A boarding school with dark secrets, an ice cream shop that just keeps attracting murders, and a Windsor Castle mystery so intriguing that even the queen of England herself can't resist getting involved — these are just a few of the places March's best mystery and thriller reads [1] will transport you to. While domestic thrillers remain all the rage — and for good reason — this month's selection of must-read mysteries is delightfully eclectic. From cosy mysteries [2] to a juicy YA thriller and the latest novel from bestselling author Harlan Coben, these new releases will appeal to a wide variety of armchair detectives looking for a fresh case to solve.
(And if you need even more thriller goodness, don't forget to check out last month's list of must-read mysteries and thrillers [3].)
The Castle School (For Troubled Girls) by Alyssa Sheinmel
The Castle School (For Troubled Girls) [4] by Alyssa Sheinmel is a haunting exploration of one young woman's grief set against the spooky backdrop of a secluded boarding school that's brimming with secrets. Moira Dreyfuss has been disconnected from the world ever since the death of her best friend, but she never expected her parents to ship her off to a boarding school in Maine. While Moira is meant to be sharing her grief with the school's strange headmaster, a series of odd occurrences quickly alerts her to the fact that the school may not be exactly what it seems.
Out March 2
A Game of Cones by Abby Collette
Abby Collette's Ice Cream Parlor cosy mystery series continues with A Game of Cones [5]. This time around, ice cream shop owner Bronwyn Crewse finds herself racing against time to solve the murder of a mall developer before one of her best friends goes down for the crime.
Out March 2
Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay
What would life be like if your family was at the centre of a famous true crime documentary? Alex Finlay's riveting Every Last Fear [6] answers this question in a thriller that's at once nail-bitingly intense and utterly heartbreaking. College student Matt Pine's family was already infamous due to his brother being convicted for murdering his girlfriend, but when the rest of his family is murdered during a holiday in Mexico, Matt has no choice but to push through his grief and figure out how the two cases are connected.
Out March 2
The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths
Elly Griffiths's The Postscript Murders [7] is a macabre ode to the mystery genre. When a 90-year-old woman's expansive collection of mystery books seems to be tied to her death, Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur becomes embroiled in a strange case involving multiple crime novelists being targeted for murder that leaves him crisscrossing Europe in search of answers.
Out March 2
An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn
Veronica Speedwell's journey continues in Deanna Raybourn's An Unexpected Peril [8], the sixth book in her Speedwell Mystery series. This time, the action kicks off in 1889 as Veronica is drawn into a case involving a missing princess that could threaten to torpedo a peace treaty. Due to her striking resemblance to the princess, the amateur detective steps into the princess' shoes and inherits a whole host of problems in the process.
Out March 2
Windhall by Ava Barry
Windhall [9] by Ava Barry is steeped in the glamor and danger of Hollywood's Golden Age. Investigative journalist Max Hailey has spent most of his life dreaming of proving famed director Theodoure Langley killed his leading lady, but when a copycat murder takes place near the director's long-abandoned estate, Max will be forced to reckon with the possibility that he was wrong about the decades old case.
Out March 2
The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
Told via alternating timelines, The Girls Are All So Nice Here [10] by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn explores how one horrible act in high school is still haunting two women a decade later. When a threatening note forces former best friends Ambrosia Wellington and Sloane "Sully" Sullivan to attend their high school reunion, the two women realise someone out there is going to force them to confront their dark past.
Out March 9
The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett
If you love the royal family, The Windsor Knot [11] by SJ Bennett might just be your new favourite mystery series. Set in 2016 as Queen Elizabeth is preparing for her 90th birthday celebration, a murder occurs at Windsor Castle, and the Queen is certain she's the only one who can catch the culprit.
Out March 9
The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson
Debut author Nadine Matheson has crafted a taut and addictive thriller in The Jigsaw Man [12]. On her first day back to work with the Serial Crimes Unit, Detective Inspector Anjelica Henley is called to a murder scene that looks eerily familiar. It seems Peter Olivier, A.K.A. The Jigsaw Man, has inspired a copycat killer, and Anjelica may be their next target.
Out March 16
Win by Harlan Coben
Bestselling author Harlan Coben's latest novel Win [13] is a propulsive thriller about a man whose quest to enact vigilante justice takes him down a dangerous path. It's been 20 years since heiress Patricia Lockwood was kidnapped, and her captors are still at large. When a new crime seems to suggest they have resurfaced, Patricia's cousin Windsor Horne Lockwood III decides it is time for them to pay for what they did to his family.
Out March 16
Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson
In Every Vow You Break [14] by Peter Swanson, the newlywed Abigail Baskin's marriage is off to a bad start when her one-night stand from her bachelorette party shows up insisting they should be together. Soon, Abigail has a stalker on her hands, and no one, not even her husband, seems to believe the danger is real.
Out March 23
Flight by Laura Griffin
Former forensics photographer Miranda Rhoads is trying to start a new career as a nature photographer when she stumbles across a chilling double murder in Flight [15] by Laura Griffin. Soon, Miranda finds herself butting heads with Detective Joel Breda as they reluctantly work together to unravel the mysterious case.
Out March 30