Are you ready for an adventure filled with puzzles, suspense, and a good mystery? If so, then mystery books may be just the genre for you! Want to have the best of mystery? Then read it with your favorite food!
Mystery books are a genre of fiction that typically involve a puzzle or problem to be solved by the protagonist, often a detective or amateur sleuth. The plot usually revolves around a crime or series of crimes, and the story follows the investigation and discovery of clues that eventually lead to the solution of the mystery.
They can take many forms, from classic whodunits to psychological thrillers and cozy mysteries. Some popular sub-genres within the mystery genre include police procedurals, private investigator stories, and historical mysteries. Many mystery novels also include elements of suspense, romance, and humor.
Mystery novels can occur in various settings, including big cities, small towns, and even foreign countries. The crime can be anything from murder to theft to disappearance. Some mystery novels also involve conspiracy theories, supernatural elements, or other twists that make the mystery even more complex.
Whether you’re in the mood for a classic whodunit or a modern psychological thriller, mystery books offer a world of suspenseful storytelling that will keep you engaged from start to finish. They are likewise perfect for vacation trips. Let’s dive in!
Sub-genres Of Mystery Books
There are several sub-genres within the mystery genre, each with its own unique characteristics and storytelling styles. Here are some of the most popular sub-genres of mystery books:
- Cozy mysteries: These are light, enjoyable mysteries, usually set in tiny towns or villages where amateur detectives attempt to solve crimes. The focus is more on the characters and their relationships than violence and gore.
- Police procedurals: These stories focus on the investigative process of solving a crime and are often set within law enforcement agencies. The protagonist is usually a police officer or detective, and the focus is on the methods and procedures used to solve the crime.
- Hardboiled/noir: These are gritty, dark mysteries often featuring private detectives or tough, cynical law enforcement officers. The stories are usually set in big cities and involve violence and crime.
- Historical mysteries: These stories are set in the past, often featuring real-life historical figures or events. The focus is on the mystery but also on the historical context and setting.
- Amateur sleuths: Similar to cozy mysteries, these stories feature non-professional detectives solving crimes. The protagonist might be a journalist, librarian, or other amateur detective.
- Psychological thrillers: These stories are less about solving a mystery and more about creating a sense of psychological suspense and tension. The focus is on the characters’ psychological makeup and relationships, often with unexpected twists and turns.
- Locked room mysteries: These stories are a subset of the classic whodunit and involve a seemingly impossible crime committed in a locked room or other sealed environments. The focus is on solving the puzzle of how and who committed the crime.
- Legal thrillers: These stories involve lawyers or other legal professionals solving crimes or fighting for justice in the courtroom. They often involve complex legal issues and courtroom drama.
- Espionage/ spy thrillers: These stories involve spies, espionage, and political intrigue. They often occur in exotic locations and involve international espionage and political conspiracies.
- Medical mysteries: These stories involve medical professionals, diseases, and other medical issues. They often involve the protagonist solving a medical mystery, such as a rare disease or a medical conspiracy.
- Covert operations: These stories involve undercover operatives, spies, and secret agents working to solve crimes or prevent international threats. They often involve high-stakes action and suspense.
- Supernatural/paranormal mysteries: These stories involve supernatural or paranormal elements, such as ghosts, vampires, or other supernatural beings. They often involve a mystery that can only be solved through the use of supernatural powers or knowledge.
These are just a few more sub-genres within the mystery genre. With so many different sub-genres to explore, there’s a mystery book for every reader’s taste.
While there are numerous mystery books today, let’s take a look at some of the mystery books there is today:
1. “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie
You probably will not love mystery books and not know Agatha Christie! Even if you are just about to add mystery books to your categories of Books, it will be almost impossible not to discover the legendary Agatha Christie. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is one of the best-selling mystery books of all time. The story in this book illustrates how some invisible absent hosts brought ten people together to an empty mansion on an island for various reasons. However, the mysterious hosts left instructions for two of the ten to tend the house as the housekeeper and cook. As the days unfold in accordance with the lyrics of a nursery rhyme, each invitee is forced to face the music (literally) and bear the consequences of their troubling pasts, as death will come for them one by one.
2. “The Big Sleep” by Raymond Chandler
The definition of mystery as it applies to Raymond Chandler deviates from the norm; for him, the atmosphere and characters matter more than the complicated plot. Since Carmen Sternwood, the second daughter of a wealthy general, is being blackmailed, private eye Philip Marlowe is hired to look into the matter. As a result, The Big Sleep is not your typical tale. Others blackmail the more Carmen in a web of unanticipated relationships between the characters. The more intricate the plot becomes as he delves into this messy situation.
The depth of Chandler’s characters and the language he uses to describe the impending tragedy that will befall this family make his work difficult. The clues he offers may not help you figure out “who did it,” but they will undoubtedly give you a sense of dread that makes it difficult to put the book down.
3. “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote
You would assume that all the mystery has been gone from Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood because it is based on a real-life case that has already been solved. Fortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth, as this nonfiction book is one of the most popular crime stories ever.
Before the killers were apprehended, Capote was conducting some interviews of his own and had been closely following the investigation into a triple homicide in Kansas. As a result, his book is full of unexpected turns and twists. Surely, such heinous actions are the stuff of fiction?
4. “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown
If you want to know how good Dan Brown is when writing up a riddle, just read The Da Vinci Code, and you’ll see.
In this book, To provide some light on a strange murder in the Louvre, Professor Robert Langdon is flown to Paris on a whirl. Dan Brown leads readers on a frantic journey around the City of Love while leaving them speechless (due to the clever puzzles and not Paris’ beauty). He and his sidekick, cryptologist Neveu, attempt to solve the creative puzzles left at the scene, all of which are connected to the works of Leonardo da Vinci.
Before coming up with the intricate journey that Langdon undertakes, one can easily picture Dan Brown spending hours ambling between sculptures and paintings in Paris. The resulting story is incredibly pleasant to read, and it will undoubtedly make you want to visit Paris merely to follow in Langdon’s footsteps.
5. “The Daughter of Time” by Josephine Tey
In The Daughter of Time, we continue our exploration of the past as we learn more about King Richard III. Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard takes a break from current cases to heal from an injury, but he continues to look for puzzles to keep himself busy. He then discovers the enigma surrounding King Richard III, a king who is thought to be a murderer but who Grant simply perceives as intelligent and loving. Grant searches through old archives using his odd physiognomic sense to unravel a complicated case from decades ago.
The intricate details of the past and how history is interpreted to reopen a case that was previously closed are brought to life by Josephine Tey in this book. The Daughter of Time has received a lot of affection from readers and praise from critics because of the political intrigue and odd records, which make for a superb dramatic plot that is highly educational and engaging.
6. “The Day of the Jackal” by Frederick Forsyth
The alias given to the assassin hired to kill French President Charles de Gaulle in this gripping story is “The Jackal.” The fact that this kill order originated within the administration and therefore needs to be well-covered up makes it much more exciting. The Jackal must therefore overcome the strict security measures set aside for one of the most influential persons on Earth and keep his identity a secret from even his employers.
The Day of the Jackal is intriguing on several levels and was inspired by real-life unsuccessful assassination attempts on French Presidents and political happenings in Europe at the conclusion of the Cold War. Be prepared for some intense political infighting, rigorous planning, and spying.
7. “The Silence of the Lambs” by Thomas Harris
In this classic thriller, FBI agent Clarice Stirling looks into the case of “Buffalo Bill,” a serial killer who targets young ladies and may be connected to the cannibalistic murderer Hannibal Lecter. Stirling goes to the mental hospital where Lecter is being held in an effort to elicit information from him regarding Bill’s whereabouts. Her eerie conversations, however, seem to disclose more about Hannibal Lecter’s astonishing capacity to enter his victims’ minds than they do about the murderer still at large. In The Silence of the Lambs, join Clarice Stirling as she juggles two sociopaths on a terrifying assignment.
8. “The Moonstone” by Wilkie Collins
For her eighteenth birthday, aristocrat Rachel Verinder gets the Moonstone from her uncle, a soldier who is returning from India. The jewel vanishes from her chamber when she decides to wear it to the large celebration of her maturity. Rachel and her family are devastated and turn to Sergeant Cuff for assistance in locating the thief and recovering the treasure. Since the Moonstone has a shadowy past Rachel is unaware of, the case is trickier than it first appears.
Widely recognized as the first mystery novel ever to be published, Wilkie Collins’s The Moonstone paved the path for later works in the genre by providing defining characteristics, including the abundance of suspects, an ineffective constabulary, and an extremely gifted detective.
9. “My Sister, the Serial Killer” by Oyinkan Braithwaite
On a similar topic, let’s watch My Sister, the Serial Killer, to see how a spicy sibling drama plays out. When she dates nasty guys, Korede’s sister often feels the need to kill them “in self-defense” since they are so awful. Since her sister is family and Korede goes to great efforts to protect her family, she doesn’t report or inquire about this. But she starts to wonder how far is too far when her sister approaches a coworker Korede likes. The book by Braithwaite is as wild and dismal as Lagos, the setting for it.
10. “The Detective” by Roderick Thorp
When it comes to mystery books, The Detective is a classic; Thorp’s writing served as the basis for several well-known films, including Die Hard. In this tale, a widow asks private eye Joe Leland to investigate the circumstances surrounding her husband’s passing. Leland learns information about the victim he never would have anticipated as he investigates the complicated relationships of this man, who he just so happens to have known from his combat days in World War II.
11. “Killing Floor” by Lee Child
Killing Floor is a suspenseful action novel and the first book of another detective series. Former police officer Jack Reacher is detained as soon as he enters Margrave for a murder he is certain he did not commit. Reacher’s first goal is to escape this situation and continue his travels, but he ends up trying to persuade the detectives in charge of him of his innocence. However, when he learns that his own brother is somehow connected to the mystery and that the murder he is falsely accused of committing is far from straightforward, the stakes are raised.
12. “The Deep Blue Good-by” by John D. MacDonald
The first book in MacDonald’s series featuring private eye Travis McGee is titled The Deep Blue Good-by. This tall, endearing, and upright character is thrust into the spotlight as he sets out on a quest to track down military man Junior Allen, a serial rapist and killer. Additionally, Allen has found a hidden loot that was hidden in Florida and is utilizing that to fund his evil deeds. McGee is the only one with the methodological patience to follow Allen’s trail, therefore, it is his onerous task to try to find this maniac. It’s far too common for the detective story’s main character to be portrayed as cold-hearted and logical, so it could be worthwhile to switch things up with Travis McGee’s search for kindness.
13. “The Alienist” by Caleb Carr
You probably may have heard of The Alienist before because it is a Netflix original that transports viewers to New York in the 1890s. John Moore, a crime reporter, takes the lead in investigating the horrifying and strange serial killing of teenage boys. The first victim, whose case Moore covered in the news, was clothed as a girl and horrifyingly mangled, leading Moore to surmise that a mentally ill person must have been responsible. In order to solve this enigma and find the culprit, Moore turns to his acquaintance, a well-known psychologist who was then referred to as an alienist. This mystery thriller features a variety of plot elements, including psychological analysis and heart-pounding chases through New York City’s squalor.
14. “Case Histories” by Kate Atkinson
Case Histories is the book you should read if you’re still looking for an excellent domestic suspense novel. Prepare yourself for three horrifying backyard tales: the murder of a solicitor’s daughter in the last house, the murder of a husband in the second, and the disappearance of a little child in the first. In addition to delving into the suffering and grief experienced by each of these unhappy families, Kate Atkinson also skillfully linked the three together; you’ll have to read to find out how.
15. “Shutter Island” by Dennis Lehane
Marshal Teddy Daniels and his partner are called in to look into and find Rachel Solando after she vanishes from the Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. The two detectives discovered evidence that Solando left behind detailing the ominous operations of the institution when they arrived at the island where the facility is situated. Before revealing the real conspiracy, the inquiry makes a number of abrupt turns. Shutter Island creates a chilling yet alluring environment that makes it difficult to put down by blending current psychology with Gothic elements and isolating the case from technology and the outside world.
16. “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie” by Alan Bradley
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is evidence that not all of the best mysteries have to fill you with a deep sense of dread. In this book, Flavia, an intelligent 11-year-old whose father is charged with murder, is the detective who solves the case. A stranger who had recently been observed arguing with Flavia’s father turns up dead in the family’s yard. Flavia explores the town in an effort to show that her stamp-collecting father, who has been devastated since the loss of his wife, is innocent.
18. “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn
The ultimate mystery puzzle for the current media age, Gone Girl is perhaps better recognized for its huge motion picture adaptation. Nick Dunne is suddenly under suspicion after his devoted wife Amy vanishes; everyone, including her parents, his neighbors, and the police, leans toward thinking that he is somehow to blame. When tales about her from acquaintances he’s never heard of surface, Nick himself realizes how his wife felt about him and how little he knows of her.
The experience of reading these unreliable narrators’ brains is worth picking up this book, even if you couldn’t resist the media hype surrounding the movie version.
18. “The Postman Always Rings Twice” by James M. Cain
It’s easy to understand why The Postman Always Rings Twice is sometimes hailed as the greatest crime novel of the 20th century. It won’t give you a chance to catch your breath because it’s brief, raunchy, and packed with surprises. In fact, Cain’s language was so shockingly graphic that Boston briefly outlawed the book.
In the narrative, Cora Papadakis, the proprietor of a diner, and Frank Chambers have a chance encounter on the highway. Despite Cora being married, Frank ends himself working for her and her husband and eventually falls in love with her.
Frank’s impulsiveness overtakes him as he and Cora decide to nefariously plot the dissolution of her marriage. They believe that if the plan works, they can spend the rest of their lives in one other’s arms.
19. “Anatomy of a Murder” by Robert Traver
Criminal trials were the source of lawyer-related entertainment prior to How To Get Away With Murder and Suits. It is such a classic, authored by a Supreme Court Justice using the pen name Robert Traver, entitled Anatomy of a Murder. It centers on attorney Paul Biegler’s defense of Frederick Manion, charged with killing an innkeeper. Despite the overwhelming evidence against Manion, his inconsistent behavior allows the potential for challenges to a conviction. This is when Biegler and his unassuming demeanor come into play. You’ll be on the edge of your seat during this gripping courtroom drama, wondering how this lawyer could possibly present such an implausible case.
20. “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” by John le Carré
Criminal trials were the source of lawyer-related entertainment prior to How To Get Away With Murder and Suits. It is such a classic, authored by a Supreme Court Justice using the pen name Robert Traver, entitled Anatomy of a Murder. It centers on attorney Paul Biegler’s defense of Frederick Manion, charged with killing an innkeeper. Despite the overwhelming evidence against Manion, his inconsistent behavior allows the potential for challenges to a conviction. This is when Biegler and his unassuming demeanor come into play. You’ll be on the edge of your seat during this gripping courtroom drama, wondering how this lawyer could possibly present such an implausible case.
Other Mystery Books You Can Check Out
- “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson
- “The Daughter of Time” by Josephine Tey
- “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier
- “The Maltese Falcon” by Dashiell Hammett
- “Eye of the Needle” by Ken Follett
- “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins
- “Woman in White” by Wilkie Collins
- “Big Little Lies” by Liane Moriarty
- “In the Woods” by Tana French
- “Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn”
- “Devil In Blue Dress” by Walter Mosley
- “The Hound of the Baskervilles” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- “Cain’s Jawbone” by Torquemada
- “The Decagon House Murders” by Yukito Ayatsuji
- “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides
- “Murder on the Orient Express” by Agatha Christie
- “The Cuckoo’s Calling” by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)
- “The Woman in the Window” by A.J. Finn
- “The Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
- “The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco
- “The Silence of the Lambs” by Thomas Harris
- “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt
- “The Big Sleep” by Raymond Chandler
- “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” by Agatha Christie
- “The Stranger Beside Me” by Ann Rule
- “The Outsider” by Stephen King
- “The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” by Stuart Turton
- “The Talented Mr. Ripley” by Patricia Highsmith
- “The Murder at the Vicarage” by Agatha Christie
