From crumbling gothic mansions to deserted islands to suburban neighbourhoods with a dark side, the best thriller and mystery books of 2022 [1] will take you to some spooky locales this year. However, 2022 is also shaping up to be the year of the cosy mystery [2]. While the genre — which is known for mixing murders with laughs — has always been beloved by its fans, it's set to make its mark on the mainstream in a big way thanks to highly anticipated new releases from Jesse Q. Sutanto, Gigi Pandian, and Mia P. Manansala.
Are you more of a twist-filled thriller fan [3]? Then this year has plenty of new releases to keep you happy, too. Prepare for fresh reads from the likes of Lucy Foley, Simone St. James, Ruth Wilson, Riley Sager, and Alex Finlay. Once you add in the debut novels from authors who are eager to make their mark on the genre, it becomes clear there's no shortage of excellent thriller and mystery books coming to a bookstore (or e-reader) near you.
Ready to dive into some mystery and mayhem [4]? Then read on for a list of every single mystery and thriller book you need to add to your ever-growing TBR this year.
The Maid by Nita Prose
The Maid [5] by Nita Prose is a locked-room mystery set in a five-star hotel where the discovery of a dead body has all eyes on the maid who found him. Molly Gray has always struggled with understanding social cues, but with the help of her grandmother, she established a set of guidelines to help her navigate the world. Now that her grandmother is gone, Molly is focusing all of her attention on her job as a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, and there's no denying she excels at keeping the rooms neat and orderly. However, when one of the hotel's most prestigious guests turns up dead, Molly is accused of the murder, leaving her and her friends to crack the case before she's hauled away for a crime she didn't commit.
Release date: Jan. 4
The Perfect Escape by Leah Konen
A girls' weekend takes a deadly turn in The Perfect Escape [6] by Leah Konen. Sam, Margaret, and Diana all became friends after going through divorces at the same time. But despite their common experience, they don't really know each other all that well. Still, the trio decides to plan a weekend getaway together to put their bad relationships behind them. The trip almost immediately goes wrong when they end up stranded in a remote mountain town where Diana goes missing and one of their ex-boyfriends shows up. Soon, Sam and Margaret are certain their detour was something more than just bad luck.
Release date: Jan. 4
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
After reinventing Jane Eyre in The Wife Upstairs, Rachel Hawkins is giving Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None a modern twist in Reckless Girls [7]. Six gorgeous 20-somethings head to the famed Meroe Island for one week of fun in the sun and off-the-grid debauchery, but they have no idea just how remote the island truly is. By the time they discover that they're completely cut off from the outside world, it's too late to turn back, and things only get worse when one member of the group disappears just as another one turns up dead.
Release date: Jan. 4
All I Want by Darcey Bell
A Simple Favour author Darcey Bell is back with another sly and genuinely creepy domestic thriller in All I Want [8]. With a baby on the way, Emma finds herself wooed by her husband's decision to ditch city life and buy a decrepit Victorian mansion in a small town. But upon arrival she begins having second thoughts. Not only does her husband seem to be pulling away from her, but the house itself comes with a dark backstory that leaves Emma wondering if history might repeat itself. Add in some less than welcoming neighbours and a series of strange events, and it becomes clear something isn't right about their new home.
Release date: Jan. 11
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
Stacy Willingham's debut novel A Flicker in the Dark [9] is a haunting story about one woman's brush with darkness. When Chloe was just 12, six young girls disappeared in her small Louisiana town. By the time the summer came to an end, her father had confessed to the crime and her world was shattered. Now 20 years later and living in Baton Rouge, Chloe is a psychologist on the verge of getting married when a local girl goes missing in a way that's eerily similar to the events of that dark summer in her hometown, leaving her to uncover the connection between the two cases.
Release date: Jan. 11
One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner
Bestselling author Lisa Gardner is revisiting Frankie Elkin, the lead character from Before She Disappeared [10], in her latest thriller One Step Too Far. This time around, Frankie learns a young man has disappeared into a national forest and the local law enforcement has given up the search. Still, the boy's father and a crew of family, friends, and volunteers haven't given up hope. Frankie is so touched by the father's plight that she joins in the search, but when other people begin to go missing, she realises this case is much bigger and more dangerous than she ever could have imagined.
Release date: Jan. 18
The Other Family by Wendy Corsi Staub
Nothing is as it seems in The Other Family [11] by Wendy Corsi Staub. Nora Howell, her husband, and her two daughters are eager for a fresh start in Brooklyn after leaving their lives in California behind. At first it seems they've found it in the form of a gorgeous brownstone with a dark past. The previous owners were killed in a triple homicide, but surely there's nothing for the Howells to worry about, right? Soon, strange things begin to happen around the family's new home, and the eldest daughter becomes convinced that someone is watching them from afar.
Release date: Jan. 18
Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski
Set in 1999 and following multiple perspectives, Real Easy [12] by Marie Rutkoski follows a detective and the people who work at the Lovely Lady strip club in the aftermath of a murder and missing persons investigation. When seasoned dancer Samantha takes a newcomer under her wing, she ends up in a situation that turns deadly. Soon a grieving detective, Holly, and another dancer, Georgia, team up to crack the case, but it quickly becomes apparent that there are more moving parts involved than they initially realised. As more and more characters' perspectives are introduced, readers will find themselves immersed in the inner workings of the club and its employees.
Release date: Jan. 18
The Accomplice by Lisa Lutz
People never quite know what to make of best friends Owen and Luna in The Accomplice [13] by Lisa Lutz. They appear to be completely mismatched, and yet they've been inseparable since they met in college. Even a murder within their social group couldn't shake their bond, but it certainly left the people around them questioning if there wasn't something more sinister at play between them. When Owen's wife is murdered years later, the police turn their attention to him, but Luna knows there's more to the story. Now she'll have to finally face the secret she has spent her whole life running from.
Release date: Jan. 25
The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk
The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections [14] by Eva Jurczyk is a mystery that's tailor made for bibliophiles. Liesel Weiss has always loved working behind-the-scenes in her library's rare book department, but when her boss has a stroke, she steps up to run the department in his absence. Soon, she discovers that the library's rarest manuscript is missing. When she tries to report the apparent theft, she's told to keep things quiet, but when one of the librarians disappears, Liesel realises it's up to her to figure out who stole the manuscript and to return it safely to the library where it belongs.
Release date: Jan. 25
The Appeal by Janice Hallett
Everyone has a secret in the clever and often wryly funny mystery The Appeal [15] by Janice Hallett. From page one, Hallett invites the reader to pop on their detective hat as the story unfolds entirely through correspondence, phone calls, and text messages shared among a community theatre troupe. Somewhere in there is the answer to who among them is a murderer and why, but cracking the case won't be easy when it seems everyone in this small town has a secret to hide — and plenty of reasons to kill to protect their reputations and families from total ruin.
Release date: Jan. 25
Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier
Good Rich People [16] by Eliza Jane Brazier is a page-turner of the highest order. At the centre of the story is a wealthy couple who entertain themselves by destroying the lives of the young entrepreneurs they invite to live in their guest house. However, their latest guest isn't like the others. Demi has spent her whole life just barely getting by, and now that she has moved in with two wealthy benefactors, she's not about to let them ruin her chance for a fresh start. Soon Demi and the couple become locked in a vicious game of cat-and-mouse that might just turn deadly.
Release date: Jan. 25
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
If you're looking for a literary mystery that's less about the crime and more about the many people affected by it, then you need to read Danya Kukafka's moving and evocative Notes on an Execution [17]. Ansel Packer is a serial killer, and in 12 hours he's going to die. But this isn't really his story. Instead, this is the story of Ansel's mother, Lavender, his wife's twin sister, Hazel, and Saffy, the detective who finally brought him to justice. Through the eyes of these three women, the reader comes to understand the pain Ansel wrought, and the resilient women who will live on after his execution.
Release date: Jan. 25
The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
The Overnight Guest [18] by Heather Gudenkauf is the kind of thriller you'll devour in one sitting. True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn't mind being snowed in at the remote farmhouse where she's writing her latest book. Yes, it was the site of a double murder decades earlier, but she's certain the past can't hurt her. Then a small child appears out in the snow. After Wylie brings the child inside, her troubles begin. It quickly becomes clear she's not as alone as she thought she was, and the history of the house may be coming back to haunt her after all.
Release date: Jan. 25
Base Notes by Lara Elena Donnelly
Lara Elena Donnelly's Base Notes [19] is a wholly original novel about a perfumer who has created a product so potent it's worth killing for. Perfumer Vic Fowler creates scents that can evoke the most vivid memories, but it's not enough to pay the bills. As a result, Vic sometimes partakes in murder-for-hire plots, but when a client uses blackmail to get what they want, Vic has no choice but to assemble a group of artists desperate for cash to assist in pulling off this latest job. With a private detective sniffing around and the job becoming more dangerous by the minute, Vic realises the whole situation could get sticky fast.
Release date: Feb. 1
Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano was a delightfully fun surprise in 2021, and Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead [20] is every bit as bright and hilarious as its predecessor. This time around, Finlay is once again hard at work on a new book, and she hasn't had to deal with any dead bodies in a while, thank goodness. But when someone out there decides they want her ex-husband dead, Finlay is going to once again have to immerse herself in an underworld of mob hits and Russian spies in hopes of keeping her kids' dad alive.
Release date: Feb. 1
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
A stolen violin drives the plot of Brendan Slocumb's emotional mystery novel The Violin Conspiracy [21]. As a young Black man growing up in North Carolina, the odds were stacked against Ray McMillian. However, he had a dream to become a famous violinist, and when he discovered his great-great-grandfather's fiddle is a priceless Stradivarius, he found a way to make that dream come true. But when he finally makes it to the Tchaikovsky Competition, his beloved violin is stolen and the thief wants five million dollars for its return. Now, Ray must figure who took his violin and why if he has any hope of playing in the competition.
Release date: Feb. 1
Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala
Mia P. Manansala's food-fuelled cosy mystery series continues in Homicide and Halo-Halo [22]. Lila Macapagal is unable to decide between the two men who have fallen for her, or commit to opening a new restaurant, but at least she has a new mystery to distract her from her own problems. Her small town of Shady Palms has decided to bring back the Miss Teen Shady Palms Beauty Pageant, which Lila won years ago. Her win remains a point of contention between her and her cousin, Bernadette, but when one of the judges turns up dead, they'll have to put their own issues aside to find the killer.
Release date: Feb. 8
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
A woman is just looking for a little bit of rest and relaxation in the City of Lights in The Paris Apartment [23] by Lucy Foley, but instead she finds a mystery that hits close to home. After leaving her job behind, Jess is looking forward to staying with her half-brother in Paris for a while, even though he's less than thrilled to have her crashing in his apartment. However, her brother, Ben, is nowhere to be found when she arrives. As the days pass with no sign of Ben, Jess begins to suspect that one his seemingly friendly neighbours may have something to do with his mysterious disappearance.
Release date: Feb. 22
This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel
This Might Hurt [24] by Stephanie Wrobel is a strange and twisty thriller that's as unnerving as it is entertaining. In the aftermath of their mother's death, Natalie and Kit drifted apart. For Kit, losing their mother left her craving a fresh start, and she found one on Wisewood. The secluded island is home to a six-month program that claims it will allow guests to achieve true fearlessness. But when Natalie gets a threatening email from someone at Wisewood, she knows it's time to bring her sister home. The only trouble is, once she arrives on the island it becomes clear someone doesn't want her or her sister to leave anytime soon.
Release date: Feb. 22
The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
Beginning at a Blockbuster on New Year's Eve 1999, The Night Shift [25] by Alex Finlay unravels the mystery of two interconnected incidents in a small town. Just before the millennium, four teens are working at a Blockbuster when they're attacked. Only one of them survives. Now, 15 years later, four more teens in the same town are attacked while working a late shift at an ice cream parlor. Again, only one of them survives. This time FBI agent Sarah Keller is called in to unravel how these two cases are connected, and find the killer who is still on the loose.
Release date: March 1
The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Bestselling authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have written yet another gripping thriller in The Golden Couple [26]. Avery Chambers is a brilliant therapist who promises she can solve anyone's problems in just 10 sessions. Most of the time, she does just that, and with every success, she's able to bury her grief over her husband's death a little deeper. But then Marissa and Mathew Bishop walk into her office in need of help with their marriage after Marissa's infidelity. Their case sounds simple enough, but the secrets that exist among these three people could put them all in danger.
Release date: March 8
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
Prepare to lose some sleep when you dive into The Book of Cold Cases [27] by Simone St. James. This creepy thriller follows Shea Collins, a receptionist by day and a true crime blogger by night. When Shea bumps into a woman named Beth, who was accused of murdering two men in 1977, she sees it as a stroke of fate. She asks Beth for an interview, and the older woman agrees. But when Shea arrives at Beth's spooky old mansion for the interview, she discovers there's something dark lurking in the house, and it may be too late for her to leave unscathed.
Release date: March 15
Under Lock and Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian
Gigi Pandian kicks off a new adventure-filled cosy mystery series in Under Lock and Skeleton Key [28]. When an accident forces Tempest Raj to return to her childhood home in California, she's ready to begrudgingly accept that she may have to take a job with the family business, Secret Staircase Construction. But when she joins her father on his latest project, they discover her old stage double's body hidden inside of a secret wall. Tempest immediately begins to wonder if she was the intended target, and if she was, then does that mean the family curse she was warned about years ago is real after all?
Release date: March 15
Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Meddy Chan and her indomitable aunties are back in the hilarious Four Aunties and a Wedding [29] by Jesse Q. Sutanto. At long last, Meddy's wedding day to her college sweetheart Nathan has arrived, and she just wants everything to go smoothly. She's even hired a Chinese-Indonesian family-run company to organise the wedding so her aunties and mother can just enjoy the day. Unfortunately, it seems the family Meddy hired isn't as much like hers as she thought. In fact, they might just be members of the mafia who are using her wedding day as a cover for some seriously shady business.
Release date: March 29
The Resting Place by Camilla Sten
The Resting Place [30] by Camilla Sten is a spooky mystery with the bloody beating heart of a horror novel. Eleanor has prosopagnosia, which means she can't recognise people's faces, even if they're people she knows well. That means when she sees the person who murdered her horrible grandmother, she can't identify them. This reality haunts her until she receives word that her grandmother left her an estate in Sweden that comes with a dark past. Now she, her boyfriend, and aunt are heading to the rambling manse in hopes of getting away from the horrors at home. Instead, they walk into something so much worse.
Release date: March 29
Cover Story by Susan Rigetti
Prepare to lose yourself in Cover Story [31] by Susan Rigetti, a twist-filled story of stolen identities and coverups. Lora Ricci's summer internship at Elle is a dream come true, and things only get better when contributing editor Cat Wolff takes her under her wing. Soon, Cat is whisking Lora off to lavish parties and hiring her to be her personal ghostwriter. It all seems too good to be true — and that's because it is. Cat is part of a shady underground world full of con artists and scams, and she's going to drag Lora down with her.
Release date: April 5
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
Portrait of a Thief [32] by Grace D. Li is cinematic in the best possible way. This enthralling novel is at once a story about Chinese-Americans grappling with their cultural identity, and a fast-paced, globe-trotting art heist where the stakes couldn't possibly be higher. When Harvard senior Will Chen is approached by a shadowy organisation to steal back five Chinese sculptures from western museums, he says yes and gets to work assembling a crew. However, if he fails, it means he and his friends will lose everything they've worked so hard for. But if they pull it off? Then they'll be righting a cultural wrong that's been allowed to stand for far too long.
Release date: April 5
The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
The Younger Wife [33] by Sally Hepworth is a domestic suspense novel about a family that's full of secrets. Even though his wife is in a care centre due to her dementia, Stephen Asto is determined to marry Heather, a woman who is younger than his oldest daughter. Both of his daughters, Tully and Rachel, are disgusted by their father and certain Heather is just after his money. Determined to stop their father's plans, the sisters work together to uncover the truth about their prospective stepmother, but in the process they may also uncover some dark secrets their father has been hiding as well.
Release date: April 5
The Caretakers by Amanda Bestor-Siegal
The Caretakers [34] by Amanda Bestor-Siegal is an enthralling debut about six women in Paris with a secret. In 2015, an American au pair is arrested when her young charge dies while in her care. The child's mother blames the nanny, but the truth is far more complicated. The answer to what really happen lies with French teacher Géraldine, attention-starved teen Nathalie, recently fired au pair Lou, cold and distant Charlotte, anxiety-riddled Holly, and Alena, the au pair who stands accused of the crime. Set in the weeks leading up to the heartbreaking incident, the mystery will slowly unravel as each of the women's stories is told.
Release date: April 12
I'll Be You by Janelle Brown
Janelle Brown's I'll Be You [35] is a shocking thriller about twin sisters and the lengths they'll go to in order to protect one another. Former child stars Sam and Elli used to do everything together, but as adults they've drifted apart. Elli is now a homemaker who recently adopted a child, while Sam is addicted to alcohol and pills. They haven't spoken in years, so Sam is shocked when their father reveals Elli has left her family and joined what may very well be a cult in Ojai. Now it's up to Sam to bring her sister home, even if it means uncovering secrets that should stay buried.
Release date: April 26
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
The Woman in the Library [36] by Sulari Gentill is a captivating literary thriller about the friendship forged by four strangers. All is quiet in the Boston Public Library until a woman's terrified scream ripples through the stacks. The security guards order everyone to stay put until they can figure out what's going on, which leads to four strangers who are sharing a table to strike up a conversation. Soon, the quartet is fast on their way to becoming firm friends. There's just one problem — one of the people sitting at the table just so happens to be a murderer.
Release date: June 7
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
Bestselling author Riley Sager's latest thriller, The House Across the Lake [37], is just begging for a big screen adaptation. Recently widowed star Casey Fletcher just wants to get away from the limelight in order to grieve, so she heads to her family's lake house in Vermont. The place is quiet and even a bit lonely, so she takes to watching the seemingly perfect couple across the lake through her window. Even after she forms a real friendship with the wife, Katherine, Casey continues to observe the couple from afar, and she begins to suspect their marriage isn't so perfect after all. Then Katherine disappears, leaving Casey to wonder if the husband is capable of murder.
Release date: June 21
The It Girl by Ruth Ware
The reigning queen of thrillers, Ruth Ware, is back with The It Girl [38]. During her first term at college, Hannah Jones met the alluring and popular April Coutts-Cliveden, and together they form fast friendships with Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily. But by the time their second term ended, April was dead and a porter was arrested for her murder. Now, 10 years later, Hannah is expecting her first child with Will when a young journalist knocks on her door and reveals she doesn't believe the porter is responsible for April's death. Suddenly, Hannah is forced to reexamine everything she thought she knew about her friends — including her husband.
Release date: July 12
We Lie Here by Rachel Howzell Hall
An anniversary celebration leads a woman to ponder just how much she knows about her family in We Lie Here [39] by Rachel Howzell Hall. TV writer Yara Gibson is in charge of gathering mementos for her parents' 20th wedding anniversary, and everything is going well until a mysterious text leaves her distracted from her job. An old friend of Yara's mother is desperate to talk to her about a piece of information she believes will change Yara's life. Since the woman and her mom have long been estranged, Yara ignores the message, but when the woman's body is found floating in a lake, it becomes clear she had a secret that someone thought was worth killing over.
Release date: July 12