When it comes to reading, what makes a book a page turner? Do you need mysterious killers? Stirring puzzles to solve? Horrific secrets that can explode at any moment? If the answer to any of those questions is yes, then you'll find a new favorite in these searing mystery novels. From serial-murdering married couples to nightmarish science experiments, time loop slashers to gentrification thrillers, each of these books will grab your attention and keep you reading on.
My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
If you're a fan of a good domestic thriller and love a terrifying cat and mouse serial killer story then you'll fall instantly for Samantha Downing's lauded debut.
Millicent and her husband have what looks to be an ideal suburban life. They have successful careers, beautiful well behaved children, and they spend plenty of time together as a family. But like any married couple, they constantly have to work to keep their relationship interesting. This duo have a far more violent and dangerous way of spicing up their marriage than most: committing gruesome, horrifying murders of young women. Yes, it's as messed up as it sounds!
Sundial by Catriona Ward
You're not ready for this searing and brutal chiller from genre-bending bestseller Catriona Ward. Sundial is like no other book you've read and it'll break your brain and heart before you're done.
When Rob's daughter Callie begins to collect bones and talk to them, she can't shake the idea that something is wrong with her eldest child. And when it seems like Callie might be a danger to Rob's youngest, she takes Callie and heads to the Mojave Desert compound where she was raised. Callie can sense that something's wrong with her mother and soon suspects that only one of them will make it back home, but Rob's childhood home holds dark secrets that will come to light as the pair try to come to terms with Rob's past and how it will affect their future.
How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine
Taking the sci-fi time loop trope and mashing it up with the slasher-mystery trend makes this one of the most interesting and unique entries on our list.
A year after her sister Claire was murdered in a shocking Halloween corn maze massacre, Alice is attending the trial of the man accused of killing her when she's attacked in the bathroom of the courthouse. When she wakes up she's traveled back in time and has a chance to stop the killing, and has to discover the truth about who wanted to kill her sister and what really happened in the corn maze. But nothing is as it seems and soon Alice realizes the killer might be way closer to home, and that she might not survive her strange trip back in time.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Gone Girl is a book that will knock the wind out of you, especially if you know as little as possible going in. That's a little harder now thanks to David Fincher's Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike starring adaptation, but even if you're already aware of its secrets this is a must read entry into the mystery canon.
The psychological mystery begins when a beautiful, successful, and popular woman, Amy goes missing from her safe suburban home. A small-time celebrity thanks to the Amazing Amy books that her author parents based on her, the case becomes a national obsession and the police's gaze quickly turns to her husband. But the truth behind Amy's disappearance is far more complex.
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
Though she's most well known for her brilliant romance writing, in 2020 Alyssa Cole made a splash with this taut and terrifying tale about the secrets lurking behind the streets we call home.
Sidney has spent her whole life in her beautiful Brooklyn neighborhood, but as developers move in she's seeing it change every single day. She just thinks that's the nature of gentrification until she notices that some of her neighbors are going missing and there's something strange afoot about the new neighbors who are moving in. This is a haunting and timely mystery that'll make you think and keep you entertained until the very last page.
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
While you've almost certainly heard of — and probably seen — Jonathan Demme's iconic, Oscar-winning Silence of the Lambs movie, you might not have read the terrifying tale that it was adapted from.
When a nightmarish killer begins to leave violent crime scenes and worryingly few clues, FBI agent Jack Crawford sends a young rookie named Clarice Starling into the lion's den. Starling must connect with and profile the imprisoned cannibal Hannibal Lecter, in the hopes that he may be able to help them find and catch their mystery murderer known only as Buffalo Bill. Thus begins a horrifying and intense game between the cannibal, the agent, and their violent target.
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
Famed hard-boiled Detective Philip Marlowe made his debut in this classic noir novel. Notable for its complex, twist-filled narrative, while definitely dated — it was written in 1939 — this is the book to read if you're desperate to dip into the noir fiction genre.
The action begins when Marlowe is hired by a wealthy and deceitful family to investigate a blackmail attempt on one of their daughters. Soon the detective is drawn into the violent, back-stabbing drama that drives the family, leading him on a demented trail to the truth. This is the kind of story with an end that you'll never see coming, and characters you can never trust.
What's your favorite mystery book lately? For more scares and suspense, see our best horror books, best Stephen King books, and best mystery movies of all time.
Rosie Knight is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything from anime to comic books to kaiju to kids movies to horror flicks. She has over half a decade of experience in entertainment journalism with bylines at Nerdist, Den of Geek, Polygon, and more.
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