Superb . . . a blend of historical imagination and storytelling verve reminiscent of Robert Harris.

A Treachery of Spies is the equal of Charlotte Gray in its insights into the period and, I would say, beats it for sheer excitement… one of the most gripping spy stories I have ever read.

This book opened up and swallowed me whole - the characters, the plot, the writing, everything. It's the most exciting, involving thriller I've read in an age, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

[Scott's] writing is as commanding as ever

This is a rich vein for fiction, and Scott does it more than justice, with this beautifully imagined, beautifully written, smart, sophisticated - but fiercely suspenseful - thriller.

The most exquisite story of heroism, deception, love and treachery you’ll find this year.

Ingeniously plotted and wonderfully written.

A fast-moving tightly-wrought thriller. The destination is in fact as unexpected as it’s satisfying - and very thought-provoking.

A Treachery of Spies is a masterclass in thriller-writing. It is a heart-racing, heart-wrenching read, conceived with passion and executed with frightening skill. An awe-inspiring achievement.

This is how you write a prologue. And the rest is exquisite too. A brutally brilliant and extremely clever novel of espionage, heroism, love and betrayal. Bravo.

Through Scott's deeply compelling, deeply damaged characters - police officers, spies, saboteurs, wartime resisters - we witness the desperate moral complexity of wartime covert operations. But then Scott does something more: she shows us those complexities reflected and remade for our own era. Scott writes with such precision, control and understatement, it's impossible to look away.

Harris has contrived to do something rather brilliant and new. He has put us at the heart of the mystery.

It’s a provocative, tub-thumping sci-fi of which H. G. Wells might have been proud.

As he flexes the ample muscle of his imagination, you will be left pondering as often as you are page-turning.

Harris weaves a smart, intriguing story that cements his reputation as, in the words of the cover, 'master of the intelligent thriller'. He's that perfect combination of equally fine writer and storyteller; the narrative is satisfying and the prose is evocative. The world of The Second Sleep is plausible and richly imagined.

It’s an involving entertainment containing some salutary ideas about how any theocracy leans on ignorance and fear, about the fragility of our own technological utopia and about the way history is just as likely to move in circle or gyres as in a straight line.

A wholly convincing alternative world in which a few brave heretics are determined to uncover the truth. The result is a brilliantly imaginative thriller.

Harris is a master of historical fiction, a compelling author who brings to life the recent and ancient past . . . The glimpses into the fate of our world are unravelled in a fast-paced, classic Harris thriller, with well-drawn, engaging characters . . . It stands as a stark warning about the fragility of our world; a warning from the past and the future.

It's hard not to credit Harris's writing, no matter when and where it is set, with some sort of sidelong prescience.

Blisteringly intelligent, gripping thriller

[T]here is a twist so shocking and surprising in Harris' most recent work The Second Sleep that I don't want to say anything more than: prepare to be amazed [...] Writing is deeply tricky. Harris, over decades of practice, manages to craft all the elements to ensure reader satisfaction. The description is articulated in a clear way with the dialogue managed suitably. Characters sound like real people instead of clunky dialogue which is all too common. Most importantly, events actually take place. Exposition of place, setting and context is essential [...] Harris without doubt continually does this and creates a refreshing sense of relief, which will ensure I continue to read his works for many decades to come.

Totally engrossing and I kept on thinking, one more chapter... an intelligent page-turner that makes you question everything

Truly horrifying in the most delicious way. Samantha Downing sucks you in with a great story, pitch-perfect prose and disturbingly dead-on insights into the dark side of human nature. I hope I never meet her in a dark alley....

I couldn't pull myself away from this story - a terrifying and riveting window into the mind of the perfect suburban mother with a taste for murder. Make sure you clear your schedule before you pick it up. Absolutely unputdownable

It's no mean feat to find something fresh in the crowded thriller field, but Downing pulls off an indisputable triumph with My Lovely Wife. Exemplary writing and outstanding pacing confirm Downing's talent, but it's her deliciously depraved characters that kept me flying through the pages. Couldn't get enough of this subversive love-gone-sideways tale!

Deliciously dark and twisted... It's a remarkable achievement, full stop.

Best new books to read this March

A highly original and dark look at the shifting power structure in a modern marriage. . . A funny, smart book

Darkly witty and strangely plausible, it's a read-in-one-sitting firecracker of a thriller, laced with explosive twists

A marital, psychological thriller with darkly comedic undertones

Bold and brilliant

This is a ringer of a yarn, shot through with enough tooth-clenching moments to make you have your dentist on speed dial

With a twisty plot that will leave you gasping, this deliciously dark thriller is on a par with Gone Girl

One of the best thrillers I've ever read

What. A. Book! 2019’s best thriller and a one-sitting read.

Brilliantly dark and unsettling, Lisa Jewell’s latest novel might just be her best yet.

A work of utter genius ... you’re going to love it.

Lisa Jewell is the most wonderful writer, and funnily enough we've written about a similar theme with our new books - cults, in microcosm and macrocosm. I can't rant enough about how brilliant The Family Upstairs is.

I absolutely loved The Family Upstairs. Intriguing, absorbing, unputdownable with characters so real they jump from the page.

Couldn’t put it down. Wish I’d written it. With characters that light up the pages, a twisty plot which unravels at perfect pace, and a house rammed with the darkest secrets, it’s brilliant.

Brilliantly dark and disturbing ... Absolutely couldn’t put it down, it’s so good!

‘Outstanding. So compelling, twisty-turny and riveting. I just couldn’t stop reading.’

All I want to do for the rest of the day is find out what’s at the bottom of it all. Too good.

Utterly compelling. Deliciously dark and twisty with characters who live on in your head. Lisa Jewell just keeps getting better and better.

Compelling and suspenseful for a long and chilly autumn night’s reading.

A gripping psychological thriller.

This is without a doubt one of my favourite reads of the year.

Featuring two entangled families and a house with the darkest of secrets, this is a compulsive new thriller from Lisa Jewell.

From the first page we were hooked. If you’ve got a lazy day planned over the Christmas break, this is the type of novel you could read in a day…It makes us shiver just sharing the plot and we guarantee you’ll be on the edge of your seats throughout.

Of the crop of great thrillers out this year, this is my pick [...] Lisa Jewell is brilliant at creating a menacing atmosphereand this is almost unbearably tense at times, with a knock-the-wind-out-of-you ending.

An enthralling tale rich in psychological suspense that mixes family saga with domestic noir.

Part family saga and part-psychological thriller, this is an exceptional read.

Breathtaking thriller

Perfect book to inhale by the fire. Had no idea how creepy and nuanced it would be but couldn’t put it down and stayed up half the night reading it. Highly recommend.