With so many best-selling mystery and thriller titles in the market, it can be hard to narrow down the vast selection. Our staff offers some guidance on which books will put a chill down your spine this fall with some of our favorite mysteries.
Peter enjoys the suspense and the action of the Bourne Series of books that follows an ordinary man with such an incredible skillset. “The plot, dialogue, and character arc are supreme!” Peter shares. He also recommends the movies, which he has watched countless times.
Beth loves the pacing, unexpected humor, and character development in Dean Koontz’s thrillers, with the Odd Thomas series as a favorite. Beth says, “It's his unassuming and marginalized protagonists facing incredible odds who have won me over time and again. I have lost hours of sleep over the years not able to put down one of his books!”
For Stephanie, it’s all about The Hunger Games. “This was very captivating for me when I read it as a teenager,” she shares. “The aspects of mystery and romance were compelling and exciting. I think it appeals to young adults for the most part, but I knew a few adults who were reading it when it was popular. The enigma of the government and its motives made this mystery/thriller trilogy very relevant and enticing.”
Keaton suggests The Series of Unfortunate Events. “They really are thrillers with a lot of dark twists,” he says. “They take you down a tunnel of frustrating darkness, and just when there’s a glimmer of hope, it’s CRUSHED. So good.”
One of Clay’s favorite book series growing up was Agatha Christie's famous Poirot mystery novels, particularly The A.B.C. Murders and Murder on the Orient Express. “Although they are admittedly fairly boilerplate mysteries with a few well-worn tropes,” he says, “I have always liked to think of Christie's novels as elaborate puzzles for the reader to solve— with those familiar beats serving as your guiding breadcrumbs.”
As for me, I love more of a cozy mystery. The Waverly sisters in North Carolina who prepare food with mystical plants in Sarah Addison Allen’s Garden Spells are mysterious and intriguing enough to keep the pages turning without putting me on high alarm at night. For more recommendations on cozy mysteries, read this article.
Our take on what makes a great mystery may be different than yours. For more great recommendations in this genre, be sure to read our article on the difference between mysteries and thrillers.