2025 has come and gone, and with it, a whole new slew of mysteries to solve. As devout mystery-thriller book lovers (and pseudo-detectives), we can attest that it was a particularly fruitful year, with no shortage of suspenseful titles to devour.
From exciting novels by emerging writers (we see you, Zoë Rankin), to twisty new releases from #Booktok-beloved authors like Lisa Jewell (The Night She Disappeared, None of This Is True), Freida McFadden (the Housemaid series), and Ruth Ware (she finally dropped the Woman in Cabin 10 sequel we've been waiting for), there was a lot worth holding space for on our TBR lists this year.
In honor of all of the novels that had us tapping into all of our best sleuthing skills, we're rounding up 29 books for which you'll need to put on your whodunit caps and channel your best Charlotte Holmes to guess the plot twists. Below, we give you the best mystery-thriller books of 2025. (If you need even more book recommendations, check out our round-ups of the best romance novels of the year and our favorite literary fiction.)
For the literary critics
Release date: January 28
Good Dirt not only unravels a mystery that has haunted Ebby Freeman for years after she discovered her brother, Baz, had been shot to death, but it will also serve those in the literary camp who want something more substantial. As Ebby works to put together the pieces of what happened that fateful night all those years ago, themes of racism, family, and tragedy are examined to incredibly moving results.
For the armchair detective
Release date: January 28
True crime junkies are sure to love Carter Wilson's harrowing tale about a (what else?) true crime podcast host named Poe Webb. Poe invites sinister confessions from her guests with the promise of anonymity. She wasn’t prepared for one of them to confess to murdering her mother years ago, though—especially since she's been harboring a dark secret of her own about the fate of the man she believes killed her.
For the brooding academic
Release date: February 18
Elle Gonzalez Rose's The Girl You Know is a dark academia-inspired thriller about twin sisters named Luna and Solina. A short time after Solina announces that she wants to drop out of her fancy boarding school, she turns up dead. Now, it’s up to Luna to figure out what happened to her twin by standing in her place—but she’s not entirely prepared to discover the secrets her sister kept.
For the character analyzer
Release date: February 25
What would you do if you woke up to find your spouse missing…only to locate them on TV, at the center of a hostage crisis? Such is the reality for Famous Last Words protagonist Camilla. She has nothing but a cryptic note from her husband for a motive and a lifetime of questions about the man she married. If that wasn't hook-worthy enough, bestselling author Emily Henry is among the book's devoted fans, calling McAllister "the best at putting her characters in impossible situations and making her readers not only contemplate but feel what it would be like to find themselves in those situations."
For the book-before-film reader
Release date: March 4
Consider this a formal apology to anyone we came into contact with while reading this book: We were simply unable to keep the thrilling, deliciously twisty plot to ourselves. Full of unreliable narrators with secrets, it follows 30-something Sloane Caraway as she becomes obsessed with a young family and begins worming her way into their lives, to chaotic effect. And the thrills never cease: A TV adaptation is already in the works at Hulu, starring Shailene Woodley and Lindsay Lohan.
For the drama inclined
Release date: March 4
Margot, Anna, and their new neighbor, Liv, appear to make fast friends, but there’s something sinister brewing beneath the surface of the trio’s bond in John Marrs’s mystery. Each of these women has a secret, and one of these secrets is dark enough to culminate in a woman being bound, gagged, and left to die at the center of a raging bonfire. Her identity, however, remains to be read.
For the delayed-gratification-seeker
Release date: March 11
This is admittedly a slow burn. After being ghosted by her fiancé Noah, who has seemingly moved on with a new mystery blonde, protagonist Claire does things that will make you want to scream in her search for answers for his perplexing behavior. Pair that with an over-the-top “mommie dearest” backstory, which is constantly seeping into the storyline, and frustration abounds. But we’ll be damned if this didn’t have a truly shocking twist at the end that had us thinking about this book in a whole new light for days after we finished it.
For the anti-surface-level reader
Release date: April 1
The Appalachian Trail has plenty of its own dangers without adding foul play into the mix, but that’s exactly what Valerie Gillis’s disappearance is pointing to. The 42-year-old has vanished without a trace, and hunger and solitude just may have been the least of her troubles. This isn’t likely to do it for you if you prefer a more surface-level read, as it dives quite deeply into the complexities of its characters, but if you like books that go there, Heartwood won’t disappoint.
For the true-crime whiz
Release date: April 29
Such Quiet Girls has an incredibly chilling premise: 10 children and their bus driver are kidnapped and held for ransom in a shipping container 20 feet underground...and it’s getting harder to breathe. But it’s even more chilling when you consider the fact that it was inspired by the true story of bus driver Edward Ray and the 26 children he was taken alongside in Chowchilla, California in 1976, making it one of the largest mass abductions in U.S. history.
For the tried-and-true mystery fan
Release date: May 6
Hot on the heels of "Crime Junkie" podcast host Ashley Flowers and Alex Kiester's No. 1 New York Times bestseller All Good People Here came this classic mystery about a woman trying to move on from the loss of her sister, who disappeared without a trace. However, the search is revived when another woman, whose sister disappeared just two weeks prior, reaches out. If they work together, maybe they’ll find the answers they’ve both been seeking…
For the realist
Release date: May 31
Thank God for the Sinners isn’t for the faint of heart. In addition to the murder at its center, from which its (questionable) protagonist must prove his innocence, the reader is subject to Rick’s lifelong traumas as he tries to unpack how he got to the dark crossroads he’s at. Themes of mental illness, trauma, corruption, greed, sexual exploitation, and alcoholism abound, but its subject—the depths of the human psyche—is raw and real for those who value it. This book also took home the NYC Big Book Award for Distinguished Favorite Thriller for 2025.
For the lighthearted detective
Release date: June 5
One of Freida McFadden’s best novels, The Tenant imagines what would happen if you let the wrong person into your home. True to McFadden form, it has several twists that are likely to leave you stunned, but its true allure lies in the pure entertainment of it all. It’s messy at times, but it’s also a hoot to read as protagonist Blake’s life descends into pure chaos with the arrival of his new permanent house guest.
For the British crime buff
Release date: June 24
British thriller writer and #Booktok fave Lisa Jewell added to her growing collection of suspense novels in June with this release, set in (where else?) London. As for the identity of the nefarious titular “him,” it's anyone's guess: There’s Nick, who makes every effort to cozy up to his newly deceased pal’s widow, Nina, and her daughter Ash, and then there's Al, who’s been neglecting his new wife Martha with frequent work trips and mysterious spending. Spoiler alert? Neither man is exactly who he claims to be.
For the beach reader
Release date: July 1
Predictable? Maybe. Entertaining? Absolutely. Party of Liars has a somewhat formulaic plot, but it’s also a hell of a lot of fun to read. How could it not be? It’s based on a murder at a sweet 16, where the victim is just as much of a question mark as the fête-going murderer. All in all, it’s just the mystery to grab for your next beach vacay.
For the mystery queen
Release date: July 8
Ruth Ware’s The Woman in Cabin 10 was a runaway success, spending 19 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list and nabbing a Netflix adaptation led by Keira Knightley. This sequel picks up three years after the first book's heroine, Lo Blacklock, has welcomed her youngest child and is looking to reignite her journalism career. Luckily, she’s just snagged an invite to a luxury Swiss hotel owned by a billionaire recluse, and according to a woman who claims to be his mistress, he’s got some deadly secrets for Lo to uncover.
For the unicorn hunter
Release date: July 15
How well can we ever really know someone? That’s the question at the heart of this thriller about a server who is charged with murder after four people are poisoned at the private club where she works. It’s told through the points of view of five men who know her to varying degrees: her father, her BFF, her lawyer, her ex, and the reporter covering her case. Their views of her don’t match up in the courtroom, however, leading to two overarching questions: Who is Katherine Cole, really, and is she capable of murder? We recommend this one for anyone seeking a unicorn of a thriller, a.k.a. something a bit outside the box.
For the adrenaline junkie
Release date: July 15
From the moment you’re thrown into this “where’d she go” mystery about a wife and mother who vanishes from her condo without a trace to the final scene, the pace is fast and furious. In short? You’re in for an “up all night” read. Told from multiple points of view, the subplots range from those of Bryden’s friends and family to those followed by the detective assigned to her case, so that you can analyze things from every angle. Even so…you still might not see it coming.
For the goth girlie
Release date: July 22
Like your mysteries with a side of gothic horror? Allow us to introduce you to Salt Bones. The story is told through the eyes of Malamar Veracruz, who is reeling from the disappearance of her daughter, 20 years after the disappearance of her sister. It blends culture with magical realism as Mal’s most terrifying visions of a horse-headed figure connected to the women’s disappearances become more and more real.
For the red herring follower
Release date: July 22
If you love a good Nancy Drew story, try this clever novel by Holly Jackson, a.k.a. the mastermind behind A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. The book, which won Goodreads’s Favorite Mystery & Thriller of 2025 Readers’ Choice award, is centered around a young woman who is given seven days to live following a catastrophic head injury. But before she goes, she’s hellbent on following the clues leading back to her assailant—and solving her own murder.
For the home chef sleuth
Release date: August 5
When an infamous chef’s husband dies mysteriously, rumor has it that she’s the one behind his death—and that she served him up for dinner. (Classic.) Decades later, that mystery still hovers around Maria Capello as she summons young writer Thea Woods to her home to help write her memoir, only for Thea to find herself irrevocably tangled in the very dark Capello family history. It also summons up plenty of real-life recipes that pair with the story that you can actually make at home. (Genius!)
For the psychologically curious
Release date: August 5
The memory is a tricky thing—particularly if it can’t be trusted. Jenny Cooper is a 92-year-old woman with dementia. But according to her, she’s also a stone-cold killer. And now that her fellow patients have begun dying off under suspicious circumstances, widower Linda Davidson is starting to wonder if maybe Jenny isn’t actually telling the truth…
For the one who loves a good scare
Release date: September 16
The Vanishing Place is heavy: It deals with themes of abuse, neglect, heartbreak, and tragedy. But this tale of a woman who must face the horrors of her past life in the New Zealand brush to help a little girl who witnessed something terrible is also unputdownable. File under “absolutely dread-inducing.”
For the cozy mystery set
Release date: September 30
If you haven’t yet jumped on the Thursday Murder Club train, you really, really must. The incredibly charming, laugh-out-loud funny series follows a group of senior citizens as they solve the murder mysteries that land on their doorsteps. In this latest entry, the quartet finds themselves unraveling a case involving a missing person, his suspicious business partner, and a seemingly uncrackable code. The first book in the series's Netflix film adaptation debuted in August, featuring Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan among the star-studded cast.
For the YA enthusiast
Release date: September 30
Mary E. Roach’s Seven for a Secret was listed as the most anticipated Goodreads thriller of 2025, so you know it's worth adding to your stack. It's a YA tale about a group home called Sister’s Place where girls mysteriously disappear. Nev is the one girl who got away, and now, she’s being forced to confront her past as the men in charge of the home are being killed off, one by one.
For the twist-obsessed
Release date: October 7
Freida McFadden released not one, not two, but three novels in 2025, and The Intruder is the most highly ranked on Goodreads of the trio by a long shot. It’s about a woman who’s in for one hell of a storm—particularly when a girl who’s covered in blood and full of secrets shows up outside her window. And the things this mysterious visitor is hiding make for several plot twists that will keep even the most well-versed McFans on their toes.
For the secret lover
Release date: October 7
Secret societies, a wealthy prep school, and a shady business—that’s the crux of this YA LGBTQ+ novel by newcomer Rowana Miller. The story begins when scholarship student Kay Anderson is asked to dye her hand blue as an invitation to become a “Blue Hand Girl” and ends up somewhere completely unexpected.
For the avid book clubber
Release date: October 14
Through her eponymous book club and stellar track record in book-to-screen adaptations, Reese Witherspoon has proven to have impeccable taste in novels, especially of the women-led thriller variety. This year, she tried her hand at writing one of her own, teaming up with prolific suspense writer Harlan Coben to spin a tale about an ex-Army combat surgeon who, struggling to find her purpose in life, takes on a new job and soon finds herself swept up in a potentially deadly conspiracy.
For the suspense guru
Release date: October 14
A word of caution: Avoid this one if you’re the type to jump at loud noises or incessantly check over your shoulder. Its heroine, Alicia, is as paranoid as they come, and she can’t quite make out what’s actually happening and what’s a figment of her imagination. The result? An almost “unbearable level of suspense,” according to readers—including us.
For the OG thrill-seeker
Release date: October 21
If reading thrillers is like a sport for you, there was no way you missed the latest from John Grisham, the beloved author behind such classics as A Time to Kill and The Pelican Brief. Dubbed his first true “whodunit,” The Widow follows a small-town lawyer who is pinned with the murder of his most recent client and must solve her case to clear his name. Needless to say, this one went straight to the top of the New York Times Best Sellers list (and our TBR lists), but if you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, let this be your sign.
