Best Mysteries & Thrillers of 2023

I really can’t say enough good stuff about Jesse Sutanto’s cozy mystery. Set in San Francisco, it’s a hilarious and heartwarming story chronicling the antics of the titular Vera Wong. When she finds a dead man in her tea shop one morning, her sleuthing leads her on a zany adventure. Will she be able to solve the murder (which the police seem too incompetent to solve)? More importantly, how will her investigation impact her life? This novel will leave you hoping for a sequel as you bask in the cozy mystery trademark warm fuzzy feeling.

This book was a really good one. I knew it was going to be enjoyable because it’s loosely inspired by Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train (in which two strangers meet on a train and hatch a “perfect murder” plot to each kill someone for the other person). What I didn’t expect was how complex the characters would be and how thoughtful the social commentary would be. Stratton confronts issues arising from systemic racism, domestic violence, poverty, and misogyny — to name some of the novel’s more central concerns — and manages to do so in an organic manner that is deftly intertwined with the story.

This book is devious. Deliciously so, but devious nonetheless. Bibliophiles will appreciate the setting (a library!) and the fascinating premise. Librarian Margo — not her real name, of course — used to be a nurse, but her predilection for death was, er, incompatible with her profession. Suffice it to say, she had to change her name for a reason, and when new librarian and aspiring novelist Donna catches her letting a library patron die, things take a dark and darkly humorous turn. The two torment each other throughout the novel as Margo continues feeding her habit, and Donna uses her as fodder for her novel-in-progress.

Katrina Kim is struggling. She’s failed out of college and has been refused refuge in her parents’ house. Already struggling with her mental and emotional health, her determination to pick up the pieces of her life is hindered by her chaotic psychological landscape. She begins to fixate on Kurt, a coworker at her new job, and when she sees him jump off a bridge, things quickly spiral even more out of control. As she attempts to figure out what’s going on, the novel takes the reader on a thrilling ride that careens toward its conclusion.

The premise of this novel was enough to have me hooked: a murder is committed in a town so small that all of its residents live in one building, a detective arrives to investigate, and the only way in and out is cut off by a snowstorm. How on earth anyone could not be intrigued by this setup is beyond me, but even if you aren’t immediately drawn to the novel, the storytelling will reel you in. Yamashita’s writing is engrossing right from the start, and the mystery that unravels is one of the best I read last year.

Jessica Knoll’s novel opens with an unwitting witness, Pamela Schumacher, who sees a murderer fleeing the scene of the crime. The novel presents two storylines — Pamela’s and another woman’s. Ruth Wachowsky has also had her life turned upside down and is certain the same man Pamela saw is responsible for murdering her girlfriend just a few years earlier. As the novel progresses, their storylines come together and race toward the novel’s climax. This book is compulsively readable, so be prepared to hunker down for a marathon reading session because you won’t want to put it down!

This is a great murder mystery, and since it’s set at the beach (on Fire Island), it’s a nice distraction from the chilly winter weather. This summer, the regular visitors come to town, bringing their marital issues, trying personalities, and dark desires with them. But this summer, something’s different; this summer, someone dies at the boardwalk, and it’s unclear whether it was an accident or a murder. As the plot thickens, the seemingly charming small town reveals itself to be full of awful characters.

Happiness Falls is a profound read. The premise is immediately gripping: Mia’s father has gone missing. More specifically, he was out for a walk with her younger brother Eugene when he went missing, and Eugene has a rare condition that prevents him from being able to speak. Of course, this makes for a great mystery since the one person who witnessed whatever happened is incapable of telling anyone what he saw. As the mystery unravels, the reader learns more about this fascinating family and their deep bonds to one another, all while the novel explores larger philosophical questions around the concept of happiness.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia delivers again in this fascinating horror thriller that delves into the world of 1990s Mexican horror cinema. When best friends Montserrat and Tristán discover a past-his-prime filmmaker lives in Tristán’s building, they find themselves embroiled in a quest to reverse a legendary curse on an unfinished film. Somehow weaving together a solid mystery with cinema lore and Lovecraftian cosmic horror, Silver Nitrate is a fun and fascinating read.

Titus Crown is the new sheriff in town, but the town is a small one rife with racism, religious conservatism, and a serial killer who’s been targeting Black youth. When a school shooting rocks the community, it’s going to take all of Titus’ extensive experience as an FBI agent to mete out justice and balance the racism that seems to come at him from all sides. Not to mention, you know, catching that serial killer before it’s too late.

If a novel of manners and a murder mystery had a love child, this book would be the result. It’s already been likened to both Jane Austen’s work and the Sherlock Holmes story world, which should tell you a lot. Beatrice Steele is our unconventional heroine, being more concerned with crime than high society. As it would happen, when she and her family attend the fashionable autumnal ball, two murders occur, and it’s time for Beatrice to put her detective skills to work in order to prevent the killer from striking again.

Fair warning: this is the 4th book in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries series. That being said, like many mystery series, it works as a standalone — although you get great depth from the ongoing character development if you’ve read the previous three books. Lila’s wacky aunties have landed themselves in a heap of trouble (not for the first time) as the grand opening of their new laundromat approaches. When their new employee — one of the aunties’ nieces is found dead, the police are stumped. It’s up to Lila and her ragtag crew of friends and family to figure out whodunnit before things can spiral even more out of control. Oh, and keep some quality baked goods on hand while you read; otherwise, Manansala’s trademark inclusion of Filipinx fusion bakery offerings will have you running to the nearest bakery.