We’re calling it now, here are six of the best crime and thriller books that debuted in 2022 (so far).
From a young girl’s disappearance in a rural Australian town to a murder in a university library, each book has the classic elements of the crime genre that we all know and love. So pull up a chair and make yourself a cup of tea because the team at Lifehacker Australia is ready to divulge all of their must-read crime and thriller recommendations.
The best crime and thriller books that came out in 2022
Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
What we thought:
Lifehacker Australia Editor, Steph Nuzzo, recently read one of Reese Witherspoon’s latest book club picks. She even wrote a full dedicated review, but if you want just a small taste of what she thought, then read on below:
“Wrong Place, Wrong Time takes the time loop concept and redelivers it in a fresh way. The murder at the centre of the story keeps you hooked, and the author beautifully unravels the mystery page by page, all while asking you to consider what important life moments you may have missed when you weren’t paying attention.”
Where to buy: Amazon ($18.39) | Booktopia ($26.25) | eBay ($30.25) | QBD ($32.99)
Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor
What we thought:
Dirt Town isn’t your regular crime novel. When I picked up this book earlier in the year, I thought it was going to be your average Aussie whodunnit. Drawing on your typical crime fiction formula, at first it appears to be yet another story about a small town girl’s murder and the detective who arrives to find the killer.
But Hayley Scrivenor takes it one step further by examining the impact a child’s death can have an isolated, tight-knit community in rural Australia. Peppered throughout the novel were hints of Aussie culture that made it feel more real, more like home than any other book I’ve read. This mystery itself is gritty, compelling, and lovingly written. While the plot can feel like a slow burner, the writing always sucked me back in for hours at a time.
Where to buy: Amazon ($16) | Booktopia ($23.75) | eBay ($16) | QBD ($22.99)
Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
What we thought:
As it turns out, this book is perhaps one of the most intricately written crime novels I’ve ever read. In Everybody In My Family Has Killed Someone, you’ll meet Ernie Cunningham, who’s been snowed in during his family reunion at a mountainous ski resort. Each section will slowly introduce you to a member of his family – all killers in their own right. But what’s most compelling is that the novel adheres to the membership oath of the Detection Club, a secret society of mystery writers featuring household names such as Agatha Christie and GK Chesterton.
The “10 Commandments of Crime Fiction” are a strict list of rules that state “the detective cannot commit the crime” and “the narrator cannot conceal any important facts or information”, among many others. In his latest novel, Stevenson executes these commandments with dark humour and a playful tone that will make seasoned crime lovers writhe in their seats to get to the end.
Where to buy: Amazon ($16) | Booktopia ($26.25) | eBay ($16) | QBD ($22.99)
Heat 2 by Michael Man and Meg Gardiner
What we thought:
Our very own E-Commerce Editor, Chris Neill, had this to say about Heat 2:
“Heat 2 is both a prequel and sequel to Michael Mann’s 1995 crime epic, Heat. With co-writer Meg Gardiner, Heat 2 expands on the backstories of detective Vincent Hanna and career criminal Neil McCauley, giving us a deep look into why these men are so intensely driven.
The rest of the book is dedicated to following Chris Shiherlis’ life directly after the ending of the original movie, before flashing forward to the year 2000, in a plot that seems like a spiritual companion to Mann’s cyber-crime flick, Blackhat.
While a different medium, this novel maintains the feel of Mann’s original movie. It’s tight and well-oiled, like a good heist crew, moving at a fast clip without wasting a word. A sequence where Hanna races to stop a potential home invasion and homicide moves with the frantic, energetic pace of the original movie’s iconic bank heist-gun fight.
To paraphrase Hanna, Heat 2 has a great ass and I’ve got my head all the way up it.”
Where to buy: Amazon ($16) | Booktopia ($26.25) | eBay ($19.99) | QBD ($22.99)
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentil
What we thought:
Kathleen Farmilo, another staff writer from Lifehacker Australia, had nothing but glowing things to say about Sulari Gentill’s latest novel:
“The Woman in the Library had one of the most compelling formats I’ve seen in a hot minute. It has two plot lines: a novel-within-the-novel alongside letters from the superfan of an acclaimed author, who’s writing the aforementioned novel. I’ll give you a sec to let that sink in – but let me tell ya, both plots are equally gripping, thrilling and downright suspenseful.”
Where to buy: Amazon ($22.99) | Booktopia ($26.25) | eBay (30.25) | QBD ($22.99)
Want more crime and thriller books? Then keep an eye on our new book releases column, where we announce all of the great reads coming out for the upcoming month.
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