This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Dark psychological thrillers dominate the list of the year’s bestselling ebooks unveiled by Amazon, with MP Nadine Dorries making it into a line-up composed almost entirely of female writers.

The British arm of the online retail giant said that Paula Hawkins’ hit novel The Girl on the Train, a thriller about marriage, murder and alcoholism, was its bestselling ebook of the year to date. Just two of Amazon.co.uk’s bestselling ebooks of 2015 so far are by male writers: Lee Child’s thriller Personal, in 10th place, and David Nicholls’ story of a crumbling marriage, Us, in 12th.

EL James’ latest slice of erotica, Grey, which retells Fifty Shades of Grey from the perspective of its male protagonist, comes in second place, with three further thrillers – Angela Marsons’ Silent Scream, Emma Healey’s Elizabeth is Missing, and Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl – making up the top five.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins review – a skilful memory-loss thriller Read more

Dorries’ Hide Her Name, in which the Conservative MP for Mid-Bedfordshire continues her story about an Irish community in the 1950s and 60s begun in The Four Streets, is in ninth place, with self-published author Rachel Abbott’s thriller Stranger Child in 11th.

The sales were revealed on Tuesday afternoon in Amazon’s first ever Consumer Report, alongside the retailer’s bestselling books overall. The latter list was topped by Ella Woodward’s cookbook, Deliciously Ella, with Millie Marotta’s adult colouring book Millie Marotta’s Animal Kingdom in second place, Grey in third, The Girl on the Train fourth, and Amelia Freer’s Eat, Nourish, Glow fifth.

“Of all the books available on Amazon.co.uk, the top 20 in 2015 so far is dominated by two standout genres,” said the retailer. “The first is healthy eating, which continues to be a trend led by the popularity of Ella Woodward and her Awesome Ingredients, as Brits become ever more conscious of what they eat. Brits also appear to have adopted colouring as a form of relaxation, with no fewer than four adult colouring books in the top 20.”

Top 20 bestselling ebooks of 2015 so far on Amazon.co.uk

1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

2. Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as told by Christian by EL James

3. Silent Scream by Angela Marsons

4. Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey

5. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

6. The Lie by CL Taylor

7. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

8. The Little Shop of Hopes and Dreams by Fiona Harper

9. Hide Her Name by Nadine Dorries

10. Personal by Lee Child

11. Stranger Child by Rachel Abbott

12. Us by David Nicholls

13. The Throwaway Children by Diney Costeloe

14. The Year of Taking Chances by Lucy Diamond

15. The Ballroom Café by Ann O’Loughlin

16. The Good Girl by Fiona Neill

17. Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose

18. The Letter by Kathryn Hughes

19. I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh

20. Evil Games by Angela Marsons