The best books out this month

As the heatwave continues, what better time to lose yourself in a new book? Whether you’re packing for a holiday or looking for a read to keep you company in the garden, you’ve come to the right place. There are plenty of new thrillers due to hit the shelves in July from some of our favourite authors – including Shari Lapena, James Patterson, Lisa Jewell and more.

So, whether you’re looking for a gripping domestic thriller or a detective mystery, there’s something for every crime fiction lover on our list below…

New crime books out this month:

What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena
out 18th July

Shari Lapena, author of last year’s bestselling psychological thriller Everyone Here Is Lying, is back with a new nail-biting domestic suspense. What Have You Done? is set in a sleepy village in Vermont where nothing really happens – until a local girl is found murdered. The residents in the town turn against each other, as someone is guilty and everyone is a suspect…

The Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox
out 18th July

When ex-cop Bill Robinson took over The Inn by the Sea, he anticipated a slower pace of life. But now a crime boss has moved to town and started terrorising the locals. Bill knows he can’t just stand by and watch, so with the help of The Inn’s loyal patrons, he’s prepared to go to extreme lengths to protect his new home.

A Refiner’s Fire by Donna Leon
out 18th July

The hotly-anticipated new book in the Commissario Guido Brunetti series does not disappoint. Once again, Donna Leon transports us to the glittering streets of Venice – and its sordid underbelly. This time, “baby” gangs of teenagers are running riot, and a violent clash kicks off a chain of events that leads to Brunetti investigating a war hero with a dark past. This is a slow-burn mystery that builds to an explosive ending.

Bad Tourists by Caro Carver
out 4th July

Darcy, Camilla and Kate are best friends with a shared tragic past: all three women lost people they knew in a massacre 20 years ago. The event still haunts them and now, on a luxury trip to the Maldives, they fear history is repeating itself. Because there’s a killer on the island – and this time, they’re the target. Bad Tourists is a fun destination read, and one of our favourite escapist thrillers to read this summer.

Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell
out 4th July

Lisa Jewell is one of our favourite crime authors (and we’re still not over the ending of None Of This Is True). Now, she’s bringing her trademark gritty plot twists to the Marvel Universe. Breaking the Dark follows private investigator Jessica Jones as she explores how two American twins spent the summer in the UK with their father and came back with uncharacteristically perfect skin and manners. This is an absorbing, addictive read – and you don’t need knowledge of the Marvel Universe to enjoy it.

The Villa by Jess Ryder
out 18th July

Three years ago, bride-to-be Aoife died at her own hen party. Now, her friends are looking for closure and return to the scene of the crime. They each have their own version of what happened that night, but someone is keeping secrets – and will go to extreme lengths to keep them hidden. This fast-paced psychological thriller is full of suspense and plot twists.

Message Deleted by K. L. Slater
out 18th July

Saffy receives a message from her best friend Leona, asking her to come to her house and save her. Then the message is deleted and, when Saffy arrives, her friend claims she doesn’t know anything about it. Hours later, there’s a knock on the door: it’s the police. Leona and her child are missing, there’s blood everywhere, and Saffy was the last person to see them alive. Message Deleted is a thriller you can easily read in one sitting.

The pick of the paperbacks

The following titles have already hit the shelves in hardback and are newly available in paperback this month.

Have we missed any of the best new books out this month? Let us know in the comments below! For more reading recommendations, take a look at our best books of 2024 so far.