10 of the Most Anticipated Thriller and Mystery Books of 2023

It's shaping up to be a thrilling year.

mystery thriller books of 2023

2023 is shaping up to be filled with thrills and chills and exciting mysteries. From the edge of Long Island to villas in Italy to the ultra-wealthy estates of New Delhi to gothic estates hosting baking competitions, these stories take readers to unexpected locations with unforgettable characters. Here are ten thriller and mystery books that we cannot wait to read.

age of vice deepti kapoor

Age of Vice

January 3, 2023

When a speeding Mercedes jumps a curb in New Delhi at 3 a.m., killing five people, the story leading up to the event, and the one unfolding after are both tied to one family. Ajay was born into poverty but finds his place as a servant within the wealthy Wadia family. Sunny, heir to the family fortune, dreams of outshining his father, no matter what. And Neda. An intrepid journalist who struggles to balance her morals with her ambitions. Their lives connect, weaving a story of tantalizing wealth, shocking corruption, and brutal violence. Will their paths lead them to freedom? Or guarantee their destruction?

age of vice deepti kapoor
the angel maker by alex north

The Angel Maker

By Alex North

 February 28, 2023

Kate Shaw once had a charmed life. On the day she graduated, she had everything. Dreams, the perfect boyfriend, and a close bond with her brother. Until the unthinkable happened. Years later, Kate still lives with the guilt of what happened and sees threats everywhere. When her brother goes missing, her worst nightmare comes to life. Detective Laurence Page was working a brutal murder when the clues kept leading him back to two cases: a horrific attack on the teenage Christopher Shaw and a serial killer who allegedly can see the future.

the angel maker by alex north
all the sinners bleed

All the Sinners Bleed

By S.A. Cosby

June 6, 2023

Charon County has never had a Black sheriff—until now. Titus Crowne is a former FBI agent and security expert. After he came home to take care of his dad and brother, he decided to run for sheriff to make a difference. Exactly one year after his election, a school shooting shakes the town. A beloved teacher is killed, and in the middle of Titus attempting to deescalate and get the shooter to surrender, his deputies shoot the suspect. As Titus investigates, dark secrets and dead bodies hide a killer in plain sight. 

all the sinners bleed
the golden spoon jessa maxwell

The Golden Spoon

By Jessa Maxwell

March 7, 2023

The tenth season of Bake Week is set. It’s to be filmed at the gothic estate of host and celebrity chef Betsy Martin and everything is in place. The tent is set. The high-end ingredients are lined up. The camera crew is ready. And the six contestants are prepared to prove their culinary talents over the next five days. Betsy isn’t looking forward to sharing the spotlight with the arrogant Archie Morris. But that’s the least of her problems. From the start, things go wrong. At first, it’s just sabotage. Then they find a body. And everyone is a suspect.

the golden spoon jessa maxwell
the shards bret easton ellis

The Shards

By Bret Easton Ellis

January 17, 2023

It’s 1981 and seventeen-year-old Bret is enjoying his senior year at his exclusive private school when a newcomer joins their crew. But Robert Mallory has secrets. And Bret wants to know what they are. The only thing Bret is more obsessed with is The Trawler, a serial killer who seems to be circling Bret and his friends, taunting them with clues and threats in his gruesome acts of violence. It could all be a coincidence. Or the work of a powerful imagination. Can Bret trust his friends, or worse, his own mind, to make sense of the danger? Driven by paranoia, spiraling towards isolation, the connection between Mallory and The Trawler hurtles them all to an inevitable collision.

the shards bret easton ellis
the villa rachel hawkins

The Villa

By Rachel Hawkins

January 3, 2023

Emily and Chess were inseparable as kids, but adult life has torn them apart. When Chess suggests a girl's trip abroad, Emily jumps at the chance. Their destination: Villa Aestas, once known as Villa Rosato, where rock legend Noel Gordan once hosted an epic summer of creativity that ends in murder. It’s supposed to be a legend of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but as Emily starts learning about the villa’s history, she’s not so sure. The more she digs, the worse the tension between her and Chess get, until dark secrets are exposed. As treacherous betrayals threaten the girls, it looks like the villa may claim another summer victim.

the villa rachel hawkins
you know her meagan jennett

You Know Her

By Meagan Jennett

April 4, 2023

Mark Dixon stole a glass of wine. Then he disappeared. When his mutilated body is found, bartender Sophie Braam tells the cops that’s what happened. She doesn’t tell them the truth: she killed him. Nora Martin is new to the Bellair Police Department. She’s trying to learn from Detective Murphy while ignoring her male colleagues disparaging her as a diversity hire. She forms an uneasy friendship with Sophie. But as the bodies pile up, Nora can’t shake the feeling that Sophie is involved. The only problem is convincing Murphy that the serial killer on the loose is an unassuming woman.

you know her meagan jennett
mastering the art of french murder

Mastering the Art of French Murder

By Colleen Cambridge

April 25, 2023

Tabitha Knight leaves Detroit for an extended stay with her grandfather in post-WWII Paris. Her neighbor is ex-pat Julia Child, who is teaching Tabitha to cook. Her days are busy teaching French to Americans, sampling Julia’s culinary delights, and visiting markets. Until a body is discovered in Julia’s building cellar. The woman was at a party Tabitha was at and the murder weapon is one of Julia’s knives. To make things worse, the woman had a note written in Tabitha’s handwriting in her pocket when she was found. Was the murder all a coincidence? Or is it far more personal? 

mastering the art of french murder
the guest emma cline

The Guest

By Emma Kline

May 16, 2023

After a misstep at a dinner party, the older man Alex is staying with sends her on her way. Summer is coming to an end on the East End of Long Island, but Alex won’t be there. Her only skill is her ability to hone in on what other people want and guide them in a direction that suits her. With nothing but a waterlogged phone and little else, she stays on the island, drifting through a world that is mostly closed to her. She’s desperate and her sense of morality is malleable, she’s propelled from place to place, leaving a trail of destruction in her wake.

the guest emma cline
sing her down

Sing Her Down

By Ivy Pochoda

May 23, 2023

Florence “Florida” Baum is just like every other prisoner in Arizona’s women’s prison: she’s innocent. But her cellmate knows that Florida isn’t being honest. With herself, or anyone. She knows that women have darkness inside them. Dios is determined to open Florida’s eyes and let her true nature come out. When an unexpected release sets both women free, Dios’s obsession with Florida turns deadly leading to a cat-and-mouse chase from Arizona to Los Angeles where the two women will be forced to face each other—and themselves—in an epic showdown.

sing her down