An Accidental Death by Peter Grainger, Paperback Original, £9.99

Grainger has been memorably described as ‘creator of the greatest fictional sleuth you’ve never heard of’. Now, having sold a million self-published copies of his gentle, character-driven Norfolk-set police procedurals, he’s about to become a crime writing superstar with their first paperback publication. An Accidental Death introduces David ‘DC’ Smith and the Kings Lake police as a routine investigation into a drowning spirals into something more sinister.

The quirky Sergeant Smith is a copper’s copper with unerring instincts, but he’s not alone – Grainger has created an entire universe filled with memorable characters you’ll want to invest in. And with 19 fabulous books incoming, there’ll be plenty of opportunities. Pitch-perfect crime writing. 10/10

Guilt by Keigo Higashino Paperback Original, £16.99

Detective Godai is tasked with catching the killer of lawyer Kensuke Shiraishi after his body is found on a riverbank in central Tokyo. His investigation leads to Tatsuro Kuraki, who quickly confesses to the murder and also to another one from 30 years ago. But there is one problem – the confession feels untrue to Godai and as he continues to investigate he finds the link between the two murders is more complicated than he ever imagined.

The first standalone crime novel by the bestselling Japanese author published in English in almost a decade masterfully explores the fine line between innocence and guilt in a compelling tale that will surprise and astonish. 10/10

Last One Out by Jane Harper, Hardback, £20

Having bounded onto the scene in 2016 with her debut novel The Dry, Jane Harper was quickly hailed as the new queen of ‘Outback Noir’. But her talents for capturing the unique atmosphere and tension of out-of-the-way places belie such labels and Last One Out is another corker of a read from a master writer.

Sam Crowley went missing on his 21st birthday. Five years on, his mother Ro returns to Carralon Ridge to commemorate his disappearance and seek new answers. The dying town is on its last legs, with few inhabitants left, but Ro isn’t ready to give up yet. As ever in a Harper book, the drama grows to a spectacular crescendo that will leave you gasping. 8/10

The Writer and the Traitor by Robert Verkaik, Hardback, £22

The relationship between notorious traitor Kim Philby and novelist Graham Greene, his erstwhile colleague in MI6, takes centre-stage in this gripping account. The pair met fighting the Nazis and their friendship survived until Philby’s death in Moscow in May 1988. Greene’s resignation just days before D-Day, in which he had played a part in deception operations, suggests he suspected his boss’s ultimate loyalties.

Yet it would be another 19 years and the height of the Cold War before Philby’s betrayal was finally exposed. Greene, who mined his experiences for novels like The Third Man and Our Man In Havana, was famously secretive and Verkaik’s fascinating non-fiction account of these 20th century icons reads like a thriller. 8/10