A luminous tale of abducted teens, a page-turning marriage to a mass murderer – and a deadly gameshow

Deep-sea divers feel the pressure, Stephen King returns with some masterly tales, a mother fears her own son, and a Dorset resort isn’t as restful as it seems

A surprise final novel from the amazing mind of the late Mo Hayder; a race against time between a father and the FBI; and a knowing riff on the premise of Jurassic Park

An unreliable narrator keeps her husband and readers guessing; the welcome return of burned-out cop Jake Jackson; a multilayered family thriller; and a disturbing boarding school secret

Three doctors’ enduring bond is put to the test in former nurse Christie Watson’s thoughtful first thriller, while Abigail Dean dissects a school shooting in a month littered with big hitters

An intruder strikes fear into a family in a brilliant debut, while a life of luxury turns very dark indeed. Plus, one of Nicci French’s finest novels yet

A spy raised by drug dealers confronts a Russian villain in Elly Conway’s much-hyped debut, an exploration of female rage upends expectations and a snowstorm search is a chilling read

Terry Hayes’s gripping second novel was worth the 10-year wait, while Michael Caine’s first thriller has bags of energy and rises above cliche – plus a creepily compelling tale of reality TV and a cryptic cracker

There’s little goodwill among the cast in Janice Hallett’s latest, while there are chills aplenty in an Icelandic thriller and a tale of a woman showing signs of Alzheimer’s

JK Rowling, as Robert Galbraith, is back with a cult classic, while elsewhere past crimes make for gripping reads

Richard Osman, Stephen King, Mick Herron and Ann Cleeves return with murder aplenty, espionage antics and terrible secrets in basements

A surprise post-prom birth, a woman’s struggle to find her missing sister and the gaslighting of a would-be mother are among this month’s mysteries

The past catches up with nine criminals; a carer finds work with a woman accused of murder; and more than one child goes missing

An Indian village seeks mob justice after a girl’s death, the great Inspector Banks bows out, and clerical investigations resume for Richard Coles

All the passengers on a luxury liner have disappeared, an author is riled by a one-star review and a new offering from Catriona Ward is eerie and disturbing

A village treasure hunt digs up trouble, a game of dares goes too far and a Mary Higgins Clark classic is revisited in this month’s highlights

A teenager terrifies his uncle, Harlan Coben makes the implausible ring true – and the members of a running club have murder on their mind

A real-life murder reimagined in interwar England, a gripping pair of mysteries set in Australia and the dark pursuit of a missing girl in London are among this month’s highlights

A new Janice Hallett mystery, a pair of post-apocalyptic locked-room spine chillers and a shadowy death in a sun-kissed Greek resort are among this month’s highlights

An orphan held hostage in the forest and a woman waking up confused in a luxury Mexican retreat are among this month’s highlights