Best 2019, Best Books, Best Year-End, Fiction & Literature, Horror, Mystery & Thriller

The Best Mystery, Horror, and Thriller Books of 2019 (A Year-End List Aggregation)

“What are the best Mystery, Horror, and Thriller books released in 2019?” We looked at 199 of the top Mystery, Horror, and Thriller books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 20 books, all appearing on 3 or more “Best Mystery, Horror, and Thriller” book lists, are ranked below by how many times they appear. The remaining 175+ titles, as well as the sources we used, are in alphabetical order on the bottom of the page.

Our other Best Of 2019 Articles:

Our Other Years: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015

Titles appearing on 2 or more lists have been added to a Bookshop list as well!

Happy Scrolling!



Top 20 Best Mystery, Horror, and Thriller Books From 2019



20 .) Agent Running in the Field written by John le Carré

Agent Running in the Field

Lists It Appears On:

  • Guardian
  • Telegraph
  • NPR

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ‘Le Carré delivers a tale for our times . . . a demonstration of the British spy thriller at its unputdownable best’ Robert McCrum, Observer ________________________________ Nat, a 47 year-old veteran of Britain’s Secret Intelli



19 .) An Anonymous Girl written by Greer Hendricks

An Anonymous Girl

Lists It Appears On:

  • USA Today
  • Goodreads 2
  • JoelBooks

The next novel of psychological suspense and obsession from the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed. When Jessica F



18 .) Disappearing Earth written by Julia Phillips

Disappearing Earth

Lists It Appears On:

  • Dead Good
  • Goodreads 2
  • NPR

A stunning debut from an acclaimed travel writer, Disappearing Earth is about two sisters who go missing on the remote volcanic peninsula of Kamchatka. Clues to the crime lie in the lives – and stories of violence and loss – of twelve women in the girls’ r



17 .) The Border written by Don Winslow

The Border

Lists It Appears On:

  • Guardian
  • Telegraph
  • NPR

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE YEAR “A big, sprawling, ultimately stunning crime tableau.” – Janet Maslin, New York Times “You can’t ask for more emotionally moving entertainment.” – Stephen King “One of the best thriller writers on the planet.”



16 .) The Chestnut Man: A Novel written by Søren Sveistrup

The Chestnut Man: A Novel

Lists It Appears On:

  • Kirkus
  • Amazon
  • Library Journal

IF YOU FIND ONE, HE’S ALREADY FOUND YOU The heart-pounding debut from the creator of the hit Scandinavian television show The Killing. A psychopath is terrorizing Copenhagen. His calling card is a “chestnut man”—a handmade doll made of matchsticks and two



15 .) The Twisted Ones written by T. Kingfisher

The Twisted Ones

Lists It Appears On:

  • Goodreads
  • Grit Daily
  • Library Journal 2

When a young woman clears out her deceased grandmother’s home in rural North Carolina, she finds long-hidden secrets about a strange colony of beings in the woods in this chilling novel that reads like The Blair Witch Project meets The Andy Griffith Show.



14 .) Your House Will Pay written by Steph Cha

Your House Will Pay

Lists It Appears On:

  • Publishers Weekly 2
  • Kirkus
  • Library Journal

‘A touching portrait of two families bound together by a split-second decision that tore a hole through an entire city.’ Attica Locke ‘Steph Cha fearlessly explores the duality of LA’s promise and betrayal, its vision of new beginnings and the brutal divis



13 .) Growing Things and Other Stories written by Paul Tremblay

Growing Things and Other Stories

Lists It Appears On:

  • Grit Daily
  • Booklist 2
  • Goodreads
  • Library Journal 2

A chilling short story collection by the Bram Stoker Award-winner author, including stories set in the world of A Head Full of Ghosts and Disappearance at Devil’s Rock. A thrilling new collection from the award-winning author of A Head Full of Ghosts and T



12 .) Lady in the Lake written by Laura Lippman

Lady in the Lake

Lists It Appears On:

  • BookPage
  • Publishers Weekly 2
  • Kirkus
  • NPR

‘Haunting… extraordinary.’ STEPHEN KING A stunning, multi-voiced, period piece – tackling race, gender politics, and the volatility of mid ’60s America – from the author of SUNBURN Cleo Sherwood disappeared eight months ago. Aside from her parents and th



11 .) Lock Every Door written by Riley Sager

Lock Every Door

Lists It Appears On:

  • SheReads
  • Story-eyed Reviews
  • Goodreads 2
  • Amazon

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Parade, “The Most Anticipated Books of Summer 2019 ” and “The Best Beach Reads of Summer 2019” Good Housekeeping, “Best New Books for Summer 2019” PureWow “The Best Beach Reads of Summer 2019” BookBub “Books That Will



10 .) The Family Upstairs written by Lisa Jewell

The Family Upstairs

Lists It Appears On:

  • Guardian
  • SheReads
  • Dead Good
  • Goodreads 2

“Rich, dark, and intricately twisted, this enthralling whodunit mixes family saga with domestic noir to brilliantly chilling effect.” —Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author “A haunting, atmospheric, stay-up-way-too-late read.” —Megan Miranda, New Yo



9.) The Turn Of The Key written by Ruth Ware

The Turn Of The Key

Lists It Appears On:

  • Reader’s Digest
  • SheReads
  • Dead Good
  • Goodreads 2

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, and The Death of Mrs. Westaway comes Ruth Ware’s highly anticipated fifth novel. When she stumbles across the ad



8.) The Whisper Man written by Alex North

The Whisper Man

Lists It Appears On:

  • Guardian
  • SheReads
  • Goodreads 2
  • Amazon

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ‘THE BEST CRIME NOVEL OF THE DECADE’ Steve Cavanagh, bestselling author of Twisted If you leave a door half-open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken . . . Still devastated after the loss of his wife, Tom Kennedy and his young



7.) American Spy written by Lauren Wilkinson

American Spy

Lists It Appears On:

  • Guardian
  • SheReads
  • Telegraph
  • Amazon
  • NPR

“American Spy updates the espionage thriller with blazing originality.”—Entertainment Weekly “Gutsy . . . challenging boundaries is what brave fiction does.”—The New York Times “So much fun . . . Like the best of John le Carré, it’s extremely tough to put



6.) Conviction written by Denise Mina

Conviction

Lists It Appears On:

  • BookPage
  • Publishers Weekly 2
  • Telegraph
  • NPR
  • Observer

A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK A true-crime podcast sets a trophy wife’s present life on a collision course with her secret past in this thriller from Denise Mina. The day Anna McDonald’s quiet, respectable life exploded started off li



5.) Heaven, My Home written by Attica Locke

Heaven, My Home

Lists It Appears On:

  • BookPage
  • Guardian
  • Readings
  • Kirkus
  • NPR

Nine-year-old Levi King knew he should have left for home sooner; instead he found himself all alone, adrift on the vastness of Caddo Lake. A sudden noise – and all goes dark. Ranger Darren Matthews is trying to emerge from another kind of darkness; his ca



4.) The Chain written by Adrian McKinty

The Chain

Lists It Appears On:

  • Amazon
  • Guardian
  • Goodreads 2
  • Kirkus
  • Observer

YOUR PHONE RINGS A STRANGER HAS KIDNAPPED YOUR CHILD TO FREE THEM YOU MUST ABDUCT SOMEONE ELSE’S YOUR CHILD WILL BE RELEASED WHEN YOUR VICTIM’S PARENTS KIDNAP ANOTHER IF ANY OF THESE THINGS DON’T HAPPEN: YOUR CHILD WILL BE KILLED. YOU ARE NOW PART OF THE C



3.) The Institute written by Stephen King

The Institute

Lists It Appears On:

  • Publishers Weekly
  • USA Today
  • Goodreads
  • Grit Daily
  • Amazon

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King, the most riveting and unforgettable story of kids confronting evil since It—publishing just as the second part of It, the movie, lands in theaters. In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet st



2.) The Lost Man written by Jane Harper

The Lost Man

Lists It Appears On:

  • BookPage
  • Dead Good
  • Goodreads 2
  • Kirkus
  • Observer
  • Five Books 2
  • Library Journal

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Two brothers meet in the remote Australian outback when the third brother is found dead, in this stunning new standalone novel from Jane Harper Brothers Nathan and Bub Bright meet for the first time in months at the remote



1.) The Silent Patient written by Alex Michaelides

The Silent Patient

Lists It Appears On:

  • Amazon
  • Publishers Weekly 2
  • SheReads
  • USA Today
  • Dead Good
  • Goodreads 2
  • JoelBooks

Read the No.1 New York Times bestselling, record-breaking 2019 thriller that everyone is talking about – soon to be a major film. ‘Terrific’ – THE TIMES Crime Book of the Month ‘Smart, sophisticated suspense’ – LEE CHILD ‘Absolutely brilliant’ – STEPHEN FR




The 175+ Additional Best Mystery, Horror, and Thriller Books Released In 2019



#BooksAuthorsLists
21A Better Man (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #15) 
Goodreads 2
   Amazon
22A Friend Is a Gift You Give YourselfWilliam BoyleTelegraph
   NPR
23A People’s Future of the United StatesEdited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
Publishers Weekly
   Booklist 2
24Bad Axe CountyJohn GalliganBookPage
   Kirkus
25Big Sky Guardian
   Telegraph
26Blood and Sugar Guardian
   Telegraph
27Full Throttle Goodreads
   Amazon
28Good Girl, Bad GirlMichael Robotham
Publishers Weekly 2
   Kirkus
29Imaginary FriendStephen Chbosky
Story-eyed Reviews
   Goodreads
30Magic for LiarsSarah GaileyBooklist 2
   NPR
31MetropolisPhilip KerrReadings
   Telegraph
32Miracle CreekAngie KimSheReads
   
Goodreads 2
33My Lovely WifeSamantha DowningSheReads
   
Goodreads 2
34My Sister, the Serial KillerOyinkan Braithwaite
Goodreads 2
   
Five Books 2
35Ninth HouseLeigh Bardugo
Story-eyed Reviews
   Amazon
36Rules for VanishingKate Alice Marshall
Story-eyed Reviews
   
Written Word Worlds
37Run Away USA Today
   
Goodreads 2
38Scrublands Guardian
   Observer
39Someone We Know USA Today
   Dead Good
40The Bone FireS.D. SykesBookPage
   
Publishers Weekly 2
41The InvitedJennifer McMahonGoodreads
   
Library Journal 2
42The Light BrigadeKameron HurleyBooklist 2
   
Publishers Weekly
43The Long Call Dead Good
   
Library Journal
44The Luminous DeadCaitlin Starling
Publishers Weekly
   Goodreads
45The Need Amazon
   Goodreads
46The Night Fire (A Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch Novel (22)) Amazon
   
Goodreads 2
47This Poison Will RemainFred Vargas
Publishers Weekly 2
   Readings
48VioletScott ThomasGoodreads
   
Library Journal 2
49Wakenhyrst Goodreads
   Observer
50WanderersChuck Wendig
Publishers Weekly
   
Library Journal 2
51Worst Case Scenario Guardian
   Telegraph
52A Beautiful CorpseChristi Daugherty
Reader’s Digest
53A Cosmology of Monsters Goodreads
54A Dangerous ManRobert Crais
Reader’s Digest
55A Dark MatterDoug Johnstone
Five Books 2
56A Deadly Divide. 
Library Journal
57A Deadly TurnClaire Booth
Reader’s Digest
58A Head Full of GhostsPaul Tremblay
Story-eyed Reviews
59A Long Night in Paris Telegraph
60A Lush and Seething Hell: Two Tales of Cosmic HorrorJohn Horner Jacobs
Library Journal 2
61A Stranger in My Grave Guardian
62Alias GraceMargaret Atwood
Story-eyed Reviews
63Alice’s IslandDaniel Sánchez Arévalo, trans. from the Spanish by the author
Publishers Weekly 2
64America Can’t Afford Unaffordable Housing 
Reader’s Digest
65American by DayDerek B Miller
Five Books 2
66Any Old DiamondsKJ CharlesNPR
67Aurora Rising. Booklist
68Baby TeethZoje Stage
Story-eyed Reviews
69Be Not Far From MeMindy McGinnis
Story-eyed Reviews
70Black SoulsGioacchino CriacoNPR
71Blue Moon: A Jack Reacher Novel Amazon
72Bunny Goodreads
73Cari Mora Telegraph
74Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows. Booklist
75City of GhostsVictoria Schwab
Story-eyed Reviews
76Coyote SongsGabino Iglesias
Library Journal 2
77Critical Incidents Telegraph
78Cruel Acts Guardian
79Death in the East Telegraph
80DECEPTION COVEOwen LaukkanenKirkus
81Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead: A NovelOlga TokarczukNPR
82Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories  
83Fall; or, Dodge in Hell Booklist 2
84Five Days Gone: The Mystery Of My Mother’s Disappearance As A ChildLaura CummingNPR
85Fog Island Guardian
86Game of SnipersStephen Hunter
Publishers Weekly 2
87Graveyard Shift in Ghost Town 
Written Word Worlds
88Highway Bodies 
Written Word Worlds
89I’ll Never Tell 
Goodreads 2
90In the Cut Guardian
91InspectionJosh MalermanGrit Daily
92Jar of HeartsJennifer HillierFive Books
93Joe Country Dead Good
94KNIFEJo NesbøKirkus
95Lalani of the Distant Sea. Booklist
96Land of Wolves: A Longmire Mystery Amazon
97LayoverDavid Bell
Reader’s Digest
98Little DarlingsMelanie Golding
Story-eyed Reviews
99MiddlegameSeanan McGuire
Publishers Weekly
100Never Be Broken Guardian
101No ExitTaylor Adams
Story-eyed Reviews
102No One’s Home Goodreads
103Norco ’80: The True Story Of The Most Spectacular Bank Robbery In American HistoryPeter HoulahanNPR
104Nothing More Dangerous. 
Library Journal
105November Road: A NovelLou BerneyFive Books
106On My Life Dead Good
107Paper Ghosts: A Novel of SuspenseJulia HeaberlinFive Books
108Paper Son BookPage
109PeaceGarry DisherReadings
110Petra’s Ghost Goodreads
111Pieces of Her: A NovelKarin SlaughterFive Books
112Recursion: A NovelBlake CrouchNPR
113Red MetalMark Greaney and H. Ripley Rawlings IV
Publishers Weekly 2
114Sal & Gabi Break the Universe. Booklist
115Sarah Jane. 
Library Journal
116SAVE ME FROM DANGEROUS MENS.A. LelchukKirkus
117Say Nothing: A True Story Of Murder And Memory In Northern IrelandPatrick Radden KeefeNPR
118Searching for Sylvie Lee 
Goodreads 2
119She SaidJodi Kantor & Megan TwoheyReadings
120Sinkhole: A Horror StoryApril A. TaylorGrit Daily
121Slough House Telegraph
122Small Spaces. Booklist
123Something in the Water Dead Good
124Song for the Unraveling of the World Goodreads
125Swimming In DarknessLucas HarariNPR
126Take It Back Guardian
127Tell Me Everything BookPage
128Temper Booklist 2
129The Accident JoelBooks
130The Agony House. Booklist
131The Bird King Booklist 2
132THE BITTERROOTSC.J. BoxKirkus
133The Bus on Thursday Dead Good
134The Butterfly Girl JoelBooks
135The Cabin at the End of the World: A NovelPaul TremblayFive Books
136The Dark GameJonathan Janz
Library Journal 2
137The Dead Girls ClubDamien Angelica WaltersGrit Daily
138The Fifth ColumnAndrew Gross
Reader’s Digest
139The FiveHallie RubenholdReadings
140THE FRAGILITY OF BODIESSergio OlguínKirkus
141The Ghost BrideYangsze Choo
Story-eyed Reviews
142The Girl in Red Goodreads
143The Girl with All the GiftsM.R. Carey
Story-eyed Reviews
144The Glass Woman Dead Good
145The Godmother Guardian
146The Guardians: A Novel Amazon
147The Guilty Party Guardian
148The Hidden Things Dead Good
149The Hunting Party Guardian
150The July Girls Telegraph
151The Last BookPage
152The Last Good Guy Dead Good
153The Last Last-Day-Of-SummerLamar GilesNPR
154The Last Widow (Will Trent, #9) 
Goodreads 2
155The LessonCadwell Turnbull
Publishers Weekly
156The Line Between (The Line Between #1) 
Goodreads 2
157The Listening Walls Guardian
158The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek Goodreads
159The Lost Coast. Booklist
160The Mastermind: Drugs. Empire. Murder. Betrayal.Evan RatliffNPR
161The Monster of Elendhaven Goodreads
162The Mother-in-Law 
Goodreads 2
163The NancysR.W.R. McDonaldReadings
164The New Girl: A Novel (Gabriel Allon) Amazon
165The Night Olivia FellChristina McDonaldSheReads
166The Other End Of The LineAndrea CamilleriNPR
167The Puppet Show Dead Good
168The Remaking Goodreads
169The Right Sort of Man BookPage
170The River Observer
171The ScholarDervla McTiernanReadings
172The Second Sleep Telegraph
173The Sentence Is Death: A NovelAnthony HorowitzNPR
174The Silent Ones JoelBooks
175THE STRANGER INSIDELisa UngerKirkus
176The SuspectFiona BartonSheReads
177The Toll Goodreads
178The Weight of the Stars. Booklist
179The Wicked King. Booklist
180The Wife and the WidowChristian WhiteReadings
181The Wolf And The Watchman: A NovelNiklas Natt och DagNPR
182The Wolf Wants In. 
Library Journal
183The Wych Elm Guardian
184These Witches Don’t Burn 
Written Word Worlds
185Thin IcePaige Shelton
Reader’s Digest
186Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach Booklist 2
187This Is How You Lose the Time War Booklist 2
188This Mortal BoyFiona Kidman
Five Books 2
189Throw Me to the Wolves Telegraph
190Tinfoil ButterflyRachel Eve Moulton
Library Journal 2
191To the Lions Guardian
192Too Close Dead Good
193Trespassing JoelBooks
194Tunnel of Bones 
Written Word Worlds
195Two Girls DownLouisa LunaReadings
196Velocity Weapon Booklist 2
197We Set the Dark on Fire. Booklist
198Wherever She GoesKelley Armstrong
Reader’s Digest
199Wilder Girls 
Written Word Worlds


26 Best Mystery, Horror, and Thriller Book Sources/Lists



Source
Amazon
Booklist
Booklist 2
BookPage
Dead Good
Five Books
Five Books 2
Goodreads
Goodreads 2
Grit Daily
Guardian
JoelBooks
Kirkus Reviews
Library Journal
Library Journal 2
NPR
Observer
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly 2
Reader’s Digest
Readings
SheReads
Story-eyed Reviews
Telegraph
USA Today
Written Word Worlds