The Craftsman - Sharon Bolton

On the hottest day of the year, Assistant Commissioner Florence Lovelady attends the funeral of Larry Glassbrook, the convicted murderer she arrested thirty years earlier. A master carpenter and funeral director, Larry imprisoned his victims, alive, in the caskets he made himself. Clay effigies found entombed with their bodies suggested a motive beyond the worst human depravity. What a brilliant read! I was gripped from the very first page and loved the characters and the weird and wonderful story.

Then She Was Gone - Lisa Jewell

It’s been ten years since Ellie disappeared, but Laurel has never given up the hope of finding her daughter. When she is swept off her feet by a charismatic stranger called Floyd it’s not long until she’s introduced to his nine year old daughter. Poppy is precocious and pretty - and meeting her completely takes Laurel's breath away.

What I love about this book is the cleverness of the plot and the way all the strands slowly but surely come together. It’s that rare thing – a thriller that will break your heart.

Insidious Intent - Val McDermid

You can’t ever go wrong with a book by Val McDermid, and this one is no exception. Of course, it’s got the wonderful duo Tony Hill and Carol Jordan in the starring roles. They are called in to investigate when single women are beginning to disappear from weddings in the north of England. A pattern soon becomes clear: Someone is crashing the festivities and luring the women away - only to leave the victims' bodies in their own burned-out cars in remote locations.