It may only be early in the year, but 2023 is already well underway in the mystery genre, with books out now, or out shortly, from some of our favourite novelists. Throughout the year we'll be looking out for new mystery books as they're published and adding them whenever we think they're worth reading. On this list, we'll also include books that have been nominated for prestigious mystery book awards in 2023, like the Edgars in the US and the Dagger Awards in the UK. The shortlist for the Edgars has already been announced (in January), and the Dagger shortlist will be unveiled in May. Bear in mind that these are the best books of the previous year, rather than the very latest—with the advantage that they're already likely to be in paperback.
This list is part of our best books of 2023 series.
Like a Sister
by Kellye Garrett
***Shortlisted for the 2023 Edgar Allan Poe Awards***
Like a Sister by Kellye Garrett is set in New York City and revolves around the murder of a reality TV star, told from the viewpoint of her estranged sister. It's an excellent, highly readable mystery, with the added bonus that you learn all about the world of Instagram and Finstagram (aka Finsta).
Exiles
by Jane Harper
***AudioFile magazine Earphones Award for an exceptional audiobook***
Exiles is by Jane Harper, one of our favourite writers of mystery novels. All have been set in Australia in a genre some refer to as 'Outback noir.' Her last book was The Survivors, set by the ocean in Tasmania, her best book (according to two of our interviewees) is The Lost Man. This book, Exiles, is set in South Australia's wine country. It features Aaron Falk as the investigator, who also featured in The Dry and Force of Nature.
The Maid
by Nita Prose & narrated by Lauren Ambrose
***Shortlisted for the 2023 Edgar Allan Poe Awards***
The Maid by Nita Prose falls into the cosy mystery genre, though it has an edge to it that makes it extremely memorable. It's set in a boutique hotel in New York and the narrator is the guileless and perfectionistic Molly, who cleans rooms there. The audiobook of The Maid is outstanding, chosen by AudioFile magazine as one of its best books of the year.
“You really feel you are listening to someone whose whole life has to be in the details done the same every time and that if anything goes awry then you’re off kilter. It’s just brilliantly done. The Maid is also a very good mystery, with lots of red herrings, lots of misdirection. You’re really rooting for Molly to be exonerated.” Read more...
Robin Whitten, Journalist
Death Comes to Marlow
by Robert Thorogood
Death Comes to Marlow is almost a caricature of a classic cosy, English mystery by Robert Thorogood, creator of the Death in Paradise TV show. It's the second book in the series, the first was The Marlow Murder Club. The books are set in the town of Marlow on the river Thames and the sleuths are three women, led by the elderly Jude, a demon at cryptic crossword puzzles. The plot—involving a classic locked room murder—is nicely done.
A Winter Grave
by Peter May
A Winter Grave is by Peter May, a writer of very thoughtful crime fiction. This is a work of cli-fi, really, set in the near future (2051), in a world where we didn't stop global warming in time. The action takes place in May's native Scotland, both in Glasgow and a remote Highland village during an ice storm. Occasionally it's a little didactic, but it's easy to forgive, given the subject matter. It's very evocatively done, and the melancholy mood of the book stays with you.
Notes on an Execution
by Danya Kukafka
***Shortlisted for the 2023 Edgar Allan Poe Awards***
Notes on an Execution is not so much a mystery as a sad, hard-to-put-down story about a serial killer and the women in his life. The book opens as he sits on Death Row, awaiting his execution, plotting his escape using his powers of manipulation.
Devil House
by John Darnielle
***Shortlisted for the 2023 Edgar Allan Poe Awards***
We've featured Devil House by John Darnielle on this list as it's been shortlisted for the 2023 Edgars, but it's not a mystery per se. It's more of a reflection on the writing of true crime books. In the course of the book, you're living inside the mind of a true crime writer. Truth be told, the book is slightly disjointed in terms of the crimes, though it is making a point about the true crime genre: that it's more fiction based on facts than nonfiction.
