12 debut fiction authors of 2022, their portraits arranged in a checker pattern.

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Reading lists

The best debut fiction to read this spring

Death in the Arctic

‘A brilliantly clever puzzle box of a book full of Christie-esque twists, turns and thrills – with a gloriously realised setting’ Lucy Foley 
 
'A trip into the arctic darkness you won't want to miss!' J M Hall 
 
'The setting is stunning and the mystery is entertaining.' The Guardian 
 
'Terrific... claustrophobic, surreal [and] dazzling' The Sunday Times 
 
__________________________________________ 
 
A frozen wilderness. 
A killer in the skies. 
 
When aspiring travel writer Chloé Campbell is invited aboard a luxury airship flying to the North Pole, she thinks she’s bagged the opportunity of a lifetime. 
 
But she hasn’t had long to admire the dazzling icy views before a fellow passenger is found dead in their cabin. 
 
Trapped at the top of the world, the group agrees a tragic accident has occurred. But as the hours tick by, fear turns to doubt. 
 
It seems everyone’s a suspect. 
 
And it isn’t long before the passengers begin to turn on each other . . . 
 
________________________________________ 
 
'Fiendishly clever' David Goodman 
 
'With its secrets, suspicions and unusual setting, Death in the Arctic is [Hindle's] best yet!' Anita Frank 
 
'A clever, classy and unputdownable whodunnit in a wonderful setting.' Daily Mirror 
 
'A fantastic locked-room mystery' My Weekly 
 
'Chilling' Crime Monthly 
 
'This escapist mystery is out of this world!' Fabulous 
 
'An intriguing, addictive whodunnit.’ Woman’s Weekly________________________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR TOM HINDLE 
 
'A new heir to Agatha Christie . . . classic crime for the 21st century' Ragnar Jónasson 
 
'Clever, classy and captivating' Chris Whitaker 
 
'One heir to Christie' Daily Mail 
 
'This is riveting stuff, breathing new life into the traditional locked-room mystery. Hindle puts a 21st century spin on a Golden Age tale that's both captivating and cunning' Sun 
 
'Tricksy, expertly plotted and kept me guessing till the end' Adam Simcox 
 
'Twist after gut-punching twist' M. W. Craven 
 
Murder on Lake Garda by Tom Hindle was a Sunday Times bestseller January 2024

‘The setting is stunning and the mystery is entertaining...’

'Terrific... claustrophobic, surreal [and] dazzling'

'This escapist mystery is out of this world!'

'A clever, classy and unputdownable whodunnit in a wonderful setting'

Originally hailing from Leeds, Tom Hindle lives in Oxfordshire with his wife and daughter, an overly opinionated cat and two surprisingly cunning tortoises. He is the author of A Fatal Crossing, The Murder Game, Murder on Lake Garda and Death in the Arctic - which were all inspired by masters of the crime genre such as Agatha Christie and Anthony Horowitz. 
 
Tom is hard at work on his next murder mystery.

'Terrific... claustrophobic, surreal and dazzling' The Sunday Times 
 
'Fiendishly clever' David Goodman 
 
'This escapist mystery is out of this world!' Fabulous 
___________________________________________ 
 
A frozen wilderness. 
 
A killer in the skies. 
 
When aspiring travel writer Chloé Campbell is invited aboard a luxury airship flying to the North Pole, she thinks she’s bagged the opportunity of a lifetime. 
 
But she hasn’t had long to admire the dazzling icy views before a fellow passenger is found dead in their cabin. 
 
Trapped at the top of the world, the group agrees a tragic accident has occurred. But as the hours tick by, fear turns to doubt. 
 
It seems everyone’s a suspect. 
 
And it isn’t long before the passengers begin to turn on each other . . . 
 
___________________________________________ 
 
'A trip into the arctic darkness you won't want to miss!' J M Hall 
 
'With its secrets, suspicions and unusual setting, Death in the Arctic is [Hindle's] best yet!' Anita Frank 
 
'The setting is stunning and the mystery is entertaining, and now I really want airship travel to be a thing.' The Guardian 
 
'A fantastic locked-room mystery' My Weekly 
 
'Chilling' Crime Monthly___________________________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR TOM HINDLE 
 
'A new heir to Agatha Christie . . . classic crime for the 21st century' Ragnar Jónasson 
 
'Clever, classy and captivating' Chris Whitaker 
 
'One heir to Christie' Daily Mail 
 
'This is riveting stuff, breathing new life into the traditional locked-room mystery. Hindle puts a 21st century spin on a Golden Age tale that's both captivating and cunning' Sun 
 
'Tricksy, expertly plotted and kept me guessing till the end' Adam Simcox 
 
'Twist after gut-punching twist' M. W. Craven 
 
'Dazzling' Crime Monthly

Murder on Lake Garda

_________________________ 
 
'Heir to Christie' Daily Mail 
'Clever, classy and captivating' CHRIS WHITAKER 
_______________________________ 
 
One happy couple. 
Two divided families. 
A wedding party to die for. 
 
On the private island of Castello Fiore - surrounded by the glittering waters of Lake Garda - the illustrious Heywood family gathers for their son Laurence's wedding to Italian influencer Eva Bianchi. 
 
But as the ceremony begins, a blood-curdling scream brings the proceedings to a devastating halt. 
 
With the wedding guests trapped as they await the police, old secrets come to light and family rivalries threaten to bubble over. 
 
Everyone is desperate to know . . . 
 
Who is the killer? 
 
And can they be found before they strike again? 
 
________________________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR TOM HINDLE 
 
'A new heir to Agatha Christie . . . classic crime for the 21st century' Ragnar Jónasson 
 
'This is riveting stuff, breathing new life into the traditional locked-room mystery. Hindle puts a 21st century spin on a Golden Age tale that's both captivating and cunning' Sun 
 
'Tricksy, expertly plotted and kept me guessing till the end' Adam Simcox 
 
'Twist after gut-punching twist' M. W. Craven 
 
'Dazzling' Crime Monthly 
 
Murder on Lake Garda was a no. 8 Sunday Times bestseller 04/02/24

A clever, classy and captivating murder mystery that keeps you guessing through each devilish twist

No one does murder better than Tom Hindle. Murder on Lake Garda is a twisty, twisted who-dun-it that keeps you guessing until the final page. And it&rsquo;ll make you desperate to book a holiday to Italy, despite all the killing and intrigue. Essential

A fast paced, twisty tale of glamour, intrigue and murder on the shores of Lake Garda. With enough red herrings to keep even the most ardent armchair detective puzzled, this is one wedding invitation you’ll want to accept

The tension rises with the heat in this suffocating summer murder mystery from Tom Hindle. Every page is filled with suspicion and intrigue. 
 
Clever, compelling and brilliantly atmospheric, this is a classic whodunnit in the best sense

A delightfully glitzy murder-mystery with family rivalry, old feuds and a killer twist

An excellent work that shows the dark underside of the British elite, of influencers and of Italian high-society

There's no doubt Hindle has quickly established himself as a reliable purveyor of old-fashioned crime fiction thrills

Full of suspicious characters, crafty red herrings and clever twists, Hindle&rsquo;s latest murder mystery is a read-in-a-single-sitting book

A thoroughly enjoyable read that adroitly evokes a tale of Golden Age detection . . . highly recommend

One happy couple. 
Two divided families. 
A wedding party to die for. 
 
On the private island of Castello Fiore - surrounded by the glittering waters of Lake Garda - the illustrious Heywood family gathers for their son Laurence's wedding to Italian influencer Eva Bianchi. 
 
But as the ceremony begins, a blood-curdling scream brings the proceedings to a devastating halt. 
 
With the wedding guests trapped as they await the police, old secrets come to light and family rivalries threaten to bubble over. 
 
Everyone is desperate to know . . . 
 
Who is the killer? 
 
And can they be found before they strike again? 
 
________________________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR TOM HINDLE 
 
'A new heir to Agatha Christie . . . classic crime for the 21st century' Ragnar Jónasson 
 
'This is riveting stuff, breathing new life into the traditional locked-room mystery. Hindle puts a 21st century spin on a Golden Age tale that's both captivating and cunning' Sun 
 
'Tricksy, expertly plotted and kept me guessing till the end' Adam Simcox 
 
'Twist after gut-punching twist' M. W. Craven 
 
'Dazzling' Crime Monthly

The Murder Game

____________________________________ 
 
One house. Nine guests. Endless motives for murder... 
 
Guests assemble at Hamlet Hall for a New Year's Eve party to remember. 
 
They are to take part in a murder mystery game with a 1920s twist, and everyone has their own part to play. 
 
But the evening has barely begun when one guest is found dead - killed by an injury to the head. 
 
Someone is playing by their own rules. 
 
And in a close-knit community, old rivalries run deep... 
 
___________________________________________________ 
 
Readers are loving The Murder Game . . . 
 
'Absolutely loved it' 
'A must-read for Christie fans' 
'Full of tension' 
'Fast-paced and thrilling' 
'So clever and intricate' 
 
_____________________________________________________ 
 
Praise for Tom Hindle: 
 
'Will delight Agatha Christie fans' Ragnar Jónasson 
 
'Twist after gut-punching twist' M. W. Craven 
 
'Dazzling' Crime Monthly 
 
'My kind of book' Belfast Telegraph 
 
'Suspenseful' Country Life Magazine 
 
Murder on Lake Garda by Tom Hindle was a no.8 Sunday Times bestseller 04/02/2024

One house. Nine guests. Endless motives for murder... 
 
Guests assemble at Hamlet Hall for a New Year's Eve party to remember. 
 
They are to take part in a murder mystery game with a 1920s twist, and everyone has their own part to play. 
 
But the evening has barely begun when one guest is found dead - killed by an injury to the head. 
 
Someone is playing by their own rules. 
 
And in a close-knit community, old rivalries run deep... 
 
 
Praise for Tom Hindle: 
 
'Will delight Agatha Christie fans' Ragnar Jónasson 
 
'Twist after gut-punching twist' M. W. Craven 
 
'Dazzling' Crime Monthly 
 
'My kind of book' Belfast Telegraph 
 
'Suspenseful' Country Life Magazine

A Fatal Crossing

'Dazzling' Crime Monthly 
'My kind of book!' Belfast Telegraph 
'Captivating' My Weekly Magazine 
'Ingenious' Crime Time 
'Suspenseful' Country Life Magazine 
_____________________________________ 
 
November 1924. The Endeavour sets sail to New York with 2,000 passengers - and a killer - on board . 
 
When an elderly gentleman is found dead at the foot of a staircase, ship's officer Timothy Birch is ready to declare it a tragic accident. But James Temple, a strong-minded Scotland Yard inspector, is certain there is more to this misfortune than meets the eye. 
 
Birch agrees to investigate, and the trail quickly leads to the theft of a priceless painting. Its very existence is known only to its owner . . . and the now dead man. 
 
With just days remaining until they reach New York, and even Temple's purpose on board the Endeavour proving increasingly suspicious, Birch's search for the culprit is fraught with danger. 
 
And all the while, the passengers continue to roam the ship with a killer in their midst. 
________________________________________________________ 
 
'That perfect recipe for a mystery: half the time you’ll marvel at Hindle’s cleverness, the other half you’ll kick yourself because he’s tricked you' Benjamin Stevenson 
 
'Tom Hindle is one of our most exciting voices in crime fiction, with work that’s consistently punchy, intriguing, original and delightful' Janice Hallett 
 
'A very clever plot and a final twist which will delight Agatha Christie fans. You will love it!!!' Ragnar Jónasson 
 
'With twist after gut-punching twist, A Fatal Crossing really is an ingenious thriller. Highly recommend' M. W. Craven 
 
'So richly atmospheric you feel like you’re on board. I haven’t felt my jaw drop like that at an ending in a long time - you absolutely won’t see this one coming!' Kristen Perrin 
 
'It twists and turns like the best of Christie' - Peterborough Telegraph 
 
'A tantalizing and captivating plot, filled with detail and texture to enhance the feeling of the halcyon days of the liners and their times' Shots Magazine 
 
'The action unfolds at a rip-roaring pace in this perfectly executed homage to the Golden Age of crime, which features a deviously devised plot boasting a final twist worthy of Christie herself. I absolutely loved it' Anita Frank 
 
'Twists and turns cartwheel to a blindsiding finish' Woman's Weekly 
 
'My favourite westward Atlantic crossing detective novel is Peter Lovesey's The Fake Inspector Dew (1981), but A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle is a first-rate addition to the corpus [...] A very good debut novel' The Critic 
 
Murder on Lake Garda by Tom Hindle was a no.8 Sunday Times bestseller 04/02/24

Tom Hindle is one of our most exciting voices in crime fiction, with work that’s consistently punchy, intriguing, original and delightful.

That perfect recipe for a mystery: half the time you’ll marvel at Hindle’s cleverness, the other half you’ll kick yourself because he’s tricked you.

So richly atmospheric you feel like you’re on board - I was utterly transported to the 1920s and loved every minute spent trying to untangle this intricately plotted mystery. Complex characters abound, historical details lock you in, and the twists and turns just keep coming. I haven’t felt my jaw drop like that at an ending in a long time - you absolutely won’t see this one coming!

'Dazzling' Crime Monthly 
'My kind of book!' Belfast Telegraph 
'Captivating' My Weekly Magazine 
'Suspenseful' Country Life Magazine 
_____________________________________ 
 
*WATERSTONES AUGUST THRILLER OF THE MONTH* 
 
November 1924. The Endeavour sets sail to New York with 2,000 passengers - and a killer - on board . 
 
When an elderly gentleman is found dead at the foot of a staircase, ship's officer Timothy Birch is ready to declare it a tragic accident. But James Temple, a strong-minded Scotland Yard inspector, is certain there is more to this misfortune than meets the eye. 
 
Birch agrees to investigate, and the trail quickly leads to the theft of a priceless painting. Its very existence is known only to its owner . . . and the now dead man. 
 
With just days remaining until they reach New York, and even Temple's purpose on board the Endeavour proving increasingly suspicious, Birch's search for the culprit is fraught with danger. 
 
And all the while, the passengers continue to roam the ship with a killer in their midst. 
________________________________________________________ 
 
'A very clever plot and a final twist which will delight Agatha Christie fans. You will love it!!!' Ragnar Jónasson 
 
'With twist after gut-punching twist, A Fatal Crossing really is an ingenious thriller. Highly recommend' M. W. Craven 
 
'It twists and turns like the best of Christie' - Peterborough Telegraph 
 
'A tantalizing and captivating plot, filled with detail and texture to enhance the feeling of the halcyon days of the liners and their times' Shots Magazine 
 
'The action unfolds at a rip-roaring pace in this perfectly executed homage to the Golden Age of crime, which features a deviously devised plot boasting a final twist worthy of Christie herself. I absolutely loved it' Anita Frank 
 
'Twists and turns cartwheel to a blindsiding finish' Woman's Weekly 
 
'My favourite westward Atlantic crossing detective novel is Peter Lovesey's The Fake Inspector Dew (1981), but A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle is a first-rate addition to the corpus [...] A very good debut novel' The Critic

A Body in the Pyramid

THE GRIPPING NEW MURDER MYSTERY FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR. 
 
LIGHTS. CAMERA. MURDER.Layla Polworth has dreamed of visiting the ancient oasis town of Araka all her life.So when the opportunity arises to travel to Egypt as a consulting archaeologist on a big-budget action movie, she jumps at the chance.Arriving on location amid breathtaking ruins, Layla finds herself part of a tight-knit cast and crew, where conflict is already rife and where her own past is rapidly catching up with her.The cameras are rolling. The actors are in place. But when a seemingly impossible murder is committed, the drama really begins. Not least because it quickly becomes clear that Layla is the lead suspect.Trapped in the desert, with the sun blazing overhead and only the unlikeliest of allies beside her, she must use all of her ingenuity if she’s to prove her innocence – and stop a ruthless killer in their tracks. 
____________________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR TOM HINDLE . . . 
 
'Tom Hindle is one of our most exciting voices in crime fiction, with work that’s consistently punchy, intriguing, original and delightful' Janice Hallett 
 
'Brilliantly clever' Lucy Foley 
 
'Heir to Christie' Daily Mail 
 
'Clever, classy and captivating' Chris Whitaker 
 
'Twisty and gripping . . . Hindle just gets better with every book' Woman's Weekly 
 
'Jolly entertainment' Crime Time

LIGHTS. CAMERA. MURDER.Layla Polworth has dreamed of visiting the ancient oasis town of Araka all her life.So when the opportunity arises to travel to Egypt as a consulting archaeologist on a big-budget action movie, she jumps at the chance.Arriving on location amid breathtaking ruins, Layla finds herself part of a tight-knit cast and crew, where conflict is already rife and where her own past is rapidly catching up with her.The cameras are rolling. The actors are in place. But when a seemingly impossible murder is committed, the drama really begins. Not least because it quickly becomes clear that Layla is the lead suspect.Trapped in the desert, with the sun blazing overhead and only the unlikeliest of allies beside her, she must use all of her ingenuity if she’s to prove her innocence – and stop a ruthless killer in their tracks.

Tom Hindle

Tom Hindle is rapidly asserting himself as the master of the murder mystery and this is his best one yet. With an exotic location, strained relationships, dangerous secrets and festering resentments, A Killer in Paradise will keep you glued to your seat until the final page.

A murderous escape to a luxury Costa Rican resort filled with secrets and twists. This one will keep you guessing until the end!

Endlessly compulsive – with depths as hidden and sinister as the rain forest itself.

A subtropical tour-de-force… Hidden motivations and underhand shenanigans abound in this twisting, double bluffing classic mystery.

Tom Hindle has committed the perfect crime novel. A tangled tale of a reunion in Costa Rica that goes twistily and murderously wrong! A delight from start to finish and a five-star read for me!

Hindle surprises and astonishes the way only magicians and the best crime writers can. A dazzler.

Set against the darkly pulsating backdrop of the rainforest, this excellent closed circle mystery cements Hindle’s reputation for delivering gripping modern takes on the Christie formula. Tremendously engaging.

The author delivers a series of clever bluffs and double bluffs which will keep readers guessing until the killer is unmasked in this classy murder mystery in a glorious setting.

Tom Hindle is brilliant at dissecting group dynamics in claustrophobic settings, demonstrating the corrosive effect of long-held secrets.

Tom's books always feel new and different, and this is no different. Great characterisation.

Twisty and gripping... Hindle just gets better with every book.

THE GRIPPING NEW MURDER MYSTERY FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR. 
 
‘The perfect crime novel’ Janice Hallett 
‘Tremendously engaging.’ Vaseem Khan 
 
The trip of their dreams is about to end in murder. 
 
When five old friends are invited to join Abigail Blythe at the launch of her luxury hotel in the Costa Rican rainforest, they jump at the chance to spend a week in paradise. 
 
None of them have heard from Abigail since the summer they went backpacking in Central America as students – a trip that ended in disaster for one member of the group. . . 
 
Ten years may have passed, but old rivalries are never far from the surface. So when a body is discovered during the hotel’s launch event, it soon becomes clear that one among them must be responsible. 
 
Someone is desperate to keep an old secret hidden – whatever the cost . . . 
_______________________________________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR A KILLER IN PARADISE . . . 
 
'Filled with secrets and twists. This one will keep you guessing until the end!' Kelly Mullen 
 
'The master of the murder mystery. . .' Anita Frank 
 
'Endlessly compulsive – with depths as hidden and sinister as the rain forest itself.’ J M Hall 
 
‘A subtropical tour-de-force… Hidden motivations and underhand shenanigans abound in this twisting, double bluffing classic mystery.’ David Goodman 
 
'Hindle surprises and astonishes the way only magicians and the best crime writers can. A dazzler.' Benjamin Stevenson 
 
PRAISE FOR TOM HINDLE . . . 
 
'Brilliantly clever' Lucy Foley 
 
'Heir to Christie' Daily Mail 
 
'Clever, classy and captivating' Chris Whitaker

Tom Hindle

Praise for A Killer in Paradise

Tom Hindle is rapidly asserting himself as the master of the murder mystery and this is his best one yet. With an exotic location, strained relationships, dangerous secrets and festering resentments, A Killer in ...

A murderous escape to a luxury Costa Rican resort filled with secrets and twists. This one will keep you guessing until the end!

Endlessly compulsive – with depths as hidden and sinister as the rain forest itself.

Tom Hindle is rapidly asserting himself as the master of the murder mystery and this is his best one yet. With an exotic location, strained relationships, dangerous secrets and festering resentments, A Killer in ...

A murderous escape to a luxury Costa Rican resort filled with secrets and twists. This one will keep you guessing until the end!

Endlessly compulsive – with depths as hidden and sinister as the rain forest itself.

Tom Hindle is rapidly asserting himself as the master of the murder mystery and this is his best one yet. With an exotic location, strained relationships, dangerous secrets and festering resentments, A Killer in ...

A murderous escape to a luxury Costa Rican resort filled with secrets and twists. This one will keep you guessing until the end!

Endlessly compulsive – with depths as hidden and sinister as the rain forest itself.

Books by Tom Hindle

Articles featuring Tom Hindle

The best debut fiction to read this spring

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