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The Top 12 Mysteries & Thrillers of 2019 (So Far)
We're four months into 2019 and we can now reveal the biggest mysteries and thrillers of the year...so far!
We've crunched our data to uncover the most popular books in the genre published in the U.S. from January through March, looking at readers' average ratings, number of ratings, and general buzz around a book (which we measure by looking at how many times a book has been added to readers' Want to Read shelves).
If you're in the mood for a locked room mystery, there are plenty of whodunits where the suspect has to be one of us—from strangers stuck in a blizzard to college friends stranded at a hunting lodge to an isolated community in the Australian Outback. Meanwhile, the two biggest hits in the genre—The Silent Patient and An Anonymous Girl—are both psychological thrillers featuring, well, psychologists.
Which of these books pique your interest?
We've crunched our data to uncover the most popular books in the genre published in the U.S. from January through March, looking at readers' average ratings, number of ratings, and general buzz around a book (which we measure by looking at how many times a book has been added to readers' Want to Read shelves).
If you're in the mood for a locked room mystery, there are plenty of whodunits where the suspect has to be one of us—from strangers stuck in a blizzard to college friends stranded at a hunting lodge to an isolated community in the Australian Outback. Meanwhile, the two biggest hits in the genre—The Silent Patient and An Anonymous Girl—are both psychological thrillers featuring, well, psychologists.
Which of these books pique your interest?
In this debut, a woman shoots her husband dead and refuses to utter another word after the crime—turning the murder into a notorious mystery, one that captures the attention of a relentless criminal psychotherapist.
Average reader rating: 4.10
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 132,000
Average reader rating: 4.10
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 132,000
A young woman struggling to make ends meet signs up for a study on ethics and morality, and ends up with much more than she'd bargained for, from the authors of The Wife Between Us.
Average reader rating: 3.94
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 97,000
Average reader rating: 3.94
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 97,000
A college student caught in a Colorado blizzard is forced to wait out the storm at a remote highway rest stop. Inside are four complete strangers. And outside, a little girl is locked in an animal crate in the vehicle next to hers.
Average reader rating: 4.13
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 68,000
Average reader rating: 4.13
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 68,000
In this new standalone book from The Dry author, two men meet at the remote fence line separating their cattle farms in the Australian Outback. In front of them, the stockman's grave landmark rises; at their feet, their brother lies dead.
Average reader rating: 4.29
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 54,000
Read our interview with Harper here.
Average reader rating: 4.29
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 54,000
Read our interview with Harper here.
A wealthy Manhattanite's daughter disappears into a world of drugs and addiction. His search for her will take him into the darkest corners of modern life. Along the way, he discovers that there are secrets about his family he never suspected.
Average reader rating: 4.22 stars
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 39,000
Read our interview with Coben here.
Average reader rating: 4.22 stars
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 39,000
Read our interview with Coben here.
When an investigation of a child pornography ring gets too close to certain powerful people, Detective Livia Lone becomes the target of a hit that barely goes awry—a hit that had been offered to retired “natural causes” specialist John Rain.
Average reader rating: 4.13 stars
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 36,000
Average reader rating: 4.13 stars
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 36,000
A young suburban wife with a history of psychological instability has fears about her new neighbor—and those fears could lead them both to murder.
Average reader rating: 3.90
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 36,000
Average reader rating: 3.90
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 36,000
A woman hopes to find out what happened the night her teenage daughter fell off a bridge, leaving her brain dead. Was Olivia’s fall an accident? Or something far more sinister?
Average reader rating: 3.98
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 35,000
Average reader rating: 3.98
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 35,000
On the night of Seraphine's birth, her mother throws herself off a cliff and the family's au pair disappears. Years later, Seraphine uncovers a family photograph that will begin a dangerous investigation.
Average reader rating: 3.70
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 35,000
Average reader rating: 3.70
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 35,000
Joe Thorne is a teacher with a hidden agenda. He returns to settle scores at the high school he once attended, only to uncover a darker secret than he could have imagined in this thrilling tale from the author of The Chalk Man.
Average reader rating: 3.74
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 30,000
Average reader rating: 3.74
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 30,000
In this debut, a couple move to the suburbs, have kids, and find a way to keep their marriage alive—by getting away with murder.
Average reader rating: 4.06
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 30,000
Average reader rating: 4.06
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 30,000
A group of old college friends on Christmas break is snowed in at a Scottish Highlands hunting lodge when one of them is murdered.
Average reader rating: 3.71
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 28,000
Average reader rating: 3.71
Additions to Want to Read shelves: 28,000
Which of these books will you be adding to your Want to Read shelf? Tell us in the comments!
Check out the complete coverage of Mystery & Thriller Week:
The Best Mystery & Thriller Adaptations Since Gone Girl
24 New Voices to Discover in Mystery & Thriller
Let's Play: Create An Ominous-Sounding Mystery Title
Comments Showing 1-50 of 98 (98 new)
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Teresa
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Apr 01, 2019 08:07AM
The night olivia fell
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I want to add all of them, but I will read the one by Peter Swanson first.
No Exit and Before She Knew Him are the ones that really seem interesting to me.
I read both The Hunting Party & The Au Pair last year (galleys) so My Lovely Wife is the only one here that was already on my TBR list. I've been aware of the rest and I'm sure they're fantastic but they haven't drawn me in. I read more than my share of mysteries & psychological thrillers so I'm okay with not having everything tempt me.
I am patiently waiting for the Silent Patient to become available at my local library and The Lost Man, because I was a big fan of The Dry.
Ive read a lot of these books already:My Lovely Wife - The absolute standout!
But I have also read and really enjoyed - The silent patient, An anonymous girl, Before she knew him, The night Olivia Fell,
I have The Lost Man and No exit on my TBR :)
Cathy wrote: "I am patiently waiting for the Silent Patient to become available at my local library and The Lost Man, because I was a big fan of The Dry."I too loved The Dry. The Lost Man wasn't *quite* as wonderful as the previous book, but I still really enjoyed it.
Gerri wrote: "Sooo many exciting books. Soo little time😥"Sooo many exciting books. Soo little pension ...🤐
Already read The Silent Patient. Just got Run Away from the library. Added No Exit to my Want to Read shelf.
The Silent patient and The Au pair I will like to read
Not my kind. I love cozy mysteries or those set in England.
Read The Lost Man, can't say enough about Jane Harper's characters & writing style. Looking forward to,A Better Man by Louise Penny.
Lock Every Door by Riley Sage
Stone Mothers by Erin Kelly!
The Silent PatientAn Anonymous Girl
My Lovely Wife
Jane Harper’s The Lost Man was excellent as were her other two books!
Cathy wrote: "I am patiently waiting for the Silent Patient to become available at my local library and The Lost Man, because I was a big fan of The Dry."It is very good!
I just finished The Silent Patient! Excellent 😀 The Night Olivia Fell was very good. The Anonymous Girl was good. I can’t wait to read the rest😀
Need something different to read? Maybe something with twists and turns that will keep you guessing? Take a trip to a ruthless place where life struggles to survive and eyes stalk your every move. Take a trip to Nomad's Island. You won't regret it.
A S H L E Y ⚡️ wrote: "The Silent Patient was a standout read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I can’t wait to get my hands on Peter Swanson’s next book!
" I agree. The Silent Patient was a 5-star read!!
The Lost Man, because I've loved both of Jane Harper's previous books.
I have only read one of these books, so far: The Killer Collective. But I'm looking forward to reading most of the others, especially The Silent Patient and The Night Olivia Fell.
No Exit, the Silent Patient and then all the others
Grace wrote: "No Exit and Before She Knew Him are the ones that really seem interesting to me."No Exit was fantastic! I highly recommend it.
I read silent patient and anonymous girl loved both want to read Harlan Coben
I've readThe silent patient
Run away
An anonymous girl
Before she Knew him and
The hiding place
The first Four was really awesome
I can't choose!!!
Already had an Anonymous girl in my tbr.The silent Patient and No Exit had intriguing premises.
No Exit; also, The Hunting Party. However, I'm so sick of winter that I think I'll suspend the holds to next Dec. and Jan.
If you want something new to read, look no further than Nomad's Island. A novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat with twists and turns that will keep you guessing. Nomad's Island will whisk you away to a ruthless place where life struggles to survive and eyes taunt you from the jungle's edge.
I first got The Silent Patient as an audio book to listen to in the car. It was a bit slow as an audio book then I got it as an ebook. I am a pretty quick reader and I much preferred it intros format. I liked the twists along the way and even though I knew that there would be a twist I certainly didn't guess what it would be.
The Lost Man & The Au Pair both look interesting to me.
If you like a book with a major twist and surprise ending, then read The Silent Patient. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Alice wrote: "If you like a book with a major twist and surprise ending, then read The Silent Patient. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟"I would also suggest Nomad's Island. However, I'm partial because I wrote it. It has received some really good praise, although.
I’m missing the best crime novel of the year so far: The Reign Of The Kingfisher. At the debut of the year!
The Silent Patient and Before She Knew Him will be the first reads. Followed by the rest, I think!
Already read 4 of these and have another 4 on my shelf to read this month. Not too shabby!
I've already read "The Silent Patient", "The Lost Man", "The Hiding Place" and "Before She Knew Him". I'm in the minority for not really liking "The Silent Patient" very much, but I enjoyed all the others :)
I loved The Silent Patient and Before She Knew Him!
I've already read six of them and another five are on my to read list. I'd also highly recommend Andrew Pyper's The Homecoming. Was not overly enamoured with The Anonymous Girl. The rest were awesome.
Currently reading Jane Harper's Force of Nature, so will get to The Lost Man at some stage later on. For some reason I had never read The Dry until earlier this year. I loved The Silent Patient, and An Anonymous Girl was okish. I have The Hiding Place and The Hunting Party cued up and next week off work, so I may just read these two next.
