2023's Best Thrillers and Mysteries

19 Titles to Get Your Pulse Pounding

By Ashly Moore Sheldon • January 28, 2024

As we reflect on the past year, we like to put together a roundup of the best books (according to us). Our collection of 120+ titles span the full range of genres and categories. For all of you adrenaline junkies, here are the nineteen thrillers and mysteries that made the cut.

The Exchange: After the Firm by John Grisham

What became of Mitch and Abby McDeere after they exposed the crimes of Memphis law firm Bendini, Lambert & Locke and fled the country? Find out in this riveting sequel set fifteen years later. When a mentor asks Mitch for a favor, he finds himself at the center of a sinister plot with worldwide implications.

The Last Devil to Die: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery by Richard Osman

This is the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series. The stories follow a group of four septuagenarians living in a peaceful retirement village who share an interest in crime-solving. This time, the heartache hits close to home as the gang tries to solve the murder of an old friend.

Encore in Death: An Eve Dallas Novel by J. D. Robb

The bestselling In Death series features Eve Dallas, a New York homicide cop with a traumatic past. This time, a powerful celebrity drops dead after raising a glass at his own glittering event. Symptoms point to cyanide poisoning and, with no shortage of suspects, Eve has her work cut out for her.

The Longmire Defense by Craig Johnson

Walt Longmire is a well-respected lawman in a rustic corner of Wyoming. Sheriff Longmire and his canine sidekick, Dog, head out on a routine search and rescue in the Bighorn Mountains. When Dog finds the murder weapon from a decades-old crime, Longmire is plunged headfirst into the cold case.

Holly by Stephen King

The newest novel from the King of Horror brings back the beloved Holly Gibney, who first appeared as a shy recluse side character in Mr. Mercedes. Now, having become a full-fledged private detective, she takes center stage helping a woman who is desperately searching for her missing daughter.

The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden

The second installment in a whip-smart, award-winning series centers on Millie, a woman with a shadowy past working as a maid for wealthy families with dark secrets. As she cleans and cooks in the stunning penthouse for the Garricks, she starts to discover that something's not right.

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Vera Wong spends her days spying on her Gen-Z son on the internet. But when she finds a dead man in her tea shop one morning, she coolly swipes the evidence and sets about solving the crime on her own—because nobody sniffs out wrongdoing like a Chinese mother with time on her hands.

Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes

From an Edgar Award-winner, this diabolical thriller features a killer concept. The McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts is an academy dedicated to the consummate execution of the homicidal arts. To gain admission, students must have an ethical reason for "erasing" their deserving victims.

The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes

Armed with only hazy memories, a woman who long ago witnessed her friend's sudden, mysterious death, and has since spent her life trying to forget, sets out to track down answers. What she uncovers, deep in the woods, is hard to believe. This debut is great for fans of Lisa Jewell and Mary Kubica.

Pink Lemonade Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

At the Tri-County Summer Solstice Celebration, Hannah attracts fans of her own while serving lip-smacking pink lemonade desserts. But the mood sours when a body turns up. The Hannah Swensen series offers the delectable combo of culinary cozy mysteries, featuring delicious recipes.

Payback in Death: An Eve Dallas Novel by J. D. Robb

Another installment of the bestselling In Death series finds Lt. Eve Dallas returning home from a long overdue vacation when she gets a call about the death of the retired Internal Affairs Captain. At first glance, it looks like suicide, but the closer Eve examines the body, the more suspicious she becomes.

The 23rd Midnight by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

If you haven't read the Women's Murder Club yet, this would make a great start! After Detective Lindsay Boxer put serial killer Evan Burke behind bars, reporter Cindy Thomas wrote a bestselling book about his crimes. Now an obsessed maniac has turned the story into a gruesome playbook for murder.

An Evil Heart by Linda Castillo

Kate Burkholder is the chief of police in the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, home to a mix of Amish and "English" residents. Having grown up Amish and ultimately choosing to leave the religion, she is uniquely suited to the role. Here Kate investigates the brutal murder of a young Amish man.

The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear

Elinor White is living a quiet life in Post WWII Britain in 1947, but her past is anything but quiet having served as a secret operative in two wars. Despite wanting to put the violence of her past behind her, she finds herself drawn into battle with a notorious crime syndicate threatening a young family.

The Way of the Bear by Anne Hillerman

Part of the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series, this bestselling novel won the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award for Best Mystery. Officers Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito investigate a series of mystifying murders around Utah's Bears Ears National Monument, at the edge of the Navajo Nation.

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

Most people assume teenaged Lenora was responsible for the Lizzie Borden-like massacre of her family, but it was never proven. Now in her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora begins opening up to Kit, her young caregiver. But could Kit be hearing too much?

Cross Down: An Alex Cross and John Sampson Thriller by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois

The brilliant crime-solving duo of Washington, DC's, Metro PD and the FBI has a proven MO: Detective Alex Cross makes his own rules. Detective John Sampson enforces them. But when military-style attacks erupt, Cross is gravely injured, leaving Sampson on his own for the first time.

The Coworker by Frieda McFadden

When awkward outsider Dawn Schiff fails to appear at work one morning, one thing becomes terribly clear: somebody hated Dawn. Enough to kill. Now her coworker Natalie Farrell finds herself caught in a twisted game of cat and mouse that leaves her wondering: who's the real victim?

After That Night: A Will Trent Thriller by Karin Slaughter

Fifteen years ago, Dr. Sara Linton's life changed forever when she was violently attacked. Since then, she has tried to leave the past behind her. Now, as GBI Special Agent Will Trent investigates the brutal assault on a young woman treated by Sara in the ER, it becomes clear that this attack is uncannily linked to hers.

Those are our picks for the best thrillers and mysteries of 2023. We'll be covering a few other genres in upcoming posts. Let us know if we missed any of your favorite suspenseful reads from the past year.