Best Mystery Books for Book Club
Being in a book club is probably one of the best things a book lover can do. Want to drink with your friends while talking about the last epic (or not so epic) read that the group picked? Find some friends a start a book club!
For the book club that I’m in, we absolutely love mystery books. Whether it’s kidnappings, murders, unreliable narrators, or something a little more… twisted, my book club wants it all. So, for this post, I thought it would be great to share with you guys a list of the best mystery books for book club based off of what my book club has read 🙂 I’ll break it up into YA picks, adult picks, the best short pick, and then the top book that ALL my friends talk about.
YA Picks
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
When I tell you I was obsessed as soon as I started reading this book, I’m not lying. I drew out suspects, clues, and literally everything else you can think of to try and solve this myself. Truly Devious is one of my favorite YA book series and even if you don’t read YA, I still firmly believe you’ll enjoy this mystery series. The most recent ones, The Box in the Woods and Nine Liars are on my blog if you want to check out the review!
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is not only on my top audiobooks list, but it legit is one of my favorite books ever. Fast-paced, amazing characters, and a mystery you will NEVER forget. You can read it as a one-off or the entire series, but you won’t regret picking up this YA mystery. Seriously. It’s way better than most of the mystery books I’ve read in my life.
Adult Picks
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
Based in Louisiana, A Flicker in the Dark was a must read for me and my fellow Louisianians. Although I may have guessed the culprit at an early part in the book, I still didn’t expect the crazy twist that came with it. Set in Baton Rouge, you’ll get a glimpse of what it’s like here in the South along with a serial killer on the loose. What’s not to love?
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Set in an insane asylum, I really don’t believe anyone when they say they guessed the ending for this novel. It was that crazy. It had everyone talking and I’ve never seen my book club get into such heated discussions. Definitely one of my favorite mystery books I’ve read so far for book club.
The Murder List by Hank Phillippi Ryan
This mystery novel follows a lot of the justice system for a majority of the novel. It makes for an interesting story, and the end of the book is even crazier. It ended up on my list of top 20 books of 2020. Another edge of your seat thriller, my book club loved this book, so definitely check it out!
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
So, I might still be a tad, tiny, little bit traumatized from this novel, but the writing, plot, and character development is superb. Although not an official pick in my book club, it still got passed around for leisure reading. Everyone liked it a lot more than I did, but I think it’s just because I was so shaken (shook, shooketh) from the ending. Then She Was Gone is a great mystery read, but definitely go check out the trigger warnings before you start reading it….
The Fate of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb
This book was picked up on a whim and it did not disappoint! A little twisted but completely unpredictable, I absolutely adored this book full of family secrets and lies. Although, I don’t have a review on my website because I read it so long ago, you can check out the full description on Amazon.
The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James
When I tell you this book terrified the crap out of me, I mean this book scared the crap out of me. An amazing mystery with romance, ghosts, and a whole lot of terror, your book club will love this if you like books that keep you on the edge of your seat the whole entire time.
The Best Quick and Short Mystery
Ghost 19 by Simone St. James
I have read ALL of Simone St. James’ books, so I couldn’t pass this one up. She is honestly the queen of ghostly mysteries, so if you like that, this will be right up your alley! You can check out my review for Ghost 19 here.
The Best of the Best
Verity by Colleen Hoover
In book club and out of book club, this book has been talked about the absolute most in my opinion. Whether you’re in a discussion about that crazy ending, or just talking about the book in general, this novel is sure to stir up conversation.
While Colleen Hoover normally writes romance novels, this thriller/horror/mystery book is phenomenal. Whether you love or hate CoHo, you can’t deny that this book? It has people raving.
(P.S. You can read some of these books for free by signing up for a free trial of Audible, which gives you two free audiobooks of your choice!)
