If you’re like me, you’ve spent hours agonizing over which books you want to spend your holiday gift cards on. The problem is I already have a TBR that could legally be considered out of control, I’m running out of room to store new books, and publishing just won’t stop releasing incredible books. Just take the mystery and thriller genre.
The upcoming list for the first half of the year alone is enough to tempt me to take out a small loan. There are incredible new releases from some of my all-time favorites, fantastic debuts, thrilling murder mysteries, edge-of-the-seat thrillers, and murders at the end of the world. In short, it’s going to be a thrilling year with plenty of murder afoot.
Here are twelve of the most anticipated mystery and thriller books of 2024 so far.
The Heiress
When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, it isn’t her wealth that makes her notorious. At least, not just her wealth. Before she became North Carolina’s richest woman, she was the victim of a famous kidnapping as a child. Since then, she was widowed four times, reigned over the small town of Tavistock from Ashby House, and adopted Camden as her son. Cam doesn’t want anything to do with Ashby House after Ruby’s death, preferring to live a quiet life in Colorado with his wife Jules. But when his uncle dies ten years later, he finds himself returning to the family estate where question bubble up and refuse to go away. Questions like was she really kidnapped and what actually happened to all those husbands? Camden wants to deny his inheritance. But a will is only one way to pass down a legacy. And family bonds can stretch far beyond words or the grave.
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The Fury
January 16, 2024
Every year, reclusive ex-movie star Lana Farrar invites her closest friends to spend Easter weekend on her remote Greek island. After a windstorm cuts the island off, the group finds themselves trapped overnight. As old hatreds and buried resentments bubble to the surface, tensions run high. And ends in murder. What began as an idyllic retreat quickly escalates to a deadly cat-and-mouse game, where everyone needs their wits to survive.
The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder
February 6, 2024
When her estranged mentor, antiques dealer Arthur Crockleford, dies under mysterious circumstances, Freya Lockwood goes back to the small English town she’s avoided for over twenty years. How could she say no, given he asked for her help days before his murder. With her eccentric Aunt Carole to help her, Freya starts following the clues Arthur left her. But when she stumbles on an old manor house advertising authentic antiques, her intuition is peaked. Because the antiques are fake and the guests harbor secrets. Freya and Carole have to figure out how Arthur was tied to this house before the killer strikes again.
End of Story
February 20, 2024
Twenty years ago, mystery writer Sebastian Trapp suffered a tragedy worthy of his bestselling novels. On New Years Eve, his wife and son disappeared from two different locations. And neither were seen again. Now, the reclusive author has months to live and in a surprising twist wants his longtime correspondent, Nicky Hunter, to come live with him, his wife, nephew, and daughter to document his life. But the more she learns, the more she feels like she’s been dropped into a real-life mystery. And when a dead body floats up in the koi pond, she realizes the past is tired of waiting.
The Hunter
March 5, 2024
Two men arrive in the small West Irish village in the height of a searing summer. One is coming home. One is coming to die. Both are hoping to get rich. Cal Hooper came to Ireland looking for peace. And he’s finally found it with Lena and Trey, a local woman and her teenage daughter. But when the absentee father comes out of nowhere with a millionaire and a get-rich scheme that screams nothing but trouble, Cal’s peace comes under threat. Cal and Lena will do anything to protect Trey. But Trey has other plans. Plans that involve revenge.
Murder Road
March 5, 2024
When newlyweds April and Eddie take a wrong turn, they come across a hitchhiker. When she gets in the car, they see the blood soaking her jacket and a truck speeding behind them. They make it to the closest hospital, only for the woman to die. For years, strange things have happened along that deserted stretch for years. And April and Eddie quickly move from being the first witnesses to the first suspects. To clear their names, they have to dig into the history of the small town and the road leading to it. But when they stumble on the towns dark secret, they realize that the truth may not just tear the town apart, but destroy April and Eddie along with it.
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While We Were Burning
April 16, 2024
Elizabeth Smith’s life was picture-perfect. Until her best friend died and her life fell apart. To get back on track, she hires Brianna as her personal assistant. Brianna is everything Elizabeth needs. And she slips into Elizabeth’s life seamlessly, she even helps Elizabeth look into her best friend’s death. But Brianna isn’t just being helpful. She has reasons for wanting to poke around Elizabeth’s Memphis suburb. Questions about who called the police and why they shot him. As the two women get closer to answers, the more they realize that neither of them are what they seem.
Butter
April 21, 2024
Gourmet cook Manako Kajii is accused of murdering a series of men through her delicious cooking. She refuses to speak to anyone. Until journalist Rika Machida writes asking for a recipe. As the two forge a relationship over prison visits, Rika hopes Manako will soften and open up a bit. But it ends up being Rika who finds herself changing. Rather than finding the key to a sensational story of seduction and murder, Rika is shocked to realize she may have more in common with Manako than she ever imagined possible.
Missing White Woman
April 30, 2024
Breanna’s boyfriend Ty planned the perfect weekend getaway. He took care of the train tickets, the dinner reservations, and the gorgeous four story townhome with the stunning Manhattan skyline view. But the last day, Breanna wakes up to find Ty gone and a dead woman in the foyer. To make everything worse, the victim is a missing white woman the internet is obsessed with. Desperate, alone, and deeply afraid, Breanna turns to her ex-best friend, a lawyer who is the only person who shares Breanna’s complicated past. Together, they have to find answers to the questions both the internet and the police are asking.
The Last Murder at the End of the World
May 21, 2024
Outside of the last island on earth is a deadly fog. If it touches you, you die. But on the island, protected by a security system, life is idyllic. The villagers can live mostly unimpeded, but they must do what the three scientists tell them. Until they find a scientist brutally murdered. Now, they have 96 hours to figure out what happened. Otherwise, the security system will fail and kill them all. But their memories have been wiped. So no one knows exactly what happened. Only that one of them is a killer.
Middle of the Night
June 18, 2024
Thirty years ago, Ethan Marsh and his best friend Billy camped in Ethan’s backyard. In the morning, only Ethan was there. A knife slash in the tent was the only clue. Now, Ethan is back home. Between nightmares and insomnia, he knows there’s someone prowling around the neighborhood late at night, and they keep leaving reminders of Billy all over his yard. Is it possible that Billy, long thought dead, is actually alive? To find answers, Ethan has to find out what really happened that night. But the truth may be more terrifying than he ever imagined. And he may never feel safe again.
House of Glass
August 6, 2024
Nine-year-old Rose Barclay saw her nanny die. At least, that’s what everyone suspects. Rose won’t say because after the murder, she stopped talking. Stella Hudson is appointed to the case by the court to help navigate Rose’s parents contentious divorce. But from the moment she steps foot in the Barclay’s DC home, something isn’t right. For one, there isn’t a single pane of glass anywhere in the house. And everyone is harboring secrets. The deeper Stella gets in the case, she realizes: Anyone could have killed the nanny—even young Rose.