UK CRIME 2026 WRAP-UP: NEW BOOKS by TOM BRADBY and E. A. JACKSON
We have already seen some very good UK crime releases so far this year and there are plenty more in the publishing pipeline, including new forthcoming books by Mike Ripley (Played To Death), Jane Casey (Everything She Didn’t Say) and Chris Brookmyre (Quite Ugly One Evening).
My recent UK reading has moved between two very different, but entertaining, books by E. A. Jackson and Tom Bradby, both of which offer steadily building suspense and knock-out conclusions.
Tom Bradby’s latest thriller, Red Scorpion (Bantam, 9 April 2026), reminds me more of his earlier books, such as Shadow Dancer, than the recent Kate Henderson spy novels.
Like Shadow Dancer, there is a strong element of family drama, loyalty and the morality of decisions in Red Scorpion. The story revolves around an upright and admirable young doctor, Laura Strong, who finds herself in a terrible situation. Her nights are spent working thankless A&E shifts, as she tries to find the money to support her much-loved disabled brother. Exhausted, and with loan sharks at her door, Laura needs a miracle to stop her life from collapsing around her.
The arrival of South American coffee magnate Rafael Fernandez appears to be the answer to her prayers. A devoted father with a sick son requiring a 24/7 care, he is prepared to pay any price for the expertise he can trust. For Laura it is a remarkable escape from an impossible situation, however, behind the façade of Rafa’s gilded existence lies a dark family history which he has been doing his best to avoid. The death of his estranged father brings the wolves to Rafa’s door, and Laura, already recruited by the British security services to spy on Rafa, finds herself in far greater jeopardy than she ever imagined.
Red Scorpion is a slow burn of a thriller that graduals tightens its hold on the reader’s attention. The opening sections drag a little, but once underway the pace picks up and the final chapters provide plenty of excitement and suspense. Laura’s dilemma is well established by Bradby, and the depth of her character adds considerable emotional tension to the story.
As with all his books, Bradby infuses Red Scorpion with convincing detail on a range of subjects from drug importation to medical procedures to the spycraft techniques that the Intelligence Services try to quickly train Laura in. The locations, in both London and overseas, also ring true. Bradby has a fine journalist’s eye for the telling detail, and he paints simple, but evocative, descriptions of the various locales and the people there. This detail gives Red Scorpion a good patina of credibility, and it is easy to sit back and enjoy it, especially the gripping finale.
Probably more of a straight thriller than a spy novel, Red Scorpion is nevertheless an engaging read that provides a dark picture of the evolving illegal drug trade.
Red Scorpion is released in the United Kingdom and Australia on 9 April 2026.
E. A. Jackson’s Missing, (Atria, 17 March 2026), is an unflashy, gripping police procedural that impresses with its grasp of investigative detail and the depth of its characters.
The story ranges across two time periods. The first, set in 1990s London, follows newly minted D.I Martha Allen as she investigates the disappearance of a baby, Bella, who has gone missing from the hotel room where her parents were staying. Bella would seem to have been taken through the room’s open window, which was left open because of the ongoing heatwave. Martha is assigned to the high-profile investigation and is determined to solve the case, fully aware that its outcome could define her career. As she and a colleague, Detective Constable Desbury, methodically pursue the various leads, hope begins to dwindle until a strange development. Thirty years later Martha, now a superintendent, is informed of the death of a woman associated with the original case, who has been missing for the entire period. Martha has never truly let go of the lingering questions surrounding Bella’s disappearance, and the death reignites her curiosity. Originally warned off pursuing the case all those years ago, Martha now begins to quietly re-investigate what really happened in 1990.
I have tried to keep the details of the plot vague, as much of the book’s pleasure comes from the gradual unveiling of surprises and the subtle shifts in the plot. It is not an exciting, violent, crime novel, but instead Jackson’s fine writing and clever plotting keeps the reader engaged as the book steadily moves its way to an unexpected conclusion. Some aspects of the final reveal are probably expected, but the final twist is a good one.
The story is well supported by its convincing police detail and the believable ebb and flow of the investigation with its gradual accretion of details and leads. Martha is a well crafted and interesting character, who grows and changes across the book, and is interesting to see the different paths that she and Desbury take over the years.
In addition to telling an interesting story, Missing also gently touches on a number of topical issues including addiction, poverty, domestic abuse, sexism in the workforce and the changing nature of policing. The movement between the two time periods also means that it becomes an interesting reflection on the lasting impact of hard choices and how the effects of personal decisions resonate down the years.
Missing may lack the flashy violence and contrived twists of some books, but it is one of the more enjoyable crime novels that I have read this year and I could not put it down.
The details around the release dates for Missing are a little vague. It would seem to be currently available in the United States and will be released in the United Kingdom in July by a different publisher and with a different cover (see below). Thanks to the publisher and George Easter from Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine for providing me with a copy of the book for review.
