Critics’ Top Picks from the Best Lists of 2022
Compiled by
Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine

I found 84 best mystery, crime fiction and thriller lists this year (mostly from the U.S., but some from the U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia and India). From those I tallied the number of times certain titles were mentioned on those lists. This is an attempt to find some consensus on what exactly are the best mysteries, crime novels and thrillers of the year 2022. The following is the result of my efforts – the Best of the Best 2022. There was no clear “best” book like there has been in the last two years (BLACKTOP WASTELAND by S. A. Cosby in 2020 and RAZORBLADE TEARS by S. A. Cosby in 2021). There are 60 titles listed below. I’ve read 27 of them, including 8 of the top 13. 16 of these titles appeared on my personal best of 2022 list. How many have you read? — George Easter

22 Mentions
Winslow, Don, CITY ON FIRE (Morrow)

20 Mentions
Prose, Nita, THE MAID (Ballantine) **Debut

19 Mentions
Connelly, Michael, DESERT STAR (Little,Brown)

17 Mentions
Osman, Richard, THE BULLET THAT MISSED (Penguin)

15 Mentions
Rankin, Ian, A HEART FULL OF HEADSTONES (Little,Brown)

13 Mentions
Morris, Wanda M., ANYWHERE YOU RUN (Morrow)

12 Mentions
McAllister, Gillian, WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME (Morrow)
Segura, Alex, SECRET IDENTITY (Flatiron)
Raybourn, Deanna, KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE (Berkley)

11 Mentions
Cavanagh, Steve, THE ACCOMPLICE (Orion, U.K. only)
Penny, Louise, A WORLD OF CURIOSITIES (Minotaur)
Kukafka, Danya, NOTES ON AN EXECUTION (Morrow)
Mann, Michael & Meg Gardiner, HEAT 2 (Morrow)
Ware, Ruth, THE IT GIRL (Gallery/Scout Press)

10 Mentions
Herron, Mick, BAD ACTORS (Soho Crime)
Slocumb, Brendan, THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY (Anchor Books) **Debut
Willingham, Stacy, A FLICKER IN THE DARK (Minotaur) **Debut

8 Mentions
Offutt, Chris, SHIFTY’S BOYS (Grove)
Hillier, Jennifer, THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK (Minotaur)
Garrett, Kellye, LIKE A SISTER (Mulholland)
Meyer, Deon, THE DARK FLOOD (Atlantic Monthly)
Emerson, Ramona, SHUTTER (Soho Crime) **Debut
Fesperman, Dan, WINTER WORK (Knopf)
Horowitz, Anthony, THE TWIST OF A KNIFE (Harper)
Galbraith, Robert, THE INK BLACK HEART (Mulholland)

7 Mentions
Flowers, Ashley, ALL THE GOOD PEOPLE HERE (Bantam)
Foley, Lucy, THE PARIS APARTMENT (Morrow)
Petrie, Nick, THE RUNAWAY (Putnam)
Burr, Shelley, WAKE (Morrow) **Debut
Iglesias, Gabino, THE DEVIL TAKES YOU HOME (Mulholland)

6 Mentions
Glass, Ava, ALIAS EMMA (Bantam)
Krueger, Wm. Kent, FOX CREEK (Atria)
Rothchild, Sascha, BLOOD SUGAR (Putnam) **Debut
Scrivenor, Hayley, DIRT CREEK (DIRT TOWN)(Flatiron) **Debut
Gentill, Sulari, THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY (Poisoned Pen Press)
Robotham, Michael, LYING BESIDE YOU (Sphere, 2023 in U.S. from Scribner)
de Gramont, Nina, THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR (St. Martin’s)
Carey, C. J., QUEEN HIGH (Quercus, U.K. only)
Pavone, Chris, TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON (MCD)
Hallett, Janice, THE APPEAL (Atria) **Debut
Hallett, Janice, THE TWYFORD CODE (Viper, 2023 in US from Atria)
Hendricks, Greer & Sarah Pekkanen, THE GOLDEN COUPLE (St. Martin’s)
Phillips, Gary, ONE-SHOT HARRY (Soho Crime)
McKinty, Adrian, THE ISLAND (Little,Brown)
Li, Grace D., PORTRAIT OF A THIEF (Tiny Reparations) **Debut
Byeong-Mo, Gu, THE OLD WOMAN WITH THE KNIFE (Hanover Square) **Debut

5 Mentions
Cranor, Eli, DON’T KNOW TOUGH (Soho Crime) **Debut
Cercas, Javier, EVEN THE DARKEST NIGHT (Knopf) **Debut
Carr, Jack, IN THE BLOOD (Atria/Emily Bester)
Connolly, John, THE FURIES (Atria/Emily Bester)
Griffiths, Elly, BLEEDING HEART YARD (Mariner)
Jewell, Lisa, THE FAMILY REMAINS (Atria)
O’Rawe, Richard, GOERING’S GOLD (Melville House)
Stevenson, Benjamin, EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE
(Michael Joseph, 2023 title in US from Mariner)
McDermid, Val, 1989 (Atlantic Monthly)
Rosen, Lev A. C., LAVENDER HOUSE (Forge)
Feeney, Alice, DAISY DARKER (Flatiron)
Khan, Ausma Zehanat, BLACKWATER FALLS (Minotaur)
Gutierrez, Katie, MORE THAN YOU’LL EVER KNOW (Morrow) **Debut