Shortlist has been revealed for the prestigious Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award... readers are in for a treat

Honey by Imani Thompson; Quite Ugly One Evening by Chris Brookmyre; The Final Chapter by CB Everett; The Hollow Boys by Tariq Ashkanani; Shrink Solves Murder by Philippa Perry

Source: Review copyPublication: 14 May 2026 from ViperPP: 352ISBN-13: 978-1805222316 My thanks to Viper for an advance copy for review Two children lost. The wrong one found... The town of Aurora is waiting to die. A few miles away a deep seam of coal burns underground, the fire creeping closer ever year. Businesses close. Families leave. Hope dwindles.

Today I'm sharing my thoughts on the latest thriller from Tariq Ashkanani, The Hollow Boys. With thanks to publisher, Viper Books, for the advance copy via Netgalley. Here's what the book is about: Source: NetgalleyRelease Date: 14 May 2026

Murder is not fun, but a witty detective story is a hell of a lot better than the pressure from reading a “psychological thriller” let alone the tedium of the oft-repeated plot lines of so many…

Scottish-based author Tariq Ashkanani was responsible for one of the best thrillers of 2025 with ‘The Midnight King’ – a twisty (and twisted) new take on the serial killer genre – and he’s followed it...

Our pick of 14 great new page-turners, including a mystery that will keep you guessing

YouTube video by Narrative Damage