Here at MMM, the last twelve months have been crammed with mystery and intrigue, betrayal and revenge, bitterness and redemption – and some simply stunning plot twists. We’ve read and reviewed almost a hundred different crime titles across all aspects of the genre, from literary works of art by established grand-masters, to pulp fiction by debut indie authors.

We’ve recommended many riveting thrillers – but only a very select few, less than 10%, achieve a full-on five-star rating. Here, then, are our ‘six of the best’ from the world of international crime fiction; six ripping reads which scored 9/10 and came close to delivering the perfect payoff. They range from contemporary American thrillers to historical investigations, with a definite tilt towards the Scandinavian side of police procedurals and Nordic noir.
If you want to start 2018 in fine style then settle down with any of these – be prepared to…