Book of the Year - Crime and Thriller
Book of the Year - Crime & Thriller Winner and Shortlist
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This year’s shortlist comprises bestselling mega brands alongside established crime writers, one taking a new direction, and a crime debut. From contemporary thrillers to cosy crime, serial killers to missing persons, this shortlist has something for every crime fan.
Winner
Hunted
Abir Mukherjee
Harvill Secker
Hunted, Abir Mukherjee’s “striking” thriller about two parents desperate to find their children, was singled out by our judges as a “blockbuster story”. Harvill Secker set out to make Mukherjee’s first contemporary crime & thriller novel a hit, and delivered his most successful hardback publication ever.
Hunted was a “brave” book to write, our judges agreed. “More people should be reading it”, they declared. Harvill Secker’s “bold” strategy was an example of “superb publishing”, pronounced our judges. Readers were at the heart of the campaign from the beginning, and Harvill Secker rolled out enticing proof mailings and an interactive scratch card game at Harrogate Crime Writing Festival.
An ambitious nationwide tour included more than 30 programmed events and Mukherjee’s largest event to date. For our panel, the publisher’s unparalleled commitment to Mukherjee stood testament to its belief in the story and its desire to build him into a brand author.
The Shortlist
All the Colours of the Dark
Chris Whitaker
Orion Fiction
A missing persons mystery, a serial killer thriller and an epic love story in one, Chris Whitaker’s fourth crime novel, and his first for Orion, needed a standout jacket to appeal beyond a traditional crime and thriller audience. Orion invested in six rounds of statement proofs and a cinematic book trailer, launched in partnership with Waterstones, to position All the Colours of the Dark as an epic, genre-defying book and it was selected as a BBC Two Between the Covers pick.
Guilty by Definition
Susie Dent
Zaffre
Susie Dent is best-known as the lexicographer in Countdown’s Dictionary Corner on Channel 4, and the author of many non-fiction books about words, but Zaffre persuaded her to turn her pen to crime fiction. Guilty by Definition ended the year as the bestselling hardback debut in the Crime & Thriller category, buoyed by a publicity campaign that utilised the author’s one million followers on social media as well as reaching new readers with extensive radio and TV interviews.
Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?
Nicci French
Simon & Schuster
Crime writing duo Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, aka Nicci French, have been writing bestselling psychological thrillers for nearly 30 years, no easy feat. Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? was hailed by critics as one of their very best. Hardback sales were up 27% on the previous title, with paperback sales up 167%. An all-encompassing marketing campaign caught the eye of those in search of a holiday read with WHSmith Travel digital screens in major airports and TV advertising on ITVX targeting drama and crime fans.
Hunted
Abir Mukherjee
Harvill Secker
The first contemporary thriller from Abir Mukherjee, previously known for his historical crime series set in 1920s British-ruled colonial India, was launched with a striking – and now much copied – jacket design and an irresistible tag line that served to position Hunted firmly in the mass market. A nationwide tour with more than 30 events launched with an 800-seat special guest slot at Harrogate. Retailer support included the highly coveted Waterstones Thriller of the Month slot, the third time for this author.
The Wrong Sister
Claire Douglas
Penguin Michael Joseph
2024 saw Penguin Michael Joseph publish Claire Douglas’ 10th tale of gripping domestic suspense, in hardback for the first time. The hardback went straight into the charts at number two and spent seven weeks in the Top 10. Selected as a Richard & Judy Book Club pick, The Wrong Sister saw a sales increase across all retailers in all formats, achieving a stunning 74% increase on her previous novel in a like-for-like period. A well-plotted publicity campaign strategically paired Douglas with other crime authors for key events, boosting her profile and solidifying her brand-name status.
We Solve Murders
Richard Osman
Viking
The first book in a new crime series from the author of the beloved Thursday Murder Club series launched with an industry first: the cover (which nods to classic airport thrillers of old) was revealed by Richard Osman live on ITV’s This Morning. Further TV sofa appearances included BBC’s The One Show, Between the Covers on BBC Two and Channel 4’s The Last Leg. Another TV highlight was an ad placement in a bus stop scene on Coronation Street, reaching 5.4 million viewers and thousands more online. We Solve Murders spent 10 weeks at the top of the bestseller chart.
