Indie thrillers to try

Online journalist Scott King re-examines the death of a teenager at an isolated outdoor-activity centre through six podcast interviews. Each person connected to the case remembers events differently, gradually revealing the divisions, omissions and possible lies surrounding the death. The documentary-style format is what made this stand out from a conventional investigation.

Lila meets the grieving Jack Foley after his sister Stephanie dies in a car crash. As their relationship develops, details surrounding the death begin to feel increasingly troubling and the possibility emerges that the accident was not what it seemed. It promises secrets, suspicion and the sense that a new relationship may have been built on dangerously incomplete information.

Kate has rebuilt her life after escaping a manipulative former partner, but the past returns and begins systematically destroying everything she now values. Protecting herself and her son may require confronting the damaging lie on which her new life was built. This is the psychological-thriller choice for readers who enjoy buried histories and escalating personal threat.

Newly transferred DCI Lesley Clarke is pulled into a double-murder investigation at an archaeological dig near Corfe Castle. While earning the trust of a new team, she must untangle professional rivalries, financial wrongdoing and the secrets surrounding the victims. It launches the Dorset Crime series with a strong setting and a classic procedural structure.

On only his second day back with Portsmouth CID, DI Andy Horton discovers a naked man who has been bludgeoned to death on an isolated beach. The case draws him into a coastal murder investigation while difficulties in his career and personal life remain unresolved. This begins the Solent Murder Mystery series and appealed to the police-procedural reader in me.

The drowning of a sixth-form student in the Norfolk countryside initially appears to be a tragic accident. DC Smith suspects there is more beneath the surface, and his quiet, unconventional investigation begins exposing a much older and more complicated story. This is the first DC Smith investigation and sounds ideal for readers who prefer patient detection over constant action.

Detective Harriet “Harry” Sloane investigates the disappearance of a young boy in Belfast while navigating a difficult case and a complicated family life. Her former RUC-officer father, troubled brother and seriously ill mother add further pressure as the search intensifies. The Northern Irish setting and launch of a new detective series made this a natural addition to my TBR.