Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2020

by Michael Connelly

Darkly essential reading for every genre fan who’s ever considered sending a swab to a mail-order DNA testing service. Full review >

get a copy

bookshelf

by Camilla Läckberg ; translated by Neil Smith

A deliciously inventive thriller brimming with sex, secrets, and scandal. Full review >

get a copy

bookshelf

by Helen Monks Takhar

A wickedly sharp first novel from an author to watch. Full review >

get a copy

bookshelf

by Louise Penny

If you're new to Penny's world, this would be a great place to jump in. Then go back and start the series from the beginning. Full review >

get a copy

bookshelf

by Brian Freeman

Freeman’s first Jason Bourne thriller is a treat for fans of the late Robert Ludlum. Full review >

get a copy

bookshelf

by Jo Nesbø ; translated by Robert Ferguson

The illusions of a family and its close-knit town constructed and demolished on a truly epic scale. Full review >

get a copy

bookshelf

by Sara Paretsky

So fierce, ambitious, and far-reaching that it makes most other mysteries seem like so many petit fours. Full review >

get a copy

bookshelf

by Sara Sligar

A raw and sophisticated debut. Full review >

get a copy

bookshelf

by Peter Swanson

The perfect gift for well-read mystery mavens who complain that they don’t write them like they used to. Full review >

get a copy

bookshelf

by Ruth Ware

The solution is maddeningly simple but the construction, simply masterful. Full review >

get a copy

bookshelf

by Oliver Harris

An absorbing, superbly written novel likely to stand as one of the best spy novels of the year. Full review >

get a copy

bookshelf