Esteemed British crime fiction critic and Barry Award Nomination Committee Member Ayo Onatade has come up with her delicious list of 2025 favorites. For her thoughts on these books go to the Shots Magazine Blog.

KING OF ASHES, S. A. Cosby
QUANTUM OF MENACE, Vaseem Khan – U.K. only
THE MIDNIGHT KING, Tariq Ashkanani
CLOWN TOWN, Mick Herron
THE DARKEST WINTER, Carlo Lucarelli – 2026 title in U.S.
MIDNIGHT STREETS, Phil Lecomber
THE PROVING GROUND, Michael Connelly
MURDER TAKES A VACATION, Laura Lippman
THE GOOD LIAR, Denise Mina
STRANGE PICTURES, Uketsu
MOSCOW UNDERGROUND, Catherine Merridale – U.K. only
THE ART OF A LIE, Laura Shepherd Robinson

Honorable Mention
HANG ON ST. CHRISTOPHER, Adrian McKinty
MURDER AT WORLD’S END, Ross Montgomery – 2026 title in U.S.
THE GOOD NAZI, Samir Machado de Machado – U.K. only
THE BURNING GROUNDS, Abir Mukherjee