Books by Laila Lalami
“The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami has not only been shortlisted for a 2026 Edgar, but was also longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2025, suggesting a literary merit beyond the boundaries of the crime genre. It’s a dystopian vision of a future where tech will predict if you’re going to commit a crime, preventing it from happening in the first place. This is quite a painful read, as you empathise with the unfairness of what the main character has to put up with. It also makes you want to switch off your phone and not give it any more information that might be used against you.” Read more...
The Best Mystery Books of 2026
Sophie Roell, Journalist
Interviews where books by Laila Lalami were recommended
The Best Science Fiction: The 2026 Arthur C. Clarke Award Shortlist, recommended by Andrew M. Butler
The Arthur C Clarke award highlights six outstanding science fiction books every year. This year’s field shows the breadth of contemporary science fiction, says chair of judges Andrew M. Butler. From antimemetics to royal rewilding, this year’s list offers something for everyone – and will be won, however the votes fall, by somebody who has never received the award before.
The Best Mystery Books of 2026, recommended by Sophie Roell
The Edgar Award for Best Novel is one of the most prestigious prizes in the mystery and crime fiction genre, and an excellent starting point if you’re looking for a flavour of what kind of books are out there. As we start our list of the best mystery books of 2026, Five Books editor Sophie Roell runs us through this year’s shortlist, from Dickensian London to the wilds of the Southern Ocean.
