Prime Suspect on World Book Night giveaway book list

The books were chosen by a panel made up of experts across the literacy and literary worlds

Lynda La Plante's Prime Suspect is among the books to be given away on World Book Night in 2015.

Other titles chosen include David Almond's Skellig, The Moaning of Life by Karl Pilkington and Roddy Doyle's short novel Dead Man Talking.

A poetry anthology has also been included on the list for the first time since the scheme launched in 2011.

Volunteers will hand out 250,000 free books on 23 April next year to encourage more people to read.

"I'm really pleased that one of my books is to be part of World Book Night," Almond said. "What a great, optimistic, liberating, democratic project."

Lynda La Plante's Prime Suspect was a popular TV series starring Dame Helen Mirren

The event is run by national charity The Reading Agency, with books donated by publishers.

The 20 titles for 2015 are:

• After the Fall by Charity Norman

• Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by MC Beaton

• Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

• Chickenfeed by Minette Walters

• Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts by Mary Gibson

• Dead Man Talking by Roddy Doyle

• Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden

• Essential Poems from the Staying Alive Trilogy edited by Neil Astley

• Honour by Elif Shafak

• My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher

• Prime Suspect by Lynda La Plante

• Queen's Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle

• Skellig by David Almond

• Spring Tide by Cilla and Rolf Borjlind

• Street Cat Bob by James Bowen

• The Martian by Andy Weir

• The Moaning of Life by Karl Pilkington

• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

• When God Was A Rabbit by Sarah Winman