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The Best Fiction Books » Page 28

The Best Fiction Books

Last updated: August 03, 2025

    The Best Whodunnits, recommended by Simon Brett

  • Read
    The Best Whodunnits - A Dark-Adapted Eye by Barbara Vine

    1

    A Dark-Adapted Eye
    by Barbara Vine

  • Read
    The Best Whodunnits - Hangover Square by Patrick Hamilton

    2

    Hangover Square
    by Patrick Hamilton

  • Read
    The Best Whodunnits - A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin

    3

    A Kiss Before Dying
    by Ira Levin

  • Read
    The Best Whodunnits - The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

    4

    The Big Sleep
    by Raymond Chandler

  • Read
    The Best Whodunnits - The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

    5

    The Talented Mr Ripley
    by Patricia Highsmith

  • When it comes to whodunnits, the latest ones aren't always the best. Veteran crime writer Simon Brett talks us through some of his all-time favourites, of which the most recent was published nearly four decades ago.

  • The Best Whodunnits - A Dark-Adapted Eye by Barbara Vine
  • The Best Whodunnits - Hangover Square by Patrick Hamilton
  • The Best Whodunnits - A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin
  • The Best Whodunnits - The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
  • The Best Whodunnits - The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

The Best Whodunnits, recommended by Simon Brett

When it comes to whodunnits, the latest ones aren’t always the best. Veteran crime writer Simon Brett talks us through some of his all-time favourites, of which the most recent was published nearly four decades ago.

The Best Whodunnits, recommended by Simon Brett

    The best books on Human Dramas, recommended by R J Ellory

  • Read
    The best books on Human Dramas - The Shining by Stephen King

    1

    The Shining
    by Stephen King

  • Read
    The best books on Human Dramas - The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

    2

    The Shipping News
    by Annie Proulx

  • Read
    The best books on Human Dramas - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

    3

    In Cold Blood
    by Truman Capote

  • Read
    The best books on Human Dramas - The Things They Carried by Tim O’ Brien

    4

    The Things They Carried
    by Tim O’ Brien

  • Read
    The best books on Human Dramas - Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell

    5

    Winter’s Bone
    by Daniel Woodrell

  • Roger Ellory is a bestselling author whose recommendations include Annie Proulx, Stephen King and Truman Capote. There are, he says, no rules to great writing

  • The best books on Human Dramas - The Shining by Stephen King
  • The best books on Human Dramas - The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
  • The best books on Human Dramas - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
  • The best books on Human Dramas - The Things They Carried by Tim O’ Brien
  • The best books on Human Dramas - Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell

The best books on Human Dramas, recommended by R J Ellory

Roger Ellory is a bestselling author whose recommendations include Annie Proulx, Stephen King and Truman Capote. There are, he says, no rules to great writing

The best books on Human Dramas, recommended by R J Ellory

    Irvine Welsh recommends the best Crime Novels

  • Read
    Irvine Welsh recommends the best Crime Novels - Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

    1

    Crime and Punishment
    by Fyodor Dostoevsky

  • Read
    Irvine Welsh recommends the best Crime Novels - The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh

    2

    The Cutting Room
    by Louise Welsh

  • Read
    Irvine Welsh recommends the best Crime Novels - The Glister by John Burnside

    3

    The Glister
    by John Burnside

  • Read
    Irvine Welsh recommends the best Crime Novels - Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane

    4

    Gone Baby Gone
    by Dennis Lehane

  • Read
    Irvine Welsh recommends the best Crime Novels - Loss by Tony Black

    5

    Loss
    by Tony Black

  • We learn much more from failure than we do from success, says Irvine Welsh. The author of Trainspotting recommends his own favourite crime novels.

  • Irvine Welsh recommends the best Crime Novels - Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
  • Irvine Welsh recommends the best Crime Novels - The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh
  • Irvine Welsh recommends the best Crime Novels - The Glister by John Burnside
  • Irvine Welsh recommends the best Crime Novels - Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane
  • Irvine Welsh recommends the best Crime Novels - Loss by Tony Black

Irvine Welsh recommends the best Crime Novels

We learn much more from failure than we do from success, says Irvine Welsh. The author of Trainspotting recommends his own favourite crime novels.

Irvine Welsh recommends the best Crime Novels

    The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers, recommended by Peter Hitchens

  • Read
    The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers - Judgment on Deltchev by Eric Ambler

    1

    Judgment on Deltchev
    by Eric Ambler

  • Read
    The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers - The Night of Wenceslas by Lionel Davidson

    2

    The Night of Wenceslas
    by Lionel Davidson

  • Read
    The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers - In the Wet by Nevil Shute

    3

    In the Wet
    by Nevil Shute

  • Read
    The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers - Advise and Consent by Allen Drury

    4

    Advise and Consent
    by Allen Drury

  • Read
    The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers - When the Kissing Had to Stop by Constantine FitzGibbon

    5

    When the Kissing Had to Stop
    by Constantine FitzGibbon

  • Right-wing journalist and political commentator Peter Hitchens says the Left has been liberated by the fall of the Berlin Wall and that speech is probably freer in modern Russia than it is in Britain. He recommends some great anti-Communist thrillers.

  • The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers - Judgment on Deltchev by Eric Ambler
  • The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers - The Night of Wenceslas by Lionel Davidson
  • The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers - In the Wet by Nevil Shute
  • The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers - Advise and Consent by Allen Drury
  • The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers - When the Kissing Had to Stop by Constantine FitzGibbon

The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers, recommended by Peter Hitchens

Right-wing journalist and political commentator Peter Hitchens says the Left has been liberated by the fall of the Berlin Wall and that speech is probably freer in modern Russia than it is in Britain. He recommends some great anti-Communist thrillers.

The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers, recommended by Peter Hitchens

    The Best Forgotten Cold War Thrillers, recommended by Jeremy Duns

  • Read
    The Best Forgotten Cold War Thrillers - Seventeen Moments of Spring by Yulian Semyonov

    1

    Seventeen Moments of Spring
    by Yulian Semyonov

  • Read
    The Best Forgotten Cold War Thrillers - The Private Sector by Joseph Hone

    2

    The Private Sector
    by Joseph Hone

  • Read
    The Best Forgotten Cold War Thrillers - The Ninth Directive by Adam Hall

    3

    The Ninth Directive
    by Adam Hall

  • Read
    The Best Forgotten Cold War Thrillers - Mills by Manning O’Brine

    4

    Mills
    by Manning O’Brine

  • Read
    The Best Forgotten Cold War Thrillers - The Kremlin Letter by Noel Behn

    5

    The Kremlin Letter
    by Noel Behn

  • Author Jeremy Duns says Maksim Isaev was a kind of Soviet James Bond and when they rerun the old black and white TV shows the Russian crime rate drops because everyone is indoors watching them

  • The Best Forgotten Cold War Thrillers - Seventeen Moments of Spring by Yulian Semyonov
  • The Best Forgotten Cold War Thrillers - The Private Sector by Joseph Hone
  • The Best Forgotten Cold War Thrillers - The Ninth Directive by Adam Hall
  • The Best Forgotten Cold War Thrillers - Mills by Manning O’Brine
  • The Best Forgotten Cold War Thrillers - The Kremlin Letter by Noel Behn

The Best Forgotten Cold War Thrillers, recommended by Jeremy Duns

Author Jeremy Duns says Maksim Isaev was a kind of Soviet James Bond and when they rerun the old black and white TV shows the Russian crime rate drops because everyone is indoors watching them

The Best Forgotten Cold War Thrillers, recommended by Jeremy Duns

    The Best Historical Novels, recommended by Vanora Bennett

  • Read
    The Best Historical Novels - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

    1

    War and Peace
    by Leo Tolstoy

  • Read
    The Best Historical Novels - The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

    2

    The Name of the Rose
    by Umberto Eco

  • Read
    The Best Historical Novels - An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears

    3

    An Instance of the Fingerpost
    by Iain Pears

  • Read
    The Best Historical Novels - Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

    4

    Wolf Hall
    by Hilary Mantel

  • Read
    The Best Historical Novels - Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

    5

    Tipping the Velvet
    by Sarah Waters

  • Which are the best historical novels? Bestselling author Vanora Bennett recommends her top five.

  • The Best Historical Novels - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
  • The Best Historical Novels - The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
  • The Best Historical Novels - An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
  • The Best Historical Novels - Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
  • The Best Historical Novels - Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

The Best Historical Novels, recommended by Vanora Bennett

Which are the best historical novels? Bestselling author Vanora Bennett recommends her top five.

The Best Historical Novels, recommended by Vanora Bennett

    The Greatest French Novels, recommended by David Bellos

  • Read
    The Greatest French Novels - Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

    1

    Les Misérables
    by Victor Hugo

  • Read
    The Greatest French Novels - La Cousine Bette by Honoré de Balzac

    2

    La Cousine Bette
    by Honoré de Balzac

  • Read
    The Greatest French Novels - La Vie mode d’emploi (Life A User’s Manual) by Georges Perec

    3

    La Vie mode d’emploi (Life A User’s Manual)
    by Georges Perec

  • Read
    The Greatest French Novels - Les Fleurs Bleues (Blue on Blue) by Raymond Queneau

    4

    Les Fleurs Bleues (Blue on Blue)
    by Raymond Queneau

  • Read
    The Greatest French Novels - Pseudo (Hocus Bogus) by Romain Gary

    5

    Pseudo (Hocus Bogus)
    by Romain Gary

  • Booker Prize-winning translator David Bellos says Les Misérables is the greatest novel of all time. When it came out, "it was an event bigger than the launch of Titanic and Avatar put together." He picks the five greatest French novels.

  • The Greatest French Novels - Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
  • The Greatest French Novels - La Cousine Bette by Honoré de Balzac
  • The Greatest French Novels - La Vie mode d’emploi (Life A User’s Manual) by Georges Perec
  • The Greatest French Novels - Les Fleurs Bleues (Blue on Blue) by Raymond Queneau
  • The Greatest French Novels - Pseudo (Hocus Bogus) by Romain Gary

The Greatest French Novels, recommended by David Bellos

Booker Prize-winning translator David Bellos says Les Misérables is the greatest novel of all time. When it came out, “it was an event bigger than the launch of Titanic and Avatar put together.” He picks the five greatest French novels.

The Greatest French Novels, recommended by David Bellos

    The Best Haitian Literature, recommended by Edwidge Danticat

  • Read
    The Best Haitian Literature - Love, Anger, Madness by Marie Vieux-Chauvet

    1

    Love, Anger, Madness
    by Marie Vieux-Chauvet

  • Read
    The Best Haitian Literature - General Sun, My Brother by Jacques Stephen Alexis

    2

    General Sun, My Brother
    by Jacques Stephen Alexis

  • Read
    The Best Haitian Literature - Memoir of an Amnesiac by Jan J Dominique

    3

    Memoir of an Amnesiac
    by Jan J Dominique

  • Read
    The Best Haitian Literature - Anthologie Secrète by Ida Faubert

    4

    Anthologie Secrète
    by Ida Faubert

  • Read
    The Best Haitian Literature - Masters of the Dew by Jacques Roumain

    5

    Masters of the Dew
    by Jacques Roumain

  • The acclaimed Haitian author Edwidge Danticat chooses five must-reads from the riches of Haitian literature – including 19th-century poems by a ruler's daughter.

  • The Best Haitian Literature - Love, Anger, Madness by Marie Vieux-Chauvet
  • The Best Haitian Literature - General Sun, My Brother by Jacques Stephen Alexis
  • The Best Haitian Literature - Memoir of an Amnesiac by Jan J Dominique
  • The Best Haitian Literature - Anthologie Secrète by Ida Faubert
  • The Best Haitian Literature - Masters of the Dew by Jacques Roumain

The Best Haitian Literature, recommended by Edwidge Danticat

The acclaimed Haitian author Edwidge Danticat chooses five must-reads from the riches of Haitian literature – including 19th-century poems by a ruler’s daughter.

The Best Haitian Literature, recommended by Edwidge Danticat

    The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010, recommended by Rosie Blau

  • Read
    The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010 - The Spider Truces by Tom Connolly

    1

    The Spider Truces
    by Tom Connolly

  • Read
    The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010 - The Still Point by Amy Sackville

    2

    The Still Point
    by Amy Sackville

  • Read
    The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010 - The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

    3

    The Imperfectionists
    by Tom Rachman

  • Read
    The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010 - Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett

    4

    Union Atlantic
    by Adam Haslett

  • Read
    The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010 - Grace Williams Says It Loud by Emma Henderson

    5

    Grace Williams Says It Loud
    by Emma Henderson

  • 2010 Man Booker Judge selects Tom Connolly’s The Spider Truces and Amy Sackville’s The Still Point among her five choices; she says they are "old-fashioned books" about the way in which our families define us

  • The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010 - The Spider Truces by Tom Connolly
  • The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010 - The Still Point by Amy Sackville
  • The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010 - The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
  • The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010 - Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett
  • The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010 - Grace Williams Says It Loud by Emma Henderson

The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010, recommended by Rosie Blau

2010 Man Booker Judge selects Tom Connolly’s The Spider Truces and Amy Sackville’s The Still Point among her five choices; she says they are “old-fashioned books” about the way in which our families define us

The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010, recommended by Rosie Blau

    The Best Chase Stories, recommended by Louise Bagshawe

  • Read
    The Best Chase Stories - The Pelican Brief by John Grisham

    1

    The Pelican Brief
    by John Grisham

  • Read
    The Best Chase Stories - Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett

    2

    Eye of the Needle
    by Ken Follett

  • Read
    The Best Chase Stories - A Matter of Honour by Jeffrey Archer

    3

    A Matter of Honour
    by Jeffrey Archer

  • Read
    The Best Chase Stories - Nathan’s Run by John Gilstrap

    4

    Nathan’s Run
    by John Gilstrap

  • Read
    The Best Chase Stories - Passion by Louise Bagshawe

    5

    Passion
    by Louise Bagshawe

  • Everyone’s on the run from something in their life. Bestselling author Louise Bagshawe recommends some of her favourite chase stories, a world of jailbreaks, secret documents, beautiful heroines, honour, revenge, death and glory.

  • The Best Chase Stories - The Pelican Brief by John Grisham
  • The Best Chase Stories - Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett
  • The Best Chase Stories - A Matter of Honour by Jeffrey Archer
  • The Best Chase Stories - Nathan’s Run by John Gilstrap
  • The Best Chase Stories - Passion by Louise Bagshawe

The Best Chase Stories, recommended by Louise Bagshawe

Everyone’s on the run from something in their life. Bestselling author Louise Bagshawe recommends some of her favourite chase stories, a world of jailbreaks, secret documents, beautiful heroines, honour, revenge, death and glory.

The Best Chase Stories, recommended by Louise Bagshawe
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