The best books out this month

March promises the first flicker of longed-for spring (after one of the wettest starts to the year on record), but this month’s crime and thriller releases prove that darkness is always lurking behind closed doors…

From twisty domestic thrillers to razor-sharp courtroom dramas, March’s new releases deliver tension in every shade while transporting you to claustrophobic Greek islands, snowbound Nordic mountains, and tight-knit small towns in America. Whether you love psychological suspense, Scandi noir or high-concept crime, there’s something for every crime lover on our below list of stand-out thrillers being published this month.

New crime books out this month:

The Family Friend by Claire Douglas

Claire Douglas returns with another tightly-wound domestic thriller that will keep you guessing until the final page. When Imogen inherits a crumbling country house from an artist she hasn’t seen in 16 years, it feels like a fresh start. But when she finds a box with her name on it, and hears rumours that her old friend was murdered, Imogen investigates what happened to the artist – and, in so doing, uncovers long-buried family secrets. This novel is moody, tense, and emotionally layered – and we’d expect nothing less from the author of The Wrong Sister.

Judge Stone by James Patterson and Viola Davis

Set in small-town Alabama, this emotionally-charged courtroom thriller introduces the formidable Judge Mary Stone. Respected, principled, and fiercely intelligent, she presides over a case that divides her community and draws national scrutiny: a doctor charged with administering an abortion to a 13-year-old girl. Criminally, it’s an open-and-shut case; ethically, it’s a minefield. Patterson’s propulsive pacing blends seamlessly with Viola Davis’s powerful voice, delivering a drama that explores justice, resilience, and what it truly means to stand your ground.

Hide and Seek by Søren Sveistrup

The master of Scandi noir returns with a chilling missing persons mystery. A woman receives sinister messages quoting a children’s rhyme – then she disappears. As Detectives Naia Thulin and Mark Hess investigate, they find links to a cold case and realise they’re in a race against time to find a twister killer. Atmospheric, intricate, and laced with icy dread, this Danish thriller combines methodical police work with mounting psychological terror. Fans of The Chestnut Man won’t be disappointed.

The Truth About Ruby Cooper by Liz Nugent

Liz Nugent’s new novel opens with a line that instantly hooks you and refuses to let go: “If my sister hadn’t been beautiful, none of it would have happened.” What follows is a raw, unsettling, and emotionally devastating psychological thriller that explores addiction, family loyalty, and the destructive power of buried secrets. When a teenage incident shatters Ruby Cooper’s tight-knit church community, the consequences ripple across decades and continents. This is an emotionally-charged yet addictive novel that’s perfect for fans of Strange Sally Diamond and Ruth Rendell.

How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson

One of the most inventive debuts of the year, this wickedly clever thriller centres on a serial killer who publishes a step-by-step murder manual – and leaves copies at crime scenes. Yet, as DI Samantha Harsen tracks the enigmatic author Denver Brady, fiction and reality begin to blur. Smart, darkly playful, and packed with misdirection, this book-within-a-book mystery delivers sharp tension alongside a compelling story of trauma and resilience.

Dead Heat by Sabine Durrant

This sun-soaked mystery simmers with claustrophobic tension – think White Lotus with a razor-sharp edge. The story unfolds over one blazing hot summer on Greece’s Mani Peninsula. Struggling journalist Matt Grimshaw is reeling from losing his job and girlfriend in one fell swoop, so he eagerly accepts the offer to stay with his friends in their holiday home. But the idyllic setting soon curdles with jealousy, secrets and betrayal, culminating in a death that might not have been accidental…

A Murder in Eight Cocktails by Kelly Mullen

Murder has never been quite so stylish. In glamourous Carmel-by-the-Sea, retired interior designer Willa Keane finds herself investigating a suspicious death at a cocktail bar opening hosted by her ex-husband. As secrets swirl alongside expertly mixed drinks, Willa teams up with both her current husband and former flame to uncover the truth. Witty, indulgent, and delightfully escapist, this cosy crime mystery blends humour, heart, and satisfying plot twists.

It Ends Here by Heidi Perks

A quiet café in a sleepy marina town becomes the centre of a terrifying hostage situation in this taut psychological thriller. Five strangers are trapped inside, and their loved ones wait outside in mounting panic. But one of them isn’t a hostage; they are the mastermind behind the operation. The only question is: who would be willing to kill to keep their secret? With its clever structure and escalating tension, Perks delivers an emotionally charged story that examines how well we truly know those closest to us.

The Hiding Season by A. C. Glass

Isolation turns lethal in this atmospheric, mountain-set thriller. Seeking a fresh start after heartbreak, Maya Landry takes a caretaker job at an elite Montana ski resort – only to witness a brutal crime. Stranded in the off-season wilderness, she becomes the killer’s next target. Cinematic and chilling, The Hiding Season delivers a tense cat-and-mouse chase where the snowy setting is as dangerous as the predator.

The pick of the paperbacks

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