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Mystery Books

Ready to be on the edge of your seat for the next plot twist? Get your mystery fix with these psychological thrillers, crime novels, procedurals, whodunits, and paranormal mystery books that are sure to keep you turning pages.

Michael Connelly - Harry Bosch Collection (Books 3,4 & 5): The Concrete Blonde, the Last Coyote, Trunk Music Michael Connelly - Harry...

Michael Connelly, Dick Hill (Read by)
Buy from $14.92

The Songcatcher The Songcatcher

Sharyn McCrumb, James Daniels (Read by)
Buy from $13.77

Private Moscow Private Moscow

James Patterson, Jeremy Irvine (Read by)
Buy from $23.16

The Nameless Ones: A Thriller The Nameless Ones: A Thriller

John Connolly, Jeff Harding (Read by)
Buy from $24.07

Firewall Firewall

Henning Mankell, Dick Hill (Read by)
Buy from $8.63

The Ink Black Heart The Ink Black Heart

Robert Galbraith, Robert Glenister (Read by)
Buy from $69.54

Darkest Desires: The Makani Trilogy Darkest Desires: The Makani...

Dean Koontz, Amy Landon (Read by)
Buy from $14.16

Escape Clause Escape Clause

John Sandford, Eric Conger (Read by)
Buy from $8.00

The Thursday Murder Club: (The Thursday Murder Club 1) The Thursday Murder Club: ...

Richard Osman, Lesley Manville (Read by)
Buy from $17.43

No Way Back No Way Back

J B Turner, Jonathan Davis (Read by)
Buy from $41.08

Nine Dragons Nine Dragons

Len Cariou, Michael Connelly
Buy from $10.49

The Murder House The Murder House

James Patterson, David Ellis
Buy from $6.51

The Medical Examiner: A Women's Murder Club Story The Medical Examiner: A Women...

James Patterson, Maxine Paetro
Buy from $51.28

The Hit The Hit

David Baldacci, Ron McLarty (Read by)
Buy from $8.99

Mississippi Blood Mississippi Blood

Greg Iles, Scott Brick (Read by)
Buy from $9.77

The Lost Symbol The Lost Symbol

Dan Brown, Paul Michael (Read by)
Buy from $5.00

The Nowhere Man: An Orphan X Novel The Nowhere Man: An Orphan X...

Gregg Hurwitz, Scott Brick (Read by)
Buy from $7.76

The Reversal The Reversal

Michael Connelly, Peter Giles (Read by)
Buy from $21.24

Day of the Dead CD Day of the Dead CD

J a Jance, J R Horne (Read by)
Buy from $13.81

Beckoning Lady Beckoning Lady

Margery Allingham, Philip Franks (Read by)
Buy from $16.66

Deadlock Deadlock

Catherine Coulter, Tim Campbell (Read by)
Buy from $11.95

The Forgotten The Forgotten

David Baldacci, Ron McLarty (Read by)
Buy from $8.00

Pretty Girls Pretty Girls

Karin Slaughter, Kathleen Early (Read by)
Buy from $9.57

The New Adventures of Ellery Queen The New Adventures of Ellery...

Ellery Queen, Robert Fass (Read by)
Buy from $21.49

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FAQs

While there are many different types of mystery books, these ones are a great place to start:

Like most genres, there are niches within mystery books. Some of the most popular include:

  • Cozy mystery: These mysteries feature minimal to no violence or graphic content, and follow amateur sleuths solving crimes in quaint communities. Example: Murder in G Major, by Alexia Gordon.
  • Detective fiction: Revolves around a professional investigator, like a detective or police officer, solving crimes through investigation and deductive reasoning. Example: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
  • True crime: These non-fiction narratives explore real-life crimes and investigations, and provide insight into the minds of the criminals and investigators alike. Example: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.
  • Psychological thrillers: These mysteries dive deep into the human mind and often tell stories through unreliable narrators. They feature twists, turns, and intense suspense. Example: The Shining by Stephen King.

TIP: You can use the filters on the left sidebar to browse different sub-genres of the best mystery books.

If you're looking for a mystery novel that will have you flipping the pages eagerly to find out what happens, we recommend some of the top books of the genre, like:

Keep three things in mind when choosing the right mystery novels for your reading level:

  • 1. Complexity of language: Skim a few pages to make sure it matches your proficiency and preferences and doesn't use too many complex or obscure words
  • 2. Book length: Shorter mystery novels are typically more manageable for busy schedules or newcomers to the genre
  • 3. Thematic content: Opt for mystery novels that align with your comfort level regarding violence, suspense, and graphic language. Reading others' reviews can help, too.

Fortunately, Alibris provides tools to help you filter and search for the best mystery novels. When searching, check the left sidebar for ways to filter results by subject (fiction, romance, thrillers, etc.). If looking for a specific time period, look for the "Historical" heading, or you can search that year and mysteries in the search bar.

You can also filter results to easily find the best YA detective stories for younger readers and other subgenres, like murder mystery books.