Yorkshire


<p>It’s time to confess. While we all love a Jilly Cooper (yes, we&#8217;re re-reading the Rutshire Chronicles thanks to <em>Rivals</em>) or a bit of chicklit, nothing beats a good crime novel. But when it comes to the books we actually can’t put down? It’s murder. Literal, fictional, occasionally botanical (more on that shortly).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2560" height="1920" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/Christie-Mural-ground-to-1st-floor-CGB-scaled.jpg" alt="Christie Mural ground to 1st floor CGB" class="wp-image-7200" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/Christie-Mural-ground-to-1st-floor-CGB-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/Christie-Mural-ground-to-1st-floor-CGB-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/Christie-Mural-ground-to-1st-floor-CGB-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/Christie-Mural-ground-to-1st-floor-CGB-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/Christie-Mural-ground-to-1st-floor-CGB-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/Christie-Mural-ground-to-1st-floor-CGB-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></figure>



<p>Crime fiction is booming – and frankly, who can blame us? There’s something deeply satisfying about playing armchair detective, piecing together clues while smugly announcing&nbsp;“I knew it!”&nbsp;several chapters too late. Which is exactly why York now has one of the most niche – and frankly genius – bookshops we’ve seen in ages.</p>



<p>Enter&nbsp;<strong>Criminally Good Books</strong>, a boutique independent bookshop in the heart of&nbsp;York, devoted entirely to crime. No self-help. No celebrity memoirs. Just murder, mystery and mayhem, stacked floor to ceiling. Founded by crime obsessive (and publishing insider) Isla Coole, it’s a haven for anyone who likes their reading dark, twisty and just a little bit unsettling.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2560" height="1832" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/Isla-being-silly-scaled.jpg" alt="Isla owner of Criminally Good Bookshop York" class="wp-image-7204" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/Isla-being-silly-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/Isla-being-silly-300x215.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/Isla-being-silly-1024x733.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/Isla-being-silly-768x550.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/Isla-being-silly-1536x1099.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/Isla-being-silly-2048x1466.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-crime-only-really">So… crime only? Really?</h3>



<p>Oh yes. And not in a one-shelf-in-the-corner way either. Every floor is packed with a beautifully-curated edit covering everything from true crime and historical whodunnits to cosy crime (hello&nbsp;<em>The Thursday Murder Club</em>&nbsp;fans), horror crime, sci-fi crime, romantic crime and hybrids you didn’t even know were a thing.</p>



<p>There’s even a section dedicated to&nbsp;<em>plants used to poison people</em>. Which is either fascinating or deeply concerning depending on your gardening habits. The interiors lean hard into a Thirties Golden Age of Crime vibe too – think floor-to-ceiling&nbsp;Agatha Christie&nbsp;murals and a proper old-school bookshop atmosphere that makes you want to cancel plans and read “just one more chapter”.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-does-an-indie-compete-with-amazon">How does an indie compete with Amazon?</h3>



<p>By doing what the big boys can’t. Isla and her team focus on championing local and emerging authors, hosting sell-out book signings, talks and limited editions you simply won’t find online.</p>



<p>Yes, big names like&nbsp;Richard Osman&nbsp;sell well (of course they do), but Criminally Good Books really comes into its own with events. Recent highlights include TV’s&nbsp;Steph McGovern&nbsp;interviewing&nbsp;Alice Feeney, an&nbsp;Ian Rankin&nbsp;signing, and upcoming appearances from&nbsp;Antony Horowitz&nbsp;and&nbsp;L J Ross.</p>



<p>There’s even an exclusive launch of&nbsp;<em>Mr Men</em>-style Agatha Christie adaptations (<em>Little Miss Marple</em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Mr Poirot</em>, no less). Small shop, big energy.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-shops-here">Who shops here?</h3>



<p>A mix of tourists hunting for the perfect holiday read and fiercely loyal locals who come back again and again for events, recommendations and that reassuring sense that someone has already sifted through the dross for you. It’s also become something of a community hub – welcoming, knowledgeable and refreshingly unpretentious. No judgement if you’ve read the same author 12 times. Encouraged, if anything.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-are-we-all-so-obsessed-with-crime">Why are we all so obsessed with crime?</h3>



<p>Isla reckons it’s partly the puzzle-solving thrill, partly the psychology. We love trying to understand the darker corners of the human mind – preferably from the safety of the sofa, cup of tea in hand, doors firmly locked. And if your reading habits ever&nbsp;<em>do</em>&nbsp;come in handy? Well. Let’s hope not.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-flying-off-the-shelves-right-now">What’s flying off the shelves right now?</h3>



<p>Unsurprisingly,&nbsp;Agatha Christie&nbsp;still reigns supreme, with&nbsp;<em>And Then There Were None</em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>The Murder of Roger Ackroyd</em> leading the charge – especially whenever a TV adaptation drops. Beyond that, staff recommendations are king here, helped by early access to proofs and upcoming releases (the dream).</p>



<p>Despite running a bookshop, a podcast, parenting an eight-year-old and wrangling two dogs, Isla still manages to read around four books a month. Overachiever. We’re tired just thinking about it.</p>



<p>We asked Isla’s for her top five crime crackers…</p>



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<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/81Pjh4uzX4L._AC_UF8941000_QL80_.jpg" alt="Murder At The Hotel Orient"/></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">Murder At The Hotel Orient</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>By Alessandra Ranelli</strong></p></div></div></div></div>



<p>A thriller like I’ve never read before! It’s set in a hotel in modern day Vienna where all the guests check in under aliases because basically they are all lovers of debauchery and have something to hide. The ultra-discreet concierge sees everything but says nothing – until two of the guests are murdered. Now she must find out whodunnit before being implicated herself. This isn’t out until April but you can pre-order it.&nbsp;</p>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/81kSKl5dIL._AC_UF8941000_QL80_.jpg" alt="My Husband’s Wife"/></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">My Husband’s Wife</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>By</strong> <strong>Alice Feeney</strong></p></div></div></div></div>



<p>This multi-layered psychological thriller will have you hooked from the get-go. Eden Fox is a struggling artist about to hit the big time until she returns home to find her key doesn’t fit the lock and a woman claiming to be her answers the door. Then to make matters even odder, her own husband confirms the strange woman is his wife and calls the police. This mystery runs parallel to another plotline but how are the two connected? Alice Feeney really is the queen of twists and just as you’re recovering from one, she slams you with another.</p>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/81-ePiypfIL._AC_UF8941000_QL80_.jpg" alt="The Lamb"/></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">The Lamb</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>By Lucy Ros</strong>e</p></div></div></div></div>



<p>This literary horror crime novel is about a mother and daughter, Mama and Margot, living in a remote part of the Lake District, waiting until strangers knock on the door of their cottage asking for help. Mama then basically drugs and murders her ‘strays’. I won’t say how but, believe me when I say it’s gruesome! But the dynamics between the two start to shift when Mama falls in love with their next would-be victim. Expect lots of shocking twists and turns.</p>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/71I2MAX1ipL._UF8941000_QL80_.jpg" alt="Five by Five"/></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">Five by Five</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>By Claire Wilson</strong></p></div></div></div></div>



<p>This menacing debut novel is a great cat and mouse thriller set in a tough male Scottish prison. The protagonist is a female information analyst whose job is to listen into the prisoners’ phonecalls and monitor the CCTV to make sure no crimes are being committed by the dangerous inmates… or the prison staff. But when she realises a guard with lethal influence is corrupt and knows she’s on his tail, it’s a race to stay alive. It’s a chilling, disturbing read and when you realise Wilson once worked in this very same job, you wonder exactly how much is fiction.</p>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/02/61I59sRgNlL._AC_UF8941000_QL80_.jpg" alt="A Curtain Twitcher’s Book of Murder"/></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title">A Curtain Twitcher’s Book of Murder</h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>By Gay Marris</strong></p></div></div></div></div>



<p>A local author in York, this is Marris’s debut novel and again, like nothing I’ve read before. This funny, quirky and really interesting story is set on a suburban London street in the late sixties and each chapter takes a look behind the closed doors of each house on Atbara Avenue and the strange relationships between its occupants. All too often murder seems the only solution for these neighbours. It’s has a big cosy crime vibe and has been one of our biggest sellers in the shop.</p>



<p><em><a href="https://criminallygoodbooks.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Criminally Good Books</a> can be found at 14 Colliergate, York</em>, <em>YO1 8BP</em>.&nbsp;</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



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Whodunnit? Inside York’s crime-only bookshop

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