BOOKS OF THE YEAR CRIME & THRILLER
OVERVIEW The six authors on this shortlist range from huge crime brands which have been loved for decades, to début names. Last year saw the return of the classic murder mystery, while psychological thrillers continued to garner popularity. Indie publishers fared well in this category, using bold online and outdoor marketing strategies to build big names in this crowded genre.
MY SISTER,
THE SERIAL KILLER “Blood is thicker than water, and harder to get out of the carpet” was just one lesson from this book’s campaign. The story of two sisters, one a serial killer, the other her unwitting accomplice and protector. Atlantic turned this comic crime novel by young Nigerian Oyinkan Braithwaite into a worldwide hit; it has been sold into 32 languages.
BLUE MOON Will readers ever tire of Jack Reacher? The pace, fero- cious violence and thrilling narratives keep fans coming back book after book. After a huge marketing effort, which included Transworld’s biggest ever outdoor advertising campaign, Lee Child topped The Bookseller’s Official UK Top 50 for the 21st time. In 2019, a Jack Reacher novel was bought every nine seconds globally.
HOW THE DEAD SPEAK It is not easy to grow sales in a long-running series, but the 11th book in the much-loved Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series from Val McDermind bucked the trend. A strong pre-publication campaign saw hardback sales 25% up on the previous book, due in part to Little, Brown’s commitment to finding new routes to market, new readers and ever-more creative marketing angles.
PUBLISHERS 1 ATLANTIC BOOKS 2 BANTAM PRESS 3 HARPERFICTION 4 LITTLE, BROWN 5 DARK SKIES PUBLISHING 6 ORION
IMPOSTOR Impostor was a success last year as the début publication for Dark Skies Publishing. Author and founder L J Ross believed in her “digital-first” publishing strategy, and it paid off: Impostor had 30,000 pre-orders. Introducing Dr Alexander Gregory, a criminal profiler, the fast-paced thriller saw Ross’ digital audience grow and brought her writing to print readers.
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THE SILENT PATIENT Alex Michaelides’ psychological thriller kept readers guessing until the end. A huge market- ing campaign hooked readers with #BreaktheSilence, so everybody wanted to know why Alicia shot her husband. The Silent Patient quickly became a staple on bestseller lists in the UK and overseas, achieving storming rights deals for a début—43 territories were sold into pre-publication.
THE HUNTING PARTY Lucy Foley moved from histori- cal fiction into contemporary crime with this update on the classic “closed room” murder mystery novel, set on a remote hunting lodge in the Scottish Highlands. The standout cover disrupted norms for the genre and made a lasting impression with readers, and a meticu- lously planned campaign ensured The Hunting Party’s success in a crowded market.
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