Lovers of twisty, tangly mystery-thriller books will have their work cut out for them in 2026, as the year’s slate of new releases includes a seemingly endless list of whodunits and psychological thrillers just begging to be solved before the final page. There are debuts from up-and-coming writers who just might be poised to pick up Agatha Christie’s crown and new installments from genre royalty like Alice Feeney and Gillian McAllister, plus a new novel co-written by The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue author V.E. Schwab, in her first foray outside the fantasy genre.
So, sharpen your deductive reasoning skills and summon your inner Sherlock Holmes. To kick things off, we’ve lined up the best mystery-thriller books of 2026 (so far). And be sure to return to the scene of the crime—or, you know, this page—regularly, since we’ll be updating the list throughout the year with the twistiest, must-read novels still to come. (If you need even more reading recommendations, be sure to check out our lists of the best romance novels of 2026 and the best mystery-thriller novels of 2025.)
