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Meet the Authors of Spring's Biggest Mysteries
If you ask us, it's always the perfect time to lose yourself in a page-turning mystery. To help you sleuth out a new read, we asked the authors of seven of this spring's most anticipated mysteries and thrillers to tell you about their new books and share their best recommendations for the perfect whodunit.
Be sure to check out the new books from genre favorites like Harlan Coben and Jane Harper, and discover new debut thrillers from Alex Finlay and Alexandra Andrews. We’re confident that these authors will give you plenty of clues to help you find your perfect mystery.
Be sure to add the books that pique your interest to your Want to Read shelf!
Be sure to check out the new books from genre favorites like Harlan Coben and Jane Harper, and discover new debut thrillers from Alex Finlay and Alexandra Andrews. We’re confident that these authors will give you plenty of clues to help you find your perfect mystery.
Be sure to add the books that pique your interest to your Want to Read shelf!
Jane Harper, author of The Survivors
Jane Harper: The Survivors is an Australian mystery set in a beachside community on the rugged coastline of Tasmania, so it's full of small-town intrigue and secrets to be uncovered. It follows the main character of Kieran Elliott, a young father who returns to his hometown to help his aging parents. He's barely had time to brush the sand off his boots when a body is discovered on the beach.
GR: What sparked the idea for your latest book?
JH: For me, the idea for a book always comes from the end of the story rather than the opening. I think about the conclusion of the book—that moment where the story resolves and all the pieces are revealed—and what events have brought these characters to that moment. The whole book's built around that resolution, and that was the case with The Survivors.
GR: What’s your definition of a perfect mystery?
JH: It has to have a satisfying conclusion—I want to be able to look back and see all the clues that I missed along the way. A good mystery should drip-feed the clues in a way that makes readers form and abandon their own theories throughout the story. A reader should have all the clues they need to work out what happened but ideally never quite get there until the very end.
GR: Who are some of your all-time-favorite mystery and thriller writers?
JH: I loved Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn—I read that book in one sitting on a plane without knowing anything about the story, so I was swept away by every twist and turn. The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn was another favorite—the pacing in that book is excellent, and the style of writing lets the story unfold perfectly.
I know every crime and mystery reader in the world has already read both those books, but there's a reason for that—they're both really good!
GR: What are some new mysteries you've been enjoying and recommending to friends?
JH: I haven't been reading a lot of new mysteries lately, but a couple of Australian books I've found very interesting in the past couple of years include The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood. It opens with a group of women waking up in a drugged state to find themselves held captive on remote farmland, and quickly realizing they all share a notorious connection. It's always classed as a literary book, but I found it as gripping as any thriller. For fans of true crime, Helen Garner's This House of Grief is a very sensitive and thoughtful deep-dive into a family tragedy. Garner is a journalist who followed a single case right from the start, through the trial and appeals, and captures how a single moment impacts so many lives.
GR: For someone who hasn't read a mystery in a while, what's a good book to lure them back to the genre?
JH: I always recommend Lee Child's first Jack Reacher book, Killing Floor. It's fun, it's fast-paced, and [it has] a fantastic opening chapter that pulls you right in.
GR: What's your biggest fear?
JH: I've never been a big fan of snakes!
Jane Harper's The Survivors is available now in the U.S.
Harlan Coben, author of Win
HC: On the Upper West Side, an elderly recluse is found murdered in his penthouse apartment, alongside two objects that connect him to billionaire-financier-and-badass Win Lockwood—a stolen Vermeer painting and a leather suitcase that disappeared during an infamous kidnapping 20 years before. As Win investigates as only he can, he finds shocking connections to his own family and one of the most baffling mysteries of the 1970s.
GR: What sparked the idea for your latest book?
HC: This one had several small sparks that combusted into something of a bonfire. It started with Win, a wealthy, blue-blooded antihero who may be my favorite of my own protagonists (if that doesn’t sound too weird to admit). I also always wanted to write an art heist caper, a famous kidnapping à la Patty Hearst, and a story of the counterrevolution of the '60s and '70s. Man, I can’t wait for you to meet Win.
GR: What’s your definition of a perfect mystery novel?
HC: The same definition as a perfect book. You lose yourself in it. You turn pages deep into the night. You immerse yourself to the point where you happily, deliriously disappear into the story. That’s what I hope Win will do for you.
GR: Who are some of your all-time-favorite mystery and thriller writers?
HC: Oh, I hate this question. I’ll leave out so many and then I’ll feel bad. I will recommend a few legends who are no longer with us and meant the world to me: Robert B. Parker, Sue Grafton, Mary Higgins Clark, Parnell Hall, Elmore Leonard, Donald Westlake, Ed McBain. I could go on and on, but you’re GOODREADS! You guys know more mystery and thriller writers than I do!
GR: What are some new mysteries you've been enjoying and recommending to friends?
HC: Three of my favorites from this past year include Pretty Things by Janelle Brown, Trouble Is What I Do by Walter Mosley, and The End of Her by Shari Lapena.
GR: For someone who hasn't read a mystery in a while, what's a good book to lure them back to the genre?
HC: There are so many, I feel odd singling out one. We are living in the golden age of crime fiction. Never before have so many writers from such varied backgrounds, countries, outlooks, etc. been active at the same time. We are all richer for that.
GR: What's your biggest fear?
HC: Ah, no way I’m going there. Let’s just say I hope to continue my wonderful relationship with my readers. You guys rock out loud. I’m super-excited to share Win with you.
Harlan Coben’s Win will be available in the U.S. on March 16.
Christina McDonald, author of Do No Harm
Christina McDonald: Do No Harm is about a doctor who makes the risky decision to sell opioids to fund the life-saving treatment her son, who’s been diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia, needs to live. She is quickly dragged into the dark world of drugs, lies, and murder, but when someone ends up dead, a lethal game of cat and mouse ensues, her own husband, the town’s head detective, leading the chase.
GR: What sparked the idea for your latest book?
CM: Writing for me is a fine line between an idea and a personal connection. The initial idea for Do No Harm came from reading a news article about a podiatrist in Indiana who set up a huge oxy ring. My biggest question was, Why? Did he do it for money, power, to save someone he loved? The second part of the story idea came from personal experience. My brother has suffered from opioid addiction for most of my adult life. I wanted to explore the many sides to the opioid epidemic, so I combined these two elements and Do No Harm was born.
GR: What’s your definition of a perfect mystery?
CM: For me, the perfect mystery has a protagonist who acts as a conduit for an intense emotional journey while delivering a wonderful intellectual puzzle that sweeps me up in the mystery. It also has a setting that heightens tension—a mansion with locked doors and dark corridors; an isolated, wind-swept beach with a storm on the horizon; an island marooned from civilization and shrouded in fog—and big and little twists that keep me flipping the pages, feeling as if I’m right there, solving the mystery alongside the protagonist.
GR: Who are some of your all-time-favorite mystery and thriller writers?
CM: So many! I grew up reading Daphne du Maurier and Agatha Christie. But as I got a bit older, I fell in love with books by Mary Kubica, Lisa Unger, Harlan Coben, and Lisa Gardner. More recently, I’ve read and loved Amber Cowrie, J.T. Ellison, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf…I could go on and on, there are so many excellent writers in this genre!
GR: What are some new mysteries you’ve been enjoying and recommending to friends?
CM: This year I read Long Bright River by Liz Moore, and I recommend it to everyone. Don’t Look for Me by Wendy Walker, Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger, and In the Deep by Loreth Anne White are other flawless mysteries I’ve read recently and highly recommend to all my friends.
GR: For someone who hasn't read a mystery in a while, what’s a good book to lure them back to the genre?
CM: I think the real joy of a mystery is that it’s an intellectual puzzle that takes you on an emotional journey. Books that get this balance right are perfect for luring readers back to the genre. Books like To Tell You the Truth by Gilly Macmillan, Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle, and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.
GR: What's your biggest fear?
CM: I’d love to say I have no fears and “the only thing to fear is fear itself,” but that, of course, isn’t true. Like all my characters, I have an internal and external fear. My internal fear is a fear of failure. The world puts successful people on such a podium, so of course I want to be up there. What I have learned is, we all define success differently. I just need to be specific about what success is to me. My external fear is a very irrational fear of swings and all swinging things. When I was a kid, I used to hold my sister’s swings still when we went to the park! lol
Christina McDonald’s Do No Harm is available now in the U.S.
Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here
Laurie Elizabeth Flynn: In The Girls Are All So Nice Here, a woman is summoned to her ten-year college reunion to find that she’s being circled by someone who knows the horrible truth about what she did freshman year—someone who wants consequences. Think Mean Girls, but much darker and more disturbing.
GR: What sparked the idea for your latest book?
LEF: I love college settings and wanted to set a thriller there because they provide such a perfect pressure cooker of an environment: that intensely insular dynamic where new students want to both fit in and embody the promise of a fresh start. I also love nothing more than a book that explores the dark side of girlhood. I’m fascinated by the mean girl vs. nice girl dichotomy, and the way girls are pitted against each other from a young age—and what happens when they want the same thing but only one can have it.
GR: What’s your definition of a perfect mystery?
LEF: I’m drawn to character-driven mysteries that are also shrouded in layers of social commentary on women’s experiences. I read a lot of thrillers, but the ones I remember are those with an additional dynamic that speaks to these themes—especially toxic friendship, envy, female ambition, obsession, and desire. I love being completely shocked, but for the shocks to really resonate, they must be founded in emotion that exacerbates an impulse I’ve felt myself. There’s nothing more powerful in a reading experience than feeling seen.
GR: Who are some of your all-time-favorite mystery and thriller writers?
LEF: Donna Tartt’s The Secret History is my ultimate—dark academia at its twistiest, most savage best. I’m obsessed with anything written by Gillian Flynn (Amy Dunne might be my favorite fictional character), and Jessica Knoll’s Luckiest Girl Alive was one of my biggest inspirations for wanting to write my own adult psychological suspense. Also, anything and everything by Megan Abbott—she writes the dark side of teen girls so brilliantly.
GR: What are some new mysteries you've been enjoying and recommending to friends?
LEF: There are so many excellent mysteries and thrillers coming out in 2021 that I’ve read and raved about! A few I’ve recently loved: The Hunting Wives by May Cobb, If I Disappear by Eliza Jane Brazier, People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd, and Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto.
GR: For someone who hasn't read a mystery in a while, what's a good book to lure them back to the genre?
LEF: You cannot go wrong with Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It’s a game changer. (The Cool Girl monologue! I get chills just thinking about it.) I remember the first time I read it was on a very long flight from Johannesburg to London, and I could not put it down.
GR: What's your biggest fear?
LEF: Adults dressed as animals. There’s nothing scarier than a giant human Easter bunny.
Laurie Elizabeth Flynn's The Girls Are All So Nice Here will be available on March 9 in the U.S.
Alex Finlay, author of Every Last Fear
Alex Finlay: A family made infamous by a Netflix true-crime documentary is found dead while vacationing in Mexico, leaving a surviving son, NYU student Matt Pine, to uncover the truth about their final days. Was it an accident—or something more sinister?
GR: What sparked the idea for the book?
AF: I was on holiday and unwittingly booked an eco-hotel off the beaten path in Tulum, Mexico. My first night there, in the dark (they shut down the lights around ten) and amid the sounds of the jungle, I watched a true-crime documentary on Netflix on my laptop, and separately read a news story on my phone about Americans dying suspiciously while traveling abroad. Around midnight, in the dark and isolation, I tapped out the first line: “They found the bodies on a Tuesday.”
GR: What’s your definition of a perfect mystery?
AF: A perfect mystery, or perfect novel, for that matter, is one you can’t wait to get back to when you put it down, are sad when it’s nearly over, and think about long after the last page.
GR: Who are some of your all-time-favorite mystery and thriller writers?
AF: I’m a big reader in the genre, so there are too many favorites to list, so I’ll name only a few. But it really depends on the type of reading mood I’m in at a given moment. If I’m up for literary crime fiction, Lou Berney, Attica Locke, Brian Panowich; for twisty psychological suspense, Liv Constantine, Lisa Gardner, Paula Hawkins, Jennifer Hillier, Riley Sager, Karin Slaughter, Lisa Unger; for legal thrillers, Stephen Carter, John Grisham, Scott Turow; for procedurals, Allison Brennan, James Patterson; for international thrills, Terry Hayes, K.J. Howe; for action, Lee Child, Gregg Hurwitz, Barry Lancet. I could go on and on.
GR: What are some new mysteries you've been enjoying and recommending to friends?
AF: Lucy Foley’s The Guest List and S.A. Cosby’s Blacktop Wasteland. Both very different books, both exceptional.
GR: For someone who hasn't read a mystery in a while, what's a good book to lure them back to the genre?
AF: Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier. Or anything by Harlan Coben.
GR: What's your biggest fear?
AF: It’s a tie between plane crash and home invasion (and perhaps a one-star review on Goodreads…).
Alex Finlay’s Every Last Fear will be available on March 2 in the U.S.
Alexandra Andrews, author of Who Is Maud Dixon?
Alexandra Andrews: At its heart, Who Is Maud Dixon? is a novel about identity: How do we change from the person we are to the person we want to be? It follows an ambitious young woman, Florence Darrow, who is desperate to become the next big literary star. When she lands a job as the assistant to the world-famous—but anonymous—novelist Maud Dixon, she sees her chance: She’ll simply steal the life she’s always wanted.
GR: What sparked the idea for your book?
AA: Perhaps not surprisingly, given the subject matter of my novel, the idea was sparked by two literary preoccupations: rereading The Talented Mr. Ripley and watching the world obsess over the true identity of Elena Ferrante. But on a more basic level, I just set out to write the kind of book I wanted to read: fast-paced and fun without ever underestimating the reader’s intelligence.
GR: What’s your definition of a perfect mystery?
AA: The perfect mystery is one that convinces you that you know what’s going to happen, only to take you entirely by surprise. And if we’re really aiming for perfection, let’s throw in sharp dialogue, multifaceted characters, and a richly drawn setting as well. Oh, let’s go wild: a sense of humor, too.
GR: Who are some of your all-time-favorite mystery and thriller writers?
AA: Patricia Highsmith, Gillian Flynn, Jane Harper, Joseph Kanon, Sarah Waters, Eric Ambler, and John LeCarré.
GR: What are some new mysteries you've been enjoying and recommending to friends?
AA: The Hold-Out by Graham Moore was both well-written and well-plotted; I always find it disappointing to get one without the other. Plus Dervla McTiernan’s The Scholar and The Ruin.
GR: For someone who hasn't read a mystery in a while, what's a good book to lure them back to the genre?
AA: Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan. It’s more than ten years old now, but it always surprises me that more people haven’t read it. Or maybe a real-life mystery like the endlessly entertaining The Devil in the White City.
GR: What's your biggest fear?
AA: Answering this question.
Alexandra Andrews’ Who Is Maud Dixon? is available now in the U.S.
Sarah Penner, author of The Lost Apothecary
Sarah Penner: The Lost Apothecary is about an apothecary in 18th-century London who sells well-disguised poisons to women seeking vengeance on the men who have wronged them. Two hundred years later, in present-day London, a woman finds a mysterious vial along the River Thames, and her life soon collides with the apothecary’s forgotten legacy…
GR: What sparked the idea for your book?
SP: I wish I could say there was something glamorous about the moment the idea struck me, but in fact, I was walking through a parking lot. In a classic “lightbulb” moment, I envisioned a woman selling poisons out of a hidden shop in a dark London alleyway. I clung to this initial vision, and I felt called to develop the story almost immediately. The word apothecary is evocative, drawing forth visions of a candlelit storefront with sash windows, its walls lined with mortar bowls and pestles, and countless glass bottles. There is something beguiling, even enchanting, about what might lie within those bottles: potions that bewitch us, cure us, kill us. With so much allure, how could I have not chased down that spontaneous parking-lot idea?
GR: What’s your definition of a perfect mystery?
SP: Here’s a bit of inside information for readers: Mystery writers are taught to leave clues (or “cookie crumbs”) throughout a story, and the author has likely pointed a few innocent arrows in the direction of the culprit or the truth. Yet as mystery readers well know, authors love red herrings, and these red herrings are meant to muddy the waters and purposely fool the reader. Thus, my definition of a perfect mystery is one in which I turn the last page and find myself wonderfully distraught by my own inability to see the truth earlier in the story. Upon learning the culprit, I often want to turn back the pages (or perhaps reread the book altogether) to spot what I overlooked. Believe me, the clues are there.
GR: Who are some of your all-time-favorite mystery and thriller writers?
SP: I love both contemporary and historical mysteries. Some of my favorite contemporary authors are Stuart Turton (his debut, The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, is a genre-shifter, in my opinion) as well as anything by Lucy Foley or Lisa Unger.
Historical favorites include classics like Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone, Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian, and Caleb Carr’s The Alienest.
GR: What are some new mysteries you've been enjoying and recommending to friends?
SP: If I may suggest a lesser-known author to those reading this article, I would recommend G.K. Chesterton’s The Innocence of Father Brown. This is a series of short stories (all under 20 pages) with ingeniously solved mysteries.
GR: For someone who hasn't read a mystery in a while, what's a good book to lure them back to the genre?
SP: I was assigned to read A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell for a British crime fiction class last year, and I’m so glad for it. It’s a quick read in which the killer is stated on the very first page, but the story then delves into the why and the how. I truly didn’t have it figured out until the last few pages of the book. Brilliant, in my opinion.
GR: What's your biggest fear?
SP: I have a fear of drowning (being trapped underwater, more specifically). It’s not rooted in anything specific—no traumatic water experiences that I can recall—and in fact, I’m a certified scuba diver, which might be an unconscious way to conquer the fear. Still, I think the idea of being underwater without air is just horrifying; I can feel my pulse going up now, just writing this. Let’s talk about something else! Back to books ;)!
Sarah Penner’s The Lost Apothecary is available now in the U.S.
Don’t forget to add these mysteries to your Want to Read shelf, and tell us which of these books you’re most excited about in the comments below.
Check out more recent articles, including:
Mysteries by Black Women to Add to Your Reading List
Readers' Most Anticipated Books of March
Shankar Vedantam, of 'Hidden Brain,' on Using Your Delusions
Check out more recent articles, including:
Mysteries by Black Women to Add to Your Reading List
Readers' Most Anticipated Books of March
Shankar Vedantam, of 'Hidden Brain,' on Using Your Delusions
Comments Showing 1-50 of 103 (103 new)
message 1:
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Gail
(new)
Mar 02, 2021 06:37AM
Thank you for this article! I just added so many books to my "want to read" list!
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I don't find any of these compelling and none are being put on my "to-read" list.
Thank you! They all sound amazing...my 'want to read' list is fuller now!
Totally delightful! A good mystery/thriller is what I truly love! Thank you for this article.
Fenris wrote: "I don't find any of these compelling and none are being put on my "to-read" list."I agree with you. I like mysteries and crime novels but, none of these seemed interesting.
Thank you! Four of these to seem interesting, and I have added them to my Want To Read shelf.
Great Article. It’s always interesting reading what your favourite authors read - my list just keeps getting longer!
Loved this article. The Q&A format always works for me. I bought 3 that were mentioned and shelved all of this To Be Read. My TBR just keeps growing.
My favorite part of the interviews was hearing what sparked the idea and have sometimes two disparate events were combined by the author's imagination into a new story.
I would love to read the books that I have marked as wanting to read. Oh, so many good books and so little time. Thanks for this opportunity.
Thanks I already bought two of these. I think message 5 is a bit harsh... ‘none interesting..?.?I would wish to receive more of these suggestions, very helpful.
Thank you. Interesting interviews.
Thank you. Thoroughly enjoyed the article.
Great interviews with some amazing authors. I’ve been lucky to read (and enjoy) most of the books here. I really appreciate seeing what books the authors are recommending.
Thank you. More books to add to my to read list.
The only book on this list that interests me is "The Survivors". It is on my want to read list already. If it is halfway as good as "The Dry" I will enjoy reading it.
Love reading what authors read and who they look up to! More to add to my 'want to read' pile!!
I'm always looking for new reading material - most likely in the Thriller genre. I've read many of the authors mentioned by the authors featured in the article and those that I haven't read I've ceertainly known about and am motivated to try their works.
I enjoyed The Survivors and Every Last Fear and still need to read a few more of these 😊
Pretty stoked about a new Win Lockwood book!
Terry wrote: "Pretty stoked about a new Win Lockwood book!"Me too!
Joan wrote: "Terry wrote: "Pretty stoked about a new Win Lockwood book!"Me too!"
Thanks for the article. I added several to my Goodreads list.
Thank you so much for including me in this group. I did see a few that interest me and have ordered Harlan Coben's new book. I also love the writing and Linwood's books. I will be sure to get that one also, I think I have a few I enjoy. However, I must admit that Catherine Culter is on my best list.
Nice job hope to see more lime this
Thank you for this article! I had added Harlan Coben a week ago but I just added one more " to read" list!
A couple of these were already marked TBR ... and several more have been added! Thanks for this article GR... great questions (and answers)!
I have more than a few on my radar having nearly 300 ARC's at the moment. LOL. Thanks!!
Thanks! I always appreciate reading suggestions.
Several of these books did sound interesting. I'm surprised none of the authors mentioned James Lee Burke. He is a tremendously talented writer, his books just pull you in to the bayou.
I've already read The Survivors and enjoyed it a lot, am waiting for Win to arrive at the library and I never heard of the other 5 authors. Thanks for the information on new possibilities.
Thank you,! Very interesting. Anxiously awaiting ‘WIN’. Harlan Coben is one of my favorites. I’ve also added ‘Every Last Fear’. Would be a new author for me.
Thanks! Read all of the Myron Bolitar and Mickey Bolitar series. Win is a character that needed a series but really adds to the Myron Bolitar series quite well. I have read most of Harlan Coben books, so I will definitely read Win! For the most part, I prefer series over standalone unless the standalone is really outstanding.
I already have The Survivors on my list to wanting to read, and I just added three new books to my pile. I find it fascinating how authors of thrillers/mystery come up with the storyline and plot.
Thanks! A few more addition to my reading list!
Liisa wrote: "Thanks! I always appreciate reading suggestions."Ditto!
Thanks for all the new suggestions. I am not much of a mystery reader, but I do read them once in a while to change up on the books I read.
Excellent article! I just added a lot of books and authors to my TBR!!
Liked this format. Give us more. I am always interested in what authors say about their books. And I loved the "What do you fear?" question. Answers give us some insight. peace, janz
Thank you for the email. I am going to buy Jane Harper book. She is going to be one of the most read authors of my generation.
Thank you. It was awesome to hear from the authors. It felt like I could hear them talking and wanted to continue the conversation. Many books have been added to my list!!
Just added more books to my wish list! I want to read them all!
thank you! I love articles on thriller! my fave genre!
Thank you. Several more books for my list!
Thank you so much! I've added a few books to my To Read list.
