Waterstone’s Best Detective Fiction and Thrillers 2021

The U.K.’s bookselling chain has come out with its lists of best detective and thriller fiction titles for 2021.

Detective Fiction


THE APPEAL, Janice Hallett
THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE, Richard Osman
THE DARK REMAINS, Ian Rankin & William McIlvanney
RICCARDIO, Andrea Camilleri
THE HERON’S CRY, Ann Cleeves
OVER MY DEAD BODY, Jeffrey Archer
A THREE DOG PROBLEM, S. J. Bennett
A LINE TO KILL, Anthony Horowitz
THE ROYAL SECRET, Andrew Taylor
1979, Val McDermid
THE SANATORIUM, Sarah Pearse
A HAUNTING AT HOLKHAM, Anne Glenconnor
THE DARK HOURS, Michael Connelly
THE MIDNIGHT LOCK, Jeffery Deaver
THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE, Steve Cavanagh
TRUE CRIME STORY, Joseph Knox
THE MIDNIGHT HOUR, Elly Griffiths
DEATH AND CROISSANTS, Ian Moore

Thrillers


A SLOW FIRE BURNING, Paula Hawkins
BETTER OFF DEAD, Lee Child, Andrew Child
BILLY SUMMERS, Stephen King
MAGPIE, Elizabeth Day
THE MAIDENS, Alex Michaelides
NEVER, Ken Follett
THE APOLLO MURDERS, Chris Hadfield
THE JEALOUSY MAN (sh.st.), Jo Nesbo
FALLING, T. J. Newman
JUDAS 62, Charles Cumming
APPLES NEVER FALL, Liane Moriarty
A NARROW DOOR, Joanne Harris
HEATWAVE, Victor Jestin
THE JUDGE’S LIST, John Grisham
STATE OF TERROR, Hillary R. Clinton, Louise Penny
THE PRESIDENT’S DAUGHTER, Bill Clinton, James Patterson
THE HEIGHTS, Louise Candlish
THE KHAN, Saima Mir
SIXTEEN HORSES, Greg Buchanan
COLD JUSTICE, Ant Middleton
RIZZIO, Denise Mina
THE NAMELESS ONES, John Connolly

Thanks to Larry Gandle for finding this list.