Mystery & Thriller bestsellers

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • “A twist-and-turn whodunit, set in a five-star hotel, from the perspective of the maid who finds the body. Think Clue. Think page-turner.”—Glamour

NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022—Glamour, W magazine, PopSugar, The Rumpus, Book Riot,... Read more »

If you enjoyed There There, then you’ll love Firekeeper's Daughter.

“Firekeeper's Daughter is a wonder! We so rarely hear YA through an Indigenous people's voice and this book does it so very well. Main character Daunis Lorenzo Fontaine lives a fine line between her white French Canadian mother and her Ojibwe father in a complicated family dynamic. She is smart, hockey talented, driven, and tenacious as she navigates the murder of her best friend Lily, rampant drug culture, and the journey to find herself. Angeline Boulley seamlessly incorporates the Ojbiwe language and lifeways that both inform and educate the reader in this amazing story that will stay with me long after I have moved onto other books. A MUST-read (or listen)!”

Rebecca, Rediscovered Books

Devil House

“Playing with form, voice, and the reader's expectations of how a novel should operate; Devil House is a thrilling, bracing, and unmissable reading experience. Darnielle's latest novel begins straightforward enough - a true crime writer moves into a house where brutal murders took place to research his next project. With each passing chapter, the story morphs and expands; masterfully carried along by Darnielle's incredible writing and nuanced characters. Come for the satanic murder but stay for the fascinating exploration of what it means to the truth about the past.”

Caleb, Bookmarks

Mexican Gothic

“Although Mexican Gothic begins in an unassuming Gothic way, with a psychotic cousin and a haunted house, the book slowly turns until you are completely snatched from reality and cannot put the book down. Until the end, I couldn’t figure out which of the creepy characters were trustworthy or even which scenes were reality. The atmosphere and setting of this book were remarkably vibrant; I could picture High Place and each of its residents in full disgusting detail. While the book may begin slowly, and some readers may be tempted to put it down after the first 50 pages, this one was worth sticking it out for me and many others.

This is definitely a horror novel, and some readers may need content warnings for sexual assault, suicide, domestic abuse, incest, hallucinations, murder and gore, cannibalism, eugenics, death of a parent and other family members, miscarriages, and racism. It is difficult to provide a full review of this book without delving into spoilers, but it is certainly more than just a haunted house. Readers of fast-paced action-filled horror and readers of beautiful yet devastating prose will find something to enjoy in this story. Despite the plethora of content warnings, I would recommend this book to young adults as well as adults that enjoy horror.”

Endya, Beausoleil Books

Harlem Shuffle

“A wonderful evocation of a time and place, which is not to say it doesn't have the tension of a crime thriller. It's fun to ride along with Ray, who may be more than a little bent, but will likely become your favorite furniture salesman, nevertheless.”

Robin, Books & Books @ The Studios of Key West

The Thursday Murder Club

“Witty and sharp and twisty, this mystery will be just your cup of tea! At a posh retirement community, an elderly group of crime enthusiasts meet on Thursdays to go over old cold cases. When several current murders happen practically on their front stoop, these silver haired sleuths start digging for clues. There are a lot of secrets and hidden motives to unearth, which will keep the reader guessing until the last page. The narration by Lesley Manville is superb!”

Kate, Fountain Bookstore

The Silent Patient

“In “The Silent Patient”, a masterfully maniacal mystery set in London, Alex Michaelides manages to manipulate the most sleuthful and it’s magnificent! Meet artist Alicia and her photographer husband Gabriel, happily married for seven years until one evening, they were not. Convicted of killing Gabriel, a guilty Alicia is sentenced to a mental institution where she has spent the past six years, silent, never uttering a single word since her vicious act. Enter Theo, a psychotherapist slightly obsessed with Alicia’s case and quietness. Can Theo unleash Alicia’s closely guarded secrets without suffering the consequences or will her madness destroy him and all he has overcome? It’s an edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller sure to keep you questioning until the very end. And, then some… ”

Kristin Bates, McLean & Eakin Booksellers

Notes on an Execution

“If this book is trying to show the senselessness of violence against women and critique the ways that society is fascinated by serial killers, it succeeds....The two narrators Mozhan Marno and Jim Meskimen were both excellent. I often avoid literature via audiobook and veer more towards romance for ease of listening. But the writing was so strikingly good and the narrators so excellent that I was really drawn into the audio. All in all, I highly recommend this complex, heavy, and fascinating study of the paths our lives take and the unexpected ways that they veer and intersect.”

Julie, Pocket Books Shop

The Guest List

“The wild Irish setting was perfect for this Christie-esque whodunit that will keep you guessing until the end! This is a great listening experience as the cast of talented voice actors help tell the story from varied perspectives.”

Janet, Watermark Books

Book one of the New York Times-bestselling All Souls Series—"a wonderfully imaginative grown-up fantasy with all the magic of Harry Potter and Twilight” (People).
 
Now “[a] hot show that’s like Twilight meets Outlander” (Thrillist) airing on AMC and BBC America, as well as streaming on Sundance Now and Shudder.

Deborah Harkness’s sparkling... Read more »

Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue, returns with a tantalizing novel about the secrets, betrayal, and murder within one of New York City's most impressive Gilded Age mansions.

Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, twenty-one-year-old Lillian Carter's life has completely... Read more »

The Glass Hotel

“In this ghostly story of ignoring what’s right in front of you, a group of characters try to grapple with what seems like inevitable choices. Mandel’s book is like the glass in the title: her language glitters while offering clarity and reflection, and her characters are like broken shards, mesmerizing in one light and dangerously ordinary in another. Combining the humanity and structure of Station Eleven with the brutal realism of her earlier works, The Glass Hotel is an exceptional novel.”

Marika McCoola, Porter Square Books

If you enjoyed His & Hers, then you’ll love Rock Paper Scissors.

“I cannot overstate this enough- I love mysteries and thrillers as audiobooks!! What started off as a pretty basic thriller just GOT me by the end because the unfolding plot is able to creep up on you. I was really taken by Feeney's 2020 release His & Hers and with Rock Paper Scissors, we again have the sultry Richard Armitage and cunning Stephanie Racine narrating. The two do such a great job building suspense and I can wholeheartedly recommend any audiobook they narrate...A great, engrossing listen for thriller fans!”

Kimi, Buttonwood Books and Toys

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

“Finlay Donovan is a hilarious book about a recently divorced author and mother of 2 small children who is barely holding her life together when she is mistaken for a hitman and is reluctantly (or maybe not so reluctantly) drawn into a life of crime with her nanny. Treat yourself to the audiobook! Angela Dawe knocks it out of the park.* *Not responsible for any spit takes that happen as a result of listening or reading this book.”

Terri, Swamp Fox Bookstore

Razorblade Tears

“At once gritty and graphic, tender and heart wrenching, Razorblade Tears is the story of two fathers hardened by life circumstances and their respective prejudices who seek vengeance against those who killed their gay sons. The audio was perfection. We NEED this novel to be on the big screen, with Denzel Washington playing Ike. ”

Jessica, Main Street Books Davidson

From debut author Stacy Willingham comes a masterfully done, lyrical thriller, certain to be the launch of an amazing career. A Flicker in the Dark is eerily compelling to the very last chapter.

When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, her own father had confessed to the...

Jade City

“A slow burn with frequent bursts of action. For fans of mafia dramas and martial arts action. The Green Bone culture & mythology are unique & captivating. This book and its characters got better and better as the story progressed. Lee writes like a watchmaker, and this book ticks away like a finely-tuned machine.”

Elon, Left Bank Books

The Once and Future Witches

“Alix Harrow’s The Ten Thousand Doors of January was my favorite book last year, so I had incredibly high expectations when I picked up The Once and Future Witches. This book is very different, but I adore it just as much! Set in the late 1800s in a world with a slightly alternate history from ours, women are fighting for the vote and losing. Three wayward sisters decide to challenge the patriarchy by bringing back witchcraft. Told through familiar stories twisted in new ways, this book is incredible. You will not be able to put it down, from the beautifully written introduction to the pulse-pounding ending!”

Carrie Deming, Dog Ear Books

This Tender Land

“Historical fiction in the hands of a genius storyteller. A band of vagabond children on an epic journey to find their way during the great depression. Their search for home, for peace, for family, for identity is one of the most beautiful stories I have read in a very long time. This is Mark Twain meets Dickens, and then some. Extensively researched and eloquently told, this is storytelling at its finest. Yes, I used the word “storytelling” twice. But there is no better example of this beautiful art form. The only thing missing is a crackling fire and a creaking rocker, as this tale unfolds. “Lucky us”, as Mose would say.”

Robin, Watermark Books

The Hunting Party

“Lucy Foley’s The Hunting Party is a slick, streamlined murder mystery set on a remote Scottish luxury estate. A group of old friends get together for their yearly New Year’s trip, but after over a decade of closeness, some of them may be near the breaking point. Foley uses the multiple-narrator approach to distort the reader’s perspective and challenge their assumptions, but it doesn’t feel excessive. With multiple puzzles that come together to create the bigger picture and a short timeline that adds to the claustrophobic urgency, this novel is a devilishly thrilling winter read.”

Annie Metcalf, Magers & Quinn Booksellers

The Sanatorium

“A chilling and atmospheric thriller that is just brimming with atmosphere! The Sanatorium finds a troubled detective trapped in a resort hotel that used to be a sanatorium, searching for a would be serial killer amidst a snowstorm that has cut them off from civilization. Elizabeth Knowelden gives great voice to Elin and the rest of the characters, making this a definite recommendation on audio!”

Becky, BookBar

The Maid

“Very entertaining! Miss Marple meets The Rosie Project in this charming book about a hotel maid who sees the world a bit differently than many of us. Molly the maid and her cast of friends will bring a smile to your face!”

Jenny Stroyeck, The Homer Bookstore

Local Woman Missing

“Finally, a psychological thriller that is truly psychological in that we are given in an depth look at the emotional state of the characters, and is truly thrilling as we are fed bits and pieces of what happened 11 years ago when two women (from the same community) and a 6 year old girl went missing and what is happening in the present when the little girl escapes from the basement where she has been kept prisoner for 11 years. This is a heart pounding and compelling story that will really take you by surprise as the past and the present finally come together in a way you could never have imagined.”

Nancy, Fiction Addiction

An instant New York Times bestseller!

The second gripping novel in the New York Times bestselling Thursday Murder Club series, soon to be a major motion picture from Steven Spielberg at Amblin Entertainment

“It’s taken a mere two books for Richard Osman to vault into the upper leagues of crime writers. . . The Man Who Died Twice. . . dives right... Read more »

“What a wonderful rabbit hole to fall down.” —Erika Swyler, author of Light from Other Stars and The Book of Speculation

“A terrifying and timely book.” —Erica Ferencik, bestselling author of The River at Night and Into the Jungle

“As spine-chilling as it is beautifully crafted.” —Ruth Emmie Lang, author of Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance

... Read more »

If you enjoyed And Then There Were None, then you’ll love Magpie Murders.

“Set in England, story and writing reminiscent of Christie. Wonderful!”

Tricia, Mostly Books

Includes a bonus conversation between the author and narrator.

A compulsive, tenacious, and unexpectedly hopeful thriller set in a midwestern strip club, told by New York Times bestselling author Marie Rutkoski in the spirit of Gillian Flynn and Tana French

It’s 1999, and Samantha has danced for years at the Lovely Lady strip club. She’s...

Velvet Was the Night

“From the author of Mexican Gothic comes a classic noir with a side of romance based on the Mexican government’s suppression of dissent in the ’60s and ’70s and the involvement of the CIA and KGB.”

Rebecca Dowling, Hockessin Book Shelf

The Night She Disappeared

“Lisa Jewell is indeed a master of suspense with The Night She Disappeared. Multiple timelines add to the suspense as the characters’ lives began to interweave and the story builds to an unexpected climax.”

Eileen McGervey, Just One More Page Books

The #1 New York Times Bestseller
An Esquire Best Book of the Year
A Wall Street Journal Favorite Book of the Year
A Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist

From legendary storyteller Stephen King, whose “restless imagination is a power that cannot be contained” (The New York Times Book Review), comes a thrilling new novel about a good guy in a bad... Read more »

The Plot

“A novel within a novel, a plot within a plot, a very realistic and informative look at authors, how they write, how they think, and how they try to be faithful to what they believe: that a good story must be told, even if it is not really yours to tell. Jake Finch Bonner genuinely believes that a story idea can not be stolen–after all there are only so many plots and they have been told repeatedly by many authors. It is how you tell the story, the words you use and the feelings you bring forth that make it the authors. However, when Jake, after years of struggling to get another book published writes a huge bestseller there is someone out in the world who does not think an author has the right to write anyone else’s story. What starts out as a slow but methodical look at Jake’s approach to being an author, his dreams, his aspirations and his beliefs, turns into a fast-paced story about what a person will do to keep their secrets and to punish someone who they think stole a story that he had no right to write.”

Nancy, Fiction Addiction

“Weaving together three narratives in an explosive and shocking denouement, The Overnight Guest will have you glued to the page and leave you wanting more." —Liv Constantine, international bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

A woman receives an unexpected visitor during a deadly snowstorm in this chilling thriller from New York... Read more »

In Jade War, the sequel to the World Fantasy Award-winning novel Jade City, the Kaul siblings battle rival clans for honor and control over an Asia-inspired fantasy metropolis.
On the island of Kekon, the Kaul family is locked in a violent feud for control of the capital city and the supply of magical jade that endows trained Green Bone warriors... Read more »

Ninth House

“Queen Leigh’s first foray into adult fantasy is a sensational success! One of the best fantasy books I’ve read in a long while, Ninth House contains Yale secret societies, ghosts, magic, morally gray characters, and murder. Bardugo balances dual timelines with intricate precision, and the history and world-building of her fantastical New Haven is superb. I couldn’t put this book down; I had to know what was going to happen next. I savored every moment reading this novel, and I am jealous of readers who get to experience it for the first time!”

Isabella Ogbolumani, Page 1 Books

Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley are back in the next Lynley novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth George.

When a police detective is taken off life support after falling into a coma, only an autopsy reveals the murderous act that precipitated her death. She'd been working on a special... Read more »

The New York Times bestselling author of the brilliantly inventive The Word Is Murder and The Sentence Is Death returns with his third literary whodunit featuring intrepid detectives Hawthorne and Horowitz.

When Ex-Detective Inspector Daniel Hawthorne and his sidekick, author Anthony Horowitz, are invited to an exclusive literary festival on...

In Still Life, bestselling author Louise Penny introduces Monsieur L'Inspecteur Armand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec, a modern Poirot who anchors this beloved traditional mystery series

Winner of the New Blood Dagger, Arthur Ellis, Barry, Anthony, and Dilys awards.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté du Québec and his team of...

The Cruelest Month is the third book in Louise Penny's award winning Three Pines mystery series featuring the wise and beleaguered Inspector Armand Gamache.

"Many mystery buffs have credited Louise Penny with the revival of the type of traditional murder mystery made famous by Agatha Christie ... " -Sarah Weinman

Welcome to Three Pines, where...

The Cuckoo's Calling

“The literary world received quite a shock in 2013 when it was revealed that Robert Galbraith, who recently published a well-reviewed mystery novel entitled The Cuckoo's Calling, was none other than J.K. Rowling - author of the Harry Potter series - writing under a pseudonym. Sales skyrocketed, and Potter fans who picked up the book entered a world very different from Harry's, but filled nonetheless with rich characters and storytelling. The Cuckoo's Calling focuses on Cormoran Strike, a private investigator and disabled war veteran who takes up the case of a supermodel who fell to her death in an apparent suicide. Urged by her adopted brother to take a closer look, Strike and his new - but surprisingly adept - temporary secretary Robin delve into the glamorous, high-pressure world of fashion to uncover a darker truth. Cormoran's world is more adult and less magical than Harry's, but I felt the same intrigue and thrill while reading his story. After all, Rowling wove great mysteries into the Potter novels. I recommend this book to all Harry Potter fans who grew up, but still feel the urge to get lost in a world of words.”

Marcus, The Book Tavern

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

“CHILLS. This book was AMAZING. Experiencing the twists and turns of this case along side Pip and taking risks along side of her sucked me into the audiobook. I particularly enjoyed how all of her logs, interviews, and case notes were laid out throughout the story. Each interview sounded like something straight from a true-crime documentary. Pip was relentless in her pursuit of the truth, and the ending had me gasping and on the edge of my seat.”

Sam, Bright Side Bookshop

The Secret Next Door

“The Secret Next Door is a suspenseful story about a young couple who move to an affluent neighborhood which seems perfect to live and raise a family. They quickly learn otherwise, so they question if they made the right decision. The story is engaging and will hold your interest from beginning to end! The narrator's voice makes it great for audio listening.”

Crystal, We Are LIT

From Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead—the hilarious and heart-pounding follow-up to Finlay Donovan is Killing It.

"A funny and smart, twisty and surprising series."—Megan Miranda

Finlay Donovan is—once again—struggling to finish her next novel and keep her head above water as a single mother of two. On the...

Everyone has the same questions about best friends Owen and Luna: What binds them together so tightly? Why weren’t they ever a couple? And why do people around them keep turning up dead? In this riveting novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Passenger, every answer raises a new, more chilling question.
 
“Masterfully plotted, The... Read more »

While investigating a man claiming to be the long-lost heir to a noble family, Veronica Speedwell gets the surprise of her life in this new adventure from the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

London, 1889. Veronica Speedwell and her natural historian beau Stoker are summoned by Sir Hugo Montgomerie,... Read more »

The Whisper Man

“A creepy, sinister, can’t-put-it-down story of a town that survives and then relives the crimes of a child serial killer. For those who love psychological thrillers (with the absence of gore but plenty of plot twists and turns), The Whisper Man is a grand ride into the minds of those who kill and those who are victims. You’ll find yourself looking over your shoulder when reading this book. Don’t stand too close to an open window...”

Helen Gregory, Maria's Bookshop

Moonflower Murders

“Anthony Horowitz has done it again! With Moonflower Murders, he has crafted another superlative, page-turning, cunning, book-within-a-book mystery chock full of clues (and red herrings), featuring the appealing former editor Susan Ryeland from Magpie Murders. Terrifically engaging, smart, and fun, this book is practically impossible to put down. Don’t miss it!”

Tova Beiser, Brown University Bookstore

The #1 New York Times-bestselling sequel to A Discovery of Witches, book two of the All Souls Series. Look for the hit TV series “A Discovery of Witches,” streaming on AMC Plus, Sundance Now and Shudder. Season 2 premieres January 9, 2021! 

Picking up from A Discovery of Witches' cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night takes reluctant witch Diana... Read more »

A gut-wrenching, startling historical thriller about communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation, from the #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray.

Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of... Read more »

Book of Night

“Charlie Hall is a semiretired thief called 'The Charlatan'. But when one last opportunity turns into a mess that seems to implicate her boyfriend that she may or may not love, things in this world filled with magic and shadow take a turn for the worse. Holly Black's transition to adult fantasy is seamless and flawless in Book of Night. I honestly went into the story completely blind because all I needed was to see Holly's name to download the ARC. I cannot wait for wide release in May!”

Katlin, Story on the Square

The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

“A murder has happened at the esteemed Blackheath House. Or, rather a murder will happen every night--the same night played over again-- at Blackheath House until our protagonist Aiden Bishop breaks the cycle. Every repeated day, Aiden must unravel a little more of the mystery surrounding the Hardcastle manor and its inhabitants in attempt to solve and prevent the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. But for every day that starts over, Aiden wakes up in a different guest's body. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle simultaneously evokes a classic Agatha Christie novel while also providing an utterly original take the genre. A bold and innovative novel that will keep you reading late into the night to find out the ending!”

Kelly, Mysterious Galaxy Books