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Top 100 Mysteries & Thrillers on Goodreads
Culprits, spies, bad guys, and women with vendettas: There's something so very satisfying about spending your time with the criminal element. And by that, we mean following the clues and solving the capers when you sit down with a great mystery or thriller. Always in search of a great book, Goodreads recently set out to uncover your 100 most-loved thrillers and mysteries.
There are, of course, rules to this game. Namely, every one of these books has at least a 4.0 rating from the Goodreads community. That means it's a bit of a popularity contest, for example Gone Girl is represented with a 4.02 rating, but another girl—Girl on a Train—just misses the list at 3.88. Then there are the usual suspects you won't find on this list: The Maltese Falcon (3.92), Angels & Demons (3.85), and Strangers on a Train (3.84) among others. It may seem brutal, but the readers have spoken.
Of course, many of your favorite writers have stayed with a character for a while, so in the cases of serialized mysteries and thrillers, we picked the books that, again, are over 4.0 and have the largest number of ratings.
It's time to unveil the top 100 Mysteries & Thrillers on Goodreads, arranged in alphabetical order. How many have you read? Tell us in the comments.
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Tell us how many you've read in the comments! And be sure to check out more of our Mystery & Thriller Week coverage here.
Comments Showing 1-50 of 475 (475 new)
message 1:
by
T
(new)
Apr 30, 2017 06:32PM
27 plus a couple as movies....
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I'm a big mystery fan, but not really a thriller fan. I was surprised to find that I had only read 27 of these. I've read some in the same series as the book listed - like Ludlum's Bourne Identity and Penny's Still Life. Some are on my wishlist - le Carre, Nesbo, Eco, and there are some that I will never read - King, Grisham and Thomas Harris.I was extremely surprised to find a few of my favorites - Alan Bradley, Laurie R King, Ellen Raskin and Elizabeth George, and I was also surprised that there were only 2 of the 3 (or 4) Queens of the Golden Age of Detection on the list.
I've read 9 of these. I'm kinda disappointed that Edogawa Rampo isn't on this list, though. He's the greatest Japanese mystery writer of all time!
I've read 5, I mostly stick to the oldies which is probably why I don't have more read on this list; I do want to read more of these new books.
i have read 6 books from the list .. currently reading Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter ...
14 Missing Helen MacInnes author of literate, intelligent and tightly plotted spy novels. No Albert Campion or Mrs. Pollifax?
I've read 23 - & only one The Secret History is while not terrible, is overrated.Congratulations Goodreads Community!
I've read 27/100 and there are about 5 on my TBR list.
Well this increases my tbr pile..I have read 7 of these
From the list, I have read 24 and a further 14 are on my TBR shelves.
26 read and about 20 that are on my to be ist!
36, and I've been Serbian editor to 13 of them :)
37/100. Remember, it's based on GR popularity. Great classic titles and authors are sorely missing and whoever thought Agatha Christi and Janet Evanovich would be on the same list?!!!
11 and a couple of movies. Some authors I read are unfortunately, not on the list.
Only read 9 so far....but lots here on my list :)Plenty that are not on here also!
It seems to me you've mixed up detective stories and thrillers, which are two different genres (although they often overlap)....
I've read 20/100 - need to get reading!
Hmmm ..... 30 so far. I need to read more mysteries. !!! :) :) :)Thanks for the article. I discovered some pretty interesting books!
I've only read 7, but thanks to this list I've added another 3 to my want-to-read shelf.
I have read 24 on the list. This is my favorite genre so I am kind of surprised that I haven't read more.
11 out of 100Sounds like I need to give more time in reading. I am way back than new readers. Grrrr..
61. Damn, i know i love a mystery but didn't think i would have read so many from this list.
Just incase, some of you ladies and gentleman are considering what to read, these should be worth your time.Louise Penny books are generally awesome.
Child 44 is good
confessions by minato
C.J samson shardlake series is definately worth reading.
Gaudy night
the forgotten garden
shadow of the wind
the poet
10/100 so many good books--never enough time. My want to read list keeps growing!
I have read 17.Too many on the list are thrillers which I loathe!
33 plus a few on my bookshelves to be read soon.
Mystery/ thriller is not a genre I read a lot of. I've read Big Little Lies and seen A Time To Kill but not read the book. That and Kate Morton's book are in my TBR list. I like Stephen King- Bag of Bones (book and movie) is one of my favorites of his. Planning to read more books in this genre. Thanks for the huge list of ideas!
Well I thought I was a huge mystery/thriller/crime enthusiast but I haven't read any of these..
I've read 11. Several more are on my TBR shelf as well.
I've read six. I was surprised not to see any by William Kent Krueger. Currently my favorite mystery writer is Louise Penny (the Armand Gamache series, all of them).
Cheryl A wrote: "37/100. Remember, it's based on GR popularity. Great classic titles and authors are sorely missing and whoever thought Agatha Christi and Janet Evanovich would be on the same list?!!!"I so agree. I warn you not to check out the cozy mystery list - Christie is there with Joanne Fluke and other like authors.
I loved so many of these! ANd... some were inspiration for my own work. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713QND4Y/
12 read, 47 to be read; and of those 59 books I own 27.
