Curiosity killed the cat but not humans. People love the element of curiosity and mystery when they are reading stories, especially if the mystery revolves around a murder. If you are a fan of mystery books, this list is going to help you find the best murder mystery books out there:
1) The Covey Jencks Mysteries: Love and Murder Deep in the Heart of Texas – Shelton L. Williams
Shelton L. Williams is famous for his mystery books for adults. His books portray the shady sides of modern life and their root causes with the help of stories that revolve around love, death, crime and murder.
His newest publication, The Covey Jencks Mysteries: Love and Murder Deep in the Heart of Texas, is a mystery novel in which an interracial couple, Covey Jencks and Jay Jay Qualls, join forces to solve murder mysteries.
2) When the Stars Go Dark: A Novel – Paula McLain
Anna Hart is a missing persons’ detective minding her own business. When a tragedy strikes, Anna goes back to her hometown of Mendocino in Northern California.
She finds that a young girl is missing there, which reminds her of her childhood when a similar case had occurred. Things start to make sense, but not necessarily for good.
3) Murder On The Orient Express
As the Orient Express moves through Europe, a murder is discovered to have been committed. If the murderer is not identified before the train reaches its destination, there might not be a way to solve the murder mystery afterwards. But worry not, Hercule Poirot is on the case.
The novel is one of the most popular murder mystery classics by Agatha Christie – The Queen of crime. It has also been recently adapted into a movie.
4) Death at Greenway – Lori Rader-Day
Speaking of Agatha Christie, when London was bombed by the Nazis during World War II, ten children stayed at her home for their safety. While Agatha Christie merely wrote murder mystery books, the writer has reimagined how the children would have lived with the queen of crime.
The story introduces a murder in the actual events of the children living with Agatha Christie and how they must discover the truth behind the crime to ensure their own survival.
5) My Sister, The Serial Killer – Oyinkan Braithwaite
When Korede receives a call from her sister Ayoola while having dinner, she knows trouble is calling. Ayoola has disposed of her third boyfriend and has gotten with it once again. She is getting more adept at keeping things tidy after committing a murder.
But when Korede’s boyfriend asks for Ayoola’s number, she must consider exposing the dreadful truth of her sister being a serial killer. Moreover, Korede’s dilemma has more things to consider than her relationships.
6) Dial M for Murder – Frederick Knott
This murder mystery is one of the most famous crime books of all time for mystery readers out there. A murderer is hired by a tennis player Tony to kill his wife, Margot, whom he suspects is having an affair with a crime fiction writer Mark, but things get complicated when the murder goes wrong.
Swann, a small-time criminal, is hired for the job. But instead of doing a clean job, he ends up getting killed by Margot. Now Tony sees another way of achieving his objectives by pinning the murder on his wife.
The famous novel was adapted by Alfred Hitchcock, giving the story a bigger audience and has since been popular for both readers and mainstream audiences.
7) One of Us Is Lying – Karen M. McManus
Five students have been assigned detention in Bayview High. Only four come out of the room alive. One of them is lying, and it’s not an easy pick. The question even extends to consider that the murderer is someone else than the four and is using them as scapegoats to hide the crime. Only reading through the novel to the last page will reveal the truth. One of the finest mysteries of the current times, this novel is being adapted into a movie and is expected to be released in October 2021.