Books

John Simm as Roy Grace in ITV adaptation of Peter James' bestselling crime novels (Image: ITV Studios)Roy Grace creator Peter James recently spent the day working as a concierge at the iconic Grand Hotel, Brighton. But having sold more than 23 million books, it wasn’t because he needed the cash. That said, he chuckles when he tells me: “I did get a fiver tip for carrying an elderly couple’s luggage out!”In fact, the prolific author was researching the as-yet-unfinished 22nd novel featuring his Brighton-based cop, much of whose action takes place in, you guessed it, a major (fictional) hotel on the seafront of the bohemian East Sussex city. It’s a very Peter James thing to do. Old school and exhaustive in his research, he famously seeks out people, and experiences, to help him make Grace...

What is your favourite murder mystery novel? (Image: Getty)Murder mystery novels account for a huge proportion of the book industry, and they are widely considered to be one of the most popular genres. Throughout the years, authors from Edgar Allan Poe to Richard Osman have devoted much of their work to a classic murder mystery, but there is one author who dominates the genre, appearing three times on this listing. Here are the top 10 best murder mystery novels of all time, as selected by Goodreads.10. Listen for the Lie by Amy TinteraThe blurb reads: "What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn't matter?"Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a drea...

Some fiction books are very powerful. But when a story is based on real events, it can hit even harder. And that’s exactly the case with one book that continues to “shock” readers 60 years after it was published. It tells the true story of a family brutally murdered in their own home and the police hunt to catch the killers.Everything in the book really happened, and some readers say knowing that makes it even more chilling. The author spent years researching the case, speaking to detectives and people in the town where it happened. He even interviewed the killers in prison.The result was In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. The story follows the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas.Four members of the family were killed by two ex-convicts who thought they would find a safe ...

Many films are based on amazing books but some of them fail to meet expectations. This could be because the plot is changed too much or simply because it’s just not quite the same. However, when an adaptation is done right, it can really blow audiences away. And whose books are better to adapt into films than Stephen King’s?Over the years, many of King’s stories have made it to the big screen. But one of his more grounded novellas has gone on to inspire a film that fans say is not just good, but possibly the best movie ever made. One person said: “There is only one thing to say about this - it’s the greatest film of all time.”Another added: “It is a cinematic masterpiece that has stood the test of time since its release in 1994.”A third commented: “One of the best movies that I have eve...

Some books are so popular they end up being turned into films. And many people say one fantasy series has some of the best stories ever written. It’s been called a “masterpiece” and a “must-read,” with readers saying they couldn’t put it down. One person said: “The entire book series is fantastic. Once you start reading the first one you cannot stop.”Another added: “The books and the films are masterpieces. I'd say though that the books are slightly better.” A third wrote: “I was blown away by the characters, the writing and the story in the books. I watched the films first and then got into the books. I highly recommend it.”They are all talking about The Chronicles of Narnia, which is a series of seven books written by C. S. Lewis between 1950 and 1956.The novels include The Lion, the ...

Sean Bean as Richard Sharpe in the hit TV adaptation of Bernard Cornwell's books (Image: ITV)Since Sharpe’s Eagle introduced the “tall, black-haired lieutenant with the slung rifle and the scar” in 1981, Bernard Cornwell’s bestselling Napoleonic Wars-era novels have invariably ended with the promise of further adventures. The latest in the mind-blowingly popular series, brought to life on TV starring Sean Bean as the roguish rifleman, ends slightly more equivocally however. Rather than promising in his afterword that Richard Sharpe and Sergeant Patrick Harper will “march again” as has been his custom, Cornwell writes: “I hope they do, but can make no promises.”Visiting London to launch his new book, Sharpe’s Storm, the 24th in the series, of which more shortly, the author wryly admits h...

A classic novel, written in the mid-19th century, has been hailed by fans, more than a century since its release. Fans have described the mystery tale as the "best book you'll ever read", pretty high praise.The Count of Monte Cristo is an adventure novel by the French writer Alexandre Dumas. It was serialised from 1844 to 1846, then published in book form in 1846, and it is one of his most popular works, along with The Three Musketeers (1844) and Man in the Iron Mask (1850). Like many of his novels, it was expanded from plot outlines suggested by his collaborating ghostwriter, Auguste Maquet. It is highly regarded as a classic work of French and world literature.The book's blurb reads: "In his rousing adventure story, Alexandre Dumas employs all the elements of compelling drama—suspense...

Louise Penny's new book, The Black Wolf, is an electrifying thriller with a scarily plausible plot (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster / Sunday Express)Bestselling author Louise Penny feared she had gone too far when writing about a plot to add Canada to the United States of America. This was 18 months before Donald Trump was elected for his second term as US President and sparked a trade war with America’s closest ally. In her prescient 20th Chief Inspector Armand Gamache thriller, The Black Wolf, which is out now, powerful forces on both sides of the border conspire to threaten Canada’s future as an independent nation.Louise says: “This was written 18 months ago, before Donald Trump was elected for a second time, but the issue is there are elements (in my book) that want Canada to become the ...

There aren’t many better ways to spend a weekend than curling up with a good book and a warm drink in hand. And if a novel is written particularly well, it can stay with you for a very long time even after you finish it.There is one book out there that does just that, partly because it’s set during one of the darkest times in history. It has been described as “powerful, emotional, and impossible to put down”. Readers say they were completely immersed in the characters’ lives, and many finished it in just a couple of days.What’s more, the novel has been translated into 45 languages and sold more than 4.5 million copies worldwide.It follows two sisters trying to survive under Nazi rule in occupied France during World War 2, and the very different choices they make.The book in question is ...

The Burning Grounds by Abir Mukherjee, Hardback, £18.99After the success of his multi-award-winning contemporary standalone Hunted, the Godfather of Anglo-Asian crime writing returns to his much-loved Raj-era series. It’s been three years since Detective Sam Wyndham and Surendranath Banerjee last worked together before the latter disappeared to Europe. Now Surendranath is back, and not a moment too soon. When the body of a prominent Indian philanthropist is discovered, throat cut, amid the funeral pyres of the burning ghats of Calcutta, the pair must set aside their disagreements. And when a missing photographer is linked to the inquiry, the pressure mounts. Another gloriously brilliant deep dive into the dying days of the British Empire from one of our foremost historical crime writers...