The mystery genre is one of my all-time favorites to read. There’s something so intriguing about a literary puzzle just waiting to be solved! Whether it’s a detective-focused crime novel, a cozy mystery, or something in between: I can’t resist. If you’re looking for some mystery book recommendations, I’ve put together a list below of all the best mystery books I’ve read so far!
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Addicting Mystery Books to Add to Your TBR List
In this list, I’m sharing my all-time favorite mystery novels; the ones I never wanted to stop reading and/or couldn’t stop thinking about.
These are packed with suspense, emotional intrigue, and well-rounded characters you’ll love (or love to hate!). They range from intense and action-packed to wonderfully immersive slow-burn mysteries.
I hope you love them as much as I did!
Check out this list of my all-time favorite thriller novels for more exciting books to read!
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Genre: Mystery/Historical Fiction
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Say hello to one of my favorite books of the summer (and the entire year)! It’s a historical mystery set in the 1970s at a summer camp in the Adirondack Mountains.
When a teenage girl goes missing at summer camp – the daughter of the camp’s owner, in fact – tensions flare between the rich family that owns the camp (the Van Laars) and the blue collar community that serves them.
Even stranger, this isn’t the first time one of the Van Laar children has gone missing. The girl’s older brother disappeared sixteen years ago, when he was a young boy.
This engrossing story is the perfect blend of emotional character study and twisty mystery plot, with plenty of tension and family drama mixed in. It features dual timelines, multiple POVs, and complex characters, with two intertwined mysteries at its core.
This story had a literary feel but was also such a page-turner! I couldn’t put it down. It was a solid 5-star read for me and I recommend it to everyone.
It would make a perfect mystery book club pick (especially for summer or early fall), with themes ranging from coming-of-age, class, and the complexity of family. Here’s a book club guide for The God of the Woods, with discussion questions and a character list!
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
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This is one of the most unique and engrossing books I’ve read. It’s twisty, genre-bending (historical mystery, magical realism, and more), and best-enjoyed with an open mind.
It’s hard to nail down a synopsis for a book this unique, but I’ll break down the essence.
A man (Aidan) is summoned to a Gothic mansion for a lavish party. But what he finds is much more sinister: he must find out which of the guests killed Evelyn Hardcastle, or he’ll continue to wake up every day in a new host’s body, re-living the same day over and over.
It gives off serious Agatha Christie vibes, which I am ALL about. The cast of characters, the eerie setting, the twists and turns…it’s all so well done. Highly recommended!
(Here are more unique genre-bending books like this one!)
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
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These Silent Woods follows a father and his young daughter who live in a cabin in the Appalachian woods, living off the land – and hiding a secret.
But when their yearly supply delivery doesn’t show up and they stumble on a stranger in the woods, the father is forced to make a decision.
This book had so many things I love: a remote wilderness setting, great characters, and an undercurrent of mystery.
While I would describe it as more of a slow burn mystery, I never felt bored and I could not stop reading. Overall, it’s an absorbing and well-written story!
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
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This historical cozy mystery series set in the 1950s follows a young amateur detective and aspiring chemist – Flavia de Luce – who lives in an old mansion with her family.
She boldly solves murders in her sleepy English countryside village, complete with a revolving cast of eccentric characters.
The Likeness by Tana French
Genre: Literary Mystery
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I loved this atmospheric literary mystery set in Ireland, about a detective named Cassie Maddox who is assigned to a strange murder case: the girl who was killed looks exactly like her. She goes undercover – as the girl – to live in the house where the crime went down, alongside the girl’s four roommates (fellow students at a nearby college).
This novel is technically the second in the Dublin Murder Squad series, so I do recommend reading the first book before this. (But I enjoyed that one as well!)
We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker
Genre: General Fiction/Mystery
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Walk is the chief of police in a small California town. He’s comfortable where he is, and he doesn’t want anything – including the town – to change. But one thing is about to: his best friend from when he was 15 years old, Vincent King, is being released from prison after 30 years.
Duchess is a tough 13-year-old girl who would do anything for her little brother Robin, especially since their mother has trouble taking care of them. But one explosive night, everything changes for Duchess and Robin, setting changes into motion for them and for Walk.
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Mystery
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This dark comedy is centered around a group of people (and a would-be bank robber) trapped in an apartment building during a hostage situation, and the policemen who are determined to figure out what’s going on.
Except, the situation isn’t quite what you think it is.
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
Genre: Mystery/Paranormal/Horror
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A young woman travels to a small town to find out what happened to her aunt, who disappeared years ago after working the night shift at a seedy motel. She quickly finds out the town has a sordid history of suspicious murders.
This creepy mystery/thriller has a sprinkling of horror elements that make it a fabulous spooky read!
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery
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Want to read a classic mystery novel by an author who inspired the entire locked-room mystery sub-genre? Start with this one! It’s a classic for a reason, and I loved it.
It’s about a group of people who are invited to a remote mansion on an island in the U.K. They become trapped by a storm, and one by one, they are picked off. They must figure out who the killer is before they all end up dead.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
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A teenage girl (Pippa Fitz-Amobi, or Pip for short) becomes an amateur sleuth determined to solve an old murder case in her small town. Someone was blamed for the crime, but Pip isn’t so sure they committed it – so she sets out to prove it for her school project.
She records a true crime podcast to document the process, but her investigation proves more dangerous than she ever imagined.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Genre: Literary Mystery/Thriller
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This popular dark academia novel – written by the bestselling author of The Goldfinch – follows a group of Classics scholars at an elite New England college seek a new way of living beyond the boundaries of normal life.
Guided by their professor, they become more and more emboldened by their experimentation – which leads them down a dangerous path.
The Secret History likely inspired the modern dark academia genre (and its subsequent popularity). This is such a unique and fascinating read that completely drew me in. Highly recommended (along with The Goldfinch, which is a different genre but just as beautifully-written).
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Genre: Historical Fiction/Contemporary Fiction/Mystery
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This bestselling book follows a lonely girl living in the marshes of Florida in 1969, known to the townspeople only as the “Marsh Girl”. When a teenage boy is found dead, she becomes a prime suspect for his murder.
The story is all about nature, coming-of-age, love, and prejudice. You won’t be able to stop turning the pages!
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery/Magical Realism
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Set in Barcelona in the 1940s, this engrossing story follows Daniel, a vintage bookseller’s son. He finds a strange book, titled The Shadow of the Wind, and sets out to find the author’s other works.
But soon, Daniel discovers that someone has been purposefully destroying every copy of the author’s books – and he unwittingly unearths one of his city’s darkest secrets.
This is one of my favorite books of all time, and I would recommend it to everyone. (If you’re wondering: while some Gothic fiction is very entwined with the horror genre, this particular book is not scary!).
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
Genre: Cozy Mystery
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This book follows Finlay Donovan, a struggling writer and mother of two who’s dreading an impending custody battle with her cheating ex-husband.
While discussing her latest book project with her agent at a Panera, a woman sitting nearby mistakes Finlay for a contract killer. That’s when things really take a turn for Finlay and her nanny/friend, Vero.
This is a highly entertaining, laugh-out-loud mystery with fully-formed characters and hints of romance. Definitely recommended!
The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
Genre: Gothic Mystery/Fantasy
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A woman and her three daughters move into a lighthouse on a remote Scottish island. When two of her daughters suddenly go missing, the mother searches for them – to no avail.
Instead, all she gleans from the locals are tales of wildlings (i.e. changelings), and a discovery of a creepy cave beneath the lighthouse that supposedly has ties to witchcraft.
More than twenty years later, the third sister returns to the island to search for her missing mother and sisters. She’s shocked to find one of her sisters – but, somehow, the girl hasn’t aged a day.
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Genre: YA Mystery
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Avery Grambs is just a normal teenage girl…until she finds out billionaire Tobias Hawthorne has left her his entire inheritance of 42 billion dollars. But the Hawthorne family – including the billionaire’s four grandsons – aren’t too thrilled to be disinherited.
It soon becomes clear that there’s a game hidden in Tobias Hawthorne’s will. Avery is desperate to find out why she was chosen as this stranger’s heir, so she plays along, following every riddle and searching the mansion for clues.
But when Avery’s life is put in danger, she has to find out which of her new housemates wants her dead – before it’s too late.
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
Genre: Mystery/Horror
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A journalist investigates the death of a young woman, the daughter of cult-horror film director Stanislaus Cordova.
Cordova’s films have a legacy of leaving strange deaths in their wake, and the journalist is determined to unravel the truth – even if it costs him everything.
This dark, mind-bending mystery features an epistolary aspect (photos, case files, news articles, and more) that makes the story particularly immersive.
See any of your own favorites on this list? Have any mystery novel recommendations to share? Let me know in the comments!