Jen's Picks: The Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2024

It’s always so hard to choose my top ten books of the year, but here are Jen’s Picks: The Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2024. Check out my list and share yours in comments!

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Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2024: Jen's Picks. Words on a blue background with gold letters and fireworks

Here are my picks for 2024!

Photo of The Blue hour by Paula Hawkins on an easel with art supplies, like brushes and canvases, in the background

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins (also a Barnes and Noble pick!)

This is my Black Sheep pick, in that it has a very low Goodreads rating. Yes, it IS a slow burn and yes it has to do with art, but I loved its creepy setting and ever-increasing sense of menace. The ending was chilling AND open to interpretation, which has started an interesting discussion in the comments of my post.

If you loved OR hated it, let me know. My review of The Blue Hour with spoilers is here!

Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda

Another slow burn read, but a really good small town setting, plus dark family secrets, which were very popular this year. When a slow paced book is worth the wait, I love it.

My review with spoilers of Daughter of Mine!

A copy of Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney sits next to The Blue Hour in a bookstore display.

Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney (also an Amazon pick)

This book made me think of teenage Jen, sitting in her bedroom reading creepy Serial Killer books. Set in Northern England in the 1980s, this book features a teen detective who anonymously helps the police catch a killer.

Original phot of a copy of The God of the Woods by Liz Moore on a bookshelf next to some green and yellow covered thrillers and a J mug

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (also a Goodreads, NY Times and Amazon pick)

A slow paced literary mystery, again with family secrets. The summer camp setting was so meticulously portrayed! The ending was a bit outlandish, but I think this book deserves the praise it is getting. If you love literary mysteries and like a more hardboiled story, try Moore’s Long Bright River.

My Review of The God of the Woods!

Original photo of Home is Where the Bodies are by Jeneva Rose with some old VHS tapes and a heart mug

Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose (also a Goodreads pick)

The premise of this book is so fun and relatable (?) Siblings are cleaning out their parents house and find an old VHS tape suggesting that their parents might have been involved in a murder. Super fun!

My review with spoilers of Home is Where the Bodies Are.

This original photo of Kill for Me Kill for You shows the book on a windowsill next to a white curtain and a mug with a J.

Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh (also an Amazon pick)

As a lifelong Alfred Hitchcock fan, I could not put down this creepy, twisty book with a murder swap plot. It’s mind-bending in a good way.

My Review of Kill for Me, Kill for You is here!

Murder Road by Simone St James

I rarely read paranormal fiction, but loved this story of young honeymooners who get stuck in a creepy small town that is probably haunted. Set in the 90s and really felt like it!

My Review of Murder Road is here!

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels on a bookcase next to other yellow and blue books and a bronze dragonfly

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett (also a NYT pick)

This book would seem like everything I hate: an epistolary story about cults. But I’m a fan of Janice Hallett and still haven’t stopped thinking about this intricately plotted story.

Come check out my Spoiler Post for The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels if you want company while you read!

Original photo of a copy of One Perfect Couple on a bookshelf with palm leaves and a J mug

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

I’m not sure this was even a mystery or thriller, but it WAS a suspenseful survival story that took me by surprise. I am NOT usually a fan of stories about influencers, but found this harrowing, like a game of Survivor gone VERY wrong.

Check out my full Spoiler Post for One Perfect Couple!

Original photo of a copy of The Return of Ellie Black on a bookshelf with a succulent plant.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

This missing persons story featured a female detective whose own sister is missing and is assigned to investigate the case of a missing girl who turned up alive. Could Ellie’s disappearance (or reappearance) be connected?

Check out my Review of The Return of Ellie Black here!

Honorable Mention

These books almost made the list and might be perfect for you!

Love Twisted Psychological Suspense? Try:

She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica
You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen
The Haters by Robyn Harding
Ladykiller by Katherine Wood
You Will Never Be Me by Jessie Q Sutanto

Want a Twisty Page-Turning Thriller? Try:

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison

Love Stories about Revenge? Try:

The Next Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2024. Words on a very dark blue background with gold letters and fireworks

What did major media outlets choose at their Best of 2024? Check out my Master Post of Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2024 to see all the major lists and my commentary and analysis!