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Best Murder Mystery Books

Unravel the suspense with the best murder mystery books, consistently celebrated for their gripping narratives in numerous book-related articles.

Recommendations from 23 articles, Barack Obama, Anderson Cooper, Stephen King and 40 others.
72 books on the list
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And Then There Were None book cover
And Then There Were None
Agatha Christie - 2004-05-03 (first published in 1939)
Goodreads Rating
An island mansion off the Devon coast is the setting for a thrilling mystery. Ten strangers, lured by a mysterious host, soon find themselves accused of having guilty secrets. As they are stranded by a violent storm, they begin to die off one by one. Who is the killer, and will anyone survive?
Gone Girl book cover
Gone Girl
Gillian Flynn - 2014-04-22 (first published in 2012)
Goodreads Rating
A thrilling exploration of a marriage gone wrong from one of the most acclaimed suspense writers of our time. When the clever and beautiful wife of a small-town golden boy disappears on their fifth wedding anniversary, the pressure mounts as rumors fly and suspicions rise. With razor-sharp writing and intricate plot twists, this dark psychological thriller will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Silent Patient book cover
Silent Patient
Alex Michaelides - 2019-02-05
Goodreads Rating
Unravel the mystery behind a chilling crime that left a woman silent for six years. Alicia Berenson had a charmed life until she shot her husband in the head, never speaking another word since. Discover the truth behind her tragic story in this gripping novel.
In the Woods book cover
In the Woods
A Novel
Tana French - 2008-05-27 (first published in 2007)
Goodreads Rating
Disappearances, unsolved mysteries, and psychological suspense combine to make this debut novel a must-read. Set in Dublin, the story begins with the disappearance of three children in the woods, and only one is found alive. Fast forward twenty years and the detective on the case, who was the found boy, is investigating a murder in the same woods that bears striking similarities to the past case. With his own murky past resurfacing, the detective must piece together long-buried memories to solve both mysteries. A beautifully written and chilling thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end.
The Girl on the Train book cover
The Girl on the Train
Paula Hawkins - 2015-01-13
Goodreads Rating
This psychological thriller is a top-notch must-read, a gripping and enthralling journey that combines the voyeuristic thrills of Rear Window with the darkness and twists of Gone Girl. Follow Rachel, a daily commuter who becomes obsessed with a seemingly perfect couple, "Jess and Jason", until one day she witnesses something shocking that changes everything. Discover the truth about the girl on the train in this exceptional and startling novel.
My Sister, the Serial Killer book cover
My Sister, the Serial Killer
Oyinkan Braithwaite - 2018-11-20
Goodreads Rating
In this blackly comic novel, Korede is constantly cleaning up after her sister Ayoola, who has a tendency to "dispatch" her boyfriends in self-defense. Korede loves her sister, but when Ayoola starts dating the doctor Korede has feelings for, she's forced to choose between them. Will she protect her sister or the man she loves?
Recommended by
Meena Kandasamy
Murder on the Orient Express book cover
Murder on the Orient Express
A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot Mysteries)
Agatha Christie - 2007-06-04 (first published in 1934)
Goodreads Rating
This classic mystery novel follows detective Hercule Poirot as he investigates a murder on the luxurious and snowbound Orient Express. With a locked compartment and a dozen stab wounds, Poirot must solve the case before the killer strikes again.
The Alienist book cover
The Alienist
Caleb Carr - 2006-10-24 (first published in 1994)
Goodreads Rating
Travel back in time to 1896 New York City in this modern classic of historical suspense fiction. Follow newspaper reporter John Schuyler Moore and psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler as they embark on a revolutionary effort in criminology to catch a twisted murderer who will kill again. This fast-paced and riveting tale is infused with historical detail, conjuring up the gritty reality of Gilded Age New York. Don't miss out on this touchstone of the genre!
One of Us Is Lying book cover
One of Us Is Lying
Karen M. McManus - 2021-11-30 (first published in 2017)
Goodreads Rating
When five high school students walk into detention, only four walk out alive. The brain, the beauty, the criminal, the athlete, and the outcast all have something to hide and are all suspects in the murder of the creator of the school's gossip app. Will you be able to solve the mystery before the killer strikes again? One of Us Is Lying is a thrilling and suspenseful page-turner that explores the lengths people will go to protect their secrets.
Recommended by
Adam Silvera
Rebecca book cover
Rebecca
Daphne du Maurier - 2013-12-17 (first published in 1938)
Goodreads Rating
An orphaned lady's maid is swept off her feet by a dashing widower's proposal of marriage. But upon arrival to his country estate, she realizes his late wife's shadow looms large, threatening to destroy their relationship from beyond the grave.
Recommended by
Glen Mazzara
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
The Maid by Nita Prose
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Dry by Jane Harper
Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D Jackson
Journey Under the Midnight Sun [Paperback] [Jan 01, 2015] Higashino, Keigo by Keigo Higashino
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
Killing Floor by Lee Child
The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
Dorothy Leigh Sayers - Whose Body? by Dorothy Leigh Sayers
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo
Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia
The Deep Blue Good-by by John D. MacDonald
We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin
Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
The Woman in the Window by A. J Finn
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
The Secret Place by Tana French
The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
Verity by Colleen Hoover
The Daughter of Time, Book Cover May Vary by Josephine Tey
A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh
The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham
Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley
In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes
Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum
Firekeeper's Daughter by Boulley Angeline
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
The Conjure-Man Dies by Rudolph Fisher, Stanley Ellin
A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle