“What are the best Mystery, Horror, and Thriller books released in 2020?” We looked at 182 of the top Mystery, Horror, and Thriller books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!
The top 26 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 150+ titles, as well as the sources we used, are in alphabetical order on the bottom of the page.
Our other Best Of 2020 Articles:
Previous Years: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015
All titles have been added to a Bookshop list as well!
Happy Scrolling!
Lists It Appears On:
INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER PARADE MAGAZINE – ONE OF FALL’S MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS CRIMEREADS – ONE OF FALL’S MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS AARP’S MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF FALL The 16th novel by #1 bestselling author Louise Penny finds Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Quebec invest
Lists It Appears On:
In Adam Cesare’s terrifying young adult debut, Quinn Maybrook finds herself caught in a battle between old and new, tradition and progress–that just may cost her life.Quinn Maybrook and her father have moved to tiny, boring Kettle Springs, to find a fresh start. But what they don’t know is that eve
Lists It Appears On:
“[A] tantalizingly disturbing debut…As enthralling as it is thought-provoking.” -New York Times Book Review Bustle Best Books of Fall 2020 Publishers Weekly Top 10 Mysteries & Thrillers of Fall 2020 She Reads Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2020 A woman held captive finally escapes–but can she eve
Lists It Appears On:
“A delectable brew of gothic horror and Hollywood satire . . . [and] what makes all this so much fun is Danforth’s deliciously ghoulish voice . . . exquisite. –Ron Charles, THE WASHINGTON POST A multi-faceted novel, equal parts gothic, sharply funny, sapphic romance, historical, and, of course, spo
Lists It Appears On:
Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns with Ring Shout, a dark fantasy historical novella that gives a supernatural twist to the Ku Klux Klan’s reign of terror IN AMERICA, DEMONS WEAR WHITE HOODS. In 1915, The Birth of a Nation cast a spell across America, swelling the Klan’s ra
Lists It Appears On:
“Fresh and surprising. Survivor Song may be one of Tremblay’s best– beautifully detailed, viscerally frightening, and deep with emotional resonance. –Dan Chaon, New York Times bestselling author of Ill Will A riveting novel of suspense and terror from the Bram Stoker award-winning author of The Ca
Lists It Appears On:
A man with a mysterious past must find a missing teenage girl in this shocking thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Run Away. Thirty years ago, Wilde was found as a boy living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past. Now an adult, he still doesn’t know where he comes from
Lists It Appears On:
“I read The Kingdom and couldn’t put it down … Suspenseful … Original … This one is special in every way.” –Stephen King Two brothers. One small town. A lifetime of dark secrets. A tense and atmospheric standalone thriller from best-selling author Jo Nesbø. Roy has never left the quiet mounta
Lists It Appears On:
A young woman living in a rigid, puritanical society discovers dark powers within herself in this stunning, feminist fantasy debut. In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet’s word is law, Immanuelle Moore’s very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast he
Lists It Appears On:
A breathtaking, labyrinthine epic, Troubled Blood is the fifth Strike and Robin novel and the most gripping and satisfying yet. Private Detective Cormoran Strike is visiting his family in Cornwall when he is approached by a woman asking for help finding her mother, Margot Bamborough – who went missi
Lists It Appears On:
“Winter Counts is a marvel. It’s a thriller with a beating heart and jagged teeth. This book is a brilliant meditation on power and violence, and a testament to just how much a crime novel can achieve. Weiden is a powerful new voice. I couldn’t put it down.” –Tommy Orange, author of There There A R
Lists It Appears On:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author, legendary storyteller, and master of short fiction Stephen King comes an extraordinary collection of four new and compelling novellas–Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of Chuck, Rat, and the title story If It Bleeds–each pulling you into intriguing and frigh
Lists It Appears On:
A New York Times Bestseller If you could use some wild escapism right now, Hiaasen is your guy. In its themes and its wild imagination, Squeeze Me offers some familiar pleasures, akin to a Greatest Hits collection. Anyone who’s read him will know what a prime recommendation that is . . . Angie is a
Lists It Appears On:
Go read Andy Davidson’s lush nightmare, The Boatman’s Daughter. It put an arrow through my head and heart.” –Paul Tremblay, author of Growing Things Ample bloodshed is offset by beautiful prose . . . A stunning supernatural Southern Gothic. –Kirkus (starred) Ever since her father was killed when s
Lists It Appears On:
A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICKTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER”I loved this book. It gave me the same waves of happiness I get from curling up with a classic Christie…The alternating points of view keep you guessing, and guessing wrong.” — Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sile
Lists It Appears On:
The New York Times Best Seller #1 April LibraryReads Pick April Indie Next Pick Goodreads Big Book of Spring Steel Magnolias meets Dracula in this ’90s-set horror novel about a women’s book club that must do battle with a mysterious newcomer to their small Southern town, perfect for murderinos and f
Lists It Appears On:
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls. Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delan
Lists It Appears On:
A husband, a father, a son, a business owner…And the best getaway driver east of the Mississippi. “Sensationally good–new, fresh, real, authentic, twisty, with characters and dilemmas that will break your heart. More than recommended.” –Lee Child Beauregard “Bug” Montage is an honest mechanic, a
Lists It Appears On:
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK [Moore’s] careful balance of the hard-bitten with the heartfelt is what elevates Long Bright River from entertaining page-turner to a book that makes you want to call someone you love.” – The New York Times Book Review This
Lists It Appears On:
“Compulsively readable.”–New York Times Book ReviewThe extraordinary new thriller from Stuart Turton, author of the bestselling murder mystery The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, winner of the Costa Best First Novel Award.A murder on the high seas. A remarkable detective duo. A demon who may or
Lists It Appears On:
An instant NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLER!I was knocked over by the momentum of an intense psychological thriller that doesn’t let go until the final page. This is a terrific read. – Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author*Marie Claire’s September Book Club Pick* Rear Window meets
Lists It Appears On:
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER A Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of the Year “One of 2020’s buzziest horror novels.” –Entertainment Weekly A “Most Anticipated Books of Summer” selection in Esquire, Elle, Vulture, Time, AV Club, Bustle, and Literary Hub “Gritty and gorgeous” –The New York Times “Jones is one
Lists It Appears On:
A little beacon of pleasure in the midst of the gloom…SUCH FUN! –Kate Atkinson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Sky Four septuagenarians with a few tricks up their sleeves A female cop with her first big case A brutal murder Welcome to… THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB In a peaceful retirem
Lists It Appears On:
“The Agatha Christie of our generation.” –David Baldacci, #1 New York Times bestselling author “Diabolically clever.” –Riley Sager, author of Final Girls The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Turn of the Key and In a Dark Dark Wood returns with another suspenseful thriller set on a snow-
Lists It Appears On:
A New York Times Bestseller This hushed suspense tale about thwarted dreams of escape may be her best one yet…its own kind of masterpiece. –Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post A taut, chiseled and propulsive (Vogue) new novel from the bestselling mystery writer who is in a class by herself. (Th
Lists It Appears On:
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER – “It’s Lovecraft meets the Brontës in Latin America, and after a slow-burn start Mexican Gothic gets seriously weird.”–The Guardian IN DEVELOPMENT AS A HULU ORIGINAL LIMITED SERIES PRODUCED BY KELLY RIPA AND MARK CONSUELOS An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic ari
| # | Book | Author | Lists |
| 27 | A Shadow Intelligence | Oliver Harris | Kirkus |
| NPR | |||
| 28 | A Song for the Dark Times | Ian Rankin | Waterstones |
| The Telegraph | |||
| 29 | And Now She’s Gone | Rachel Howzell Hall | Amazon |
| Publishers Weekly | |||
| 30 | Box 88 | Charles Cumming | Waterstones |
| Financial Times | |||
| 31 | Dead Land | Sara Paretsky | Washington Post |
| Kirkus | |||
| 32 | Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line | Deepa Anappara | Washington Post |
| NPR | |||
| 33 | Eight Perfect Murders | Peter Swanson | Kirkus |
| Publishers Weekly | |||
| 34 | Home Before Dark | Riley Sager | Goodreads 2 |
| Popsugar | |||
| 35 | Magpie Lane | Lucy Atkins | Five Books |
| The Telegraph | |||
| 36 | Moonflower Murders | Anthony Horowitz | Waterstones |
| NPR | |||
| 37 | Take Me Apart | Sara Sligar | Kirkus |
| Bookpage | |||
| 38 | Tender Is the Flesh | Agustina Bazterrica | Goodreads |
| The Lineup | |||
| 39 | The Darkest Evening | Ann Cleeves | She Reads |
| Waterstones | |||
| 40 | The Dead Line | Holly Watt | Financial Times |
| The Times | |||
| 41 | The Deep | Alma Katsu | Book Riot 2 |
| The Lineup | |||
| 42 | The Dirty South | John Connolly | Waterstones |
| Amazon | |||
| 43 | The Golden Cage | Camilla Läckberg ; translated by Neil Smith | Kirkus |
| Publishers Weekly | |||
| 44 | The Hollow Places | T. Kingfisher | Book Riot 2 |
| Goodreads | |||
| 45 | The Last Flight | Julie Clark | Amazon |
| Worldly Gentleman | |||
| 46 | The Last Trial | Scott Turow | She Reads |
| The Times | |||
| 47 | The Law of Innocence | Michael Connelly | Waterstones |
| Amazon | |||
| 48 | The Missing American | Kwei Quartey | Washington Post |
| NPR | |||
| 49 | The Sentinel | Lee Child, Andrew Child | Waterstones |
| The Telegraph | |||
| 50 | A Castle In The Clouds | Kerstin Gier | NPR |
| 51 | A Double Life | Charlotte Philby | The Times |
| 52 | A Time for Mercy | John Grisham | Waterstones |
| 53 | Agency | William Gibson | NPR |
| 54 | All My Lies Are True | Dorothy Koomson | Waterstones |
| 55 | All These Monsters | Amy Tintera | Kirkus 2 |
| 56 | Amnesty: A Novel | Aravind Adiga | NPR |
| 57 | Bad People | Craig Wallwork | The Lineup |
| 58 | Black Rain Falling | Jacob Ross | Waterstones |
| 59 | Black Sun Rising | Matthew Carr | Publishers Weekly |
| 60 | Blackwood | Michael Farris Smith | NPR |
| 61 | Blood Countess (a Lady Slayers Novel) | Lana Popovic | Kirkus 2 |
| 62 | Boneset & Feathers | Gwendolyn Kiste | Library Journal |
| 63 | Broken | Don Winslow | The Times |
| 64 | Burn Our Bodies Down | Rory Power | Book Riot 2 |
| 65 | Catherine House: A Novel | Elisabeth Thomas | NPR |
| 66 | Cirque Berserk | Jessica Guess | Library Journal |
| 67 | City of Ghosts | Ben Creed | The Times |
| 68 | City of Margins | William Boyle | Washington Post |
| 69 | Code Name Hélène | Ariel Lawhon | The Times |
| 70 | Culture Warlords: My Journey Into the Dark Web of White Supremacy | Talia Lavin | Kirkus 2 |
| 71 | Death in the East | Abir Mukherjee | Five Books |
| 72 | Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre | Max Brooks | Goodreads |
| 73 | Don’t Look for Me: A Novel | Wendy Walker | NYPL |
| 74 | Empire of Wild | Cherie Dimaline | Book Riot 2 |
| 75 | Execution | S. J. Parris | Waterstones |
| 76 | Fair Warning | Michael Connelly | Kirkus |
| 77 | Fake Like Me | Barbara Bourland | Five Books |
| 78 | Find Them Dead | Peter James | She Reads |
| 79 | Forced Confessions | John Fairfax | Five Books |
| 80 | Foul Is Fair: A Novel | Hannah Capin | NPR |
| 81 | Good Girl, Bad Girl: A Novel | Michael Robotham | Five Books |
| 82 | Heaven, My Home | Attica Locke | Barnes & Noble |
| 83 | Hexis | Charlene Elsby | The Lineup |
| 84 | Hidden in Plain Sight | Jeffrey Archer | Waterstones |
| 85 | Hide and Seeker | Daka Hermon | Kirkus 2 |
| 86 | Horrid | Katrina Leno | Book Riot 2 |
| 87 | House of Correction | Nicci French | The Times |
| 88 | Howdunit | Martin Edwards (Editor) | The Telegraph |
| 89 | I Follow You | Peter James | Waterstones |
| 90 | If I Can’t Have You | Charlotte Levin | She Reads |
| 91 | Joe Country | Mick Herron | Five Books |
| 92 | Lady in the Lake | Laura Lippman | Barnes & Noble |
| 93 | Lakewood: A Novel | Megan Giddings | NPR |
| 94 | Leave The World Behind: A Novel | Rumaan Alam | NPR |
| 95 | Little Secrets | Jennifer Hillier | Book Riot |
| 96 | Maigret Set One | The Wall Street Journal | |
| 97 | Malorie | Josh Malerman | Goodreads |
| 98 | Mastering the Process: From Idea to Novel | Elizabeth George | The Wall Street Journal |
| 99 | Midnight At The Barclay Hotel | Fleur Bradley | NPR |
| 100 | Murder On Mustique | Anne Glenconner | Waterstones |
| 101 | My Life as a Villainess | Laura Lippman | The Wall Street Journal |
| 102 | Negative Space | B.R. Yeager | The Lineup |
| 103 | November Road | Lou Berney | Five Books |
| 104 | One Good Deed | David Baldacci | She Reads |
| 105 | Our Bodies, Their Battlefields: War Through the Lives of Women | Christina Lamb | Kirkus 2 |
| 106 | Our Dark Secret | Jenny Quintana | She Reads |
| 107 | Perfect Kill | Helen Fields | Five Books |
| 108 | Perfect Little Children | Sophie Hannah | Bookpage |
| 109 | Piranesi | Susanna Clarke | NPR |
| 110 | Play the Red Queen | Juris Jurjevics | The Times |
| 111 | Precious You | Helen Monks Takhar | Kirkus |
| 112 | Pretty As A Picture | Elizabeth Little | She Reads |
| 113 | Pretty Things: A Novel | Janelle Brown | Amazon |
| 114 | Robert Ludlum’s the Bourne Evolution | Brian Freeman | Kirkus |
| 115 | Saint X | Alexis Schaitkin | The Urban List |
| 116 | Seven Lies | Elizabeth Kay | Publishers Weekly |
| 117 | Sisters: A Novel | Daisy Johnson | NPR |
| 118 | Slippery Creatures | KJ Charles | NPR |
| 119 | Smoke and Ashes | Abir Mukherjee | Five Books |
| 120 | Snow | John Banville | Waterstones |
| 121 | That Time of Year | Marie NDiaye ; translated by Jordan Stump | Kirkus 2 |
| 122 | The Aosawa Murders | Riku Onda | NYPL |
| 123 | The Big Book of Espionage | Otto Penzler | The Wall Street Journal |
| 124 | The Book of Lamps and Banners | Elizabeth Hand | Bookpage |
| 125 | The Bright Lands | John Fram | Bookpage |
| 126 | The Butchers’ Blessing | Ruth Gilligan | Barnes & Noble |
| 127 | The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne | Elsa Hart | Publishers Weekly |
| 128 | The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America’s Wildlands | Jon Billman | Kirkus 2 |
| 129 | The Coyotes of Carthage | Steven Wright | She Reads |
| 130 | The Distant Dead | Heather Young | Bookpage |
| 131 | The End of October | Lawrence Wright | Publishers Weekly |
| 132 | The Englishman | David Gilman | Financial Times |
| 133 | The Familiar Dark | Amy Engel | Publishers Weekly |
| 134 | The Forger’s Daughter | Bradford Morrow | Publishers Weekly |
| 135 | The Girl in the Mirror | Rose Carlyle | NYPL |
| 136 | The Half Sister | Sandie Jones | She Reads |
| 137 | The Herd | Andrea Bartz | The Urban List |
| 138 | The Horizontal Man | Helen Eustis Charles Finch (Foreword by) | The Wall Street Journal |
| 139 | The Killings at Kingfisher Hill | Sophie Hannah, Agatha Christie | Waterstones |
| 140 | The Last Protector | Andrew Taylor | Waterstones |
| 141 | The Law Of Lines | Hye-Young Pun | The Urban List |
| 142 | The Less Dead | Denise Mina | The Telegraph |
| 143 | The Living Dead | Library Journal | |
| 144 | The Long Call | Ann Cleeves | Barnes & Noble |
| 145 | The Loop | Jeremy Robert Johnson | The Lineup |
| 146 | The Mulberry Tree | Allison Rushby | Kirkus 2 |
| 147 | The Neighbour | Fiona Cummins | The Urban List |
| 148 | The Order (Gabriel Allon Series) | Daniel Silva | Amazon |
| 149 | The Other Passenger | Louise Candlish | Waterstones |
| 150 | The Paladin | David Ignatius | Financial Times |
| 151 | The Postscript Murders | Elly Griffiths | Waterstones |
| 152 | The Rat Began to Gnaw the Rope | C. W. Grafton Leslie Klinger (Editor) | The Wall Street Journal |
| 153 | The River: A Novel | Peter Heller | Five Books |
| 154 | The Runner | Stephen Leather | Financial Times |
| 155 | The Sicilian Method | Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli | Waterstones |
| 156 | The Space Between Worlds | Micaiah Johnson | NPR |
| 157 | The Stranger | Simon Conway | The Times |
| 158 | The Stranger Diaries | Elly Griffiths | Five Books |
| 159 | The Treatment | The Telegraph | |
| 160 | The Wicked Sister | Karen Dionne | Publishers Weekly |
| 161 | The Widening Stain | W. Bolingbroke Johnson Nicholas A. Basbanes (Introduction by) | The Wall Street Journal |
| 162 | The Windsor Knot | SJ Bennett | Waterstones |
| 163 | The Wives | Tarryn Fisher | Goodreads 2 |
| 164 | They Threw Us Away | Daniel Kraus ; illustrated by Rovina Cai | Kirkus 2 |
| 165 | Things in Jars | Jess Kidd | Amazon |
| 166 | This Is My America | Kim Johnson | NPR |
| 167 | This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing | Jacqueline Winspear | The Wall Street Journal |
| 168 | Three Hours | Rosamund Lupton | The Times |
| 169 | Three Hours in Paris | Cara Black | Washington Post |
| 170 | Tiny Nightmares | Lincoln Michel & Nadxieli Nieto | The Lineup |
| 171 | Trouble is What I Do | Walter Mosley | Washington Post |
| 172 | Unspeakable Things | Jess Lourey | Amazon |
| 173 | V2 | Robert Harris | Waterstones |
| 174 | Vampires Never Get Old, Edited | Zoraida Cordova and Natalie C. Parker | Book Riot 2 |
| 175 | Walk the Wire | David Baldacci | Five Books |
| 176 | We Need to Do Something | Max Booth III | The Lineup |
| 177 | What You Pay For | Claire Askew | Five Books |
| 178 | Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story Of Loss, Love, And The Hidden Order Of Life | Lulu Miller | NPR |
| 179 | Wobble to Death | Peter Lovesey Jeffery Deaver (Foreword by) | The Wall Street Journal |
| 180 | Wonderland | Zoje Stage | Book Riot 2 |
| 181 | Written in Blood | Chris Carter | Waterstones |
| 182 | Your House Will Pay | Steph Cha | The Telegraph |
| Source | Article |
| Amazon | Best mysteries and thrillers of 2020 |
| Barnes & Noble | Barnes & Noble’s Best Mysteries & Thrillers of 2020 |
| Book Riot | Best Books of 2020 (So Far) |
| Book Riot 2 | 2020 HORROR NOVELS: 16 NEW BOOKS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS |
| Bookpage | Best Books of 2020: Mystery & Suspense |
| Financial Times | Best books of 2020: Thrillers |
| Five Books | BEST MYSTERY BOOKS OF 2020 |
| Goodreads | Best Horror |
| Goodreads 2 | Best Mystery & Thriller |
| Kirkus | Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2020 |
| Kirkus 2 | The 13 Scariest Books Written This Year |
| Library Journal | Best Horror of 2020 |
| NPR | NPR’s Book Concierge |
| NYPL | Best Books for Adults 2020 |
| Popsugar | Popsugar Entertainment Books POPSUGAR Book Club Awards Nominees 2020 |
| Publishers Weekly | Best Mystery books |
| She Reads | 2020 thrillers you might have missed |
| The Lineup | 15 Best Horror Books of 2020 |
| The Telegraph | The best crime and thriller novels of 2020 |
| The Times | Best thriller books of the year 2020 |
| The Urban List | Bury Your Head Into The Most Gripping Thriller Books Of 2020 |
| The Wall Street Journal | Holiday Gift Books 2020: Mysteries |
| Washington Post | Best thriller and mystery books of 2020 |
| Waterstones | The Best Books of 2020: Crime & Thrillers |
| Worldly Gentleman | The Best Books of 2020 |
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