Once again, it’s time for the annual addendum to my list of The 112 Best Literary Mysteries and Crime Novels. Using curated lists from Book Riot, The New York Times, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly and more, suggestions from readers on Goodreads, and ratings on Goodreads and Amazon, I narrowed a field of over sixty novels to the following five best literary crime novels of 2024.
To complement these rankings, I have created two pieces of bonus content:
- The favorite literary mysteries and crime novels from nine contemporary mystery and crime authors like S.A. Cosby, Mark Haddon and and Derek B. Miller.
- A one-page PDF shopping guide to The Best Literary Mysteries and Crime Novels.
You can access both of these free resources using the form below. And now, on with The Best Literary Crime Novels of 2024!
5. The Fury by Alex Michaelides
In this original literary thriller featuring an unreliable narrator, a reclusive ex-movie star and her famous friends find themselves trapped on a private Greek island during their annual retreat, and one of them ends up murdered.
4. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
When a private security guard discovers a dead body and a bag of money while on assignment on a remote island, she asks her retired detective father-in-law to help her outrun and outsmart a killer. Amazon named Osman’s character-driven mystery one of the best books of the year, and Publishers Weekly listed it as one of 2024’s top mysteries and thrillers.
3. Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
After a body is discovered in their former foster home, three women find themselves at the center of a murder investigation. Hepworth’s page-turning story of sisterhood, love and murder was a Goodreads Choice Award semifinalist in mysteries and thrillers.
2. All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
A local boy saves the daughter of a wealthy family from a serial killer in a 1975 Missouri small town, but leaves heartache behind. Amazon named Whitaker’s genre-transcending mystery one of the best books of 2024, and The Guardian called it one of the year’s top crime and thriller novels.
1. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
A thirteen-year-old girl disappears from the summer camp owned by her wealthy family—fourteen years after her older brother similarly vanished. The New York Times and Amazon listed Moore’s literary thriller among the best books of the year, and it was a Goodreads Choice Award winner in mysteries and thrillers.