Mystery Books
Last updated: December 07, 2024
Even if you love reading mysteries, it sometimes takes a while to figure out what exactly it is you’re looking for. At one end are mysteries that are light on violence and often humorous in approach. These look back to what is sometimes called the ‘golden age’ of mystery writing between the world wars, when reading mysteries was a form of escapism, rather than a confrontation with the horrors of crime. At the other end, are gritty, violent books where the gory details can be hard to read. One easy way to find books you like is by identifying an author and reading lots of books by them. At Five Books, we also keep a running list of the best mysteries of the year. Some of the authors we like that have been recommended on Five Books include:
Current favourites
Books by Jane Harper
Books by Ruth Ware
Books by Tana French
Books by Abir Mukherjee
Books by Robert Galbraith
Books by Richard Osman
Books by SA Crosby
1950s and 1960s
Books by Patricia Highsmith
Books by Ira Levin
'Golden Age' of mysteries
Best Agatha Christie Books (according to her grandson, Mathew Prichard)
Books by Josephine Tey
19th-century
Books by Wilkie Collins
Sherlock Holmes books by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Best Mysteries of 2024 (so far), recommended by Sophie Roell
Throughout the year, as new books are published and the shortlists for prizes are announced, we highlight mysteries we think are gripping or fun to read. Here’s our list of the best mysteries of 2024 so far, but we’ll be adding more as we read them.
The Best Fantasy Mystery Books, recommended by Jim Butcher
Fantasy and mystery blend beautifully because PIs and wizards occupy the same role, says Jim Butcher, bestselling author of The Dresden Files. He tells us about the inspiration for his own PI, Harry Dresden, and introduces us to his top five fantasy mysteries: stories where our modern urban fears can be explored, and where metaphorical and literal underworlds meet.
The Best 1930s Mysteries, recommended by Louise Hare
Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler were among the leading lights of a ‘golden age’ of detective fiction in the 1930s. It’s also a period that contemporary writers like to revisit as a setting for their own books. Louise Hare—author of the evocative historical crime novel Harlem After Midnight—recommends five of the best 1930s mysteries.
Five Mysteries Set in Russia, recommended by Boris Akunin
The golden age of mystery largely passed Russia by, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t some great crime novels produced over the last 150 years. Bestselling crime novelist Boris Akunin, who was born Grigory Chkhartishvili in Soviet Georgia and now lives in exile in London, recommends five Russian mysteries—great works of literature that happen to also have a crime at their heart.
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1
Birnam Wood: A Novel
by Eleanor Catton & Saskia Maarleveld (narrator) -
2
All the Sinners Bleed
by S.A. Cosby -
3
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
by Jesse Q. Sutanto and narrated by Eunice Wong -
4
The Secret Hours
by Mick Herron -
5
I Have Some Questions for You
by Rebecca Makkai and narrated by Julia Whelan and JD Jackson
The Best Mystery & Suspense Audiobooks of 2023, recommended by AudioFile Editors
The Best Mystery & Suspense Audiobooks of 2023, recommended by AudioFile Editors
It’s a lot of fun listening to mystery books or crime novels as audiobooks, with good narrators adding suspense and enjoyment to the reading experience. Editors at AudioFile magazine, who specialize in reviewing audiobooks, pick out the best ones of 2023, good books made even better by being read aloud by a skilled narrator.
The Best Locked-Room or Puzzle Mysteries, recommended by Tom Mead
In the Golden Age of mystery between the two World Wars, writers loved to devise fiendish plots where seemingly impossible crimes were committed. Tom Mead, author of two ‘locked-room’ mysteries set in the 1930s, introduces us to some of his favourite books in the genre, from the Golden Age itself to books written in more recent decades that pay tribute to its traditions.
The Best Mysteries of 2023, recommended by Sophie Roell
Throughout the year, as new books are published and the shortlists for prizes are announced, we keep an eye on the mysteries we think might be gripping or fun to read. Here’s our list of the best mysteries of 2023, put together by Five Books editor, Sophie Roell.
The Best Classic Crime, recommended by Stig Abell
The crime book genre is massive and caters to all sorts of tastes, but once you find a detective or main character you love, there are few pleasures greater than reading the entire series. British journalist Stig Abell, author of Death Under a Little Sky, picks some of the best classic crime, books he’s read over and over again.
The Best Contemporary Mystery Books, recommended by Mark Edwards
Crime writers are often mild-mannered individuals who have learned to delve into the deepest, darkest recesses of their imagination to create their books, says the bestselling author Mark Edwards. Here, he recommends five of the best contemporary mysteries that will keep you guessing right to the final page.
The Best Detective Fiction, recommended by Jeffrey Archer
With so many works of detective fiction coming out each year, which books stand the test of time? Here, bestselling British author Jeffrey Archer talks us through some of his favourites, the books he found completely unputdownable and made him want to read everything the author had written.