Over to the dark side this year, with two stunning debuts, a chilling psychological twister and a spooky supernatural tale for children.
Hunting Shadows by Sheila Bugler (Brandon 2013) is already attracting praise from major crime writers, Ken Bruen and Cathi Unsworth.
Winner of Undiscovered Voices 2012, Sandra Greaves The Skull In the Wood is a nail-biting ghost story set on Dartmoor.
Also highly recommended is Elisabeth Gifford’s evocative debut Secrets of the Sea House.