Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025 -Longlist Announced
- debsbalm
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Stop the presses! Or should I say, pause the audiobook? The moment many of us crime fiction fans have been waiting for has arrived: the longlist for the prestigious Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025 has been announced! As an audiobook narrator, spending every day happily enscounced in the world of storytelling, getting lost in a gripping crime novel is both a professional joy and a personal thrill. This award always showcases the absolute best of the genre published over the last year, and the 2025 longlist looks absolutely killer.
I'm absolutely thrilled to share that I'll be heading to Harrogate this summer for the whole of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Weekend itself, running from the 17th of July. It's always an amazing event, buzzing with energy, fascinating author panels, and the chance to connect with fellow book lovers, publishers, authors, and narrators. I can't wait to soak it all in and, of course, be there for the announcement of the winner on the opening night! I am even going to get to attend Creative Thursday to help me along on my writing journey.
But before we get to deciding the winner, we have this phenomenal longlist to dive into. It's a brilliant mix, showcasing the sheer range and quality within crime fiction today. Whether you love psychological thrillers, historical mysteries, or gritty noir, there's something here for everyone.
Because I am a narrator I will of course be listening to my copies of these books, discovering some new favourite narrators and cheering on friends and colleagues.
So, without further ado, here are the incredible 18 titles vying for the coveted Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025:
The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre (Little, Brown Book Group, Sphere) Narrated by: Sarah Barron, Russ Bain
Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
Our Holiday by Louise Candlish (HarperCollins, HQ Fiction) Narrated by: George Naylor, Dawn Murphy, Alix Dunmore, Tom Babbage, Lily Anne Lefkow, Richard Attlee
Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins
A Stranger in the Family by Jane Casey (HarperFiction, Hemlock Press)
Narrated by: Caroline Lennon
Series: Maeve Kerrigan, Book 11
Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
The Mercy Chair by M.W. Craven (Little, Brown Book Group, Constable)
Narrated by: John Banks
Series: Washington Poe, Book 6
Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas (Penguin Michael Joseph)
Narrated by: Eleanor Tomlinson
Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
The Last Word by Elly Griffiths (Quercus Books, Quercus Fiction)
Narrated by: Nina Wadia
Series: The Harbinder Kaur Mysteries
Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
Estella’s Revenge by Barbara Havelocke (Hera Books)
Narrated by: Rosie Akerman
Length: 15 hrs and 46 mins
Redemption by Jack Jordan (Simon & Schuster UK)
Narrated by: Joe Coen, Candida Gubbins, Eric Sigmundsson
Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd (Pan Macmillan, Pan Fiction) Narrated by: Eleanor Jackson, Joshua Akehurst, Nneka Okoye
Length: 11 hrs and 0 mins
Finding Sophie by Imran Mahmood (Bloomsbury Publishing, Raven Books) Narrated by: Lydia Bakelmun, Oliver Hembrough
Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
The Woman on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini (Cornerstone, Century) Narrated by: Annabel Scholey
Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
The Kill List by Nadine Matheson (HarperCollins, HQ Fiction) Narrated by: Diveen Henry Series: An Inspector Anjelica Henley Thriller, Book 3
Length: 16 hrs and 34 mins
Hunted by Abir Mukherjee (Vintage; Harvill Secker) Narrated by: Mikhail Sen, Amber Rose Revah, Stefan Trout, Nikki Patel, Sophia Roberts
Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
Blood Like Mine by Stuart Neville (Simon & Schuster UK) Narrated by: Elizabeth Rodgers, Michael Braun
Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
To Die in June by Alan Parks (Canongate) Narrated by: Andrew McIntosh Series: A Harry McCoy Thriller, Book 6
Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney (Bonnier Books, Zaffre) Narrated by: Olivia Dowd
Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton (Bloomsbury Publishing, Raven Books)
Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker (Orion, Orion Fiction) Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins
What an incredible line-up! Have you read any of these yet? Which ones are jumping straight onto your TBR pile or like me, your TBL list? Let me know in the comments below – I'd love to hear your thoughts!
And if you're also heading to Harrogate for #TheakstonsCrime in July, give me a shout! It would be great to connect.
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