The five best books with unforgettable plot twists, according to Dorothy Koomson

Dorothy Koomson has been keeping readers up past their bedtimes for nearly two decades. She’s known as the “Queen of the Big Reveal,” and her bestselling novels – from The Ice Cream Girls to Give Him to Me – are packed with secrets, shocks, and jaw-dropping twists that make you question everything you thought you knew. It is no wonder her novels have sold over 2.5 million copies in the UK alone.

So which books deliver that same addictive sense of suspense and surprise for her? Here, Koomson shares her favourite reads with brilliant plot twists…

A Murder For Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant

“Even if cosy mysteries aren’t your thing, I would highly recommend giving this book a try. Miss Hortense is a retired nurse who emigrated to Birmingham in the 60s. She is a prominent member of the community who helped set up a Pardner (financial) network back in the day, but had to step away after an incident. She’s drawn back in when a dead body turns up at the home of one of the people in the network.

“As an amateur sleuth, Miss Hortense cannot help but investigate – and what she finds is truly jaw-dropping. I read this in two sittings. The mix of characters, some of whom are genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, is fantastic. The plot and the cliff-hanger ending, meanwhile, made this one of my favourite reads of the year.”

Baskerville, £16.99

What Happens In The Dark by Kia Abdullah

“Kia Abdullah is brilliant at hold-your-breath, make-your-heart-race tales. This is the story of two women who grew up together as friends, but who followed very different paths – Safa became a journalist, while Lilly found fame on television, eventually becoming known as the nation’s sweetheart. But when the façade around Lilly’s seemingly perfect life starts to crumble, Safa tries to rekindle the friendship. Is Safa prepared, though, to find out what really lies behind what people think they know about their favourite celeb?

“One of my favourite things about Abdullah’s books are the courtroom scenes where one twist after another is revealed, before the final one is dealt right at the end. This is no different.”

HQ, £16.99

A Deadly Likeness by Lesley McEvoy

“This is one of a series of books by real-life criminal profiler Lesley McEvoy. I actually started with this book and had to go back to read the others in the series because the characters are so compelling.

“It follows Dr Jo McCready, a profiler whose past comes back to haunt her when someone starts to recreate the murders in a closed case that she created a profile on nearly 15 years earlier. The man responsible for the original murders offers to help catch the new killer from his prison cell. Jo knows she can’t trust him but with no real leads, what choice does she have if she wants to stop others dying? Clever, intriguing with a fantastic last-page twist, I really enjoyed this one.”

Zaffre, £8.99

Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett

“When Bree wakes up in the AirBnB where she is meant to be having a romantic weekend with her boyfriend Ty, she doesn’t expect to find a dead woman’s body. She certainly doesn’t expect Ty to be missing, or the woman to turn out to be Janelle, whose disappearance has been all over the media.

“Now Bree is in the middle of a murder investigation where there is clearly more to everyone in her life, especially Ty. With whiplash-inducing turns, Garrett takes us on an unexpected journey through our current obsession with social media as well as the ways in which we’ve normalised being concerned about some people more than others. I raced through this.”

Simon & Schuster, £8.99

The Binding Room by Nadine Matheson

“There are so many layers to this mystery of a murdered pastor from a so-called super church – the story explores everything from religion and mental health ‘cures’ to exploitation and trauma.

“At its heart is DI Angelica Henley, who is in charge of the Serial Crime Unit investigating the crimes connected to this murder. She is pulled in different directions by her need to catch the killer, trying to do right by her team and trying to make her marriage work. There are some pretty epic twists in the book that generally arrive when you think you know which direction the story is headed in. A smart, propulsive read.”

‘Give Him To Me’ by Dorothy Koomson (Headline Review, £9.99) is published in out in paperback now