Mystery novels have thrilled and captivated readers for centuries with their suspenseful plots, unexpected twists, and intriguing characters. Whether you love classic detective stories, psychological thrillers, or modern crime fiction, the best mystery books will keep you guessing until the very last page.
Here’s a list of 20 must-read mystery novels, complete with details about their authors, country of origin, genre, publication year, language, and global popularity.
1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson
- Author: Stieg Larsson (Sweden)
- Published: 2005
- Genre: Mystery, Crime Thriller, Psychological Thriller
- Language: Originally in Swedish (translated into 50+ languages)
- Popularity: Over 100 million copies sold, adapted into movies and TV series.
- About the Author: Larsson was a Swedish journalist and novelist known for his Millennium series, which exposed crime and corruption.
- Why Read It?:
A gripping Nordic noir novel featuring hacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist as they investigate a decades-old mystery.
2. The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
- Author: Dan Brown (United States)
- Published: 2003
- Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Conspiracy Fiction
- Language: English (translated into 50+ languages)
- Popularity: Over 80 million copies sold, adapted into a blockbuster movie.
- About the Author: Brown is an American writer famous for combining historical mysteries with fast-paced thrillers.
- Why Read It?:
A mind-bending mystery featuring Robert Langdon, who unravels a secret hidden in Leonardo da Vinci’s works.
3. The Hound of the Baskervilles – Arthur Conan Doyle
- Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (United Kingdom)
- Published: 1902
- Genre: Classic Mystery, Detective Fiction
- Language: English
- Popularity: One of the best Sherlock Holmes stories, adapted into multiple films and TV series.
- About the Author: Doyle was a British writer and physician best known for creating Sherlock Holmes, one of the most iconic detectives in literature.
- Why Read It?:
A legendary mystery where Holmes and Watson investigate a supernatural hound haunting the Baskerville family.
4. Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
- Author: Gillian Flynn (United States)
- Published: 2012
- Genre: Psychological Thriller, Mystery
- Language: English (translated into 40+ languages)
- Popularity: Over 20 million copies sold, adapted into an Oscar-nominated movie.
- About the Author: Flynn is an American author known for her dark psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators.
- Why Read It?:
A twisted tale of deception and revenge, where a missing wife’s disappearance turns into a shocking psychological game.
5. The Silent Patient – Alex Michaelides
- Author: Alex Michaelides (Cyprus/United Kingdom)
- Published: 2019
- Genre: Psychological Thriller, Mystery
- Language: English
- Popularity: Over 6 million copies sold, one of the best-selling debut novels.
- About the Author: Michaelides is a British-Cypriot author with a background in screenwriting and psychology.
- Why Read It?:
A mind-blowing thriller about a woman who murders her husband and stops speaking, and the therapist who tries to uncover the truth.
6. The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
- Author: Wilkie Collins (United Kingdom)
- Published: 1859
- Genre: Classic Mystery, Gothic Fiction
- Language: English
- Popularity: Considered one of the first mystery novels, inspiring generations of writers.
- About the Author: Collins was a Victorian writer and a pioneer of detective fiction.
- Why Read It?:
A haunting mystery involving a mysterious woman, a family secret, and deception in Victorian England.
7. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – Alexander McCall Smith
- Author: Alexander McCall Smith (Zimbabwe/United Kingdom)
- Published: 1998
- Genre: Cozy Mystery, Detective Fiction
- Language: English
- Popularity: Over 20 million copies sold, a beloved international series.
- About the Author: Smith is a Zimbabwean-British writer known for his warm and charming detective stories.
- Why Read It?:
A lighthearted and uplifting mystery series featuring Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s first female detective.
8. The Girl on the Train – Paula Hawkins
- Author: Paula Hawkins (United Kingdom)
- Published: 2015
- Genre: Psychological Thriller, Mystery
- Language: English (translated into 40+ languages)
- Popularity: Over 23 million copies sold, adapted into a major Hollywood film.
- About the Author: Hawkins is a British writer known for her gripping psychological thrillers.
- Why Read It?:
A twisty and suspenseful thriller, where an unreliable narrator tries to piece together a crime she might have witnessed.
9. Big Little Lies – Liane Moriarty
- Author: Liane Moriarty (Australia)
- Published: 2014
- Genre: Mystery, Psychological Fiction
- Language: English
- Popularity: Over 10 million copies sold, adapted into an award-winning HBO series.
- About the Author: Moriarty is an Australian author known for her character-driven mysteries with humor and drama.
- Why Read It?:
A brilliant mix of mystery and drama, following a group of mothers whose secrets unravel after a shocking death.
10. And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie
- Author: Agatha Christie (United Kingdom)
- Published: 1939
- Genre: Classic Mystery, Crime Fiction
- Language: English (translated into 50+ languages)
- Popularity: Over 100 million copies sold, the best-selling mystery novel of all time.
- About the Author: Christie is the Queen of Mystery, having written 66 detective novels and countless short stories.
- Why Read It?:
A masterpiece of suspense, where ten strangers are trapped on an island, and they start dying one by one.
11. The Reversal – Michael Connelly
- Author: Michael Connelly (United States)
- Published: 2010
- Genre: Legal Thriller, Crime Fiction, Mystery
- Language: English
- Popularity: Part of the bestselling Lincoln Lawyer and Harry Bosch series.
- About the Author: Connelly is a former crime reporter turned bestselling author, known for his gritty, realistic mysteries.
- Why Read It?:
A legal thriller where defense attorney Mickey Haller is recruited as a prosecutor in a high-profile case.
12. The Secret History – Donna Tartt
- Author: Donna Tartt (United States)
- Published: 1992
- Genre: Mystery, Psychological Thriller
- Language: English
- Popularity: A modern classic, critically acclaimed and widely read.
- About the Author: Tartt is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist known for her intricate plots and rich storytelling.
- Why Read It?:
A dark, intellectual thriller about a group of elite students involved in a murderous secret.
13. The Cuckoo’s Calling – Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)
- Author: Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) (United Kingdom)
- Published: 2013
- Genre: Mystery, Detective Fiction
- Language: English
- Popularity: A bestseller, launching the Cormoran Strike detective series.
- About the Author: J.K. Rowling, writing under a pseudonym, brings a fresh take on classic detective fiction.
- Why Read It?:
A compelling private investigator mystery, following Cormoran Strike as he investigates a model’s suspicious death.
14. Before I Go to Sleep – S.J. Watson
- Author: S.J. Watson (United Kingdom)
- Published: 2011
- Genre: Psychological Thriller, Mystery
- Language: English
- Popularity: Over 4 million copies sold, adapted into a Hollywood movie.
- About the Author: Watson is a British writer specializing in twisty, suspenseful psychological thrillers.
- Why Read It?:
A gripping thriller about a woman who loses her memory every time she sleeps, making her past a mystery.
15. The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton
- Author: Stuart Turton (United Kingdom)
- Published: 2018
- Genre: Mystery, Historical Thriller, Fantasy
- Language: English
- Popularity: An award-winning debut, praised for its original storytelling.
- About the Author: Turton is an innovative mystery writer known for blending genres.
- Why Read It?:
A mind-bending mystery where a man relives the same day in different bodies to solve a murder.
16. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd – Agatha Christie
- Author: Agatha Christie (United Kingdom)
- Published: 1926
- Genre: Classic Mystery, Crime Fiction
- Language: English (translated into 30+ languages)
- Popularity: One of Christie’s most famous and shocking novels.
- About the Author: Christie is the best-selling mystery writer of all time, known for creating Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.
- Why Read It?:
A brilliant detective novel with one of the most famous twists in literary history.
17. The Couple Next Door – Shari Lapena
- Author: Shari Lapena (Canada)
- Published: 2016
- Genre: Psychological Thriller, Domestic Suspense
- Language: English
- Popularity: A bestselling thriller, widely praised for its fast-paced suspense.
- About the Author: Lapena is a former lawyer turned novelist, specializing in domestic thrillers.
- Why Read It?:
A gripping story about a couple whose baby disappears while they are at a dinner party next door.
18. The Woman in the Window – A.J. Finn
- Author: A.J. Finn (United States)
- Published: 2018
- Genre: Psychological Thriller, Mystery
- Language: English (translated into 40+ languages)
- Popularity: A bestseller, adapted into a Netflix movie starring Amy Adams.
- About the Author: Finn is a psychological thriller writer, influenced by classic noir films.
- Why Read It?:
A Hitchcock-style mystery about an agoraphobic woman who witnesses a crime but no one believes her.
19. In the Woods – Tana French
- Author: Tana French (Ireland)
- Published: 2007
- Genre: Mystery, Crime Thriller
- Language: English
- Popularity: Winner of the Edgar Award, a bestselling crime novel.
- About the Author: French is an acclaimed crime novelist, known for her Dublin Murder Squad series.
- Why Read It?:
A haunting psychological mystery where a detective investigates a case that is eerily linked to his own childhood trauma.
20. Sharp Objects – Gillian Flynn
- Author: Gillian Flynn (United States)
- Published: 2006
- Genre: Psychological Thriller, Mystery
- Language: English
- Popularity: A bestseller, adapted into an HBO series starring Amy Adams.
- About the Author: Flynn is known for her dark and gripping thrillers, including Gone Girl.
- Why Read It?:
A chilling and atmospheric novel about a journalist who returns to her hometown to investigate a series of murders.
Final Thoughts
Mystery books are perfect for those who love suspense, clever twists, and thrilling investigations. Whether you enjoy psychological thrillers, detective fiction, or dark mysteries, these 10 additional must-read novels will keep you turning pages late into the night.
Which mystery book is your favorite? Let’s discuss in the comments!
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