Book cover of The Mermaids Singing

Book description

In this special 20th anniversary edition, Lee Child introduces the Gold Dagger award-winning serial killer thriller that began the Number One bestselling crime series featuring clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill, hero of TV's much-loved Wire in the Blood.

You always remember the first time. Isn't that what they say about…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

3 authors picked The Mermaids Singing as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I have said this before, but if there had been a fourth book in this series in 2004, I would not have written Heartsick and would not have had a career. I love Val’s Tony Hill/Carol Jordan books. They are the blueprint for all thrillers. 

She doesn’t hold back on the violence but finds these incredibly intimate character moments that tremble my heart.

From Chelsea's list on read alone in the dark.

Tony Hill is one of the finest literary characters in print. He is an emotionally troubled psychologist brought in by police to profile a serial killer who is using medieval torture methods to murder his victims. His skill is to understand why the killer is killing, and to empathize with him. This book spawned the British TV series The Wire in the Blood, book 2 in the series.

The Mermaids Singing was my introduction to the character of criminal profiler Tony Hill. As good as Robson Greene was in the TV series, nothing comes close to matching how vividly this story was brought to life in my own mind. It features some truly gruesome and suspenseful moments but is utterly compelling throughout.

If you love The Mermaids Singing...

Ad

Book cover of Sins in Black

Sins in Black by Dita Dow,

Sins in Black takes readers deep into Sinister Falls, a town built on secrets and silence.

When a young woman’s murder shakes the community, Detective Harlie Whitlock is forced to confront not only corruption and danger, but her own past.

What sets this mystery apart is its fast-paced storytelling combined…

Want books like The Mermaids Singing?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Mermaids Singing.

Browse books like The Mermaids Singing

Book cover of The Silence of the Lambs
Book cover of Sidetracked
Book cover of Blood Work

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,276

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like The Mermaids Singing, you might also like...

Book cover of An Imposter in Shetland

An Imposter in Shetland by Marsali Taylor,

A fast-moving investigation set in contemporary Shetland.

When an internet lifestyle influencer arrives on Shetland to document her ‘perfect’ holiday, the locals are somewhat sceptical. Joining a boat trip to the remote islands of St Kilda with sailing sleuth Cass Lynch and her partner DI Gavin Macrae, the young woman…

Book cover of Death on a Shetland Longship: The Shetland Sailing Mysteries

Death on a Shetland Longship by Marsali Taylor,

Liveaboard sailor Cass Lynch thinks her big break has finally arrived when she blags her way into skippering a Viking longship for a Hollywood film. However, this means returning to the Shetland Islands, the place she fled as a teenager. When a corpse unexpectedly appears onboard the longship, she can…

5 book lists we think you will like!