his firm, secure her dream house in the upmarket London suburb of Hampstead, deal with her vicious mother-in-law, and get her slightly odd daughter into a prestigious prep school. She also has to host a four-year-old’s birthday party without anyone noticing the body of the stranger in her living room who she stabbed seven times – “The truth is, it’s surprisingly difficult to dispatch someone with a vegetable knife.” She has to manage all of this, and her pretentious friends, without involving the police who might be interested in her far from innocent past.
Fortunately Lalla has her lists to keep her focussed and her ability to compartmentalise.
It is great fun as we watch Lalla lurch from one catastrophe to another, without losing her cool and only killing those who really deserve it. The story is well written, and the short chapters keep it all moving along at a brisk pace. There are plenty of twists, and you never really know what is going to happen next. Lalla’s comments and adventures are always entertaining, and occasionally laugh out loud funny. The social commentary is sharp and biting, but never distracts from the enjoyment. There is also a good mystery as to why the dead stranger was in Lalla’s living room in the first place.
A real treat and a memorable debut.
A Sociopath’s Guide To A Successful Marriage was released in Australia in early January 2026 and is scheduled for release in the United Kingdom on 12 February 2026. Don’t miss it!
From sociopaths to serial killers!
Paul Finch’s The Lodge, (Thomas & Mercer, 15 January 2026), is also highly entertaining, while raising valid questions about society’s preoccupation with serial killers and the glorification of violent murder.
The book opens in good fashion with a group of true crime fanatics on a Murder Tour through a remote part of north-west England. The tour is run by Liz and Nick who seem to have finally found their niche with the weekend long celebration of grisly deeds. The bus tour visits various historical crime sites, as well as a creepy cottage of serial killer memorabilia. The highlight of the Murder Tour is an evening at the recently opened Black Tarn Lodge, which seems to offer everything for ‘dark tourists’. Not only is it a magnificent Gothic mansion nestling deep in the remote Forest of Bowland, it also once belonged to deceased horror legend Edgar Karnwood, and is now filled with costumes and mementoes from his many movies. Offering an elegant dinner and the screening of a legendary lost film, it’s the ideal way to complete the Tour. Until night falls, a thick fog isolates the house and the guests start disappearing.
The Lodge is a thrill-filled ride. After a leisurely start, the pace really picks up once the bus reaches the Lodge and the truth about the various members of the tour comes out. The violence comes thick and fast in the second half and there is a cinematic feel to the violence as the unlucky guests are dispatched in increasingly gruesome ways. The frequently shifting point of view works really well, and helps to ramp up the tension as the guest numbers decline. The final chapters are very exciting and it is hard to put the book down.
The characters are nicely limned and some develop in ways that you do not expect. The person behind the killings is not hard to identify, but there are enough other surprises to keep it entertaining. Adding to the pleasure are the good Gothic vibe of the Lodge, and interesting snippets about horror movies and serial killers, both real and fictional. There is also some interesting reflections on dark tourism and why we are fascinated by evil.
Some suspension of disbelief is necessary, but it is worth it. A fun piece of escapism that would make for a great B movie.
The Lodge is released on 15 January 2026.
The husband and wife writing team known as Nicci French are renowned for their literate, compelling, psychological thrillers and their latest, What Happened That Night (Simon & Schuster, 13 January 2026), is sure to appeal to their many fans.
After nearly thirty years in prison for the murder of his university friend Leo Bauer, Tyler Green is finally free. Meeting up with the group of friends who were there the night that Leo died, Tyler is looking to reconnect – but he’s also looking for answers. When another friend is found dead that night, his new found freedom is put in jeopardy. Detective Maud O’Connor is called to investigate – but can she discover the truth, or is Tyler Green never going to be free?
This is a slow burn of a crime novel, with lots of dinner conversations and revelations, which gradually become more tense as the book progresses. Once the police investigation starts the pace picks up, and the final third, or so, is quite engrossing as Maud works her way through the evidence of the two murders.
As with all of French’s books, the characters are well fleshed out and convincing, and the dialogue rings true. Maud is a nicely nuanced character and there is a convincing ring to her relationships and the investigation that she undertakes. The old university friends that come together for a fatal reunion are finely sketched and the French duo are very good at capturing the rhythms of life and the changes which occur over the years.
Well written and cleverly plotted, What Happened That Night is an intricate crime novel that will appeal to those who enjoy taking their time with a twisty murder mystery.
What Happened That Night is released in Australia on 13 January 2026 and in the United Kingdom on
12 February 2026.