The Death of Us by Abigail Dean (Hemlock £18.99, 368pp)
Married couple Edward and Isabel, in their early 30s, are living a comfortable life in their London home when one night an intruder – nicknamed the South London Invader – breaks into their house, helps himself to food from their fridge and then rapes Isabel after subduing Edward in another bedroom.
This is the story of their relationship and what the attack does to them in the 20 years following it, when – at last – the attacker is brought to justice.
It is a superbly imagined, nuanced story of love and anguish that manages to bring a glimmer of hope amidst the despair.
Dean’s third novel is so heartbreakingly poignant that it is almost impossible to read at times, but it demands you finish it, and reveals the flowering of the author’s exceptional talent.
The Final Wife by Jenny Blackhurst (Canelo £9.99, 288pp)
The Final Wife is available nowÂ
Rich and promiscuous businessman Luke Whitney is found stabbed to death in his holiday home in the Cotswolds with his second wife, Anna, by his side – covered in blood.
She instantly confesses to his murder, but, strangely, is unable to convey any details of the crime, including what they were arguing about when she suddenly took his life. DS Rebecca Dance catches the case and refuses to believe Anna’s story, even though the rest of the major incident team disagree.
As the case unfolds, it is revealed that Whitney was a liar and a cheat, as well as a man who liked to indulge in elaborate games with his second wife. Does his first wife, Rose, have questions to answer? This is a deliciously twisty and sexy thriller where no one is to be believed. It confirms Blackhurst’s storytelling skill.
The Midnight King by Tariq Ashkanani (Viper £16.99, 352pp)
Thirteen children from Nashville, Tennessee were murdered by a serial killer – dubbed the Music City Monster – between August 1994 and May 2008.
This third novel by an Edinburgh-based solicitor reads like true crime, but it is, in fact, very dark fiction.
Narrated by the son of a successful popular novelist, Lucas Cole, it reveals that his father was the real serial killer even though another man was convicted of the crimes and given the death penalty.
Part investigation and part confession – Cole’s own novel about the killings is part of the narrative – it slowly reveals the bleak reality of his crimes, as well as what it means to be the child of a serial killer.
A tour de force with two superb dramatic twists.
