THE YEAR’S BEST: MY FAVOURITE CRIME NOVELS AND THRILLERS OF 2025
Coming up with the Best Books of the Year is always a challenging task. The idea of ranking and rating books never really sits right with me, as so much comes down to individual taste and even the mood that you are in when you read the book. There is also risk of just sticking with the familiar, and not looking past the latest novels from enjoyable veterans of the genre. Then there is the pressure to follow the crowd and join in the enthusiasm for the latest bright thing, or current trend or ‘critic’s choice’, and the need to ensure that your list is balanced and reflective of the genre.
This year I have gone back over the books I have read and just selected those that I enjoyed the most at the time, and which have stayed in my mind, regardless of their provenance or standing. Noting that there were many more than the 13 below that I really enjoyed.
Of course, the list is affected by the number and types of books I have read. By the end of 2025, I will have read (or listened) to over 130 crime and thriller titles, not all of them new books, plus a handful of non-fiction and horror titles. It is not a bad sampling of what is out there, but it does not come close to the more than 700 new crime novels released each year. Like always, there were a handful of recommended books, such as S. A. Cosby’s King Of Ashes and Chris Hammer’s Legacy, that I did not get to for various reasons, and which might have found their way onto the list if I had.
I have also tried to limit myself to books that were released in Australia in 2025. For this reason Deon Meyer’s Leo appears on my list, even though it was released in the United Kingdom in 2024, and David McCloskey’s The Persian does not.
I try to read widely across the genre, but as with most people I am subject to my biases and probably tend to read more at the action end of the spectrum. I do, however, venture into domestic suspense and cosier books on occasion, and I try to keep across the breadth of the genre. In looking back over the year, 2025 seems to have produced the usual range of crime and thriller titles and a plethora of similar domestic suspense books wherein the central protagonist wrestles with whether she can trust her husband, fiancé, sisters, girlfriends and even her children. There was also an abundance of world weary police detectives, of both genders, with more than their share of personal problems. Detectives, both amateur and professional, returning to the small town where they grew up and having to deal with past secrets and recent murders, was also a very common theme both in Australian crime fiction and in those from overseas. There was also a steady flow of destination thrillers where groups of fractured friends and strangers find out that their trip to a remote location was a dangerous idea, as they are killed off one by one. Australian outback noir continued to be popular, with an alarming number of small rural towns playing host to killers and people with dark secrets. I did not think that there was a breadth of really good spy novels this year, although books by Charles Beaumont, Jack Beaumont and Gerald Seymour could have been readily added to the ones below without significantly diminishing the quality of the list. Personally, I was disappointed by some of the books by well established veterans who seemed to be operating below their best this year and do not feature below. This was offset by some very good books by new and rising stars of the genre, including Matthew Spencer, Alan Carter, Jack Heath, Sulari Gentill, Mark Ellis and Robert Bryndza.
While it is always tempting to just read the latest book by one of my favourite authors, the number of which grows every year, I do deliberately try to allocate at least a quarter of my reading to debuts and authors who are new to me. This year I will probably fall slightly short of that, with 33 such books read so far. Most of the 33 were debuts, but there were also a handful of books by established authors that I had not tried before, such as Alan Parks and Ben Creed, both of whom were excellent.
I have particularly tried to keep up with the releases from Australian and New Zealand authors, but despite being a judge for both the Ngaio Marsh and Ned Kelly Awards I only managed to scratch the surface of the flood of mainly rural crime books being produced by both countries. I read around 35 novels by ‘Downunder’ authors, but I know that I missed many good books. I will again on Australia Day (26 January 2026) be presenting my favourite Australian-based crime novels of the past year, but some of them, along with New Zealander Chris Blake’s Softly Calls The Devil, can be found on the list below.
I also thought that there was a good selection of promising debuts in 2025, including by Jakob Kerr and Tanya Scott, which I will be highlighting in the next couple of days.
This year I have combined crime and thriller titles into the same list, rather trying to shoehorn books into categories. There are probably more crime titles than thrillers below, and if I had to pick one, Paul Vidich’s The Poet’s Game would have been my favourite thriller of 2025.
I tried to limit myself to twelve books, but ended up with 13, as I was unable to split a couple of the crime novels. Even getting it down to 13 was very hard, and I have included a handful of Honourable Mentions at the end, all of which could sit comfortably in the list. Some of these books featured in my ‘best so far’ article from September, but they had to make way for the impressive novels I read in the final few months of the year. I have also included links to my original reviews of the books.
The order of preference is very rough, and changes every time I think about it. Ranking of books is always difficult and this was particularly the case this year. The top three, however, remained pretty stable for most of the year. It was difficult to separate the books by Deon Meyer and Michael Robotham, but in the end I decided that Meyer’s Leo was slightly ahead on the strength of its characterisations and the fact that you never really knew until the last page how it was going to play out, and who was going to survive. Both books, and McKinty’s Hang On St. Christopher, however were exceptional, and the others on the list were not far behind them.
Leo (Hodder & Stoughton) is a terrific addition to Meyer’s series about South African detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido, and opens with the pair still exiled to the quiet, beautiful area of Stellenbosch for past misdemeanors. A murder disrupts their peace and soon the pair find themselves tracking a professional killer. Meanwhile a gang of professional thieves, including the beautiful Christina Jaeger who we last saw in The Trackers, are planning a dangerous high stakes heist that brings them to the attention of corrupt officials.
A first class crime novel with great characters, gritty local dialogue, vivid descriptions of life in South Africa and a strong social conscience. It also has a clever plot that will keep you guessing all the way to the very bloody conclusion.
For those who are interested, here is my review from last year: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/south-african-crime-fiction-2024-leo-by-deon-meyer/
Michael Robotham was in very fine form with his latest novel, The White Crow (Sphere).
As a police officer and the daughter of a London crime boss, PC Philomena (Phil) McCarthy has always worked hard at keeping the two sides of her complicated life apart. Not always with success, however. On patrol one night she discovers a child in pyjamas, wandering alone, which leads her to a deadly home invasion and the robbery of a jewelry store. The police suspect that Phil’s father might have been behind both events, but it is not that simple. Full of great characters and dialogue, and some nice touches of humour, The White Crow is a highly accomplished novel. It is close to being the best book that Robotham has written, and is certainly his most exciting.
More here: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/the-white-crow-by-michael-robotham/
Adrian McKinty’s Sean Duffy novels set in Northern Ireland during the 1980s, and now into the 1990s, are a terrific set of books, and are up there with the best police novels currently being written. Hang On St. Christopher, (Blackstone), is the eighth novel in the series and opens with the same sense of chaos and violence that has permeated the series to date.
Hang On St. Christopher has all the high quality elements we have come to expect from the series. The writing is first rate, the sense of place and time is vivid, and the story commands attention throughout. The plotting is tight and there are also some terrific set-pieces. A great read.
Hang On St. Christopher has not yet been widely released in Australia, but it can be obtained through the usual online sources. https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/new-2025-sean-duffy-book-by-adrian-mckinty-hang-on-st-christopher/
Paul Vidich’s The Poet’s Game, (No Exit Press), stood out for me as the best spy novel of 2025.
The plot involves some of my favourite spy-fi elements: an old spy called out of retirement, suggestions of a mole on the loose, the intersection between the personal and the professional, lots of machinations and some exciting chase scenes. The story about former CIA spymaster Alex Matthews being asked to help extricate one of his old assets from Russia is stacked with tension and poignancy and the plot plays out in a clever way. The story proceeds at a good pace and the twists and turns are well handled.
Matthews is a well nuanced and interesting character, and his relationships are well handled and credible. As with any good spy novel, the tradecraft is believable and the background detail on politics, economics, Russian tunnel systems and yachting are interesting and add good texture to the story. There is also a good contemporary feel to the plot and the background. First rate.
Here is the link to the original review: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/new-2025-spy-fiction-2-by-mick-herron-jack-beaumont-and-paul-vidich/
Garry Disher never disappoints and his latest novel about struggling South Australian rural policeman Constable Paul (Hirsch) Hirschhausen, Mischance Creek, (Text), is another top notch story.
This is a finely crafted crime novel that excels in its characterisations and the subtlety of its plotting. Disher takes a little while to put the various strands of his story in place, but once underway the various sub-plots move along at a good pace, often heading in surprising directions, including one genuine shock. Disher at the top of his game with a subtle mix of social commentary, good detective work and a blood pounding final shoot-out. Excellent stuff.
Fiona Hardy’s Unbury The Dead, (Affirm Press), had a freshness about it that is missing from a lot of recent Australian crime ficiton.
The story about two best mates, Teddy and Alice, who live on the fringes of society doing jobs of questionable legality is a tour de force. Teddy is searching the suburbs for a missing teenager with her occasional sidekick Art, while Alice’s mission is to drive one of Australia’s richest men along Victoria’s east coast to his final resting place before anybody finds out he’s dead. Both jobs are dodgy, but when the two cases collide Teddy and Alice find themselves in great danger.
I do not like to make comparisons to other authors and books, but Unbury The Dead really reminded me of Peter Temple’s Jack Irish novels at times with its strong Melbourne feel and its exploration of the uncertain grey area between semi-legitimate business and outright criminality. Give it a read!
The exquisitely produced Moonflower Murders was one of my favourite television shows from 2024. Based on Anthony Horowitz’s eponymous novel, it was a delightful mystery featuring book editor Susan Ryeland and the fictional amateur detective Atticus Pünd. Marble Hall Murders, (Century), is the third book in the series and is another literary treat by Horowitz.
Susan’s previous experience with the late Alan Conway’s novels about the famous detective, Atticus Pünd, resulted in her nearly being killed, twice! Now she has reluctantly been persuaded to work on a Pünd ‘continuation’ novel. The new book is by Eliot Crace, grandson of the late bestselling children’s author Miriam Crace. When Eliot tells Susan that Miriam was deliberately poisoned and that the identity of the killer is hidden inside the book, Susan knows she’s in trouble again. Good literary fun!
Full review here: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/new-british-crime-fiction-2025-marble-hall-murders-by-anthony-horowitz-and-the-other-people-by-c-b-everett/
Alan Parks’ Gunner, (Baskerville), is a good gritty read set in Glasgow during World War II.
It opens in 1941 with former police detective Joseph Gunner back on the streets of Glasgow after being wounded on the front line in France. Still suffering from shock, and keeping the pain in his leg at bay with the help of morphine, he is reluctantly drawn into an investigation of the murder of a German soldier. It seems simple, but Gunner soon finds himself caught up in a nasty conspiracy.
This is a tough slice of meticulously researched noir that vividly captures a clear sense of place and time. The plotting is credible and the book moves along at good pace, with plenty of twists and turns. A first class read.
Full review here: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/recent-reading-new-books-by-lisa-jewell-tom-mead-riley-sager-and-alan-parks/
Chris Blake’s late year release Softly Calls The Devil (Echo) was probably my favourite New Zealand crime novel of 2025, although it had some strong competition from Michael Bennett, Geoff Parkes and Alan Carter.
The story about the murder of a former police detective in a small rural town and its links back to a disappearance many years ago, was impressively written and very atmospheric. It moved along at a good pace and the characters and the community were vividly conveyed. A very fine novel.
My recent review: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/november-2025-crime-round-up-new-books-by-matthew-blake-christopher-reich-charlie-donlea-and-lisa-unger/
Michael Connelly’s latest ‘Lincoln Lawyer’ novel, The Proving Ground (Allen & Unwin), moves more into John Grisham territory with its David versus Corporate Goliath theme. The AI background is fascinating and the book moves along at a good pace, although the criminal elements are probably more muted than usual.
The courtroom scenes are gripping and totally absorbing and the depictions of Los Angeles are very contemporary and interesting. In all, it is a gripping and powerful novel that deals with a raft of fascinating and important issues.
My review: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/courtroom-thriller-2025-the-proving-ground-by-michael-connelly/
The latest ‘Slow Horses’ novel from spy maestro Mick Herron, Clown Town (Baskerville), was another enjoyable excursion into his world of discarded spies, dodgy politicians and deadly bureaucratic machinations.
The intricate plot had the requisite twists and turns, and the ending produced the sort of shocks that we have come to expect. The story is a little slow to get under away, but the final quarter is highly suspenseful and darkly amusing at times. The dialogue sparkles, Lamb is in brilliantly repulsive form, and there is also timely reflections on political expediency, the British Government, and the state of the world. High class spy fiction.
Link to original review: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/new-2025-spy-fiction-2-by-mick-herron-jack-beaumont-and-paul-vidich/
Michael Brissenden’s Dust, (Affirm), is probably his best novel to date and brings a refreshing contemporary political perspective to the outback crime novel.
The story about the investigation into the discovery of a body in the dusty remains of a dying lake quickly draws you in and keeps you reading till the final revelation. The plotting is interesting and Brissenden ably complements it with a good cast and some sharp political commentary. His portrayal of the groups caught on the fringes of Australian society, whether by misfortune or deliberate choice, is first rate and his astute social observations give substance to what is a gripping crime novel. It also has a good taut ending that sticks in the mind.
Link to original review: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/downunder-crime-update-august-2025-reviews-and-previews/
Mike Ripley’s Buried Above Ground, (Severn House), is one of the year’s more original stories. Revolving around the true identity of a former best selling crime writer and what happened to him, it is a clever tale that benefits from a shifting points of view. It would be a crime to reveal plot details about this surprising mystery, but let it be said that this is a very engaging and thoroughly captivating murder mystery. There are plenty of in-jokes and mystery references, all told in Ripley’s usual free flowing and engaging style, and the book delights from beginning to end. I also liked the clever, low key cover.
Original review: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/holiday-reading-new-2025-books-by-sulari-gentill-mike-ripley-and-darcy-coates/
There are several other books that could be easily added to the above list and which deserve your attention. In particular I would highlight Dervla McTiernan’s The Unquiet Grave, Val Mcdermid’s latest Karen Pirie cold case novel Silent Bones, Charles Beaumont’s A Spy At War, Matthew Spencer’s Broke Road, Jack Heath’s Kill Your Boss and John Lawton’s beautifully written Smoke And Embers, which skirts the edges of the crime and thriller genre.
In all, more than enough good books to keep you reading into 2026.
I will be doing my list of the Best Debuts of 2025 in the next few days.