Here are 12 excellent lists from our staff of reviewers and contributors.

Ali Karim Best Crime Fiction/Thrillers of 2021

THE PASSENGER, Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz (UK only)
WHEN GHOSTS COME HOME, Wiley Cash,
THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE, Steve Cavanagh (UK only)
THE QUIET PEOPLE, Paul Cleve
THE DARK HOURS, Michael Connelly
THE NAMELESS ONES, John Connolly
RAZORBLADE TEARS, S. A. Cosby
THE LAST THING YOU BURN, Will Dean
PROOF OF LIFE, R. J. Ellory (UK only)
ISLAND REICH, Jack Grimwood (UK only)
THE SURVIVORS, Jane Harper
SLOUGH HOUSE, Mick Herron
THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED, Lisa Jewell
BILLY SUMMERS, Stephen King
NOT A HAPPY FAMILY, Shari Lapena
I KNOW WHAT I SAW by Imran Mahmood (UK only)
THE NIGHT GATE, Peter May
1979 by Val McDermid
THE LAST GUESTS, J. P. Pomare
THE DARK REMAINS, Ian Rankin & William McIlvanney

Donus Roberts Best Mysteries of 2021

RAZORBLADE TEARS, S. A. Cosby
FIVE DECEMBERS by James Kestrel
THE DARK HOURS by Michael Connelly
WE BEGIN AT THE END, Chris Whitaker
THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE, Steve Cavanagh (UK only)
THE SURVIVORS, Jane Harper

Mike Ripley Best Crime Fiction/Thrillers of 2021
Best Novels
RAZORBLADE TEARS, S. A. Cosby – Top Pick
GIRL A, Abigail Dean
GARDEN OF ANGELS, David Hewson
THE APRIL DEAD, Alan Parks
THE TRAWLERMAN, William Shaw (UK only)
DARK REMAINS, Ian Rankin & William McIlvanney
THE KILLING HILLS, Chris Offutt
TURF WARS, Olivier Norek
Best Thrillers
TRIPLE CROSS, Tom Bradby
HOW TO BETRAY YOUR COUNTRY, James Wolff
THE MERCENARY, Paul Vidich
THE COVER WIFE, Dan Fesperman
RED TRAITOR, Owen Matthews
JUDAS 62, Charles Cumming
Best Re-issue of the Year
THE PASSENGER, Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz

“Mystery “ Mike Bursaw Best Mysteries/Thrillers of 2021
Best Novel
RAZORBLADE TEARS by S. A. Cosby
FIVE DECEMBERS, James Kestral
THE DARK HOURS by Michael Connelly
THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE, Steve Cavanagh (UK only)
LAST REDEMPTION, Matt Coyle
LIGHTNING STRIKES William Kent Krueger
Best First Novel
STEEL FEAR, Webb & Mann
SLEEPING BEAR, Connor Sullivan
Best Paperback Original
BULLET PROOF, Mark Dawson
NEVER LET ME DOWN AGAIN, Mark Dawson
Best Thriller
SAVAGE ROAD, Chris Hauty
THE ISLAND, Ben Coes
DEAD BY DAWN, Paul Doiron
HOUSE STANDOFF, Mike Lawson
BLACK ICE, Brad Thor

Jeff Popple Best Crime Fiction/Thrillers of 2021
Best Crime Novel
FIVE DECEMBERS by James Kestrel
THE DARK REMAINS by William McIlvanney/Ian Rankin
THE DARK HOURS by Michael Connelly
RAZORBLADE TEARS by S A Cosby
THE HOUSEMATE by Sarah Bailey (Australia only)
THE KILLING KIND by Jane Casey
THE LONG GAME by Simon Rowell (Australia only)
WHEN YOU ARE MINE by Michael Robotham
Best Thriller
SLOUGH HOUSE by Mick Herron
ISLAND REICH by Jack Grimwood (UK only)
DEAD BY DAWN by Paul Doiron
THE NAMELESS ONES by John Connolly
CROCODILE TEARS by Alan Carter (Australia only)
BLOOD TRAIL by Tony Park (Australia only)
THE OLD ENEMY by Henry Porter
Best Debut
STEEL FEAR by Brandon Webb and John David Mann
FALLING by T J Newman
SHIVER by Allie Reynolds
CUTTER’S END by Margaret Hickey (Australia only)
STILL by Matt Nable (Australia only)
GIRL, 11 by Amy Suiter Clarke

Larry Gandle Best Crime Fiction of 2021
RAZORBLADE TEARS, S.A. Cosby
FIVE DECEMBERS, James Kestral
APRIL IN SPAIN, John Banville
WE BEGIN AT THE END, Chris Whitaker
THE UNWILLING, John Hart
THE DARK HOURS by Michael Connelly
BILLY SUMMERS, Stephen King
HARLEM SHUFFLE, Colson Whitehead
WHO THEY WAS, Gabriel Krauze

Kristopher Zgorski Best of 2021
RAZORBLADE TEARS, S. A. Cosby
1979, Val McDermid
BATH HAUS, P. J. Vernon
THE COMMANDMENTS, Óskar Guðmundsson
DEATH AT GREENWAY, Lori Rader Day
GONE FOR GOOD, Joanna Schaffhausen
THE LAST THING TO BURN, Will Dean
THE POSTSCRIPT MURDERS, Elly Griffiths
THE SAVAGE KIND, John Copenhaver
THE TURNOUT, Megan Abbott
THE ANATOMY OF DESIRE, L. R. Dorn
ARSENIC AND ADOBO, Mia P. Manansala
WALKING THROUGH NEEDLES, Heather Levy
THE PROJECT, Courtney Summers
THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET, Catriona Ward

L. J. Roberts Best Mysteries of 2021
DARK SKY by C.J. Box
THE DARKEST EVENING by Ann Cleeves
STATE OF TERROR by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny
DEAD GROUND by M.W. Craven (UK only)
THE STOLEN HOURS by Allen Eskens
THE CUSTOM HOUSE MURDERS by Ashley Gardner
TRANSIENT DREAMS by Donna Leon
BLACK CORAL by Andrew Mayne
TO THE DARK by Chris Nickson
FINAL OUT by Sheldon Siegel

Mike Dillman Best Mysteries/Thrillers of 2021
Best Novel
RAZORBLADE TEARS, S. A. Cosby
FIVE DECEMBERS, James Kestrel
EVERY VOW YOU BREAK, Peter Swanson
MURDER AT WEDGEFIELD MANOR, Erica Ruth Neubauer
THE RULE, David Jackson (UK only)
THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE, Steve Cavanagh (UK only)
LAST REDEMPTION, Matt Coyle
A DEADLY TWIST, Jeffrey Siger
Best Thriller
THE DEVIL’S HAND, Jack Carr
DEAD BY DAWN, Paul Doiron
THE ISLAND, Ben Coes
HOUSE STANDOFF, Mike Lawson
THE LEFT HANDED TWIN, Thomas Perry
Best First Novel
STEEL FEAR, Webb & Mann
SLEEPING BEAR, Connor Sullivan
Best Paperback Original
SEARCH FOR HER, Rick Mofina

Steele Curry Best Crime Fiction/Thrillers of 2021
Best Novel
RAZORBLADE TEARS, S. A. Cosby
FIVE DECEMBERS, James Kestrel
THE DARK HOURS, Michael Connelly
BILLY SUMMERS, Stephen King
THE NIGHT GATE, Peter May
PROOF OF LIFE, R. J. Ellory
BLOOD GROVE, Walter Mosley
DEAD OF WINTER, Stephen Mack Jones
THE CONSTANT MAN, Peter Steiner
A DEADLY TWIST, Jeffrey Siger
LAST FLIGHT TO STALINGRAD, Graham Hurley (UK only)
KYIV, Graham Hurley (UK only)
Best First Novel
DAMASCUS STATION, David McCloskey
STEEL FEAR, Brandon Webb & John David Mann
NORTHERN HEIST, Richard O’Rawe
Best Paperback Original
THE GOOD TURN, Dervla McTiernan
THE INHERITANCE: Gabriel Bergmoser
WHERE ANGELS REST, Peter Ritchie
THE RABBIT HOLE, Mike Nicol
SIROCCO, Dana Haynes
FORTUNE, Ian Hamilton
Best Thriller
SLOUGH HOUSE, Mick Herron
THE OLD ENEMY, Henry Porter
ISLAND REICH, Jack Grimwood (UK only)
WHEN YOU ARE MINE, Michael Robotham
THE NAMELESS ONES, John Connolly

Ted Hertel Best Mystery 2021
RAZORBLADE TEARS, S.A. Cosby
THE SURVIVORS, Jane Harper
LIGHTNING STRIKE, William Kent Krueger
ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, Alice Feeney
WEDDING STATION, David Downing
PALACE OF THE DROWNED, Christine Mangan
THIEF OF SOULS, Brian Klingborg
FRIEND OF THE DEVIL, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
CLARK AND DIVISION, Naomi Hirahara
DEATH AT GREENWAY, Lori Rader-Day
DIAMOND AND THE EYE, Peter Lovesey
SLEEPLESS, Romy Hausmann
ROAD OF BONES, James R. Benn
WAR WOMEN, Martin Limon

George Easter Best Mystery/Thrillers of 2021
Best Novel
FIVE DECEMBERS, James Kestrel
RAZORBLADE TEARS, S. A. Cosby
BILLY SUMMERS, Stephen King
WE BEGIN AT THE END, Chris Whitaker
THE DARK HOURS, Michael Connelly
DEAD GROUND, M. W. Craven (UK only)
THE TRAWLERMAN, William Shaw
THE HOUSEMATE, Sarah Bailey (Australia only)
Best First Novel
STEEL FEAR, Brandon Webb & John David Mann
SUBURBAN DICKS, Fabian Nicieza
FALLING by T J Newman
Best Paperback Original
THE HUNTED, Gabriel Bergmoser
BLACK CORAL, Andrew Mayne
THE GOOD TURN, Dervla McTiernan
HOW TO KIDNAP THE RICH, Rahul Raina
BOUND, Vanda Symon
Best Thriller
SLOUGH HOUSE, Mick Herron
DEAD BY DAWN, Paul Doiron
THE ISLAND, Ben Coes
SAVAGE ROAD, Chris Hauty
ISLAND REICH, Jack Grimwood (UK only)