Mystery Book Reviews

The best mystery book reviews. Mysteries are typically crime stories in which readers follows a detective or amateur sleuth attempting to solve a criminal puzzle. Compared with “crime thrillers,” mysteries often feature less graphic violence and shocking subject matter.

The Fear of Winter, an Emotionally Resonant Thriller by S.C. Sterling

The Bottom Line: For fans of The Girl in Cabin 13, The Fear of Winter is an emotionally resonant, atmospheric thriller that simmers with a highly memorable investigation en route to an unforgettable crescendo.  Grand County, Colorado, consists of 1800 square miles of sprawling mountainous terrain. At any time, there are at least two dozen missing people in the county. Most are hikers or skiers. […]

The Fear of Winter, an Emotionally Resonant Thriller by S.C. Sterling READ MORE >

Azabu Getaway, The Year’s Best Crime Thriller by Michael Pronko

The Bottom Line: Detective Hiroshi has never been more entertaining in this electrifying crime thriller featuring some truly ingenious financial crimes.  When American wealth manager Patrick Walsh returns to his Tokyo apartment and keys in his passcode, he’s surprised to find that it still works. For those unfamiliar with Tokyo, Azabu is known as one of Tokyo’s most expensive residential districts. When Walsh’s ex-wife Miyuki

Azabu Getaway, The Year’s Best Crime Thriller by Michael Pronko READ MORE >

Huron Breeze, The Year’s Best Mystery

The Bottom Line: The Year’s Best MysteryTen years ago, legendary author Riley Cannon produced three of the best-selling thriller novels of all-time. Then, she vanished, leaving the final three books of the saga unfinished and producing the biggest mystery in the history of publishing. Now, a decade later, there is word from her mega-agent, the glamorous and powerful Topaz Kennedy, that a new Cannon novel

Huron Breeze, The Year’s Best Mystery READ MORE >

Our Book of the Year is Girl Missing by Kate Gable

The Bottom Line: Kate Gable’s ingeniously crafted Girl Missing is the BestThrillers.com Book of the Year and deserves a spot at the very top of your reading list. When her 13-year-old sister vanishes on her way back from a friend’s house, Detective Kaitlyn Carr must confront demons from her own past in order to bring her sister home. The small mountain town of Big Bear Lake

Our Book of the Year is Girl Missing by Kate Gable READ MORE >

Blaze In, Blaze Out – The Year’s Best Crime Thriller

The Bottom Line: The year’s best crime thriller (Winner, The BestThrillers.com Book Awards). A superb crime drama simmering with suspense and deep character studies en route to an explosive finale. Joseph Lewis’ latest novel tells the story of two lawmen who find themselves hunted by killers loyal to an Ukranian kingpin. The book opens in Chicago’s Cook County Criminal Court, as a jury finds Dmitry Andruko

Blaze In, Blaze Out – The Year’s Best Crime Thriller READ MORE >

Trust, a Delicious New Whodunnit by Lee Chappel

The Bottom Line: A delicious whodunnit that establishes Lee Chappel’s style as both instantly recognizable and irresistible. You might have guessed that the title of Lee Chappel’s second thriller, Trust, is ironic. But only the most clever readers will guess who the killer is before Chappel’s detective, Ben Keeler, figures it out.  Trust tells the story of Beth Sullivan, who engages in what can only

Trust, a Delicious New Whodunnit by Lee Chappel READ MORE >

The Other Side, a Charming and Absorbing Mystery by A.J. McCarthy

The Bottom Line: A murder mystery that is as charming as it is absorbing. Perfect for fans of Nancy Atherton and Patricia Cornwall. Thirty-eight-year-old Canadian pub owner Charlie – who inherited the pub she worked in as a teenager – is feeling the need for change. A catalyst for change comes in the form of loyal customer Craig Reeve, arrives in the pub after a

The Other Side, a Charming and Absorbing Mystery by A.J. McCarthy READ MORE >

Bad Fortune, a Triumphant New Malcolm Winters Mystery

The Bottom Line: A slow-burn, cerebral mystery that methodically builds stakes and suspense en route to a shocking climax.  Thomas J. Thorson’s highly anticipated fourth Malcolm Winters Mystery (the first, Heirs Apparent, was one our 2020 Best of the Year picks) continues the story of Malcolm Winters, who is now living as an English professor at the University of Illinois Chicago. As he did in

Bad Fortune, a Triumphant New Malcolm Winters Mystery READ MORE >

High Crimes, a Fast-Paced Comedic Thriller by Montana Kane

The Bottom Line: A fast-paced comedic thriller that is both big-hearted and easy to love. Thanks to Montana Kane’s highly memorable voice and vision, Boomville, Colorado may be the new Fargo, Minnesota.  After being wounded in the line of duty, Detective Brandy Martini leaves crime-ridden Chicago for Colorado. But her dream to earn a comfortable living as a private investigator in a peaceful mountain town

High Crimes, a Fast-Paced Comedic Thriller by Montana Kane READ MORE >

Just a Still Life, a Delightful Mystery by J. Ivanel Johnson

The Bottom Line: Warm up the apple crisp and cozy up to a detective mystery that has been 75 years in the making. It’s the fall of 1971 in New Brunswick, Canada, and inspector Philip Steele is trying to shake off the stench of burnout and cases that haunt him to this day. He has given his resignation and desperately wants to swear off police work for good.

Just a Still Life, a Delightful Mystery by J. Ivanel Johnson READ MORE >

Scroll to Top