Gift Guide: Fiction and Crime of 2020

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that 2020 has been tough on everyone. And with the holidays just around the corner, we’re hoping to make the added stress of choosing that perfect gift for a special someone a little bit easier with a series of gift guides.

First up, we’ve curated a selection of the best and our favourite fiction and crime of 2020, ranging from Booker prize winners to unique stories that may have flown under your radar until now.

In terms of claustrophobic small-town thrillers, you can’t go wrong with McIlvanney Prize-winning Pine by Francine Toon, set in the Highlands, or The Searcher by Tana French, set in rural Ireland. For a cosier read, try The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, following four friends solving crimes from their retirement village. 

Are you a story keeper, teller, or archivist? Erin Morgenstern invites you to lose yourself in the winding corridors of the Harbour on The Starless Sea, where stories come to life and must be seen through to their (happy?) ending, in this truly enchanting tale by the author of The Night Circus. For more magical realism, Tales from the Cafe: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is a truly special follow up to the first collection of time-travelling tales from the Cafe Funiculi Funicula. And Earthlings by Sayaka Murata is ideal for the reader in your life who likes something a bit… weird.

Scroll down for more in-depth recommendations below: