Best New Mystery and Thriller Books of November 2020
10 Chilling Thriller and Mystery Books Coming This November
As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.
October may be high season for mysteries, but thriller fans know mystery books are great all year-round. In fact, November is full of gripping new thriller and mystery reads. This month's selection includes an old-fashioned whodunit in the vein of Agatha Christie, twisty domestic dramas, and a noir debut that might just be an instant classic. No matter what kind of thriller you're in the mood for, one of these new releases is sure to satisfy your craving for a dark and engrossing tale. And once you've blazed through November's thriller and mystery releases, don't forget to check out October's list for even more suspenseful reads.
1 The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado
The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado is a nail-biting race against time. At age 16, FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera was abducted by a serial killer, but she slipped his trap. Now, 11 years later, she goes viral for taking down a would-be attacker and catches the attention of the dangerous man who is still obsessing over her years later in the process. Soon the serial killer begins taking lives again and leaving behind grisly clues for Nina to follow.
Out Nov. 1
2 Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti
Full of Gothic moodiness and dark family secrets, Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti is a thoroughly chilling story of one woman's haunted past. After her aunt's sudden death, Hannah Maloney returns to her family's Catskills castle for the first time since her sister's disappearance 17 years ago, only to find that the ghosts of the past are impossible to escape.
Out Nov. 1
3 The Haunting of Brynn Wilder by Wendy Webb
If you love mysteries with a hint of supernatural happenings, then prepare to lose yourself in Wendy Webb's lusciously written The Haunting of Brynn Wilder. A loss prompts Brynn to spend her summer in a boardinghouse full of strange characters, but her relaxing getaway quickly turns into an eerie journey of love as she becomes drawn to a tattooed man who seems to be followed by death wherever he goes.
Out Nov. 1
4 The Girl Who Wasn't There by Penny Joelson
Rear Window gets a modern update in The Girl Who Wasn't There by Penny Joelson. Kasia, a teen who is living with a chronic illness, spends her days staring out her window at the quiet street below. But all of that changes when she sees what appears to be a kidnapping and sets out to find a girl who may or may not exist.
Out Nov. 3
5 After All I've Done by Mina Hardy
Mina Hardy's After All I've Done is an unsettling story that will leave you questioning everything, including the narrator. Five months after a car accident left her with gaps in her memory and severe injuries, Diana Sparrow begins having dreams that suggest there was more to her accident than she's been told. The only trouble is she has no one to turn to with her suspicions because she's beginning to suspect that everyone she knows is lying to her.
Out Nov. 10
6 Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent
A twisted family with a history of playing dangerous games is at the centre of Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent. The Drumm brothers were taught by their mother to compete for her attention as children, and their cruel games have continued into adulthood. Now the brothers are on a collision course that will leave one of them dead and all of their lives shattered.
Out Nov. 10
7 Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz is a throwback novel in the vein of Agatha Christie's best works. Publisher turned hotel owner Susan Ryeland is feeling restless until a couple check in and regale her with the tale of a potentially wrongly accused man and a missing woman. Thanks to a surprising connection to the mystery, Susan is certain she can prove the man's innocence and find the woman, and she's ready and willing to take on the case.
Out Nov. 10
8 Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March
Based on a true story, Nev March's thrilling debut, Murder in Old Bombay, transports readers to a divided India where a Sherlock Holmes-obsessed military man takes on a tricky case. When two women seemingly jump from a clock tower in the middle of the day, everyone assumes it's suicide, but at the behest of a mourning husband, Captain Jim Agnihotri decides he can uncover the truth about what really happened that fateful day.
Out Nov. 10
9 Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett
A young woman's freshman year at college takes a dark turn in Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett. When Emily's college experience turns out to be lonely and isolating, she falls prey to a cult called the Kingdom. At first the group gives her a sense of belonging, but it's not long before Emily realises she's in way over her head.
Out Nov. 10
10 The Lady Upstairs by Halley Sutton
Halley Sutton's The Lady Upstairs feels like an instant classic. The noir tale of a woman who delivers her own brand of vigilante justice to the most disgusting men in Los Angeles is full of shocking twists and turns that will leave you gasping — and turning the pages.
Out Nov. 17
