Books set in England

Reading lists

The best crime novels set in England

After You Die

A mother is murdered and a daughter left for dead in the latest in Eva Dolan’s critically acclaimed series

Elegantly crafted, humane and thought-provoking. She’s top drawer

So fluid and easy to read, and her characters are becoming like old friends now

James Oswald, bestselling author of the Inspector Maclean series

Excellent...  a masterfully written whodunnit... Eva Dolan has positioned herself firmly at the top table of contemporary British crime writers.

The authority of Dolan’s writing grows from book to book

[Dolan] is able to tackle sensitive subjects without sensationalism

One to watch for as missing this would be a crime. ... I tend not to ‘score’ the majority of my reviews but I do like to flag titles I will rank at 5/5 – After You Die joins that small band of my top rated reads

Intelligent and deeply compassionate, shot through with sly humour and never failing to be anything but totally gripping, AFTER YOU DIE is a superb new entry in the DI Zigic and DS Ferreira series that confirms Dolan as one of crime fiction’s brightest rising stars

Chris Ewan, author of #1 bestseller, Safe House

Eva Dolan's brilliant Zigic and Ferreira are back. Expect twists, shocks and above all – searing honesty from a writer with an uncanny eye for the truth of what ails us

Sarah Hilary, winner of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year for Someone Else's Skin

Another superlative thriller from Eva Dolan. Zigic and Ferreira are fast becoming one of my favourite crime-fighting duos

Starts with a bang and never lets up. After You Die is beautifully-written, hard-hitting and impossible to put down. It cements Eva Dolan's deserved reputation as the brightest new star in the UK's crime fiction firmament

Mark Edwards, author of The Magpies and Follow You Home

A beautiful portrayal of the turmoil that lies beneath the dead calm of small, tight-knit communities

Eva once again takes us into the dark and tragic world of hate crime. Enthralling and heartbreaking in equal parts, her latest is an absolute must read

Sharp, punchy and right on the money, the genius of Eva Dolan’s work is in the way she shines a light on the country’s marginalised and dispossessed.

The DI Zigic and DS Ferreira series just keeps on getting better and better

Howard Linskey, author of The Drop and No Name Lane

Twisty, unsettling, perceptive and humane, this is social-realist crime fiction at its most compelling

Eva Dolan is my kind of writer. In her hands, the mystery novel becomes a tool for counting the cost of crime, and giving voice to those who are being left behind. With After You Die, Dolan proves she’s exactly the kind of writer we need in crime fiction. She speaks for those on the fringes of society

Angry, driven and entertaining, Dolan's procedurals have become essential reading. Crime writing that makes you feel, then makes you think

Dolan delivers again. A hard-hitting hate crime mystery, played out by dynamic characters, designed to haunt. After You Die showcases the author's nigh-on-supernatural empathy for a wounded society

After You Die is pacy, suspenseful, and expertly plotted. With a cast of richly drawn characters, it covers some dark and topical issues, which are tackled with understanding and skill. An extremely well-crafted book which confirms Eva Dolan's place as one of our most talented crime writers.

Hard-hitting, tragic, compelling and timely.

This harrowing plot requires all of Dolan’s skills as a novelist, confirming that she is able to tackle sensitive subjects without sensationalism.

It’s both a skillfully constructed crime story and a sobering reflection on the extent to which the disabled are the minority to whom we find it all too easy to show a blind eye.

Eva Dolan is an Essex-based copywriter and intermittently successful poker player. Shortlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association Dagger for unpublished authors when she was just a teenager, the first novels in her series starring two detectives from the Peterborough Hate Crimes Unit, Long Way Home and Tell No Tales were published to widespread critical acclaim. Tell No Tales was shortlisted for the Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year and the third in the series, After You Die, was longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger.

CAN THEY UNPICK THE TRUTH AND BRING A KILLER TO JUSTICE? 
 
DS Ferreira is back on the force after being severely injured in the line of duty. The first case to land on her desk takes her and DI Zigic to a brutal crime scene where a woman has been stabbed to death and her disabled daughter left to starve upstairs. 
 
The murdered woman is Dawn Prentice – a woman who had come to Ferreira for help when she and her daughter were being subjected to harassment. 
 
As Ferreira battles her demons and Zigic clashes with another officer, the detectives realise that the Prentice case rests on one crucial question – who was the real target of the killer: mother or daughter? 
 
'Elegantly crafted, humane and thought-provoking. She’s top drawer' 
Ian Rankin 
 
'Hard-hitting, tragic, compelling and timely' 
Daily Express 
 
'A hard-boiled, fast-paced mystery with a tight ring of suspects' 
Irish Times 
 
'The authority of Dolan's writing grows from book to book' 
Financial Times

Tell No Tales

In the second book from a rising star of crime fiction, Detectives Zigic and Ferreira must investigate a hit-and-run that leaves two migrant workers dead and a series of horrific killings, seemingly with a Neo-Nazi motivation, captured on CCTV.

Powerful...Once again, Dolan writes brilliantly about the liminal existence of migrant workers, and the political subplot is bang up-to-date

A timely whodunit that takes a sophisticated slant on contemporary politics and the rise of the far right. Building to a breathlessly exciting finale, it’s beautifully written and superbly plotted, confirming Dolan’s status as an exciting new voice in fiction

A very savvy and ultra-modern storyline that is frightening in its believability

Eva Dolan is a newcomer to crime fiction, but she pulls off the entertainment-information balancing act with the skill of an old pro

Peterborough as a setting for edgy crime fiction? An unlikely proposition, but Dolan pulled it off

Tell No Tales is authentically grimy and politically astute

Dolan’s storytelling is even better than in her first novel, Long Way Home, which was a readers’ favourite in 2014…will have you turning the pages right to the end

Tell No Tales is a powerful authentic, superbly written story, which proves that her brilliant début was no fluke. Eva Dolan is definitely the real deal

Tell No Tales is a gripping insight into a rarely seen and highly relevant area of policing. Eva Dolan is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.

Fantastic... An utterly compelling crime novel that pierces the veil of social, racial and political issues in Britain today. I loved it

Dolan has done it again, achieving something quite unlike the work of her contemporaries

Dolan writes brilliantly about the liminal existence of migrant workers and the political subplot is bang up-to-date.

Gritty and atmospheric with well-drawn characters, Tell No Tales keeps you guessing until the end.

An angry and unsparing snapshot of rootless, exploited lives.

Two men are kicked to death in brutal attacks. 
 
Caught on CCTV, the murderer hides his face – but raises a Nazi salute. 
 
In a town riddled with racial tension, Detectives Zigic and Ferreira from the Hate Crimes Unit are under pressure to find the killer. 
 
But when a car ploughs into a bus stop early one morning, the Detectives have another case on their hands, and soon the media are hounding them for answers. 
 
Riots break out, the leader of right-wing party steps into the spotlight, and Zigic and Ferreira must act fast – before more violence erupts. 
 
'A rising star of crime fiction' 
BBC Radio 4 Front Row 
 
'Powerful' 
Sunday Times 
 
'Breathlessly exciting' 
Sunday Mirror 
 
'Gritty' 
Daily Express 
 
'Everyone should read this' 
Sarah Hilary 
 
'Frightening in its believability' 
Big Issue

Long Way Home

A brilliant introduction to a new crime series... The plot is tight, the anger righteous, and the action thrilling

The modern scourge of people-trafficking is brilliantly described in this ingenious and compassionate novel

A promising debut that pulls no punches

Thrilling, original, so contemporary it feels as if it was written next year. Brilliant

Perceptive and intelligent, with the ring of authenticity

An engaging debut... Assured and delicately written, Dolan paints a nuanced portrait of a detective and a city

A new author to watch... This debut is so impressive

Eva Dolan's writing is snappy, confident and sharp as a blade, with a storytelling style that bubbles and fizzes

Impressive...the clever plot illuminates the social issues and personal despair that often accompany immigration to cities already suffering financial stress

An absorbing, provocative tale… This is an exceptional debut

A stunning debut... The subject matter is fascinating, the execution of it is a joy to read

James Oswald, author of Natural Causes, the winner of the Richard and Judy 2013 Summer Book Club

Eva Dolan’s debut novel in the increasingly crowded world of crime fiction deserves a little stand-out time… A highly effective and meaty crime novel…complete with twists and turns that genuinely take you by surprise

Long Way Home is one of the strongest debut novels I've read in a long time. Beautifully written and imagined, Dolan renders a previously hidden world alive with compelling detail. Original and gripping, compassionate and salutary, you won't want to stop reading until the final page

A brilliant introduction to a new crime series… The plot is tight, the anger righteous and the action thrilling

An absorbing debut detective series. The burnt body of a migrant worker is found and it's up to DI Zigic and DS Ferreira to find out the truth. We loved it – keep an eye out for this author!

Cool, confident and classy, Eva Dolan's LONG WAY HOME is a stand out debut that combines intelligent, issue-led crime fiction with a vivid prose style, a compelling plot and a detective duo to root for. Dolan provides a fresh and fascinating insight into a little-known aspect of Modern Britain, and I can't wait to read more of DI Zigic and DS Ferreira in future books

Long Way Home is a truly exceptional debut crime novel, a perceptive, smart and harrowing look at modern England. Written with great skill, confidence and originality, it feels like a game-changer for twenty-first century British crime fiction

Doug Johnstone, author of Smokeheads and Hit and Run

Long Way Home gave me that tingle of excitement that only happens rarely, the feeling I got when I first read George Pelecanos and Dennis Lehane - the combination of brilliant writing, a thrilling plot and social heart. I genuinely think it's one of the best debuts I've ever read

Eva Dolan is the real deal. Plenty of contemporary British crime writers claim to write about the real world but in Dolan's brave, brilliant debut she nails it completely. The Daily Mail will hate it. I loved it.

A pacy, twisty, compelling and addictive crime thriller - but it's so much more besides. For me, the best experiences in literature are those that take you somewhere you don't know; to people and places you have never encountered. I was hoping for a rattling good page-turner. I wasn't expecting anything quite so profound

Eva Dolan’s stunning novel is a gritty and unflinching look into a seedy, violent world that most of us would rather pretend never existed. In DI Zigic and DS Fereira, Dolan has created two authentic and intriguing characters

Howard Linskey, author of The Drop and The Damage

Crisp and intelligent writing, strong characters, a great mystery and an engaging style. From the first page, I knew I was in safe hands

Dan Smith, author of The Child Thief and Red Winter

An assured and compelling debut that brings multi-cultural Britain vividly to life. I feel I know Zigic and Ferreira, the protagonists of this terrific novel, and look forward to their next outing. I hope I don’t have to wait too long

Craig Roberston, author of Random and Witness the Dead

A novel set in Peterborough might not be the most tempting of premises, but this is worth your time detective duo Zigic and Ferreira, Dolan has created two engaging characters. The first of a series, this is a promising debut  that pulls no punches

With such compelling characters, Dolan breathes new life into the police procedural novel and marks herself out as an exciting writer to watch

Dolan's a terrific new talent, and I can't wait to be kept awake by her next novel

A great read, a real page turner and a very satisfactory ending

An impressive series debut, and the next book will be eagerly awaited

What could be standard police procedural stands out for its excellent character work and the timely way it deals with hot-button political topics dominating the headlines

The plot is tight, the anger righteous but not worthy, and the action thrilling. Happily she has a new novel out next year

A man is burnt alive in a shed. 
 
No witnesses, no fingerprints - only a positive ID of the victim as an immigrant with a long list of enemies. 
 
Detectives Zigic and Ferreira are called in from the Hate Crimes Unit to track the killer, and are met with silence in a Fenland community ruled by slum racketeers, people-trafficking gangs and fear. 
 
Tensions rise. 
The clock is ticking. 
But nobody wants to talk.

Eva Dolan

Eva Dolan writes some of the most important crime fiction on the scene today, and Watch Her Disappear is no exception. A top notch mystery that touches both the mind and soul, this book is not to be missed.

Watch Her Disappear is a compelling, riveting read.

Once again, this is a brilliantly paced thriller that grips you throughout. One of the great things about Eva Dolan is that she can tackle a sensitive subject without preaching to the reader... As with her previous books, Eva Dolan manages to make the story hard hitting, tragic and contemporary, while writing with authority. Any reader will be enthralled and heartbroken at the same time, and she certainly knows how to write a whodunit and keep you gripped throughout.

Dolan’s gritty novels, set in a Peterborough Hate Crimes unit, are always socially engaged and this one combines plenty of urban texture and a penetrating examination of the pressures suffered by transgender people.

Dolan tackles a difficult subject with empathy and authenticity.

Clever, compassionate, beautifully written, and utterly compelling. An excellent crime novel

YOU CAN RUN FROM YOUR PAST. BUT YOU CAN'T RUN FROM MURDER. 
 
The body is found by the river, near a spot popular with runners. 
 
With a serial rapist at work in the area, DI Zigic and DS Ferreira are initially confused when the Hate Crimes Unit is summoned to the scene. Until they discover that the victim, Corinne Sawyer, was born Colin Sawyer. 
 
Police records reveal there have been violent attacks on trans women in the local area. Was Corinne a victim of mistaken identity? Or has the person who has been targeting trans women stepped up their campaign of violence? With tensions running high, and the force coming under national scrutiny, this is a complex case and any mistake made could be fatal...

Eva Dolan

Books by Eva Dolan

Series by Eva Dolan

DI Zigic & DS Ferreira

Articles featuring Eva Dolan

The best crime novels set in England

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