Amazon Best Mystery/Thriller Books of 2021

Chosen by Amazon Book Editors, who have read thousands of books to share their top 20 Mysteries and Thrillers of 2021

RAZORBLADE TEARS, S.A. Cosby
WE BEGIN AT THE END, Chris Whitaker
THE PLOT, Jean Hanff Korelitz
THE DARK HOURS, Michael Connelly
THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE, Richard Osman
THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, Laura Dave
BILLY SUMMERS, Stephen King
THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING, Nancy Tucker
FALSE WITNESS, Karin Slaughter
LIGHTNING STRIKE, William Kent Krueger
APPLES NEVER FALL, Liane Moriarty
WHEN GHOSTS COME HOME, Wiley Cash
THE GOOD SISTER, Sally Hepworth
THE MADNESS OF CROWDS, Louise Penny
CHASING THE BOOGEYMAN, Richard Chizmar
CLARK AND DIVISION, Naomi Hirahara
THE STOLEN HOURS, Allen Eskins
HOW LUCKY, Will Leitch
FALLING, T. J. Newman
THE MAIDENS, Alex Michaelides

Editor’s Thoughts: I think this is a great list! I have read 8 or the 20 books and the list contains four out of my five favorite 2021 mysteries (in bold above). The other four novels that I read I also greatly enjoyed. The list is split evenly between 10 female and 10 male authors (intentional?). Last year Larry Gandle and I thought that the amazon “best” list was most probably the best of the “best” lists. It’s still early, but it looks like that might be the case again this year.

I never got a copy of FALSE WITNESS by Karin Slaughter, but I’ve ordered one so that I can read it for Barry Award consideration. It is cropping up on the few “best” lists that I have posted so far.