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The 10 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time
From Agatha Christie's clever puzzles to modern twisty thrillers, these ten mystery and thriller books are the ones readers still race through today. Each one is built to keep you turning pages and guessing until the end. A good place to start if you want a book you will not want to put down.
The Silent Patient#1The Silent Patient
by Alex Michaelides · first published 2019
Why it is on the list: Among the 50 most-read books on Goodreads worldwide in the past year; 6.5 million copies sold.
A celebrated painter shoots her husband and then refuses to say a single word, ending up in a secure psychiatric unit in London. A therapist obsessed with her case takes a job there, determined to make her talk. A fast, twisty psychological thriller built for one-sitting reading.
Evidence and sources
- No. 45 on Goodreads Most Read Books (The World, last 12 months), generated Oct 2026 (source)
- Celadon Books (May 2023): more than 6.5 million copies sold worldwide; debuted at No. 1 on the NYT list (source)
- Won the 2019 Goodreads Choice Award (Mystery & Thriller); Sony film adaptation acquired July 2026 (source)
- ISBN 9781250301697, Celadon Books (source)
And Then There Were None#2And Then There Were None
by Agatha Christie · first published 1939
Why it is on the list: Still on US indie bestseller lists in fall 2026; the best-selling mystery ever, 100M+ copies.
Ten strangers are lured to a remote island off the English coast, where an unseen host accuses each of a past crime and the guests start dying one by one. A tightly built puzzle for anyone who loves guessing whodunit, and an ideal first Christie.
Evidence and sources
- No. 7 on NEIBA indie bestsellers (classics/reprint list), week ending Oct 18, 2026; also No. 14 on SCIBA the same week (source)
- No. 5 on GLIBA mass market bestsellers, week ending Sep 27, 2026 (source)
- About 100 million copies sold; Christie's best-selling novel (source)
- Called the world's best-selling mystery; ranked 19th on CWA 1990 Top 100 and 10th on MWA 1995 list (source)
- No. 10 on the Mystery Writers of America's 100 best mystery novels (Crown Crime Companion, 1995) (source)
- Included in PBS's The Great American Read 100 (source)
- ISBN 9780062073488, William Morrow Paperbacks (source)
Jurassic Park#3Jurassic Park
by Michael Crichton · first published 1990
Why it is on the list: A fixture on 2026 US indie paperback charts, No. 1 in Southern California; 9M copies by 1993.
A billionaire builds an island theme park filled with cloned dinosaurs and invites a small team of experts to inspect it before opening. When the park's systems fail, scientific confidence turns into a fight to survive. A gripping techno-thriller about the limits of control.
Evidence and sources
- No. 1 on SCIBA mass market/reprint bestsellers, week ending Oct 18, 2026; also on NAIBA, MIBA and GLIBA lists (source)
- No. 6 on GLIBA classics/reprint list and No. 6 on SIBA mass market list, week ending Oct 4, 2026 (source)
- Sold nine million copies by 1993; published by Knopf in 1990 (source)
- Included in PBS's The Great American Read 100 (source)
- ISBN 9780345538987, Ballantine Books paperback (source)
Murder on the Orient Express#4Murder on the Orient Express
by Agatha Christie · first published 1934
Why it is on the list: Back on US indie paperback charts in October 2026; on the MWA list of top 100 mysteries.
Snowbound in the middle of Europe, a luxury train stops, and a passenger is found stabbed in his compartment. Hercule Poirot has a train full of suspects, each with an alibi. A classic locked-room puzzle with a famous solution.
Evidence and sources
- No. 8 on NAIBA mass market/reprint bestsellers, week ending Oct 18, 2026 (source)
- No. 12 on NAIBA mass market/reprint bestsellers, week ending Oct 4, 2026 (source)
- Included in the Mystery Writers of America's The Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time (1995) (source)
- ISBN 9780062693662, William Morrow Paperbacks (source)
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd#5The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
by Agatha Christie · first published 1926
Why it is on the list: On several US indie bestseller lists in October 2026; voted CWA's best crime novel ever (2013).
When a wealthy man is found dead in his study in a quiet English village, the retired detective Hercule Poirot is drawn back into action, aided by the local doctor. A landmark of the golden age of detective fiction for anyone who enjoys fair-play puzzles.
Evidence and sources
- No. 6 on NAIBA and No. 9 on SCIBA mass market/reprint bestsellers, week ending Oct 18, 2026 (source)
- No. 14 on NEIBA classics/reprint list, week ending Oct 18, 2026 (source)
- Voted CWA Best Ever Novel in 2013; 5th on CWA 1990 list; 12th on MWA 1995 list; on Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century (source)
- ISBN 9780063221086, William Morrow 2021 (library catalog record) (source)
The Last Thing He Told Me#6The Last Thing He Told Me
by Laura Dave · first published 2021
Why it is on the list: Still among Goodreads' most-read thrillers in 2026; over 5 million copies sold, now an Apple TV+ series.
Just before he disappears, a man sends his wife a note asking her to protect his teenage daughter, who barely tolerates her. As federal agents close in on his company, the two must work together to find out who he really was. A tense, heartfelt mystery about family and trust.
Evidence and sources
The Thursday Murder Club#7The Thursday Murder Club
by Richard Osman · first published 2020
Why it is on the list: Netflix film in 2025; the series that made Osman a 17-million-copy author.
In a peaceful English retirement village, four residents meet every week to pick over unsolved murders. When a real killing happens on their doorstep, the amateurs find themselves in the middle of a live case. Warm, funny cozy crime for readers who like humor with their mystery.
Evidence and sources
- Film adaptation released on Netflix on August 28, 2025, starring Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan (source)
- As of 2025, Osman had sold over 17 million books worldwide (source)
- The Guardian called it the fastest-selling adult crime debut on record; first debut to be the UK Christmas No. 1 (2020) (source)
- ISBN 9781984880987, Penguin Books (source)
The Hound of the Baskervilles#8The Hound of the Baskervilles
by Arthur Conan Doyle · first published 1902
Why it is on the list: Still among Goodreads' most-read classics every week; the best-loved Sherlock Holmes novel.
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate the death of a baronet on the fog-bound moors of Devon, where locals whisper of a monstrous spectral hound. An atmospheric blend of detective story and gothic chill, ideal for new and returning Holmes fans.
Evidence and sources
- Listed on Goodreads Most Read This Week in Classics (October 2026) (source)
- New audio and stage adaptations from 2022 to 2025, including a 2025 Sherlock & Co. podcast (source)
- Published in book form 1902; ranked 128th in BBC's The Big Read (2003); voted best of the four Holmes novels in a 1999 poll; adapted 20+ times for screen (source)
- No. 128 in BBC's Big Read top 200 (source)
- Still in print: Penguin Classics ISBN 9780140437867 (source)
Killing Floor#9Killing Floor
by Lee Child · first published 1997
Why it is on the list: The first Jack Reacher novel, adapted as Amazon's Reacher, now in its fourth season (2026).
A drifter steps off a bus in a small Georgia town and is promptly arrested for a murder he did not commit. Jack Reacher, an ex-military policeman, sets out to clear his name and uncovers a conspiracy. A lean, punchy thriller that launched one of the genre's biggest series.
Evidence and sources
The Day of the Jackal#10The Day of the Jackal
by Frederick Forsyth · first published 1971
Why it is on the list: Revived by the 2024 Peacock/Sky series starring Eddie Redmayne; an Edgar Award-winning classic.
In 1963 a professional assassin known only as the Jackal is hired to kill French President Charles de Gaulle. As he prepares methodically across Europe, a dogged French detective races to identify him. A meticulous, suspenseful cat-and-mouse thriller.
Evidence and sources
Frequently asked questions
What is the best mystery and thriller book of all time?
On our list it is The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. Among the 50 most-read books on Goodreads worldwide in the past year; 6.5 million copies sold.
Which mystery and thriller book should I read first?
Start with the top three: The Silent Patient, And Then There Were None and Jurassic Park. They are the most popular books in this genre right now, and each one is a good way into the rest of the list.
Are these books still popular today?
Yes. Every book here has evidence of strong sales or readership from the last few years, which you can see under “Evidence and sources” on each book. That is the main difference between this list and lists that only look back at history.
How often is this list updated?
We review it about once a month against current bestseller charts and change a book only when the evidence clearly changes.
Apart from this list, see the books we love most, hand-picked by QuickOnlineTips.
How we chose these books
1. Still selling and read today
Every book shows current demand from roughly the last three years: Audible best-seller charts (Audible is owned by Amazon), US independent bookstore bestseller lists from the American Booksellers Association, Publishers Weekly and Circana BookScan sales figures, and similar charts. Old books that nobody buys any more do not make the cut.
2. Stood the test of time
Every book was first published at least five years ago and has a lasting credential: a major award (such as the Pulitzer, Booker, Newbery or Hugo), a place on a respected all-time list (such as the Modern Library 100, TIME 100 or the BBC Big Read), or very large total sales.
3. Suitable for most readers
We leave out books built around explicit sexual content or graphic abuse, and books best known for being banned. Some books on the list deal with hard themes such as war, crime or loss, and the summaries say so.
Within each genre, books are ranked with current popularity weighted most, then lasting reputation. We review the list about once a month and swap a book only when the evidence clearly changes.
Book covers: Open Library. Links to each book go to Amazon. Last reviewed: October 2026.
More of the best books of all time
See the full 200 best books of all time list, or explore more fiction genres: Classic Novels, Literary Fiction Books, Historical Fiction Books, Romance Novels, Children's Books, Science Fiction Books, Fantasy Books, Horror Books, Young Adult Books.
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