Mystery and True Crime

It’s not just the horrifying story of the Golden State Killer, but also the story of victims and survivors. It’s a timeline of DNA technology and the investigation techniques that influenced the trajectory of this case and others like it. It’s also the story of Michelle and the impact this case will continue to have on anyone with an interest in true crime. - Magnolia

Marzano pens an absorbing and complex investigation of trauma, truth, and the stories we tell ourselves. As Marzano-Lesnevitch shifts from her own narrative to that of a decades-old murder, her attention to minor, seemingly insignificant details brings the twining narratives to life. This modern true-crime classic is both furious and compassionate, and everything I didn't know I needed in a book! - Brooks

Out is the story of four women working a drab and monotonous graveyard shift at a bento factory in Japan. Kirino explores the desire to escape one’s circumstances and live a truthful life, good or bad, through some seriously twisted, but very human feelings. Follow these characters into the dark—from murder to scattering dismembered body parts to outmaneuvering Yakuza.

A vibrant British seaside town is rocked with the mysterious murder. This character-driven mystery kept me turning pages for the secrets and complexities of a community of artists, do-gooders, bird watchers, spiritual seekers—and a haunted detective named Matthew Venn, whose husband may be at the center of everything. I’m ready for the next installment in this new series. - Jocelyn

Hailed as one of the original detective novels, this whodunit is full of satire and social commentary. The gift and subsequent theft of the fabulously valuable (but possibly cursed) Moonstone diamond sits at the heart of this twisting and turning caper. Despite some less than sympathetic colonial representations of Indian people, this book is host to many memorable characters. - Celeste

Starting with this book, Ann Cleeves’s curmudgeonly, often-underestimated detective Vera Stanhope is an undeniable force. That said, her and her team almost take second place to the unique communities built around each murder – exploring the fully-drawn personalities, relationships, secrets, loves, and betrayals that led to the end of a life. - Jocelyn

This is a wonderful can’t-put-it-down literary mystery for fans of Tana French or Rene Denfeld. Set in Mendocino County, the story focuses on Anna Hart, a San Francisco detective who has fled to her hometown after a family tragedy. When a local teenager goes missing, Anna finds herself instinctively drawn to the crime, and  the reader bears witness to the ways that Anna’s past and present start to merge in startling ways. This is a smart, captivating read, blending trauma theory, atmospheric writing, and an intimate character study of one woman’s quest to learn how to find trust in herself again. — S.M.C.

Stacey Abrams is an established voice in literature, writing bestselling nonfiction about leadership and voter suppression as well as romance novels under the pen name Selena Montgomery. While Justice Sleeps is her mystery debut, and Abrams’s mastery of prose and talent for ingenious plotting is matched only by her insider knowledge of the US political and justice systems, making the book that much richer and more engrossing. I was hooked from the very first page. — Ksenia

The remote Swedish mining town of Silvertjarn has been empty for more than 60 years. All of the residents in the quaint little village disappeared one day without a trace, and nobody knows what became of them. When Alice Lindstedt and her small crew arrive to film a documentary about the town, they enter an area with no phone reception or any other way of contacting the outside world. As things begin to go awry and people start disappearing, it doesn’t take Alice long to realize that she and her crew are not alone in Silvertjarn. Stern has crafted a mystery that is clever, creative, and creepy in all the best ways. — Jade

London-based Nadine Matheson, a Black criminal defense attorney, has written an  engrossing debut procedural that features a number of familiar elements: the jaded veteran, the enthusiastic rookie, and a crime with eerie similarities to one years ago. But the strong, real-life touches—jury tampering, conflicts of being a person of color with the police, the pull between family and duty, the effects of PTSD on all of the above—make The Jigsaw Man stand out. An absolutely satisfying read. — Jocelyn