Each year the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) runs a Crime Reading Month in June, and this year, as part of the National Year of Reading, it was also Jury June. Fair to say June was a month tailor-made for our book group!
Oundle Library made the most of things with a special display, and they gave us some books that had been nominated for different 2026 awards, as well as some new crime fiction books that were about to go on the library’s shelves. It was brilliant!
Top picks from our June reading are shown below, listed alphabetically by author.
Books we borrowed from Oundle Library are marked with an asterisk.
What Happens in the Dark by Kia Abdullah* (Shortlisted for the 2026 CWA Twisted Dagger Award and Longlisted for the 2026 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.)
Safa and Lily have been friends since school and, as adults, Safa is a reporter and Lily a well-known TV presenter. When news breaks about suspicious bruises on Lily’s body, she claims there is nothing to worry about, but then one night the police are called to her home and find her with a body lying dead at her feet. She pleads not guilty and refuses to say any more, but Safa feels driven to investigate what really happened and in the process uncovers much more than she expected. Northumberland Lass said this was a mix of thriller and courtroom drama and a story that’s full of suspense. She awarded an out-and-out 5-Stars, saying: “You may think you know people … but you don’t know what goes on behind closed doors.”
Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French* (Nominated for the 2025 British Book Award Crime and Thriller Book of the Year.)
Granny Weatherwax had never read anything by Nicci French before and said this was so good she hadn’t wanted it to end! Charlotte Salter vanishes on the day of her husband’s fiftieth birthday party and it’s several hours before anyone realises she’s gone missing. Her husband, Alec, doesn’t seem concerned, but her children grow increasingly anxious as the days go by. Then Etty (Charlotte’s fifteen-year-old daughter) and her friend Morgan find the body of Morgan’s father, Duncan Ackerley, floating in the river. The police conclude Charlotte and Duncan were having an affair before he killed her and committed suicide. Thirty years later, Morgan returns to the village to make a podcast about the tragedy and when it makes the national news, DI Maud O’Connor is sent to uncover the truth. Granny Weatherwax loved the story and the characters, especially Maud O’Connor, and gave it 5-Stars.
Scars of Silence by Johana Gustawsson* (Longlisted for the 2026 CWA Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation.)
Gustawsson is a French author who lives in Sweden and this story takes place on a Stockholm island in winter, where two teenagers have been found murdered. The murders are horrific but there is a human-interest story as well. A French detective is staying on the island, on a sabbatical to recover from the loss of her daughter and husband and she gets drawn into helping the local detective solve the crimes. Juno said the scenes are so well-described she felt cold from the start, and although she felt there was a bit too much emphasis on the details of the crimes it was still a very good read. 4-Stars.
The Queen of Fives by Alex Hay*
Set in 1897, this historical mystery is about Quinn le Blanc, London’s premier con-woman, who has set herself the biggest goal of her career (to lure the eminent Duke of Hastings into marriage and relieve him of his money, while absconding just before the ‘I do’ part) and how she goes about it. Freyja said it was full of not-so-nice characters, and the writing is spiky and atmospheric, giving a vivid picture of 1890s London. Well written and entertaining it wasn’t a terribly easy read, but as she really wanted to know how the story ended she kept turning the pages. 3-Stars.
The Margaret Code by Richard Hooton* (Longlisted for the 2026 CWA Whodunnit Dagger.)
Barbara, a close friend and neighbour of 89-year-old Margaret, has been found murdered in her home. Margaret knows Barbara told her something important before she was killed, but she can’t remember what it was. With the help of her grandson James, she starts to try and work out what it is she’s forgotten … and that leads them both into danger. Cornish Eskimo thought this would probably be described as cosy crime but said it was also a rather moving account of old age. After all, aged 89, what is the difference between a failing memory and dementia? Margaret is still able to live alone, admittedly with support from her family, but she’s also very aware that the world is beginning to view her as incapable. The mystery isn’t particularly memorable, but combined with the portrayal of Margaret this was enjoyable to read and earned 4-Stars.
A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz*
Cornish Eskimo doesn’t think there’s been a dud book in the Daniel Hawthorne series so far. The novels are written with a light touch, to entertain and amuse, but they never seem trite. The plots are solid and clever and you end up being interested in all the characters, however small a part they play. This story concerns the murder of an actor on a film set and there’s a handful of possible suspects, from the director down to the intern. Everyone, it seems, has something to hide. The relationship between Hawthorne and Horowitz is as fractious and difficult as ever, which adds spark to the narrative and the Eskimo said it was great fun working through the clues to unmask the killer. 4-Stars.
The Deep End by Nick Louth*
Book 3 in Louth’s series about DI Jan Talantire and a police procedural, but perhaps not as we know it! Nominally concerned with a body that washed ashore in Teignmouth on Boxing Day, the harder-hitting story centres on the workplace and the ordeal that has stalked Talantire for several years. Cornish Eskimo says it’s well-written and, in places, chilling. Talantire is a dogged and clever detective, thorough and clear-sighted with procedures and the law but with loads of intuition as well. As she’s investigating the tricky case of the drowned woman, the ‘he-says-she-says’ power struggle in her workplace causes rising tension, and there’s a really shocking escalation towards the end of the story that has you sitting on the edge of your seat. The book was very difficult to put down! 5-Stars.
A Trial in Three Acts by Guy Morpuss* (Longlisted for the 2026 CWA Whodunnit Dagger.)
The author is a retired barrister and KC who has taken to writing fiction, and this is his third book. Actor, Leo Lusk, is arrested and charged with the murder of his ex-wife, who has been killed on stage during the closing scene of a play in which they were appearing together. Charles Konig KC is retained to run his defence, with the help of Leo’s female American lawyer. Sounds straightforward? Well, Freyja says the play the couple were appearing in is an integral part of the plot, so the reader needs their wits about them; and although 90% of the action takes place in the courtroom there’s lots to enjoy, and the pace builds steadily, to the point where Konig is in danger of losing his own life. Freyja described it as being as bizarre as it is entertaining. Well written and really good fun to read, she recommended it and gave it 4-Stars.
The Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin* (Shortlisted for the 2026 CWA First Novel Dagger, the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize and the 2026 Barry Award for Best First Novel.)
This debut novel is set mainly in New Zealand and told in two timelines. It opens with a child being found in a supermarket, who has clearly walked out of the bush, although nobody knows who she is. Chillingly, the same thing had happened twenty years earlier. The woman that first child became is now a police officer in Scotland and, when contacted by the New Zealand police, she returns to help with the mystery. Norfolk Gal said this was a really unusual and well-told story. It moves along at a good pace and there’s enough description to bring the locations to life, as well as interesting and likeable characters (if somewhat troubled). She said she was hooked in very quickly and gave it 4 Stars.
We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter* (Shortlisted for the 2026 CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger.)
Emmy Clifton is a cop in a small town called North Falls, a place where everyone knows everyone. At one Fourth of July celebration the daughter of a friend asks Elly for help, but she thinks it’s just a teenage drama and, with other things on her mind, ignores the request. Then the girl goes missing and as the whole town joins in the search, Emmy realises the town is full of secrets. To go into more detail would spoil this for you, but MadDog said this was a real page-turner, full of twists and turns, and very clever. There is nothing heavy handed about the way the crime is handled and she found all the characters very believable. Described as a great read, this earned 4-Stars.
What’s in a Star?
Deciding why you like an author or have enjoyed a book is, of course, entirely subjective, and everyone who comes along to meetings of Oundle Crime has different tastes. So how do we try to get some consistency in our Star ratings? Well, after some discussion, we’ve come up with the following:
- 5 Stars: Outstanding and unforgettable. A book you can’t wait to tell others about.
- 4 Stars: A good book with an interesting, layered story that you will still remember after a month.
- 3 Stars: Not good or bad, but an average story and characters. You enjoyed reading it, but might not remember it after a month.
- 2 Stars: Poorly written, superficial and probably a bit of a yawn. Forgettable.
- 1 Star: Rubbish through and through. A book you wish you hadn’t read and don’t want to remember!
If you’d like to meet other crime fiction fans and chat about the books and authors you enjoy, why not come along to an Oundle Crime meeting? It’s relaxed and friendly, and anyone can drop in. Email join@friendsofoundlelibrary.org.uk and we’ll send you the details.