Top 8 Crime and Thriller Titles for December 2020

Take a look at these spine-tingling tales of murder, secrets and suspense, all available on our catalogue to reserve and brand new for December.

Fool Me Twice by Jeff Lindsay

Riley Wolfe, the master thief and master of disguise is back with 'Fool Me Twice', with a bigger take and much higher stakes. Can he steal a fresco in Rome, an actual painted wall, for the arms dealer who has captured him and threatened him in the most personal way? If anyone can get away with it, it's Riley Wolfe. He's always liked a challenge, and there is nothing more satisfying than robbing, and perhaps even double-crossing, the rich!

Fate by Zhou Haohui

After the death of 'Eumenides', a former police student who was sending 'death notices' to unpunished criminals before brutally murdering them, the Chengdu Police Department assumed that the killing spree would stop. But the murders continue, leading the 4/18 task force to the terrifying truth: Eumenides had a protégé. Captain Pei Tao and his task force redouble their efforts to catch this new opponent, but relationships become fraught. Can they trust each other?

A Time to Lie by Simon Berthon

On the morning of the Tory Party conference, the bones of a young woman's hand are discovered in a London building site. Jed Fowkes, Special Adviser at the Treasury, confronts Prime Minister Robin Sandford with a terrible accusation. He claims the hand belongs to someone they once knew well: a young woman whom Sandford murdered years ago. With his career on the brink of ruin, the Prime Minister's only hope is to enlist the unofficial help of MI5. A decision which leads him into a new world of espionage, illegal trafficking and murder. And the deeper he goes, the more treacherous the game becomes. Because now it's not just his life on the line; it's the future of the state itself.

The Hidden Girls by Rebecca Whitney

For Ruth, a new mother recovering from postpartum psychosis, every day is difficult and, after months spent hearing voices in the walls and trusting no one, she's no longer confident in her own judgement. Neither, it seems, is anyone else. So, when she hears a scream from the local petrol station one night, she initially decides it must be her mind playing tricks again. The police, too, are polite but firm: she must stop calling them every time she thinks she hears something. And her husband is frustrated: he'd hoped Ruth was getting better at last. Ruth can't quite let it go. What if there was a scream? What if it was someone in trouble? Someone who needs Ruth's help? Exploring the dark and isolating side of motherhood, the question at the heart of 'The Hidden Girls' is how much you can help someone else when you can't trust anyone - even yourself.

The Open House by Sam Carrington

Everyone's welcome. But not everyone leaves. Nick and Amber Miller are splitting up and selling their family home in Apple Grove, Devon. But despite the desirable location, their house isn't selling. Not a single viewing so far.When their estate agent suggests an open house event, Amber is worried about her nosy neighbours attending, gossiping about why her house has been unusually difficult to sell. But Amber has more to worry about than nosy neighbours. Because thirteen people enter her house that afternoon, and only twelve leave. You'd know if there was an intruder living in your home, wouldn't you?

Out for blood by Deborah Masson

A young man, the son of an influential businessman, is discovered dead in his central Aberdeen apartment. Hours later, a teenaged girl with no identification is found hanged in a suspected suicide. As DI Eve Hunter and her team investigate the two cases, they find themselves in a tug-of-war between privilege and poverty; between the elite and those on the fringes of society. Then an unexpected breakthrough leads them to the shocking conclusion: that those in power have been at the top for too long - and now, someone is going to desperate lengths to bring them down. Can they stop someone who is dead set on revenge, no matter the cost?

Little Bones by Nicky Peacock

I have three names: I was born Leigh-Ann. I became Cherrie. When I was a child, they called me Little Bones. My father was Mr Bones - the notorious serial killer of 20 years ago. As a child I witnessed his crimes. Everything is different now. I have a new identity. I'm a mother. I am finally free. Until that podcast. I should never have listened. They're linking a recent kidnapping to the crimes of the past. They know who I am. They're calling me Little Bones again. They say I'm a villain but I'm not. I'm a victim. You believe me, don't you?

The Spiral by Iain Ryan

Erma Bridges' life is far from perfect, but entirely ordinary. So when she is shot twice in a targetted attack by a colleague, her quiet existence is shattered in an instant. With her would-be murderer dead, no one can give Erma the answers she needs to move on from her trauma. Why her? Why now?