Let’s discuss the Amazon Best Mystery Thriller Books of 2025. What were their picks? What do you think about the twenty thrilling books their editors chose as the best of the year?
Amazon Best Mystery Thriller Books of 2025
Amazon’s picks are selected by a group of editors, so their picks are a little more eclectic than the Goodreads Choice Awards Nominees for 2025.
Their twenty picks include:
- Five series books
- Eight books by women, eleven by men, and one written jointly.
- A mix of procedurals, cozies, and thrillers.
- I’ve read eleven of the twenty books and reviewed nine
The Black Wolf (Inspector Gamache #20) by Louise Penny
Crooks by Lou Berney
Dead Money by Jacob Kerr
The Doorman by Chris Pavone
I’m really happy to see this on the list! It’s a very unconventional kind of mystery thriller but I thought it was interesting and well done!
Fever Beach by Carl Hiaasen
Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben
I’m not sure this rises to the “best of” level for my reading, but I enjoyed it a lot. It’s perfect for fans of medical and tech thrillers.
Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent
This is a great pick for readers who like mysteries with games and puzzles. The characters work for a British dictionary and are word nerds. When a possible murderer starts sending them clues, they work together to solve them.
The Hallmarked Man (Cormorant Strike #8) by Robert Galbraith
The Impossible Fortune (Thursday Murder Club #5) by Richard Osman
I love this series. While I don’t think this is one of the better installments plot-wise, this book had the most charm and heart of al of them.
The Intruder by Freida McFadden
I guess there had to be one Freida McFadden on here, but I don’t think this is one of her best. At all. Clearly a lot of people disagree with me!
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby
This will definitely make my Best of 2025 list! Cosby’s books are so unique and always have an original spin on crime fiction. This felt very opposite to All The Sinners Bleed, which had a do-gooder main character. The main character in King of Ashes starts out that way but goes to the dark side of the American Dream.
Never Flinch by Stephen King
No Body No Crime by Tess Sharpe
The Oligarch’s Daughter by Joseph Finder
Secret of Secrets (Robert Langdon #6) by Dan Brown
Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests by K.J. Whittle
This was a very unusual sort of closed circle thriller in which the locked room becomes … metaphorical? It wasn’t a top pick for me, but I’m glad it’s getting some attention!
She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena
I really enjoyed this closed circle suspense story with family drama elements. It was chilling and surprising!
Strangers in Time by David Baldacci
We Are All Guilty Here (North Falls #1) by Karin Slaughter
I’ve had my ups and downs with this author, but I LOVED this book.
What A Way to Go by Bella Mackie
Check out my other Best of 2025 Posts!
Goodreads Choice Nominees for Best Mystery Thriller of 2025!