This sprawling tale of college kids who summon evil with lifelong consequences is a fantastic read

A couple’s struggle to survive a serial killer, a prank that goes terribly wrong – and the hunt for an old friend who went missing in the woods

A scientist’s chilling struggle for survival at the ends of the Earth, the search for a serial killer’s final victim, and murder on the mountains in DS Max Craigie’s latest case

The scorned woman thriller deftly reimagined, preposterously gripping murders at an ice skating training camp - and a frantic search for a missing daughter

Nicci French’s latest gem; an unsettling brainteaser from Japanese enigma Uketsu; the tensions that mar the maiden voyage of an airship; and a sojourn on a scary Scottish island

This year’s pulse-quickening picks include the tense finale of Attica Locke’s Highway 59 series, Mo Hayder’s frightening last work and a fresh murder mystery from Richard Osman

A French assassin whose memory is failing; murders in a Swedish town that no one can leave; and some light crime-solving during an Australian Christmas

In a month full of big hitters, Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie makes a welcome return, Mick Herron’s reissued debut doesn’t disappoint – and Janice Hallett is as ingenious as ever

A luminous tale of abducted teens, a page-turning marriage to a mass murderer – and a deadly gameshow

Deep-sea divers feel the pressure, Stephen King returns with some masterly tales, a mother fears her own son, and a Dorset resort isn’t as restful as it seems

A surprise final novel from the amazing mind of the late Mo Hayder; a race against time between a father and the FBI; and a knowing riff on the premise of Jurassic Park

An unreliable narrator keeps her husband and readers guessing; the welcome return of burned-out cop Jake Jackson; a multilayered family thriller; and a disturbing boarding school secret

Three doctors’ enduring bond is put to the test in former nurse Christie Watson’s thoughtful first thriller, while Abigail Dean dissects a school shooting in a month littered with big hitters

An intruder strikes fear into a family in a brilliant debut, while a life of luxury turns very dark indeed. Plus, one of Nicci French’s finest novels yet

A spy raised by drug dealers confronts a Russian villain in Elly Conway’s much-hyped debut, an exploration of female rage upends expectations and a snowstorm search is a chilling read