Best crime books and thrillers of 2026

Reading lists

The Night We Lost Him

From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller and Reese’s Book Club Pick The Last Thing He Told Me comes a riveting mystery wrapped in an epic love story . . . 
 
‘An engrossing mystery and a story with emotional heft’ Shari Lapena 
 
‘A master storyteller. You won’t want to miss this one’ Harlan Coben 
 
'The best mystery of the year' Jennifer Garner 
 
_________ 
 
One beautiful Californian evening, a wealthy businessman falls to his death from his secluded cliff-top house onto the rocks below. 
 
A tragic accident? Or murder? 
 
Nora and her half-brother Sam suspect it may be the latter, and team up to uncover the truth of what really happened that night. 
 
But their relationship has never been easy, and it is about to be tested to the limit as they start to question how well either of them really knew their elusive father. 
 
Unravelling his mysterious past takes them back to a world they knew nothing about, to a tangled love affair and a web of relationships that other people would far rather stay buried... 
 
Filled with passion, intrigue, lies, and dark, dark family secrets, The Night We Lost Him is a page turning mystery you won’t ever want to put down. 
 
_________ 
 
Readers can't get enough of The Night We Lost Him . . .‘WOW!’ 5-star reader review 
 
‘I was hooked from the start’ 5-star reader review 
 
‘Chef's kiss of perfection’ 5-star reader review 
 
‘Stunning’ 5-star reader review 
 
‘A million stars’ 5-star reader review 
 
‘I loved every single second of this’ 5-star reader review 
 
‘I couldn’t put it down!’ 5-star reader review 
 
‘Superb’ 5-star reader review 
 
‘A fantastic read!’ 5-star reader review 
 
'I loved everything about this book’ 5-star reader review 
 
'An engrossing family drama with thriller elements . . . I finished it in a day because I couldn’t put it down!’ 5-star reader review 
 
 
More love for The Night We Lost Him . . . 
 
'Dave is the founder and master of a new kind of thriller. One that sets love, not death, at its centre. A tour de force of emotion.' Rebecca Serle 
 
'Promises to serve up Dave’s signature blend of pulse-pounding suspense and moving family drama.' People 
 
'Genuinely moving.' The New York Times 
 
'A beautifully told, gripping mystery.' That’s Life Crime Scene Magazine 
 
'Dave pulls off something that feels both new and familiar: a novel of domestic suspense that unnerves, then reassures.' Bookpage 
 
'Clear and sharp as a diamond.' Time

It’s rare for a book to keep me up past my bedtime, but I just couldn’t stop with this gripping thriller.

Dave pulls off something that feels both new and familiar: a novel of domestic suspense that unnerves, then reassures.

Promises to serve up Dave’s signature blend of pulse-pounding suspense and moving family drama.

Laura Dave is the global number one bestselling author of several novels, including The Last Thing He Told Me and Eight Hundred Grapes. Her novels have been translated into thirty-eight languages, and six of them, including The Night We Lost Him, have been optioned for film and television. She resides in Santa Monica, California.

From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller and Reese’s Book Club Pick The Last Thing He Told Me comes a riveting mystery wrapped in an epic love story . . . 
 
‘An engrossing mystery and a story with emotional heft’ Shari Lapena 
 
‘A master storyteller. You won’t want to miss this one’ Harlan Coben 
 
'The best mystery of the year' Jennifer Garner 
 
_________ 
 
One beautiful Californian evening, a wealthy businessman falls to his death from his secluded cliff-top house onto the rocks below. 
A tragic accident? Or murder? 
 
Nora and her half-brother Sam suspect it may be the latter, and team up to uncover the truth of what really happened that night. 
 
But their relationship has never been easy, and it is about to be tested to the limit as they start to question how well either of them really knew their elusive father. 
 
Unravelling his mysterious past takes them back to a world they knew nothing about, to a tangled love affair and a web of relationships that other people would far rather stay buried... 
 
Filled with passion, intrigue, lies, and dark, dark family secrets, The Night We Lost Him is a page turning mystery you won’t ever want to put down. 
 
_________ 
 
Readers can't get enough of The Night We Lost Him . . .***** 'I loved everything about this book. The characters, the mystery and above all, the ending.' 
***** 'An engrossing family drama with thriller elements ... I finished it in a day because I couldn’t put it down! ' 
***** 'There were so many twists in this book I didn’t see coming.' 
***** 'This book is a rich tapestry of emotions and relationships, and I’m left craving more.' 
***** ' I genuinely loved this book. And I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys slow burn literary mystery novels with realistic characters and a great love story behind it all.' 
 
More love for The Night We Lost Him . . . 
 
'Dave is the founder and master of a new kind of thriller. One that sets love, not death, at its centre. A tour de force of emotion.' Rebecca Serle 
 
'Promises to serve up Dave’s signature blend of pulse-pounding suspense and moving family drama.' People 
 
'Genuinely moving.' The New York Times 
 
'A beautifully told, gripping mystery.' That’s Life Crime Scene Magazine 
 
'Dave pulls off something that feels both new and familiar: a novel of domestic suspense that unnerves, then reassures.' Bookpage 
 
'Clear and sharp as a diamond.' Time

Laura Dave

Action-packed and deeply felt, this sequel is every bit as incredible as The Last Thing He Told Me. Clear your schedule because once you pick this book up, you won’t be able to put it down. I loved everything about it

Every single review is just out of this world and I am going to add mine. Five stars

Dave’s ability to chart her characters’ emotional geography—mapping love and loss—and the way she explores their intimate connections help explain her popularity; propulsive pacing doesn’t hurt, either.

[Dave] provides plenty of twists and emphasizes the love that binds her characters together, even the bad ones. How far will they go to keep their families safe?

An essential sequel that ties up loose threads while providing a thrilling ride across continents

Twists and turns will keep readers guessing throughout the novel at how it will all end. The characters’ love and concern for each other show through their thoughts and actions … This sequel is sure to be a hit.

Dave’s writing is clear and sharp as a diamond

[A] heart-pounding sequel … The pacing is brisk from the very first page, with Dave nimbly juggling multiple perspectives and timelines en route to a finale that provides readers with satisfying answers to their questions.

The distinctive mix of mafia saga, love story and globetrotting action thriller is just as beguiling as before

A cat and mouse game plays out across a series of deluxe locations … Enjoyable

A tense story, but a surprisingly tender one.

Pure adrenaline. The kind of book you inhale like your favorite snack—you keep reaching for just one more handful until suddenly, the box is empty. I couldn’t stop. My heart was in my throat!

A suspense-tinged exploration of trust, love, and the secrets that bind people together.

Utterly thrill­ing and superbly told, the sequel is every bit as com­pel­ling as the first instal­ment.

The long-awaited follow-up to the global bestselling The Last Thing He Told Me, soon to be a major series on Apple TV+ (coming 2026). 
'GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. NOW.' 
A text from an unknown number. It's from Owen, Hannah's husband, who left her and his daughter Bailey without warning five years previously, and hasn't been seen since. 
 
Hannah saw him the previous evening though and although they didn't talk or even acknowledge each other, she knows she and Bailey are in danger. And that they need to leave their home in Los Angeles – and run. 
 
But why has Owen come back now? 
 
As Hannah drives north up the Californian coast, along minor roads where she and Bailey won't be seen, she wrestles with this question as well as who can be hunting them. 
 
Finally they come to an airport where they board a plane to Paris where Hannah has been told someone is waiting for them. 
 
Paris, a special city where Hannah and Owen had honeymooned; where she hopes she and Bailey will be safe; and where her and Owen's enemies are plotting their revenge ... 
 
Acclaimed author Laura Dave is back with an adrenalin-fuelled thriller you will never want to end. The gripping follow-up to the global bestseller, The Last Thing He Told Me. 
 
Love for The Last Thing He Told Me: 
‘You won’t want to miss this one’ HARLAN COBEN 
‘A tour de force of emotion’ REBECCA SERLE 
'The ultimate page turner' REESE WITHERSPOON 
'Powerful, intense and beautifully observed' T.M. LOGAN 
'A brilliant thriller' JANE CASEY

Laura Dave

Books by Laura Dave

Articles featuring Laura Dave

Best crime books and thrillers of 2026

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter