SWH! Best Crime Fiction 2025 - with Callum McSorley

·1 hr 5 min·5 clips

Callum McSorley reveals a novel where women from Edinburgh's Sierra Leonean community are found locked in car boots.

The episode is a structured discussion between host Ali and guest Callum McSorley, focusing on their top six crime fiction picks each for 2025. They begin with Callum's choice, 'The Search for Bella Savage' by Foday Manor, which delves into the Sierra Leonean community in Edinburgh and involves women found locked in car boots. Ali's first pick is Alan Gaw's 'The Shades Descend', the third in a historical crime series set in 1920s-30s Glasgow. Callum's second choice is Tarek Ashkenazi's 'The Midnight King', a novel set in Nashville about a serial killer's book that affects readers strangely. Ali selects Michael J. Malone's 'The Howling', a horror-crime blend featuring werewolves. They discuss the trend of crime fiction expanding into other genres, like sci-fi in Nick Harkaway's 'Sleeper Beach'. Ali highlights Liam McIlvanney's 'The Good Father', which starts as a domestic novel about a missing child before turning into a crime story. Callum mentions Natalie Jane Clark's 'The Malt Whiskey Murders', a debut about bodies found in whiskey barrels. Ali talks about Francine Toon's 'Bluff', a mystery involving a disappearance after a school beach party. Callum discusses David F. Ross's 'The Weekenders', a historical crime novel with non-standard detectives. Ali picks Denise Mina's 'The Good Liar', which questions forensic evidence reliability. Callum's final choice is James Yorkston's 'Tommy the Bruce', about a hotel owner caught up with an ex-boyfriend's baggage. Ali ends with Callum McSorley's own novel 'Paperboy', a Glasgow-set crime book. The episode concludes with previews of 2026 releases, including debuts and series continuations by authors like Eva Macrae and Chris Brookmyre.

As heard by us

A warm Scottish crime-fiction discussion that connects Edinburgh mystery, debut writers, Bloody Scotland links, and books still ahead.

Scots Way Hay turns a crime-fiction roundup into a thoughtful look at what the genre can carry. The host is joined by writer Callum McSorley, and their chosen novels open a route through Scottish crime, with some books still to come also in view.

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Why you'd press play

Press play for a warm tour through standout 2025 crime fiction, Scottish settings, debut buzz, and a few writers to watch in 2026.

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