Best modern detective novels. Max Phillips may be a pen name.
Best modern detective novels That could have been the end of Caffery’s story, but five later novels – dubbed the ‘Walking Man’ series – see the DI relocate to Bristol and form a relationship of sorts with police diver Flea Marley. Mar 27, 2025 · And they’re the best of the more than 250 detective novels I’ve read over the past decade. Miller’s HOW TO FIND YOUR WAY IN THE DARK (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 368 pp. Also Kurt Wallander series (books 1-9), L. Ryan (2003) 59. I fell in love with Agatha Christie novels early on when I was young for reasons I don’t entirely understand, but I’ve loved detective novels ever since. Devoted wife Amy’s sudden disappearance throws Nick Dunne into a hailstorm of suspicion — from her parents to his neighbours to the investigators, everyone leans towards believing that he is somehow responsible. Feb 11, 2015 · The Sunday Times has pulled together the best 50 crime and thriller novels of the past five years, from 2010-2015. this is a great modern detective book series to bite into. Confidential Gone, Baby, Gone The Black Dahlia The Big Nowhere Prayers for Rain A Drink Before Jan 31, 2024 · The first in a stunning new series from the author of The Silence of the Sea, winner of the 2015 Petrona Award for best Scandinavian Crime Novel. Mr. Hap and Leonard. Max Phillips may be a pen name. Derek B. As a series of rolling blackouts plunge Manchester into darkness, Detective Aidan Waits sits on an abandoned hospital ward, watching a mass murderer slowly die. I think most people who’ve read her work agree The Lost Man is her best book. Mar 27, 2025 · It’s a lot of fun listening to mystery books or crime novels as audiobooks, with good narrators adding suspense and enjoyment to the reading experience. Unfortunately, Horowitz won't have much choice in the matter. Wokesley host an murder mystery party, and Phyllida assists their housekeeper as preparations begin. The Legacy is the first installment in a fantastic new series featuring the psychologist Freyja and the police officer Huldar. Dec 4, 2020 · Ragnar Jonasson, author of The Mist:. Her novel, Gone Girl, puts a suspenseful twist on the ultimate commitment: marriage. Book 1: Savage Sep 11, 2022 · This is the fourth book in the Hawthorne and Horowitz mystery series, a series in which the author is a character working alongside a former police detective called Hawthorne. Dec 7, 2021 · This year’s crime fiction crop also featured several fresh spins on World War II. B. Apr 6, 2020 · Perhaps better known by its major motion picture adaptation, Gone Girl is the ultimate mystery puzzle for the modern media age. Readers around the world were enraptured by Rob Ryan and Cassie . Let’s move on to our third contemporary mystery book recommendation, which is The Lost Man by Jane Harper. I absolutely loved Eight Detectives (Alex Pavesi) and Rules for Perfect Murders (Peter Swanson) – both so uniquely original and clever – and the Queen of Icelandic crime, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, had one of her best books released in the UK this year, Gallows Rock, but I Aug 28, 2020 · Detective novels are such a great genre of books, filled with with quirky private investigators, dark back alleys, sultry heiresses, and shocking villains. But it’s equally likely that a few won’t be. Feb 17, 2012 · Leo wrote: "Yes, those that I had in mind (was just checking the highest rating number). The Given Day by Dennis Lehane (2008) 58. Newcomers Mr. The Best Crime Novels of the Last Decade Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead , by Sara Gran Oct 17, 2019 · The following list includes a must-read assortment of award-winning and bestselling contemporary detective novels—the books that have gotten people talking, and convinced even die-hard fans of classic detective fiction to give the new sleuths on the block a shot. Mar 21, 2022 · Best Murder Mystery Books: The Modern (2018– ) Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien There’s a whole sub-genre of cozy mysteries that revolve around food and they’re an absolute delight to read! (shelved 2 times as modern-crime-fiction) avg rating 3. Explore the best detective novel series for crime book enthusiasts, from classic whodunits to modern thrillers. , $26) felt especially Oct 19, 2021 · Gillian Flynn is a name that’s recently made big noise in the mystery genre. Nov 19, 2019 · 51-60 60. New York Times bestselling author of Magpie Murders and Moriarty, Anthony Horowitz has yet again brilliantly reinvented the classic crime novel, this time writing a fictional version of himself as the Watson to a modern-day Holmes. Editors at AudioFile magazine, who specialize in reviewing audiobooks, pick out the best ones of 2023, good books made even better by being read aloud by a skilled narrator. 13. It sparked a trend of contemporary novels that feature women who are lost, angry, flawed, and most importantly, dangerous. Aug 15, 2019 · 10 Historical True Crime Books That Are Stranger Than Fiction 10 Novels for True Crime Lovers Thieves, Drugs, and Cons: 7 True Crime Books Not About Murder The Best International True Crime Books You’ve Never Heard Of A Newbie’s Guide to Reading True Crime 9 Crime Novels for Horror Fans Oct 2, 2020 · If anything, the sequel, The Treatment, is even more disturbing, ending with one of the bleakest moments in modern crime fiction. The story is narrated by a father who tracks down the person he holds responsible for killing his Books shelved as modern-mystery: The No. From Lee Child to Gillian Flynn, Gerald Seymour to C J Sansom, these are the books that have made our hearts race and our pulses jump. and Mrs. In the Morning I’ll be Gone by Adrian McKinty (2014). Winner of the 2014 Australian Crime Writers Association Ned Kelly Award for Best Novel, the third installment in the Sean Duffy series features Duffy coming out of forced retirement to solve a locked room murder while pursuing an escaped IRA Dec 21, 2023 · The Best Modern Mystery Novels From Argentina to Japan, here are some of the finest mystery novels that are revitalizing the genre right now, all of which deserve your attention. Most of the authors on One of my favorite mystery books is The Beast Must Die by Nicholas Blake (Vintage Books, 2012). When in doubt, check the shelves for the book - if it is shelved more than a 100 times as mystery and you want to, put it on this list. I’m due for a re-read, because while thinking about it, I could recall very little of the specific plot, but I still remember the feeling of being soaked in an old-school noir with a modern feel. Aug 18, 2024 · Calling all amateur detectives! The best mystery books will grab your attention and keep you hooked until the very last page. Get ready to scratch your head and remark on the ways in which these mystery writers are blending genres and casting aside the rulebook to achieve great things. The Sleepwalker by Joseph Knox – Manchester. In the Woods by Tana French (2007). It’s her third novel, and it came out in 2018. Jul 29, 2019 · The Sleepwalker by Joseph Knox. Quartet series and Kenzie & Gennaro series (books 1-6)" Removed, for being first published in the 20th century: L. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz, A Fatal Grace by Louis Sep 21, 2023 · This novel is the third book in the Phyllida Bright Mystery series, and it sees a group of mystery lovers brought to an English manor for a murder mystery party game. Jan 1, 2001 · For purposes of this list it doesn't matter if the book is a cozy mystery or a crime mystery or a historical mystery or a literary mystery or a general mystery. This post was updated on March 27, 2025. If you’re a fan of detective novels, it’s likely you’ll find many of the authors included here are familiar to you. There were so many great crime novels in 2020, so it’s very difficult to choose. Aug 20, 2024 · Although the first book was released back in 1989, the smart and sassy “lady detective” is a modern-day queen. This time around, we see Horowitz firmly declining Hawthorne's request to do another book and case together. Still Life with Murder by P. 95 — 3,313,800 ratings — published 2000 Jun 22, 2015 · Of all the Hard Case Crime books that could have made this list, I have a soft spot for this one. " Getty Images 26. Both familiar and unfamiliar authors. A. Jun 8, 2023 · Here are my picks for the best detective book series of all time. Nov 20, 2019 · For now, here are our choices for best crime novels of the decade. Mar 23, 2024 · Richard Osman, television personality and author of "The Thursday Murder Club. This is Jane Harper’s best book. In fact, the series inspired the popular television adaptation of the same name Nov 18, 2022 · I love an unreliable narrator. Get ready for some edge-of-your-seat action! Oct 5, 2024 · Uncover thrilling detective novels filled with mystery, suspense, and unforgettable cases that will keep you guessing until the very last page. rwrlbsaaqmppquzmoaknxjmomlrowciuubvqqqhrueqqkcnbyeoynyakbepibrdxxkgzqn