Crime Fiction Links of the Week for December 13, 2025

It's time again for Crime Fiction Links of the Week, our weekly round-up of interesting links about crime fiction from around the web, this week with the best crime novels of 2025, Down Cemetery Road, Silent Night Deadly Night, Netflix buying Warner Bros, tributes to Tom Stoppard and Sophie Kinsella and much more.
 

Crime fiction in general: 

• CrimeReads shares ten new crime novels coming out this week.   
• CrimeReads hosts a roundtable discussion on the past, present and future of African crime writing. 
• Criminologist Christoffer Carlsson shares his four favourite crime novels
• Julie Mulhern shares her eight favourite immersive historical mysteries. 
• Leah Schnelbach ranks crime-solving clergy. 
• L.M. Chilton shares five contemporary takes on the closed circle mystery  
• Paula Munier shares five mysteries set during the winter solstice. 
• Emily Ross shares her favourite crime novels set in blue collar communities in Massachusetts.  
• Erin Britton shares crime novels and mysteries to celebrate Jane Austen's 250th birthday. 
• Adrian McKinty takes a look at Thomas Pynchon's detective novels. 
• Olivia Rutigliano shares a holiday gift guide for crime and mystery fans. 

 

Tributes to Sophie Kinsella:

• Writer Madeleine Wickham a.k.a. Sophie Kinsella, best known for the Shopaholic series, has died aged 55. 
• Joyo Moyes shares an obituary for Sophie Kinsella. 

 

Best of 2025: 

• Sarah Weinman shares her favourite mysteries of 2025. 
• Ayo Onatade shares her favourite crime novels of 2025. 
• Sonja van der Westhuizen shares her favourite crime novels of 2025.  
• Ali Karim shares his favourite crime novels of 2025.  
• J. Kingston Pierce shares his favourite crime novels of 2025.  
• Peter Handel shares his favourite crime novels of 2025. 
• Steven Nester shares his favourite crime novels of 2025.  
• Kevin Burton Smith shares his favourite crime novels of 2025.  
• Jim Thomsen shares his favourite crime novels of 2025.   
• Jeff Popple shares his favourite crime novels and thrillers of 2025.   
• Erin Britton shares her favourite crime novels of 2025. 
• Tom Nolan shares his favourite mysteries of 2025. 
• Aunt Agatha's share their favourite mysteries of 2025.
• The individual Aunt Agatha's reviewers share their favourite mysteries of 2025. 
• Sarah Lyall shares his favourite thrillers of 2025.  
• Steve Donaghue shares his favourite thrillers of 2025. 
• Molly Odintz shares her favourite debut crime novels of 2025.
• Jeff Popple shares his favourite debut crime novels of 2025.  
• CrimeReads shares their favourite spy novels of 2025. 
• Molly Odintz shares her favourite psychological thrillers of 2025.  
• Olivia Rutigliano shares her favourite crime movies of 2025. 
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about the best conspiracy books of 2025.  

 

 

Film and TV:  

• Olivia Rutigliano calls Wake Up, Dead Man an exaltation of the mystery genre, a genuinely moving work of humanism, and a rare intervention into the "whodunnit" as a political genre 
• Meredith Hobbs Coons calls Little Disasters a mediocre, mom-centered mystery 
• Cheryl Eddy calls Influencers a killer sequel.  
• Aaron Jones calls Last Samurai Standing an action-packed survival series set during an interesting time in history   
• Paul Hirons shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Shetland.  
• Paul Hirons shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Cooper and Fry.  
• Zoe Williams interviews Martin Compston, star of Line of Duty and The Revenge Club. 
• Peter Bradshaw revisits three silent Sherlock Holmes movies from the early 1920s. 
• Paul Hirons revisits the 1992 historical crime drama Heartbeat. 
• Using Avatar: Fire and Ash as an example, Phil Hoad talks about strategies to turn movies into events and blockbusters. 
• Actor Peter Greene, best known for his appearances in Pulp Fiction, The Mask, Under Siege, Training Day, The Usual Suspects and many others, has died aged 60.  
• Actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, best known for his roles in the Mortal Kombat series, James Bond: Licence to Kill, The Last Emperor and many others, has died aged 75.  
• Xan Brooks celebrates the 100th birthday of actor Dick Van Dyke.  

 

Tributes to Tom Stoppard:

• Brian Cox remembers Tom Stoppard.
• Readers of the Guardian remember Tom Stoppard. 

 

Comments on Down Cemetery Road:

• Paul Hirons shares his thoughts on the penultimate episode of season 1 of Down Cemetery Road.  
• Paul Hirons shares his thoughts on the final episode of season 1 of Down Cemetery Road.  
• Paul Hirons reports that Down Cemetery Road has been renewed for season 2. 

 

Comments on Silent Night, Deadly Night:

• Matt Schimkowitz declares that the remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night brings more seasonal delights as a Hallmark horror movie than a lurid slasher.   
• Benjamin Lee calls Silent Night, Deadly Night an overstuffed remarke. 
• Greg Cwik declares that bad taste and moral panic are the lasting legacy of original 1984 Silent Night, Deadly Night 

 

Comments on Netflix buying Warner Bros and HBO Max:

• Todd Spangler reports that Netflix will buy Warner Bros and HBO Max in a multi-billion dollar deal. 
• Benjamin Lee reports that the proposed merger between Netflix and Warner Bros is facing backlash from various Hollywood guilds and unions as well as US politicians. 
• Matt Schimkowitz reports that the Writers Guild Of America West and East released a joint statement denouncing Netflix's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. 
• Vance Kotrla wonders whether Netflix puchasing Warner Bros will mean the end of Hollywood as we know it. 
• Justin Carter declares that no one is happy about Netflix buying Warner Bros. 
• Benjamin Mullins and Lauren Hrisch report that Paramount, recently taken over by Skydance Media, is planning a hostile takeover of Warner Bros. 
• Isaiah Colbert reports that Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has promised that Warner Bros films will still receive theatrical releases, though the windows will be shorter. 
• Andrew Pulver wonders what precisely Netflix is hoping to achieve by buying Warner Bros.  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• John Ryan talks about skill tests for video game writers
• Brieanna J. Frank reports that the US Supreme Court has rejected an appeal against the Texas book banning law, which means that several books remain banned in Texas.

 

Awards: 

• The winner of the 2025 Nero Award has been announced. 
• The winner of the 2025 Black Orchid Award has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2026 Golden Globes have been announced.  
• The finalists for the 2026 Critics Choice Awards have been announced. 
• Stuart Heritage reports that actor Marlon Wayans mispronounced several names during the announcement of the 2025 Golden Globe finalists. 

 

Interviews: 

• Elaine Szewczyk interviews Jo Nesbø 
• Victoria Selman interviews Vaseem Khan and Gareth Rubin. 
• Vaseem Khan interviews Victoria Goldman. 
• Scott Montgomery interviews Ace Atkins. 
• Alan Petersen interviews Mary Stone.
• Jeremy Duns interviews R.N. Morris. 
• Kate Jackson interviews Steven Garner. 

 

Reviews:

• Jen Lucas reviews King Of Ashes by S.A. Cosby   
• Vicki Weisfeld reviews Silent Bones by Val McDermid
• Kevin Tipple reviews Crimson Thaw by Bruce Robert Coffin 
• Jeff Ayers reviews Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Ace Atkins
• Sonja van der Westhuizen reviews If the Owl Calls by Sharon White 
• Joseph B. Hoyos reviews Dying Cry by Margaret Mizushima
• Kevin Tipple reviews Edge by Tracy Clark  
• BOLO Books reviews Watch Us Fall by Christina Kovac. 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Keep This For Me by Jennifer Fawcett 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Photograph by Brian Freeman 
• Jen Lucas reviews The Girl In the Doorway by Louise Mangos 
• Vicki Weisfeld reviews The Quiet Mother by Arnaldur Indridason, translated by Philip Roughton.  
• BOLO Books reviews The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards  
• Marlene Harris reviews A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith  
• Raven Crime Reads reviews Estella’s Fury by Barbara Havelocke 
• Robin Agnew reviews The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey.  
• Marlene Harris reviews The Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah and Agatha Christie
• Erin Britton reviews Survive the Christmas Drive by Krystal Powers 
• Marlene Harris reviews A Christmas Witness by Charles Todd 
• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Christmas Cracker Killer by Alexandra Benedict 
• Erin Britton reviews My Grandfather, the Master Detective by Masateru Konishi, translated by Louise Heal Kawai. 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Death And Dinuguan by Mia P. Manansala 
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel reviews The Mysterious Affair Of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood 
• Jon Repetti reviews Genre Bending: The Plasticity of Form in Contemporary Literary Fiction by Jeremy Rosen.  

 

Classics reviews: 

• Happiness is a Book revisits the 1934 Asey Mayo mystery The Mystery of the Cape Cod Tavern by Phoebe Atwood Taylor 
• Martin Edwards revisits the 1939 crime novel Crime in Reverse by J. de Navarre Kennedy 
• Happiness is a Book revisits the 1944 suspense novel Alarum and Excursion by Virginia Perdue 
• Kate Jackson revisits the 1955 mystery The Mask of Glass by Holly Roth  
• Happiness is a Book revisits the 1971 Anthony Maitland mystery The Knavish Crows by Sara Woods 
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel revisits the 1973 Kosuke Kindaichi mystery Murder At The Black Cat Cafe by Seishi Yokomizo 
• B.V. Lawson revisits the 1982 Marshal Salvatore Guarnaccia mystery Death of a Dutchman by Magdalen Nabb.  
• Happiness is a Book revisits the 1985 Robert Forsythe and Abigail Sanderson legal mystery A Death of a Darling by E. X. Giroux   
• Lesa Holstine revisits the 2007 Charles Lenox historical mystery A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch  

 

Con and event reports:

• Martin Edwards shares his experiences at the Newcastle Noir crime fiction festival in Newcastle, UK.

 

Research: 

• Sarah Johnson reports that an Iranian former child bride has been spared execution for killing her abusive husband after paying blood money to his relatives.
• Tijar J. Mazzeo discusses the dangerous but lucrative career of the captains of nineteenth century clippers and their crew.

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Girl’s Name was Ella" by Jason M. Tucker in Shotgun Honey.
• "I Only Went to the Store" by Cithara Patra in The Five-Two.