A mystery is hard enough to solve when the clues are fresh. But when evidence—and memories—have been ravaged by the sands of time, it can be impossible to find justice.
Still, some tragedies are determined to come back to haunt. Whether some lost remains are recovered or DNA sheds light on some new leads, some cold cases find a way of heating up again.
Luckily, some dogged investigators won't stop until they get answers!
Here are eight gripping cold case mystery books to keep you up at night.
Out of Bounds
You'll be immediately hooked on this incredible Val McDermid tale.
After a teenager crashes a stolen car and falls into a coma, a common DNA test digs up a link to a 22-year-old unsolved murder. While DNA should lead investigators straight to the answers, it seems this cold case has a few twists.
All the while, Inspector Karen Pirie is drawn to another mystery involving a terrorist bombing from 20 years ago. And like every case lately, nothing is as it seems.
Died in the Wool
One night, influential New Zealand Parliament member Flossie Rubrick disappeared on her sheep farm. She was found three weeks later, dead in a bale of wool.
Her disappearance was a long time ago, but no one ever found answers in this haunting case. Inspector Roderick Alleyn, in the country for some counterespionage, is happy to help change that.
Faithful Place
In 1985, Frank Mackey was a 19-year-old boy who wanted nothing more than to flee his family's crummy apartment on Faithful Place. He made plans with his girlfriend, Rosie Daly, to run away together to London.
But on the night they had agreed to leave, Rosie was a no-show. Frank just assumed he had been dumped and made the choice to never return home.
But Rosie never came back, either. 22 years later, Rosie's suitcase is recovered from behind a fireplace in a rundown home on Faithful Place.
It seems Frank, who has grown into a detective in the Dublin Undercover squad, is going back home after all.
Perfect Sins
Four years ago, Gabriel Ash was investigating Somalian hijackings for the British government. Then his wife and children disappeared.
Believing them to be kidnapped and subsequently killed by pirates, Ash's entire life falls apart.
When a senior policeman offers hope that his sons may still be alive, he suddenly regains a spark of purpose. A spark that is quickly snuffed out when the policeman is murdered.
But it seems like a trail may be leading to some kind of local operation, and now that Ash is no longer a government agent, he can follow leads as he pleases.
However, his friend Hazel Best hasn't been having an easy go of things herself. Her last case saw her shooting someone to death, and she's just starting to find her footing again.
And then an archaeologist digs up a peculiar patch of earth on his land, expecting to unearth an ancient burial site. Instead, he finds one much more recent: the bones in his yard belong to a little boy from 30 years ago.
Into the Dark
Claire Bowen is a psychologist devoted to helping troubled women rebuild their lives. But her own life plans crumble under her feet when disturbing secrets from her new husband's past resurface.
Meanwhile, Detective Joe Tanner is a single father trying to cope with his wife's death. His new normal doesn't get any easier when he gets a breakthrough in a cold case, which suggests a serial killer has come back for more blood.
Now when one of Claire's patients goes missing, Tanner thinks he's on the killer's trail. But they're quickly running out of time as they fall deeper into darkness.
Nine Lives
DI Erica Cheetham and DS Beth Machin are brought to the scene of a young woman's murder. The victim's naked body was found in the river, and the clues seem to imply an old killer has fallen back into bad habits.
Five years prior, four young women were found murdered similarly, their bodies disposed of in wooded areas. While their murders share a lot in common with this new kill, what would make someone stop their slaughter spree for so long?
What's more, what would make them start again?
As more bodies turn up at the hands of a calculating killer, Erica and Beth are at a loss. But one witness takes the case in a dark and shocking direction.
The Unquiet Bones
Human bones are discovered underneath an old chapel, and the evidence suggests a link to a nearly 50-year-old cold case centered on the disappearance of teen Annalise Jansen.
Pregnant homicide detective Jane Munro is hopeful this break will give closure to the girl's family. But for Annalise's old friends—known as the Shoreview Six in the media—the thought of closure puts them on edge.
47 years ago, the group of friends made a terrible vow. Today, all of them are prominent members of their communities—and they do not want their past to rear its head.
As Jane and forensic anthropologist Dr. Ella Quinn dig up the truth, who will betray their pledge?
Things only get complicated when another body turns up—the boy everyone thought was responsible for Annalise's disappearance.
Chasing the Case
It's been a rough year for Isabel Long. After her husband unexpectedly passed away, she lost her job as the editor-in-chief for a newspaper.
Now she lives with her 92-year-old mother and has way too much time on her hands. To keep busy, she picks up her first major story as an independent reporter: a cold case from 28 years ago about a woman who disappeared from her small Massachusetts town.
For some extra cash flow and a way into the case, Isabel picks up a job at the local watering hole. She plans to get close to those who have connections to the case, but she finds herself getting too close for comfort…
