I recommend anything by Holly Jackson. She is amazing at mystery/ crime. My favorite series by her is a good girls guide to murder! 😀
Btw if you have any tips on how to get out of a reading slump that would be amazing! I’ve been in a really bad one for a while. Any tips would be helpful!
by PrincessCupcakeGirl
14 Comments
I think Jane Harper is an excellent mystery/crime writer. Her Aaron Faulk series, starting with “The Dry” is excellent, but her standalones “The Lost Man” and “The Survivors” are also well worth reading. Her characters feel well realized and the plots are plausible enough but not so obvious that you could guess the ending right away. And there isn’t really anything content-wise that I think would be inaccessible for most readers. Nothing is too gruesome or icky even though some characters have dark motivations and histories
Agatha Christie is also always worth reading.
I find that reading shorter books (200 pages or less) help get out of slumps
Defending Jacob was a great book. Assistant District Attorney’s 14 year-old son Jacob, is accused of killing his classmate. I liked how the story goes back and forth between time, and the narrator being unreliable which adds to the suspense and intrigue. I believe the author used to be an actual assistant district attorney, so that also adds layers to the realistic depiction of the story.
House at the End of the Lake by Riley Sager. Did not see the twists coming – or even what kind of twist it would be.
Dennis Lehane’s Patrick Kenzie books, Boston based. Humour mixed with serious topics. Not sure what was first in the series but all are good. (Not just that series. There’s more serious stand-alone books that are also exceptional.)
The Silent Patient has great twists
Rock Paper Scissors has a great ominous tone
Truly Devious series— I love the main characters internal monologue with my whole heart
In My Dreams I Hold a Knife was actually really thought provoking
I like to try a highly rated book in a different genre to get out of reading slumps. Audiobooks help too.
“Ask for Andrea” by Noelle W. Ihli
Instead of following the serial killer you’re following 3 of his victims in their after life. It’s a bit far fetched but it was a different perspective which kept it interesting for me.
“The Good Lie” by A.R. Torre
I binged this book. We have a psychiatrist who is an expert on killers and the way they think. There’s a serial killer on the loose… and somehow their paths intertwine? I don’t want to spoil it but it was SO good!!
If you’ve never read Red Dragon or The Silence of the Lambs, those are my absolute favorite thrillers.
I’m not familiar with the Holly Jackson series you mentioned, and the title gives me *slightly* cozy vibes, so I figure I should warn you that the Thomas Harris books are quite graphic and skew a bit into the horror realm.
The Far Side of the Dollar, by Ross Macdonald. I like it because the detective makes cutting psychological observations about everyone he meets, and there are several plot twists which take the starting “missing kid, possibly runaway” storyline in a lot of interesting directions.
I like the brimstone bound series by Helen Harper. The first book she needs to solve her own murder. It’s a good urban fantacy mystery
*The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo* – Larsson
*Roseanna* – Sjowall
*Mind’s Eye* – Nesser
Doesn’t get much better than these, IMO.
*The Maid* by Nita Prose is the best mystery book I’ve read in years. Easy, fun, different … it was great and you should read it.
A classic:. Thomas Hardy “The Moonstone”. Loosely considered the first of the genre. Great writing, of course. A fun, easy read masterpiece.
I don’t read crime but I really enjoyed most of the Harry Hole books.
Good crime novels I’ve read recently:
Farewell My Lovely – Raymond Chandler
Once There Were Wolves – Charlotte McConaghy
The City and the City – China Miéville
The last one is quite different and maybe not what you’re looking for. It was very good though.
I mostly read mystery thriller series. My personal favorites are the Spenser series by Robert B Parker, The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, the Miss Fortune series by Jana Deleone, and the Prey series by John Sanford.
Spenser novels are usually quick read, great dialogue and character interactions. Looking for Rachel Wallace, or Early Autumn probably would be my recommendations.
Stephanie Plum series and Miss Fortune series are much more light hearted, laugh out loud types. The first of the Plum series is a little darker, but great characters and hilarious situations that shouldn’t make sense but do somehow.
Prey is darker, more suspenseful, and can get heavy at times. But there are some clever plots and twists along the way.