The Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022

It’s the question I always get asked at this time of the year: what were the best books I read, anyway? What were the Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022? I always struggle to pick!

Should I choose a Locked Room Mystery, a classic police procedural, or a twisty thriller? I did include many of my 2022 Favorites on my Pick a Mood Board, I’ll Pick You a Thriller post!

I decided to analyze four official lists of the Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022, giving my comments on their choices, looking at what books made multiple lists, and revealing the books that (in my opinion) shouldn’t be on there at all!

Were these The 40 Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022?

What do I know about this anyway? Well, I’ve been reading mysteries since Encyclopedia Brown (remember him?) and over the past eleven years, I’ve read and reviewed hundreds of books each year.

But let’s see what the “experts” think first. And are they really experts or just avid readers like us? I’ll weigh in.

Books marked with an asterisk * are ones I have read and the links lead to my review. Books I haven’t read are linked to Amazon.

As an Amazon Affiliate I may earn from qualifying purchases.

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Were These the 40 Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022?

Let’s see the list and discuss!

Goodreads Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022

I don’t know about you, but I (and millions of other readers) find Goodreads really useful for its crowd-sourced ratings of books.

Let’s be Goodreads friends if we’re not.

Goodreads has awards rather than a “Best of 2022” list, so this is based on the semi-finalists for the Mystery and Thriller category of the Goodreads Choice Awards. You can see the 2022 Goodreads Choice winners here.

Who chooses the books for the Goodreads Choice Awards?

That’s unclear. Goodreads has a lot of data to draw from, so they might pick the most read and reviewed books on their platform. However, since they were bought by Amazon in 2013, some have side-eyed their nomination process.

And now that I have seen some of the winners, I have to wonder….

Even so, I really like the Goodreads Choice Mystery and Thriller list.

Full disclosure: I’m a reviewer who receives free copies of the books that publishers want to publicize, and the Goodreads list also reflects my review reading list pretty closely. But creating this post also reminds me that I need to continue to seek out other books outside what the publishers are pushing!

*All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers

Published by Bantam

Goodreads Rating: 3.9

Elements: Cold Case Inspired, past/present Narrative, Serial Killer Thriller, evil in a small town

I read and enjoyed All Good People Here. I have a fun Spoiler Discussion Post up on All Good People Here. I think this book, written by a popular podcaster with help from a professional writing partner, was a fun read and a very solid debut. But does it deserve to win THE best Mystery/Thriller of 2022? A lot of people on my spoiler discussion were really unhappy with the ending. Like REALLY unhappy.

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*The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St James

Published by Berkley

Goodreads rating: 3.8

Elements: Past/present mystery, podcaster, paranormal elements

I know this author has many fans, and I can see what people enjoy about her books. They’re not really my thing. I’m not sure if it’s her writing style, but in any case, this isn’t on MY list. Still, I can’t disagree with Goodreads either. It’s a solid pick, just not my pick.

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*The Bullet That Missed (Thursday Murder Club # 3) by Richard Osman

Published by Viking

Goodreads rating: 4.5

Elements: third book in a classic mystery series, murder club, detectives of a certain age, Scooby Gang

This book is literally on EVERY “best of” list, and just finished it. But I did that without reading the first two books, and I think I am missing a lot of in-jokes and backstory. So I do recommend that you start with book one. In any case, I loved the dry, self-deprecating British humor of this one. Tell me what you thought in comments.

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*Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

Published by Flatiron Books

Elements: locked room mystery, classic mystery

Goodreads rating: 3.86

I really loved this book, which was able to totally surprise me in a way that made me mad at first, but then impressed me. Check out my Spoiler Discussion Post on Daisy Darker if you want to chat about it. Yes, I agree that Daisy Darker is on my BEST OF 2022!

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*The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

Published by Ballantine

Goodreads Rating: 3.96

Elements: modern gothic, horror

I was OBSESSED with this one for at least half way through. Then the book took a turn into horror that ruined things a little for me. I didn’t love it, but I really liked it a lot. I also have a Spoiler Discussion Post for the Family Game. This was an almost-BEST for me. If you like horror, I’d check it out! What did you think?

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*The Family Remains (The Family Upstairs #2) by Lisa Jewell

Published by Atria

Goodreads rating: 3.9

Elements: sequel, police procedural, house of horrors

I am a big Lisa Jewell fan in general, but the very dark themes of this one weren’t really for me. So while I thought it was well-written, my lack of enjoyment in it prevents me from seeing it as “best.” Hoping to put her next book on my “best of” list though! If you like super-dark books, check out The Family Upstairs and The Family Remains!

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*A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

Published by Minotaur

Goodreads rating: 4.0

Elements: serial killer thriller, evil in a small town

This was a super-hyped book of early 2022, and I think that hype led to huge expectations. I saw many people say “eh” about it, but I liked it a lot. I’m not sure it rises quite to the “best of” level for me. Almost. And I’m excited to read the author’s next book, which comes out soon. Come join my Spoiler Discussion for A Flicker in the Dark.

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*The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Published by St. Martin’s Press

Goodreads rating: 4.0

Elements: domestic drama

I’m not sure this was really a mystery/thriller. There was a murder, but it was a subplot for sure. I enjoyed reading The Golden Couple because I wasn’t sure where it was going. And by the end, I wasn’t sure the authors knew where it was going either. And strangely, none of that bothered me. I like a risk-taking book. For me The Golden Couple was a really fun read, but didn’t reach “best of” level. My Spoiler Discussion for The Golden Couple is here. Did you try this one?

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The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Published by Grand Central Publishing

Goodreads rating: 4.37

I haven’t read this but have seen this author’s (mostly self-pubbed) books ALL over my social media. I love a good word-of-mouth book. One of my resolutions for 2023 is to try it! What did you think?

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*The It Girl by Ruth Ware

Published by Scout Press

Goodreads rating: 3.89

Elements: classic mystery, dark academia

This is just a “Jen” book, from the Dark Academia setting to the diabolical Agatha Christie style plot. Not everyone liked it (or Hannah, the main character) but I really did! Give me your thoughts on my Spoiler Discussion for The It Girl. BEST OF 2022! Agree or disagree?

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*Jackal by Erin E. Adams

Published by Bantam

Goodreads rating: 3.69

Elements: horror noire, social justice, past/present narrative, serial killer, evil in a small town

Jackal was a really tense and through-provoking read. I’m not really a horror reader at all and I am an extremely literal person, so at the end I had a LOT of questions. Like so many. One of my goals for 2023 is to read a bit more horror. Just a bit! You can read my review of Jackal here.

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*Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Published by Berkley

Goodreads rating: 3.97

Elements: comic thriller, caper, feminism

I love this author a whole lot. While I thought Killers of a Certain Age was a lot of fun, for me it didn’t rise to “best” level. Admittedly, I am not the biggest fan of comic thrillers, so there’s that.

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*The Maid by Nita Prose:

Published by Ballantine

Goodreads rating: 3.85

Elements: neurodivergent narrator, classic mystery

A classic cozy mystery that feels a bit like a game of Clue. I think you’ll either love this book’s very unconventional narrator … or not so much. The author doesn’t want to say what makes Molly “special” but people in my Spoiler Review Discussion felt strongly that she is on the autism spectrum. I felt rather protective of Molly but eventually got weary of hearing the entire story through her eyes. And, because this (to me) feels so similar to Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, I would not put it on my “best of” list. But clearly others disagree, as you will see! And I love the cover a lot.

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*More Than You’ll Ever Know by Katie Gutierrez

Published by William Morrow

Goodreads rating: 3.78

Elements: family drama, past/present narrative

More Than You’ll Ever Know wasn’t on my radar, but after checking it out of the library and reading it, I decided it wasn’t really for me. It was very long, I wasn’t that invested in the story, and I didn’t feel like it was a true mystery/thriller. It was a Good Morning American book pick, and in 2023 I’m going to keep a closer eye on their selections, because I did think they made good ones!

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*The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

Published by Minotaur

Goodreads rating: 3.96

Elements: past/present narrative, a serial killer returns, police procedural

I loved the idea of this one, the 90s flashbacks and the true crime elements. I definitely recommend reading it!

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*The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Published by William Morrow

Goodreads rating: 3.69

Elements: missing person

Oof, this one was a huge disappointment, and does make me side-eye the Goodreads list. Not one of the many of you who joined my Spoiler Discussion Post for The Paris Apartment was a fan. I’m sad, because The Guest List is a favorite of mine! Every author has hits and misses, and I remain a fan!

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*The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf

Published by Park Row

Goodreads rating: 4.0

Elements: trapped by a storm, past/present narrative, missing person, slow burn

I tried this while I was researching Locked Room Mysteries and actually DNF’d it. But after it made the list, I gave it another chance. Yes, it was a slow burn story with a lot of set-up, but in the end I thought that reveal was worth it. Not “best of” to me, but I did enjoy it!

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*The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

Published by Anchor Books

Goodreads rating: 4.17

Elements: caper, historical mystery, social justice themes

The best part of writing this list was that this Good Morning America pick came onto my radar. I loved it! Was it a mystery? Well, not a murder mystery, but there was an abduction, a ransom note, suspects, investigation, and a resolution. Highly recommend this one and I name it one of my Best of 2022! You can read my review of The Violin Conspiracy here.

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*Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier

Published by Minotaur

Goodreads rating: 4.0

Elements: domestic drama, past/present mystery, podcast

I like this author’s books a lot. I did like the podcast elements of this and the premise was fun. For me, this wasn’t her most memorable, but I remain a fan of hers!

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*Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

Published by William Morrow

Goodreads rating: 4.12

Elements: family drama, time loop thriller

I almost didn’t read this because I don’t 100% trust Reese’s mystery suggestions. And I HATED the movie Groundhog Day. But I’m so glad I did – this was a cool and different story. BEST OF 2022!

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Kirkus Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022

Oh, Kirkus. How authors all love to hate you. These books seem to be chosen from Kirkus starred review books of 2022. Just so you know, Kirkus Reviews are done by anonymous freelancers and are known to be inconsistent (and often harsh). So take into account.

The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon

Published by Scribner

Goodreads rating: 3.92

Elements: espionage, Cold War thriller

I don’t really read spy/Cold War/espionage books, but maybe you do!

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*The Bullet That Missed (Thursday Murder Club # 3) by Richard Osman: on two lists now!

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*The Christie Affair by Nina deGramont

Published by St. Martin’s Press

Goodreads rating: 3.74

Elements: dual timeline, historical fiction, inspired by true events

Okay, I can 100% get behind this pick, Kirkus! I went into this one thinking it was going to be a historical fiction about two women fighting over a boring rich guy, but it was SO MUCH MORE. Check out my Spoiler Discussion Post for the Christie Affair. A big yes and the BEST OF 2022!

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Diablo Mesa (Nora Kelly Book #3) by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Published by Grand Central Publishing

Goodreads rating: 4.07

Elements: archeology, FBI procedural, espionage

I have never read anything by this writing duo. Should I try them? Am I missing out?

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*Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn: on two lists!

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*The Maid by Nita Prose: on two lists

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Secret Identity by Alex Segura

Published by Flatiron Books

Goodreads Rating: 3.67

Elements: literary mystery, comics, historical fiction, illustrated

I’ve seen rave reviews for this, and it sounds interesting. But based on the Goodreads rating, I suspect it’s more of a niche read. I don’t read comics so I’m skipping it, but share your thoughts in comments!

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The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci

Published by Grand Central Publishing

Goodreads rating: 4.20

Elements: accused of murder, military

I used to read him back in the day. Should I try this? Tell me in the comments!

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*Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone

Published by Macmillan

Goodreads rating: 3.82

Elements: Missing spouse, travel thriller

I liked this one a lot. It was LONG (which may account for the low-ish Goodreads rating) but it was really interesting, kind of a domestic thriller crossed with a political thriller. I’m on board with making it a BEST OF 2022! (My husband disagrees but he and I do not have very similar reading tastes.)

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*What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline.

Published by Putnam

Goodreads Rating: 3.86

Elements: on the run

Hmmm, Kirkus. I am a Lisa Scottoline fan, but this book was not her best by far. People who joined my Spoiler Discussion agreed.

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Washington Post Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022

These picks were selected by Nora Krug and Stephanie Merry, both staff editors. I don’t follow the Washington Post book coverage because of the paywall, but this list seems like it reflects just these two particular individuals’ taste.

Also, let’s remember that the owner of the Post is Jeff Bezos of Amazon. All roads lead to Amazon, lol.

Okay, then, let’s see what we have.

Bad Actors by Mick Herron (Slough House Book #8)

Published by

Goodreads rating: 4.4

Elements: MI5, political thriller, British

Call me weird, but I don’t approve of series books on best of lists. If I haven’t read books 1-7, what am I supposed to do with this information? Debate me in the comments!

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*The Bullet That Missed (Thursday Murder Club # 3) by Richard Osman. On a third list!

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*The Christie Affair by Nina deGramont: On two lists and one of my BEST OF 2022!

*Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough

Published by William Morrow

Goodreads rating: 3.65

Elements: psychological thriller

So I tried this one, and I wasn’t a huge fan. It was one of those books trying to make the main character think she’s insane. Is she? Maybe a little. The depiction of mental illness was … not the most nuanced is the most polite way I can put it. I would try another book by this author, but for me this one got tedious by keeping me in the dark until the end.

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Knock Off the Hat by Richard Stevenson

Published by Bywater Books

Goodreads rating: 3.86

Elements: LGBTQ, historical fiction, PI story

I can totally get behind a gay 1940s murder mystery. But haven’t read this. If you have, give me your thoughts in comments.

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*The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh

Published by Pamela Dorman Books

Goodreads rating: 3.94

Elements: secret life, domestic drama

Another Good Morning America pick. I just read it and sorry, but it is NOT really a mystery or thriller, more like women’s fiction in the The Last Thing He Told Me vein. I did like the writing and would try another book by this author, but I can’t put it on a Best Mysteries and Thrillers list since I think it doesn’t belong in that subgenre. That is what general fiction lists are for!

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*The Maid by Nita Prose: on a third list.

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On Java Road by Lawrence Osborne

Published by Hogarth Press

Goodreads rating: 3.77

Elements: journalist, missing person

A “shadowy web of betrayal” in Hong Kong. This seems to be a critics’ favorite but hasn’t gained a lot of traction with the average reader. I might try it and tell you what I think. Either it’s too esoteric or it needs more publicity. We will see.

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One Shot Harry by Gary Phillips

Published by Soho

Goodreads rating: 3.55

Elements: historical fiction, racial justice, forensics.

I love the idea behind this one, set in 1963 Los Angeles, it is about an Black forensic photographer seeking justice. But the Goodreads ratings are rough. I haven’t had a lot of luck with this imprint, but I might try it. If you have thoughts, share them in comments!

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*The Verifiers by Jane Pek

Published by Vintage

Goodreads rating: 3.5

Elements: amateur detective, tech world

I really enjoyed the NYC setting, the immigrant family themes, and the Gen-Z protagonist. But I felt like The Verifiers nerded out too much on the tech and science for me, or the average reader. If you love that kind of thing, then grab this ASAP. I’m keeping an eye on Jane Pek, but I don’t think for me this rises to “best” level.

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*The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb: on a second list and one of my BEST OF 2022!

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A World of Curiosities (Chief Inspector Armand Ganache #18) by Louise Penny

Published by Minotaur

Goodreads rating: 4.71

Elements: police procedural, past/present narrative

My husband loves L-Penny. (No, he tells me I am confusing her with Kate Atkinson. Whoops!) But sheesh, this is one of the highest Goodreads ratings I have seen! People do seem to like her books a lot. so maybe I’ll give one a try. But I’m skeptical of a series that has 18 books and hasn’t yet jumped the shark.

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Barnes and Noble Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022

Barnes and Noble says that their Best Mysteries and Thrillers list was chosen by: “a team of book buyers and category managers who have been in the industry for years who work together to carefully curate our assortment of books.”

Well, that is a mouthful. Okay, then. Let’s see what they curated for us!

*All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers: on a second list.

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*The Bullet That Missed (Thursday Murder Club 3) by Richard Osman: on a fourth list!

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The Butcher and The Wren by Alaina Urquhart

Published by Zando

Goodreads rating: 3.76

Elements: serial killer, forensics

Okay, this is written by another True Crime blogger who is not Ashley Flowers. Interesting! Very mixed Goodreads reviews. But I do want to read it now!

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City on Fire by Don Winslow

Published by William Morrow

Goodreads rating: 4.1

Elements: organized crime, family drama

A war between the Irish and the Italians (huh??) that is the “Godfather of our generation.” It does have great Goodreads ratings but I’m not sure it’s really a mystery/thriller. And this has to be historical fiction, right?

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Fox Creek (Cork O’Connor Series #19) by William Kent Krueger

Published by Atria

Goodreads rating: 4.3

Elements: Native American culture, PI story

See my thoughts about series books on lists above!

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*Girl Forgotten by Karin Slaughter

Published by William Morrow

Goodreads rating: 4.0

Elements: past/present narrative, police procedural

I’m a fan of the author though her books are often too graphic for my personal comfort. This one was a miss for me and I’m surprised to see it on this list!

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Heat 2 by Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner

Published by

Goodreads rating: 4.18

Elements: police procedural, organized crime

Okay this might have ruined all the credibility of the list for me. Ugh, I’m sort of over novelizations.

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*The Maid by Nita Prose: on a fourth list.

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*The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley: on a second list.

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A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny: on a second list.

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So I found things to agree with on ALL these lists, and some to disagree about. I’m still reading, and it’s still 2022. So here’s my Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022 … for now. And I will update it through the end of the year!

Jen’s Best of Mysteries and Thrillers for 2022

The It Girl by Ruth Ware – a classic mystery with a Dark Academia feel.

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont – a historical mystery based on a true story.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister – a sci-fi mystery with a time loop plot.

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney – a diabolically clever family tragedy.

Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone – a domestic/travel/political thriller that is long but with a lot of twists.

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb – a dramatic, unconventional mystery set in the world of classical music.

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What were some of your favorite reads of the year (mystery or otherwise)? Tell me in comments because I still have a few books to go to make my Goodreads goal!