The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Robert Louis Stevenson
The classic Scottish crime novel, with a strong dash of gothic and a twist that will never be bettered. A ‘shilling shocker’ with the style and economy of a lyric poem. The fons et origo of Tartan Noir.
The Driver’s Seat
Muriel Spark
A boldly inventive book, in which the murder takes place at the end and the victim spends the entire novel searching for her killer. Spark takes the all the conventions of the crime novel and stands them on their head. Still has the power to shock.
A Place of Execution
Val McDermid
The queen of crime’s masterpiece. Beautifully constructed, with a flawless sense of place. A big, meaty, multilayered novel about power and its abuse, the past’s hold on the present, and the nature of knowledge. Read it now if you haven’t already.
