Home
Discover
Articles
8 of the best crime book series to start now

8 of the best crime book series to start now

21 September 2026

min read

··

The best crime books make you feel part of the story, as you race to solve the puzzle before the hardboiled detective. But when you start a crime book series, you’re in for an even more immersive experience: with each instalment, the plot stays surprising but the characters become like old friends – think Alex Cross, Jack Reacher, or the Thursday Murder Club gang. The following detective series books are the ones that have had everyone talking…

We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman

You’ve undoubtedly heard of Richard Osman’s chart-topping The Thursday Murder Club series. But this year, Osman is publishing We Chase Shadows, the second book in his We Solve Murders series.

New to the We Solve Murders series? Steve Wheeler leaves his quiet life of retirement when he receives an SOS text from his daughter-in-law, Amy. While working as a private security guard for a high-profile client, she’s stumbled upon a body, a bag of cash, and a killer who wants her dead. Steve and Amy jet off around the world, trying to solve the mystery – and stay out of danger.

The second novel in this series has a lot of heart, and is written with Osman’s trademark wit and style. We can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Read an exclusive extract from We Solve Murders here.

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

Tess Gerritsen has earned a loyal fanbase thanks to her brilliant Rizzoli & Isles detective series, but now she has turned her pen to a slightly different genre – espionage – with the first book in a new series, The Spy Coast.

Maggie is a retired former spy, living in a quiet seaside town. But when an unidentified body is left on her driveway, she knows it’s a calling card from the world she left behind. She rallies the ‘Martini Club’ – her silver-haired book club of fellow retired spies. Together, can they solve the case and stay one step ahead of local law enforcement?

The Trial by Rob Rinder

Television personality and criminal justice barrister Rob Rinder has become one of the most talked-about new authors in the legal thriller genre. His first book, The Trial, was a number one Sunday Times bestseller. It follows trainee barrister Adam Greene, who has been assigned an impossible first case: to defend Jimmy Knight, the main suspect in the murder of a policeman in the Old Bailey. All evidence points to Jimmy, but can Adam find the real culprit?

After finishing The Trial, we recommend Rinder’s second book in the series, The Suspect. When a beloved TV presenter is poisoned on air, everyone suspects the celebrity chef she had been dating. It’s down to Adam Greene to prove his innocence…

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

This funny, original murder mystery series is perfect for fans of Knives Out and Only Murders in the Building. In the first book, Ernest Cunningham’s family reunion ends in murder. Everyone in his family, whether on purpose or by accident, has committed a murder in the past, so naturally everyone is a suspect. Ernest is innocent, and determined to find the person responsible…

Benjamin Stevenson’s follow-up book, Everyone on This Train is a Suspect, is another delicious locked-room mystery, where someone is murdered on a train full of crime writers, meaning every suspect is a professional in how to get away with murder. Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret will also be going straight in our stocking.

12 Months to Live by James Patterson

James Patterson is the crime-writing powerhouse behind several bestselling series (Alex Cross, The Women’s Murder Club and Private, to name a few). His latest series features a tough criminal defence lawyer, Jane Smith, who fights for high-profile defendants accused of murder in court, all the while privately living with a terminal illness.

In the first novel, 12 Months to Live, Jane defends a client accused of a triple homicide, while also investigating a cold case. In the second book, 8 Months Left, Jane’s client claims to have been framed for murder. Given the central character’s terminal diagnosis, these pacy thrillers feel even more like a race against time.

Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell

Lisa Jewell is best known for her dark, twisty thrillers (including this year’s bestseller It Could Have Been Her), but now she has taken on a slightly different project. Breaking the Dark is the first in the brand-new Marvel Crime series, and it tells the story of private investigator (and retired superhero) Jessica Jones, who runs an agency in New York.

When Jones is approached by a concerned parent, whose twin sons have returned from Europe with suspiciously perfect complexions and mannerisms, her investigation uncovers a corrupt billionaire and technology that could change the world as we know it. Despite being set in the Marvel universe, Breaking the Dark is full of the suspense, dark plot twists, and fascinating characters that we’ve come to expect from Lisa Jewell.

Murder at Holly House by Denzil Meyrick

In this cosy Christmas mystery, the year is 1952 and a body has been found in the chimney of Holly House in the sleepy village of Elderby. Inspector Frank Grasby is on the case. But when a blizzard cuts the town off from the outside world, and another person turns up dead, Grasby soon realises that someone in Elderby is hiding something.

This festive ‘whodunnit’ has plenty of twists, and the follow-up, The Christmas Stocking Murders, is every bit as addictive.

Miss Austen Investigates by Jessica Bull

This is another cosy crime novel set in the past – but this time, we’re going back to Hampshire in 1795. A young Jane Austen is attending a local ball, but celebrations are cut short when a body is found in the closet. When her own brother is suspected, Jane must channel her quick wit into sleuthing and find the real culprit to clear her brother’s name.

8 of the best crime book series to start now

25 of the best historical mysteries

Books based on true crime and real-life murder mysteries

From Bond to Argylle: how spy fiction has evolved

What to read next if you love Lee Child

Best police procedural books to add to your reading list

13 of the best serial killer thrillers

Claire Douglas: 10 of my favourite thrillers

18 top page turners, as picked by Lee Child

The best cosy crime books and mysteries to read in 2026

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter