Thrillers to look out for in 2025

If murder mysteries are your thing, there's plenty of reading ahead of you

26 January 2025 - 00:00
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'You are Fatally Invited' by Ande Pliego tells the tale of how six thriller writers are invited to a murder-mystery retreat that becomes literal.
'You are Fatally Invited' by Ande Pliego tells the tale of how six thriller writers are invited to a murder-mystery retreat that becomes literal.
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You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego (Bantam)

This is another And Then There Were None-type mystery. In fact, author Tess Gerritsen describes it as: “Agatha Christie on steroids”. When six thriller writers are invited to a murder-mystery retreat, they don’t expect it to be so literal. Best-selling anonymous author J.R. Alastor hires former aspiring writer Mila del Angél to host a writing retreat at his private manor off the coast of Maine. She jumps at the chance as she plans revenge on one of the six guests, but when another turns up dead she faces a lethal game. Obviously stranded because of a clichéd storm and with a rising body count, Mila’s quest is now to try to find the real killer.

If The Dead Could Talk by Juliette Mnqeta (Kwela)

This is a debut from Knysna-based Mnqeta, who says that this book was a product of her obsession with the mystery crime genre. The novel begins when Azania Mafu receives a call from former politician Joseph “Lefty” Mafu’s lawyer to notify her of her father Lefty’s death. Why on earth would a father she never knew make her the sole heir to his estate? She decides to go to Knysna to find out about him and the circumstances surrounding his death. Soon her delve into his past becomes intertwined with detective Florian Welter’s investigation, who is called to look into the apparent suicide. Florian and Azania uncover a deep political web of conspiracies dating back to the nineties. If the dead could talk, they would tell you what happened in 1995.

In Mandy Robotham's A Dangerous Game a woman police officer makes her mark in a man's world.
In Mandy Robotham's A Dangerous Game a woman police officer makes her mark in a man's world.
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A Dangerous Game by Mandy Robotham (HarperCollins) 

London, 1952. Seven years after the chaotic aftermath of World War 2, London is coming alive again with jazz clubs and flickering cinema awnings lighting up the night. But for widowed Helen “Dexie” Dexter, she’s still a woman in a man’s world. She longs to prove herself as an officer in the London police, yet she’s stuck intervening in domestic affairs and making tea for her male colleagues. Then Harri Schroder arrives. Haunted by the loss of his wife and child, Harri is unlike any man Dexie has ever known. Compassionate and sharp-witted, he sees her not as a threat, but as an intelligent, canny officer full of potential. And when Harri is tasked with hunting down a Nazi war criminal-turned-respected-businessman with connections to the upper echelons of British society, it’s Dexie he turns to for help.

The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha (Pamela Dorman Books)

The Agarwals have gathered on a private, luxury island off the west coast of Scotland for a much-anticipated family reunion. Raj, the patriarch and a business tycoon, is about to announce to his wife and three children the succession plan for his multimillion-dollar Delhi-based company. It’s a high-stakes game of greed and murder. Succession meets Knives Out.

This Is Not A Game by Kelly Mullen (Century)

Mullen’s debut is a locked room whodunnit that everyone is raving about due to its unpredictable twists and lovable characters. The 77-year-old Mimi has been blackmailed into attending Jane’s event, at a grand old mansion on Mackinac Island. Thankfully for her, she’s roped her granddaughter, Addie into accompanying her. While Addie mingles with celebrities and Mimi wonders how to confess the real reason for her presence at the soirée, a scream pierces the air. Jane is dead. When a second body turns up, Mimi and Addie become the unlikeliest of sleuths in a race to narrow down the suspects in a house full of secrets.

Is the main character in The Opposite of Murder by Sophie Hannah a killer, or innocent?
Is the main character in The Opposite of Murder by Sophie Hannah a killer, or innocent?
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The Opposite of Murder by Sophie Hannah (Hodder & Stoughton)

Hannah is a marmite writer — either you enjoy her careful plotting or you find it a bit too clever and somewhat pretentious. From the reviews, this one could possibly turn sceptics into Hannah fans. Her premise: “What if the only way you could prevent a murder was by confessing to it? Jemma Stelling has confessed to a murder. She is the police's lead suspect. She couldn't have committed the crime. She has an unshakeable alibi: at the time of Marianne Cass's brutal murder, Jemma was at the police station, confessing to a murderous obsession with Marianne. Is Jemma innocent? Or is she an ingenious, cold-blooded killer? Can you be guilty of the opposite of murder?”

An Act Of Murder by Tom Eaton (Penguin Fiction)

Please read Eaton’s columns on our website if you have not done so. He is clever, witty and incisive and there is no topic he is afraid to dive into. I can only imagine this novel to be packed with energy, poking fun and some hilarious, snarky bits. The blurb: “It hasn’t been a great week for struggling actor Arnold Prinsloo. His career has hit rock bottom, he’s about to be evicted from his cottage in Melville, and worst of all, Zelda, the love of his life, has finally run out of patience and left him. But when Arnold is accused of murdering insurance billionaire JP Mulder, his problems are only just starting. Now, Arnold must tackle the greatest and most dangerous acting role of his life: pretending to be a hard-boiled East Rand detective in a race against time to clear his name, win back Zelda, and finally take off these way-too-tight polyester pants.”

A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay explores how former killers wish to get domestic.
A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay explores how former killers wish to get domestic.
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A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay (Headline)

Some books sell themselves by their covers, others by their nifty titles and this is one of the latter. Plus the leads names are Hazel and Fox. So this is definitely top-of-the-pile reading pleasure. “Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing: they are former serial killers. They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to kill. Not many power couples know how to get away with murder. Then Hazel fell pregnant and they gave it all up for life in the suburbs; dinner parties instead of body disposal. But recently Hazel has started to feel that itch again. When she kills someone behind Fox's back and brings the police to their door, she must do anything she can to protect her family. This could save their marriage — unless it kills them first.” 

Canary by Onke Mazibuko (Penguin Fiction)

This is Mazibuko's second book. His first book The Second Verse was a solid coming-of-age tale with characters that felt real. Mazibuko now takes on a thriller of a man left with very little options left and who is pushed to the brink. “After years of loyal work for Arms-Tech Industries, Maks Ntaka has found proof of serious corruption in his department, and he wants to turn whistle-blower. What else can a good man do? But who can he tell if he can’t trust anyone? The people in charge seem complicit, while the rest turn a blind eye. As Maks prepares his disclosures, he discovers that his longtime mentor has implicated him in the illegalities, and some foreign nationals are also on his trail looking for their cut. For Maks, the walls are closing in, and danger waits at every turn. Meanwhile, his own private indiscretions are coming to light, and soon his life starts collapsing around him. What is a good man to do when your own company made the bullet with your name on it?” 

An Ethical Guide To Murder by Jenny Morris has a supernatural twist.
An Ethical Guide To Murder by Jenny Morris has a supernatural twist.
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An Ethical Guide To Murder by Jenny Morris (Simon & Schuster) 

Another title that just sells the book, but this is not the usual type of thriller — there are a few supernatural elements to it that tilt it a little bit skew. The blurb: “Thea has a secret. She can tell how long someone has left to live just by touching them. Not only that, but she can transfer life from one person to another, something she finds out the hard way when her best friend Ruth suffers a fatal head injury on a night out. Desperate to save her, Thea touches the arm of the man responsible when he comes to check if Ruth is all right. As Ruth comes to, the man quietly slumps to the ground, dead. Thea realises that she has a godlike power: but despite deciding to use her ability for good, she can’t help but sometimes use it for her own benefit. Boss annoying her at work? She can take some life from them and give it as a tip to her masseuse for a great job. Creating an ‘Ethical Guide to Murder’ helps Thea to focus her newfound skills. But as she embarks on her mission to punish the wicked and give the deserving more time, she finds that it isn’t as simple as she first thought.” 


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