The 20 Best Mystery Books to Read for Your Inner Sleuth

Four years after the release of her debut Miracle Creek, Angie Kim is back with Happiness Falls. Set in Virginia, this family saga centers around a Korean-American family. The story follows a man who goes missing and his headstrong wife and two children who set out to find him.

In this bestselling novel by Paula Hawkins, a woman named Rachel (played by Emily Blunt in the film) sees something suspicious while on her daily train ride. But when she goes to the police, they suspect that she may be even more unreliable than they originally thought.

If a novel makes it to Reese’s Book Club, then you know it’s good. In Crystal Smith Paul’s debut, a famous white movie star dies and leaves her fortune behind to three young Black women. As you can imagine, chaos ensues.

Lost Girls investigates the disappearance of several escorts in their early 20s. Award-winning investigative reporter Robert Kolker attempts to solve this mystery by tracking down the serial killer who’s responsible for the lost lives of several young women.

An FBI trainee named Clarice Starling (played by Jodie Foster in the film adaptation) enlists the help of Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in order to track down an infamous serial killer.

From the Filipino-American author Mia P. Manansala comes the “Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery” series. In the first book, Arsenic and Adobo, Lila’s life transforms from “a Nora Ephron romp to an Agatha Christie case” after her ex-boyfriend (and food critic) drops dead moments after a heated conversation.

Two couples and their mutual friend plan to spend a relaxing summer on Fire Island, until a body is discovered face down on the boardwalk. Come for the twisted murder mystery and stay for the guaranteed drama amongst the group.

When Ellice discovers the body of her dead boss (who also happens to be her lover) in the executive suite, her entire world is turned upside down. Does she go to law enforcement and risk her own secrets also hitting the spotlight, or walk away from it all?

You can’t talk about mystery books without mentioning Agatha Christie. In Murder on the Orient Express (which was released as a film in 2017), a millionaire is found dead in his room and a detective must search the train to find the killer.

As the first installment in a five-part book series, Murder in G Major tells the story of Gethsemane, a Black classical musician who temporarily moves into a haunted cottage in the Irish countryside while housesitting.

In this award-winning novel by Mark Haddon, a very intelligent and inquisitive 15-year-old boy named Christopher investigates the suspicious murder of his neighbor’s dog.