Mystery fiction reading guide
Heroes and villains. Puzzles and tests. Thrillers and killers. Who doesn't love a good mystery?
Mystery is a broad term that covers stories in a lot of different styles, and settings from the grand to the gritty.
From historical whodunnits, to the golden age of crime writing, cosy and quirky amateur sleuths like Poirot and Father Brown, to the war-torn and world-weary Jack Reacher. We’ve got detectives and psychopaths, accidental heroes, unwitting victims, and vigilante justice – there’s something for everyone in this popular genre, and this page is your doorway into a world of intrigue!
Happy sleuthing…
If you like reading about crimes that actually happened check out our True crime reading guide.
Mystery fiction reading lists
Mystery - eBooks & eAudiobooks
Mystery fiction sub-genre lists
LGBTQIA+ Mystery
Historical Mystery
Literary Mystery
Domestic Suspense
Mystery - Dark Academia
Mystery - Locked Room
Mystery - Graphic Novels
Psychological Thrillers
Mystery - Police Procedural and Forensic Thriller
Mystery - If you like... Lee Child
Mystery - Contemporary
Mystery - Cosy Crime
Mystery - Legal and political thrillers
Mystery - Hardboiled
Short Stories - Mystery/Thriller/Adventure
Mystery by country
Lists of crime novels grouped by country
Mystery - UK and Irish Crime
Mystery - Korean and Japanese Crime
Mystery - Scandinavian Crime Noir
Mystery - Australian Crime
New Zealand crime fiction
Return to reading lists
Kickstart your reading with librarian-created lists of the most readable and enjoyable fiction.
Return to Reading: Mystery
Return to Reading: New Adult Mystery
Leave the Girls Behind? Not on Jacqui Bublitz's watch...
Ōrauwhata: Bishopdale Library Monday Book Group Jan/Feb 2025
LGBTQIA+ Mystery
Jaqui B's second novel packs a punch. The premise is pretty out-there; JB revisits the idea of a deceased victim driving the story, as she did in Before…
Read more of this comment about Leave the Girls BehindLeave the Girls Behind? Not on Jacqui Bublitz's watch...
Ōrauwhata: Bishopdale Library Monday Book Group Jan/Feb 2025
LGBTQIA+ Mystery
Authors of mystery fiction:
Award-winning mystery fiction
Award winning mystery
Find great reads:
"What if the serial killer in The Silence of the Lambs was working on the orders of a Satanic force?" seems to be the main conceit of this horror-thriller.…
Read more of this comment about Longlegs
A well thought-out debut featuring Nellie Prayle, a Clinical Psychologist at UC, brought in to help solve the murder of the newly appointed Director of…
Read more of this comment about DarkskyJaqui B's second novel packs a punch. The premise is pretty out-there; JB revisits the idea of a deceased victim driving the story, as she did in Before…
Read more of this comment about Leave the Girls Behind
A delightful gothic tale of revenge and greed. A wicked take on the governess in a dark mansion surrounded by secrets scenario.
"What if the serial killer in The Silence of the Lambs was working on the orders of a Satanic force?" seems to be the main conceit of this horror-thriller.…
Read more of this comment about LonglegsA well thought-out debut featuring Nellie Prayle, a Clinical Psychologist at UC, brought in to help solve the murder of the newly appointed Director of…
Read more of this comment about DarkskyJaqui B's second novel packs a punch. The premise is pretty out-there; JB revisits the idea of a deceased victim driving the story, as she did in Before…
Read more of this comment about Leave the Girls BehindA delightful gothic tale of revenge and greed. A wicked take on the governess in a dark mansion surrounded by secrets scenario.
Find Mystery fiction in the catalogue
Find fiction in the genre you love
Whatever kind of fiction you're into, find lists, new authors to try, and staff picks.
Leave the Girls Behind
Jaqui B's second novel packs a punch. The premise is pretty out-there; JB revisits the idea of a deceased victim driving the story, as she did in Before…
Read more of this comment about Leave the Girls Behind